Friends; A Great Asset or an Eternal Detriment!?

Let me put this out there;

I love my friends.

If you're my friend and you truly need something: I'll try to get there as soon as possible (whether metaphorically or physically).

Of course; I'm also kind of forgetful.  And easily side-tracked.

If I don't write something down, it's out of my head within five minutes, so sometimes I just forget...  I've let down a few people because I've forgotten something important...

But that's not the main point of this post!

With that said; the stage is set(!)  Let the post begin~

Something that I've noticed;  That the company we keep has a great effect on who we are(usually the effect happens over time).  Sometimes we act differently around different people, sometimes we act a certain way to get a certain response.

It's almost like we're playing a part in a play.  When we're around our 'friends', we play our part;  but once we're off the 'stage', we take off the mask and resume life as usual (or maybe we move to another stage!)

That's something I've been trying to improve myself over the past couple of years, being who I am, no matter what company I keep.

The scriptures have examples of pretty much everything, even this-

There was a King in The Book of Mormon, his name was Noah, and he decided to go against the commandments of God, so he made a lot of bad choices in his life and in his kingdom.  I guess you could say he surrounded himself with people whom he thought of as his friends (I call them Henchmen or maybe Cronies)

A prophet named Abinadi was preaching to the people, telling them to that they had turned from the right way.  They didn't believe Abinadi and brought him before King Noah.

He began to preach to King Noah as well and the king was suitably cowed (as one would be when facing a prophet)-

 "And now king Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him."  -Full Reference-

But then, sadly, King Noah's buddies began to speak up-

"But [his friends] lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain."  -Full Reference-

 In about two seconds, King Noah goes from letting Abinadi go, to deciding to kill him(!)  all because of his friends.

I think that's why we've been given council to watch what friends we keep from a religious and psychological standpoint.  Whether we want them to or not, they affect us, they define us, they 'help' us define our moral compass.

Not to say we should shun those who don't share our beliefs or standards, but just be aware that there will come a time when you must choose for yourself what you believe, even if you don't choose to hang around those who do not share your beliefs...

Scriptures have got examples everywhere~  You just need to know where to look!