CRACKS, CRUMBLING AND FALLING ROCKS

photo taken of Mount Rushmore on August 13, 2011

I have always wanted to see Mount Rushmore. Last week, on my trip to Montana, I took a day and went over to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Took tons of pictures. The photo above is probably a view that most people don't see of Mt. Rushmore. I would go so far and say that much of what I see around me, most people miss as well.

Yesterday there were two earthquakes in "diverse" places in the United States. Colorado and on the East Coast, primarily in the Virginia/ Washington DC area. Two areas not known for earthquakes or even on a fault line. Luckily, damage was minimal, but in my mind... very symbolic. The Washington Monument was damaged with cracks on the pyramid on the top spire. The national cathedral in Washington, one of the highest buildings in the city, suffered damage with several capstones dislodged from it's spire, and also surprisingly, the Washington DC temple with 4 of the 6 spires broken and damaged.

A friend of mine send me an email this morning. It is similiar to what we call the "Pride" cycle in the Book of Mormon.

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

• From bondage to spiritual faith;
• From spiritual faith to great courage; 
• From courage to liberty;
• From liberty to abundance;
• From abundance to complacency;
• From complacency to apathy;
• From apathy to dependence;
• From dependence back into bondage.