Getting Dirty

If you haven't seen the movie Amazing Grace, you should, even watch it again!  It is based on a true story in England about the slave trade and is very compelling. There are so many great quotes from this film, but one of my favorite parts is when a British Politician, William Wilberforce goes to John Newton (composer of Amazing Grace, whose story is also amazing) for advice about whether he should take on the fight to end the slave trade.  Newton's response really struck me, mostly because later it proved to be true in Wilberforce's case:

Do it! Take them on!  Blow their dirty, filthy ships out of the water…you won’t come away from those streets clean, Wilber.  You’ll get filthy with it, dream it.  See it in broad daylight.  But do it, for God's sake!

There are and have been many like Wilberforce who take a stand, reach out and allow themselves to get dirty for a worthy cause.  Big causes like the abolition of slavery, equal rights or going off to fight for one's country.  Smaller causes that still have huge impacts such as being a social worker, psychologist, a parent, a friend.  All selfless people who sacrifice their comforts, even some peace of mind for the sake of others.
During the first couple months of serving a mission, I began to understand something while reading in the Book of Mormon about young men who fought in a war for their families, beliefs and liberty:

And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds. ~ Alma 57:25

As we stand up and fight, it may be necessary that we get dirty. Perhaps inevitably, we will be wounded...but hopefully that won't stop us