A Tale of Two Peoples

In a recent talk in Sacrament meeting, I touched on the concept of how important it is to repent quickly. I used the story of the people of Zeniff as an object lesson to teach the following concepts: Heavenly Father takes us where we are. Repentance is better sooner than later, and our choices directly affect what He does to help us. In other words, while He allows us our agency, He will also exercise His in choosing what to “do” for us.

A quick recap: The people of Zeniff returned to live in the land of Nephi among the Lamanites. They wanted to live in the lands they fled from a generation earlier. In time, Noah becomes the king and leads them from one degree of wickedness to another.

Finally the Lord sends the prophet Abinadi to warn them. He gives the first warning: repent or you will be brought into bondage. They ignored his warning. Two years later he comes again. The warning now is; they will be brought into bondage and destroyed if they don’t repent. (Note that the course correction is more severe.) Here is where the tale of these two people splits.

Converted by Abinadi, Alma preaches to and converts a small group of the people of Noah. They are discovered and flee for their lives into the wilderness. They establish a community and live for years in obscurity and peace. The rest, people later called the people of Limhi, travel a much different path. They are conquered by the Lamanites and after several failed attempts to fight their way to freedom endure years of virtual slavery.

Over a period of time, they too are converted to Christ, (Mosiah 21:33) and want to be baptized but have no one with authority to do it. They send out a team of people to find Zarahemlah. They fail in this but they do find the plates of Ether. Finally, two generations after Zeniff left, Ammon and his group find them and help them escape. A Lamanite army is sent after them to capture them and bring them back. It fails to do so, but in the process finds Alma and his group. The Lamanites enslave them for a short period of time, fulfilling Abinadi’s prophecy.

The good news of this episode is both groups become religious stalwarts among the Nephites. God delivered and guided both of them to where they were, but they both took different paths because of choices they made along the way. The sobering point of the story is how different those paths were and how much more difficult one was than the other.

The same holds true for us. Heavenly Father will work with us to get us back to His presence, but our choices affect the path we need to take to return to Him. I’d rather do it the easy way.

Helaman 11-12 - Do I Have Your Attention Yet?

Mormon’s  frustration at the wickedness and foolishness of the Nephite people shines in Helaman 11 and 12. The two chapters go together like Siamese twins. Chapter 11 sets the stage for Chapter 12 where Mormon steps completely out of the narrative which is otherwise remarkably transparent. By “transparent,” I mean the author, in this case Mormon, tells the story without any editorializing comments.

With chapter 12, Mormon writes a withering excoriation of human short-sited and selfish behavior. He starts off with, “And thus we can behold how false and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men…” The chapter is a study in contrasts. On the one hand you have God who’s faithfulness and love is never ending and unchanging. That is contrasted with man who is quick to forget God and be self-absorbed when blessed with great prosperity. For the Nephites, it didn’t take more than a few years before even the righteous were caught up in pride.

This rapid turn from humility to pride drives much of what happens in the Book of Mormon. From God telling Nephi what the Lamanites would be (a scourge to stir them up to repentance) to Mormon’s day where we see this fulfilled. It’s either wars with the Lamanites, famine or natural catastrophes which compel the people to turn to God for help.

It’s such a clear warning to us… for that’s the only reason he included it. He “saw” our day and knew how we’d behave. He’s trying to warn us in the clearest language he can use to not fall into the same trap. For good reason, I fall into it myself and I suspect I’m not alone in that trait. At this point, I consider it a mercy from God when he allows misfortune into our lives as He tries to get our attention so we’ll hear Him ask, “Do I have your attention yet? You’re headed in the wrong direction.” I’d like to get it right… sooner than later.

Alma 32-35 - Sermons to the Zoramites

I’ve lived with the nagging fear the tale of the Zoramites is in the Book of Mormon because it’s so easy for me to slip into behaving like them. After Alma shows us how they “worship,” he records three different sermons. Each one used to reclaim these people. Each one touches a different fundamental aspect of discipleship, which if used, will help us become better disciples.

So, what topics are taught? We have Alma’s visually evocative lecture on faith. Will you ever look at a seed again the same way? He promises the test of the seed will work even if all you have is a desire to believe.

Then there’s the admonition to pray for everything: your crops (work), family, enemies and friends. That not only do you pray for them, but that you should pray often for them. I tend to forget the flip side of this in that we also need to help the needy. In effect, it’s acts of charity which give power to our prayers. Or, put another way: if you want God to answer your prayers, serve His children.

There’s a powerful lesson on the Atonement and lastly, (at least for this post) there’s the dire warning that now is the time to repent. Now is the time to improve ourselves. Those who think they’ll wait to the next life to repent will discover the spirit (God or Satan) they choose to listen to in this life won’t change at death. I learned this when I first became a missionary. Back then I thought, “when I become a missionary, I will become a mighty servant of the Lord.” Wrong. To my horror and shock, after arriving in the Language Training Mission, I found out I was still me. The only way I became a servant was by a lot of hard work, prayer, scripture study and fasting. Change came because I worked for it, not because my circumstances had.

Alma 12-16- The Fall of Ammonihah

When you compare the stories of the people of Ammonihah with Zeezrom, a picture of God’s justice and mercy comes into clear view. It’s insightful that one of the chief instigators of the questioning and persecution which Alma and Amulek endured, Zeezrom, repents and is forgiven. At the same time God destroys others who followed Zeezrom but chose not to repent.

What it shows is God will forgive almost any sin (yes, I know there are a couple which He won’t forgive). But He’ll forgive A LOT of things. At the same time, if you are determined to go your own way, He’ll let you — to the point that when the day of reckoning comes, you’ll know with certainty it was you who put yourself in the dire straits you’re in. You’ll know there’s none but yourself to blame.

This is what Alma explains to Amulek as they watched the martyrdom of the righteous women and children of Ammonihah. He said God permitted the atrocity so there would be no question in the mind of any observer that the retribution which comes upon the residents of Ammonihah was well deserved.

He also talks how these victims go to rest in God’s kingdom. Having died for their testimonies, they will be blessed by Him. These are good things to remember when you feel the injustices of others heaped upon you. The wicked may have their “fun” for the time being, but in the long run, you don’t want to be in their position.

Sigh. It’s easy to say, but oh, so hard to do. It reminds me of what Thomas Payne wrote, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value…. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods….” These sentiments are profoundly true.

So, several good things to remember: one — anyone can repent and be forgiven. And the lessons we learn in adversity are often our most cherished and valued gifts.

Mormon 7-9 Mormon's parting words

After Mormon gives his parting testimony, Moroni finishes writing the things asked of him. Where to begin… you know the story, so again I’ll comment on just a couple of items.

One is the first date Moroni gives: is it’s been 400 years from the coming of Christ. With the battle occurring 385 years after, that means he and his father had fifteen years to finish compiling the book. Mormon started the work of editing the book after he renounced his command of the Nephite armies. Even in peacetime commanders need staffs to keep from being overwhelmed by all that must be done. Combat is worse, there is NO spare time for anything but directing it. He took a break from editing to wage the final battles, but afterwords, he and Moroni were running for their lives and writing when they could.

In my life, I find that my daily circumstances draw my attention to various events, scriptures and modify my awareness. I’m certain Mormon was similarly affected. That said, it’s a rather interesting exercise to wonder what was happening when he wrote what he did. I suspect his lamentation for the weakness of men in Helaman 12 came after his failed missionary attempt with the Nephites. He had time to ponder when he wrote the Savior's appearance in 3 Nephi and thoughts of war were fresh in his mind when he wrote the war verses of Alma. He wrote the Words of Mormon at the end when he gave the plates to Moroni. There’s more, but you get the idea.

Another thing that stands out to me is Mormon 8 and 9. Chapter 8 is written to believers in Christ. It’s an excoriating chapter where he calls us out for our pride and hypocrisy. The last part of the chapter I think is written to members of the LDS faith… it makes me uncomfortable to read it because of his observation… “I see your day and I know your doing.”

Chapter 9 is written to the atheists and is a powerful exposition on God and how He thinks and what He does. I see His mercy in the realization that we’d be more uncomfortable in God’s presence if we’d lived our lives in wicked pride than living with other people who lived the same kind of lives. I think its why there are different places, because where we go is where we’d be most happy.

Ponder that…

3 Nephi 10 - The Voice from Heaven pt. 2

In the previous post, I comment on the first time the Savior speaks to the survivors. He spoke to them one more time in this chapter. These are my observations on that.

1. Did you ever wonder how He spoke to them all? Was it a voice in their heads which everyone heard or was it an audible voice like a cosmic PA system? I don't know. In the grand scheme of things, it's not important, but it does show that if God thought it necessary to speak to all the inhabitants of the Earth at one time, He could. Instead, He gives us that opportunity to speak one on one to our family and friends.

2.  Three times, the Savior makes the lament, "how many times have I gathered you..." Each is different. The first time He says, "how many times have I gathered you..." talking about how he has done so many times. The second, He says, "how many times would I have gathered you..." observing He would have done it even more... if the people would have answered. And then for our benefit he says at last, "how many times will I gather you..." He leaves us with a binary promise... if we allow Him to gather us, He will and will safely guide and protect us, but if we don't then our houses will be left desolate.

3.  The last thing I thought interesting is the timing of events as listed in the narrative. If you go back to Chapter eight verse five, you read the destruction occurs in the first month, fourth day of the thirty fourth year. Since the Savior was crucified at the Passover and best astronomical data places that on April 6* 34AD, then the Nephite New Year Day was actually about March 8. Then in the end of chapter 10, we read that it wasn't until the end of the 34th year when He actually appeared to the Nephites. Mormon does observe He didn't come until after His ascension into heaven. It implies He spent quite more than just forty days with the Apostolic fathers. Keep in mind, the expression "forty days" is an idiom meaning a long time, it doesn't mean forty calendar days.

Then in an expression you don't see much in the Book of Mormon, Mormon ends the narrative with the promise to resume it. For us as readers of the text, we just go to the next chapter, but Mormon probably didn't come back to writing it for some time. Why, no one knows, but it's a fingerprint on the text showing, this was not written in one setting. It was likely the work of years, decades even on Mormon's part.

Up next, THE most important section of the Book of Mormon, Christ's appearance to the Nephites.

3 Nephi 9 - Jesus Speaks from Heaven

During the darkness which followed the destruction in the land at the time of the Savior’s death, He speaks twice to them. In this first time, the Savior starts off by warning them that woe’s will befall them if they don’t repent. This statement is made right after their lands and cities have been devastated by earthquake, fire and tempest… as if they haven’t already suffered enough. It’s insightful for this reason: the woe’s He is referring to are the eternal consequences they individually face if they don’t repent. From the Savior’s perspective, it’s worse than what they’ve already endured. The sobering reality ought to be that it is the same for us too. In fact, He goes on to implores these who were spared because they were more righteous than those who were killed, to now repent. It’s interesting to note too that He wants them to repent so He can heal them. There’s a lot in that statement, alas more than I have an understanding of, it’s definitely worth pondering.

Another thing I wanted to comment on in this is what He said about the converted Lamanites. He speaks of how, because of their faith, they were blessed with a burning witness of the Holy Ghost at the time of their conversion. He offers that to all now: all can have it if they will first offer to Him a broken heart and a contrite spirit when they repent. To this point, Mormon repeatedly observed these Lamanites, once converted, never fell away. How cool is that! I think a big part of that was this burning witness of the Spirit which they received.

The last idea I wanted to comment on is the injunction to come to Christ as a little child. How would a little child approach Him? As I pondered this, the answer I have, for now is the humility and trust of a child to a parent. We need to trust God and when He tells us something, act on it and not second guess Him.