Helaman - 7 - Faith, Grit and Grace

Nephi’s lament as he prays upon his tower is the heart of this entry. What Mormon chooses to include in the record shows remarkable insights on the fact he knew a lot about human nature. I think it also shows he had a witty sense of humor too.

Consider the lament. Nephi complains about living with such wicked people when he would rather have lived in THE Nephi’s day among people who were easy to entreat and quick to follow the Lord. I think had THE Nephi read those words about his older brothers he would have laughed. (I chuckled.)

Insights like this, which are many, in the Book of Mormon are priceless. It’s classic, “the good old days” or “the grass is greener” playing out before us. Nephi sincerely thought THE Nephi’s time was an easier time. Yet, unbeknown to him, but clearly known by us is how difficult those times were. That Nephi had murderous brothers to contend with, a barren wilderness and an ocean to cross. He had a family to provide for and protect with nothing but a brass ball, a broken bow, faith, grit, and sweat. Then there were the storms.

Suffice it to say, THE Nephi’s time in mortality was anything but a picnic: it was a demanding trial. He had his share of difficulty. He also had compensatory blessings. I suspect any trial 500 years in the past won’t look nearly so difficult as the ones you’re immersed in.

It’s no different for us. We can curse our fate and lament being immersed in trials or we can do as these men ultimately did. Get on our knees and plead for faith. Then armed with faith and hope, we can do what many say can’t be done: we can make miracles happen. Such is the power of God’s grace.

Helaman 5 - The Rock Revisited

There are perhaps three passages in the Book of Mormon which stand above all the rest. First among them is Moroni 10:4-5. Right after it is Helaman 5:12 and the third of the top-three is Alma 37:37.

I’ve written about Helaman 5:12 before, but there is so much that can be said of it, I’m visiting it again. In my previous comment on this verse, I talked of what the foundation is (pleasing God before all others). There’s another way to look at this beautiful scripture: the grace and strength of mind, which Christ gives to all who ask it of Him, will swallow any pain. By swallow, I don’t mean it will take it away so you don’t feel any. A pain free life was never on God’s agenda for us: not even the one perfect being, Jesus Christ, lived idyllic nor pain-free.

No, by “swallow” I mean you are strengthened so it won’t destroy you. You can absorb the blow and still stand. Instead it will teach you compassion for the pain others feel. It will show you the pain Christ willingly endured for you and thereby draw you closer to Him than any other experience can. You will know despite all the things you’ve thought and done which you hope to hide from others, He already knows — and He loves you anyway.

The image is an accurate showing for it's the rock on which the light house stands which bears the brunt of the waves. In our lives, that Rock is the Savior.

In this state of mind, all the fiery darts, all the mighty shafts, the hail, the winds, and the waves will still leave their marks. You will feel it all deeply. But, you will have an inner place, an inner peace where these things can’t get. A place where you’ll see the Son of Man did descend below all things — for you. Though hell rages around you, you will feel safe and loved. And in this state, you will know with certainty, nothing can destroy you.

Such is the promise of Helaman 5:12.

2 Nephi 19-23 - The Lesson Continues

In these chapters Isaiah hammers home the point that we need to trust God, to have faith in Him rather than in the wisdom of men and our pride. There is too much going on in these chapters to review them in any comprehensive way. Doing so requires books worth of ink and paper and a lifetime of pondering.

There’s a lot about the last days here. There’s the destruction of “Babylon” which is a type of the wicked and oppressive governments that exist in our day. There’s also mention of the purging wars waged by the wicked which hearken to Jacob 5’s references of the pruning of the orchard to clear out the evil branches to make room for the righteous. Revelations references to the dragon making war against the woman and the great destructions caused by the evil beasts also speak to this.

In the end, God delivers His people and they experience great peace.

On a personal level, which for me is where all this matters, is the lesson that all will go through adversity and faith challenging trials. The righteous will humble themselves and turn to God. Then, in the midst of great adversity, they will experience a peace which will cary them through these times. The wicked will turn to their own wisdom and suffer a different fate.

There repeats a series of punishments which end with the warning, “for this his hand is stretched out still.” I used to think this meant that despite these punishments, God’s hand of mercy was still extended if the people would repent. I can see how this is a correct interpretation. But I’ve also come to believe this interpretation, that despite all He’s done to get them to repent, He’s prepared to smite them again because they won’t.

The bottom line: everyone is going to experience trials. The great question is: how will we handle it? Will we take faith, turn to God for help and in the end enjoy great peace? Or will we ignore God and follow our own reason to spiritual death and destruction?

1 Nephi 17-18 - Into the Winds of Adversity

If you haven't figured it out yet, by the end of these two chapters you should know with great clarity that while God helps us to our respective Promised Lands, the journey there is never easy nor without travail and adversity. He has to help us because the trip is overwhelmingly daunting otherwise. And that's by divine design.

In chapter seventeen, Nephi is trying to build a boat. His labor pool consists of his brothers and Ishmael's sons. Laman and Lemuel think the idea is ridiculous and fight him. Only divine intervention saves Nephi's life and gets them to help.

Then, in the boat, they forget all the miracles and mutiny, wresting control of the boat from Nephi and Lehi. It's not until they face certain death in the face of a terrible storm, do they relent. Only when they come face to face with the reality that there is much in their lives over which they have no control that they finally get it.

So it is with us. God grants us agency, the ability to choose what we do and think. But we are not in control of our lives and environment. Death, illness, accidents, the actions of others near and far can destroy our world in an instant. The only thing we really control is how we choose to respond.

We see from these two stories, the correct choice is to be grateful to God and acknowledge He is in control and do our best within that context.