(Spoiler Alert) The good guys win in the end

As a young boy, I loved watching shows where there were good guys and bad guys.  What little boy who remembers the 80's didn't love Transformers, where the Autobots (good guys) would triumph over the Decepticons (even the name shows that they are bad)?  The same was true of Thundercats, GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a host of other programs.

As I grew older, I recall watching a number of programs that wanted to blur the lines between good guys and bad guys.  Sometimes, this is fine.  I enjoyed, for example, playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic.  In making virtuous decisions, the protagonist in the game becomes more noble and ultimately, saves the Republic from the Sith Empire.  Without trying to spoil too much, playing the game this way helps portray a story of redemption, a theme that resonates with many people, including Christians.

On the other hand, I remember watching a show called Dead Poet Society, in the which a bunch of rebellious students with the encouragement of an unconventional instructor protest the strict and misguided influences of their parents and the rest of the school.  Of course, everyone agreed that most of the faculty were not the good guys, but I was never really sympathetic towards the students who were also, not really good guys.

In a story where there a bunch of bad guys antagonizing a bunch of other bad guys, I find myself uninterested in the result.  It would be like watching a boxing match between Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler... I mean... I don't really want either one of them to win.

The idea of "complex" and "flawed" protagonists, or even "anti-heroes" is increasingly common.  Justification for these types of stories is that they are more realistic, because there are no real "good guys" or "bad guys."  I reject that conclusion.

In the world today, there are real bad guys.  There exist people that perform acts that are so depraved, society can never trust them again.  There are also real good guys.  This is not to say there are perfect people all over, but there are many people that put others before themselves, and that demonstrate loyalty, courage, and forgiveness.

The world can seem especially dark when considering all the corruption that exists in governments, corporations, unions, and almost all types of organizations.  There is no doubt that some crime goes unpunished.  The question, "why not be cruel?" may seem reasonable considering the apparent advantage that corruption brings.

Humanity is not randomly here on Earth though.  There is a story of which we are a part, and the ending has been spoiled.  In the end, the good guys will prevail against the bad guys.  Righteousness will overcome wickedness.  

I am not the first one to spoil the ending.  Those that have truly read the scriptures understand that the theme of salvation is fundamental to the story of humanity.  Though evil may seem to prevail, in the end, they will fall.

Consider the words of Nephi:

"And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders. And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.
And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.
For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.
For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire." (1 Nephi 22:8-17)

Because of the promise of salvation, there is reason to be confident in righteousness.  While the bad guys may seem to have great power, influence, and advantage over those who strive for virtuous living, in the end, those that have made Christ their King will be saved by him.  In the end, those that have invested in corruption, vice, and selfishness will have justice administered upon them.

As simplistic as it seems for a story to have good guys prevailing over bad guys, in the end, it will be the most realistic element of all.

Don't throw it out because it's old...

Modern religion for many Christians is defined by the Bible, and most particularly, the New Testament.  Certainly the coming of Christ represented a revolutionary change to the religious tradition of the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel... and it is right that even fundamental practices should be altered at the arrival of the Messiah.

For some, this change means the contents of the Old Testament can be mostly ignored: the old law is done away, and life and salvation come through Christ.  There are numerous teachings of Apostles regarding new stances toward food restrictions, animal sacrifice, and the need for baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Even among Latter Day Saints, the Old Testament is perhaps the least popular portion of canonized scripture.  This is unfortunate, as Latter Day Saints have access to the Book of Mormon.  Unlike the lengthy chronological pause between the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon provides a seamless transition between the two times, and gives additional context to the changes that came with the coming of Christ.

From the very opening chapters in the Book of Mormon, the importance of Old Testament prophecy is established.  In the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah, Lehi sees a vision with a pillar of fire. (1 Nephi 1:6)  The parallel between this image and the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites at night is unmistakable. (Exodus 13:21)

Additionally, when Lehi had gone into hiding in the wilderness to avoid becoming a victim to the Godless people of Jerusalem, he sent his sons back at great peril to obtain the writings of the Old Testament.  (1 Nephi 3)

These events from the very opening pages of the Book of Mormon seem to indicate that just because something happened before Christ, does not mean it is unimportant.  In fact, a recurring theme in the Book of Mormon is that while God pleads with his people to repent and return to him frequently, that there are serious consequences for those that reject his saving power.  It is both ironic and tragic that the Nephite people escaped wickedness and destruction in Jerusalem only to return to these things in the promised land.

Ultimately, the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon represent testimonies of the blessings that come from turning to God, and the tragedies that come from rejecting him.  The New Testament may bring new practices, unique teachings, and fascinating perspectives... but in the end, there are still lessons to be learned from ancient prophets.