Today's political landscapes have moved as well. But, its the same spineless leaders who promise and then give way to special interests. We can take comfort in the Lord as our salvation during all these onslaughts of demagoguery and manipulations.
The system to me is like an old arcade game. Sometimes the quarter works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes you have to hit the machine and sometimes you just have to walk away. We don't always get what we invested in.
But, we are still encouraged to play the game. Once the game starts working we might still lose. The idea is that politics is a game of chance and favors the skilled orators and cheaters rather than the virtuous and good natured. Luckily, we can take comfort in the Lord as our salvation.
Its not our lot to have everything be perfect, but it is our lot to try.
We have to remember the parable of the Talents that the Lord gave. It talks of servants being given talents and then having to account for their stewardship to the master. The faithful servants weren't afraid to use their talents. The master then said "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." The unfaithful servant said "I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth." and the master replied "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents."
The struggle to have faith in sharing our gifts with the world is one we have to undertake. We can't be afraid to do share our gifts or participate with what we've been given or how we feel on a subject. Anything the Lord has endowed us with, we must share for the edifying and building up of the kingdom of God on the earth. We must play the politic game as well as any other game that involves us returning good for evil. Remember the wicked servants were the ones who thought to save themselves from the hassle of dealing with an ungrateful or indifferent world.
Knowing that the chance to succeed also has the chance to fail, we must take comfort as the faithful servant and remember the Lord is wise and will sanctify our performance for our good. All these things shall give us experience. We must try because the Lord told us to, and we must remember Nephi's example and faith when he said "I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."
We must go forth as the pioneers and make do with what we have and the Lord will open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings so much we won't be able to receive them.
The Great I Am answers the Shakespearean question of "to be or not to be" by His admonition to be, even as He is. Let us take courage and faith in believing Him that our sacrifice for His sakes will not be in vain, but the least vanity we can do.
