Ents

     I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings. As I was sitting in seminary today, an idea occured to me. A personal interpretation of the situation with the Ents in the Lord of the Rings. The Ents make their big appearance in The Two Towers (book and movie #2). For those who are familiar with the movies and/or the books, the ents, most represented by Treebeard, live in Fangorn forest, which lies right next to Isengard (Home of Saruman the White). The ents come in contact with Merry and Pippin while Saruman is preparing his army to march against Rohan.
     In desperation, Merry and Pippin, having seen the armies of Saruman, urge the ents to take action. The ents, being very large and powerful, could have destroyed Sarumans army and saved many lives, but they felt safe, content, and without guilt to remain in their forests and leave the war to men. Treebeard stated to Merry: "We Ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done... This is not our war. "
     Now, I suppose I should explain why I am talking about this. What occured to me today is that many times in our lives, we feel content, we feel that things couldn't really get better, or, if they could, it would take too much effort on our part. There are times when we think only of ourselves. We try to push others' needs and concerns to the back burner, as we see no real way or reason why we could or even should help them.
     Sometimes, we even feel we have enough faith, that we have enough knowledge of God or the gospel or religion. We get to a point where we are content with not making progress, where we feel we have done all we can do. If you feel this way, I urge you to look deeper into yourself. Really take a look at what you can improve, how you can help others around you, and how you can improve your relationship with God and Christ.

•      Parents, how much time do you spend with your children? Do you do all you can to know what they are going through in their life? What precautions and rules do you put in place? Do your children have access to drugs, pornography, or other harmful substances at home or through things you have given them? Do you know what they are doing when they are out with their friends? Do you know their friends? How many times have you told them you loved them this week? Do you let them know you are there to help? Do you love them unconditionally, encourage and praise them when they do good, and lovingly teach them and correct them when they do wrong? Do you teach them about the gospel and share your testimony with them?

    Parents, I encourage you to devote more time to your children. Know what they are doing. Seek to help them in anyway you can.

•      Children, Sons and Daughters, When was the last time you told your parents you loved them? Do you seek to help your parents by doing your chores or by doing extra things to alleviate their burdens? Do you listen to your parents and do what they say? Is it easy for you to follow your parents rules &/or boundaries, even when pressured by friends? Do you spend more time with friends than you do with family? Do friends' activities take priority over family time? Do you talk bad about your parents behind their backs? Do you disrespect them by arguing, yelling, fighting, or not obeying them? Do you try to be a positive influence and help your parents in the home?

    Sons and daughters, I encourage you to try to be more respectful to your parents. Tell them you love them, yes, even parents need to hear that. Give them hugs, tell them thank you, look for ways you can help them.

•      Siblings and Friends, Do you make fun of others, either in front of them or behind their back? Do you fight often with your siblings or friends? Do you exclude people from groups or activities? Do you try to make people feel loved and cared about? Do you treat your siblings like your best friends? Do you stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone? Do you judge others because of trials they face or because they are different?

     Siblings and friends, I encourage you to seek out people who may seem lonely, shy, or do not participate or work well with others. They are often those people who are struggling in life, and even just a "hello, how are you?" could be enough to change their life. Be an example to your family and friends. Do what you know is right even if everyone around you isn't. Don't judge others or make fun. Love does not mean you have to accept what they may believe or choose to do, all love means is that you are kind, and are not rude to them. If you have siblings, make sure to spend time with them. Even though siblings often fight or compete, try to be your siblings friend.
    
     Now, to finish off the story. Merry and Pippin eventually led Treebeard near Isengard, where he  finally saw that his home was not as safe as he had thought. The ents became angry and fought, and ended up taking out any forces Saruman could have used in the war.
    Hopefully none of us have to fight a wizard and a whole bunch of orcs, but what I wanted to point out is that once the ents decided to take action, they helped the cause immensely. In fact, if it wasn't for the ents, the world of men would have almost definitely fallen.
    We are like ents, Satan wishes us to feel content where we are, he wishes us to not seek to help others, or even to better ourselves. I know that I personally have a lot to still work on, and I know that everyone here on this earth has things to work on and things they can do to improve.
     I encourage everyone to seek continually, not just once or twice, but continually seek to better themselves. Continually seek to help and uplift others, especially those who are struggling. Continually seek to better your relationship with God and your faith both in God and the Church.
     Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this, I hope it may have made even just a spark inside you, and that you may be able to better yourself, find hope and faith, and love others. I know that God loves every single person, and I know that we are all His children. Make time for God and helping others, and I promise you you will be blessed.