Charles Dickens on "These Times"

Again, to me, Charles Dickens perhaps described these times best, when, in "A Tale of Two Cities", he said "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.".
Modern day Acting President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles Boyd K. Packer (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - LDS Church) also points out to us that we are blessed in our day by former spiritual giants and martyrs such as John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, who made possible the first English translations of the Holy Bible ( "I will cause a boy who driveth the plough shall know more of the Scripture than the clergy" - William Tyndale)
Elder Merrill J. Bateman, of the LDS Church's Presidency of the Seventy, then went on to further explain that, "Following the Savior's death and those of His Apostles, doctrines and ordinances were changed and apostasy set in...spiritual darkness lasted for hundreds of years..."
Then, after years of preparation by other devoted and inspired followers of Christ, "The Lord directed the restoration of the gospel through the (ploughboy) Prophet Joseph Smith. The restitution of all things began (in 1820) in the Sacred Grove (near Palmyra, New York) with the Father and the Son appearing to Joseph Smith" and thus established the dispensation of Christ's own restored gospel and His Church in these last days, the "Fulness of Times".
Even so, in these best as well as worst of times, it is the counsel of modern day LDS President and Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, who sums up best for me what we all should be about:
"Age does something to a man. It seems to make him more aware of the need for kindness and goodness and forbearance...I think it may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed...How wonderful are the blessings of mercy and forgiveness...There are so many in our day who are unwilling to forgive and forget. Children cry and wives weep because fathers and husbands continue to bring up little shortcomings that are really of no importance. And there are women who would make a mountain out of every little offending molehill of word or deed."
He then went on to tell a wonderful story of crime, mercy and forgiveness from "tough old New York".
Upon further reflection, I believe that we live in the best of times, or so it can be for all of us.
For the complete text of all of the above remarks, visit www.lds.org and click on "Gospel Library". the "Ensign magazine". November, 2005 issue, pages 70-84.