I have spent a lot of time thinking about these chapters. It is one of the sweetest and most bitter parts of the Book of Mormon to me. In short, the Nephites go from having a personal visitation from the Savoir and living in a Zion society for two hundred years, to total annihilation. I took many notes on what seemed important but as I continued to ponder what we can learn from these chapters only a couple of items stood out strongly.
In 3 Nephi 27:27 the Savior asks a very pertinent question. He said, "Therefore, what manner of men (and I'll add women) ought ye to be?" Then he gave the answer, "Verily I say unto you, even as I am." That question has burned itself into my mind. How am I doing each day to live up to that charge? I was also struck that the term "I am" is another name for Jehovah; that had never hit me quite that way before. The Savior invites us repeatedly to COME unto him. He only wants to give us everything that he has. But we much choose to follow him. He told the Nephites, and us, exactly what that would entail. The words are fairly simple, the ability to heed them will take us a lifetime. He has instructed us to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure faithfully. What I love about it all is that I am entirely capable of doing just what he asks if I allow him to be my guide. It is by doing the line upon line, precept by precept that we will be able to learn all that he needs us to so that we can become all that he needs us to be. He has said that he "will try the faith of his people" to enable them to develop the strength to stand firmly when the harder times come.
The sin of pride is the antithesis of Christ. Pride goes against everything the savior stands for. When we place something before Him in importance we are much more likely to succumb to pride and what I call the 3 Cs take over--comparing, complaining, criticizing. That is just what happened to the Nephites. They began ranking themselves by their worldly goods; setting their hearts upon the riches of the world not the riches of eternity. They put more emphasis on wearing the right clothes as opposed to clothing the naked. If that is the path we follow we will eventually lose the influence of the holy Spirit, fail to recognize and use the gifts we have been given, and delight in wrong doing. Mormon and Moroni give powerful examples of what will happen to society if that is the road taken.
The Book of Mormon teaches us how to avoid pride and stay true to our Heavenly Father and Savoir. Mormon gives four reasons why he compiled the lessons from all those thousands of plates that he did. They include: 1) we are accountable for our actions, 2) fortify our belief in Jesus Christ, 3) witness to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ, and 4) encourage all to repent and come unto Christ--persuade the faithful to continue and convince the wander to return.
Moroni tells of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in a time of great wickedness that will only get worse. As I thought about this I realized the Book of Mormon is still coming forth to many lands and people so we are right in the middle of that time. In Mormon 8:35-40, Moroni asked several valuable questions about where our hearts are focused. As I read over the questions I was reminded of Sister Kristen Westenskow's Saturday night Stake conference talk about what women in the church should be. I have thought frequently about what worldly pleasures, praises, and gains do I place as more important than things of God.
I hope, Sisters, that we will look closely at our lives and where our hearts are. Do we tend to stand more on the side of pride and let the world dictate what we become or are we standing firmly and faithfully next to Christ; taking his name firmly into our hearts and acting as he would have us do.
I know that the Book of Mormon is the work God. That it is true and contains the teachings that we will need to find ultimate joy.
Love,
Karri Hoyt, Stk RS secretary
No comments:
Post a Comment