In these verses, Mormon chronicles the
Nephites’ descent from great order to great lawlessness from the 27th
year to the 30th year after the sign is given of Christ’s birth. It
starts with pride, persecution, and inequality. Then we get this:
15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was
this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner
of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for
power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.
16 And thus Satan did lead
away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had
enjoyed peace but a few years.
17 And thus, in the commencement
of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a
long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he
desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and
thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of
awful wickedness. (3 Nephi 6:15-17)
I notice there are three statements about what Satan
does and how the people respond.
Satan stirred
people up. It’s a very interesting image there of a pot of liquid that is
stirred. It is as though people would be calm and content if left alone, but
then Satan stirs them up to do iniquity, trying to convince them they are not
happy as they are, that the need power, authority, riches, and vain things of
the world.
Satan did lead
away the hearts of the people. This idea of leading away hearts is another
interesting image. It tells us that Satan managed to engage people’s affections
and desires in the iniquity they were doing. That’s very troubling because emotions
are very powerful. When one want to
do iniquity and don’t want to do good, then doing good starts to feel very
unpleasant, like one fights with oneself to do it, and it isn’t very enjoyable.
The people were
delivered up…to be carried about by the temptations of the devil. This
image of delivering people (like a package) and being carried about, almost
like a baby, is pretty sickening. It makes it sound like the people have no
choice in the matter, like something made
them sin. But the reality is that they simply gave up the fight. They gave up
fighting temptation and decided to do whatever they wanted, even though it
broke the commandments. The reality was, it was actually what Satan wanted, so they essentially
yielded their agency.
Now, sad as it is to read about this, I think it gives
us some important warnings for our own lives. It tells us to be alert to notice
when we are being stirred up or when our hearts are being led away toward evil
or when it seems like we’re just being carried about without our choice. Half
the battle is realizing we are in the predicament, discerning the devil’s
machinations in our lives.
I’ve recently felt like I’m being stirred up with
agitation, frustration, desperation, and anxiety. My head knows that I’m in a
place where I’m being asked to grow in a number of different directions at
once, that I have to exercise patience, that I have to buckle down and get to
work. I’m in a place of stretching, but all the same, it is very difficult
because of the strong emotions that are pulling me back and forth, this way and
that. It makes it hard to concentrate.
The only way to make it through is to yield my heart
to God, to resolve to do His will, no matter what my lying feelings shriek at
me. I must trust that each day my righteous efforts will bring me closer to
Him.
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