Warnings in the way the Nephites’ wickedness progressed

In these verses, Mormon chronicles the Nephites’ descent from great order to great lawlessness from the 27^th year to the 30^th 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.

All the Paths in Lehi’s Dream

28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. . . .

31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.

32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads. (1 Nephi 8: 28, 31-32)

These verses stuck out to me recently. It was surprising to me to realize that there wasn’t just the strait and narrow path in Lehi’s dream. It wasn’t the only road in the field. There were forbidden paths (probably dangerous) and strange paths (strange probably in the sense of “foreign”).

We don’t know much about how Lehi knew those paths were forbidden or strange. Maybe it was one of those things that you just know in a dream without having to be told.

But all those people took those paths for some reason, thinking the paths would take them someplace they wanted.

1) People headed for the great and spacious building. Why? Because they wanted pride and to feel superior and to look down at and scorn people.

2) People who were at the tree and who were ashamed of partaking of the fruit wanted something else—approval of crowds?—more than the fruit, or love of God.

3) What about the people wandering in strange roads and forbidden paths? What was at the end of those roads that they wanted? We don’t know, but odds are it was something forbidden and strange, respectively.

Among all these different paths, there is the path to the tree of life (love of God). The people who got to the tree and stayed there did it because that’s what they wanted. 

In thinking about all these paths as representations of ways people take to get what they want, it has made me examine my motives and why I do what I do to keep the commandments. Do I do it because I know I should and that’s how I was taught? Yes. Do I do it because I love the Lord and want more of His love in my life? How strong a motive is my love of God and desire to receive His love?  For me I think it is subconscious. Truthfully, I think a bit more about God’s blessings than His love.  Perhaps that’s something I can work on.

So here’s a question to ponder today: what do you want most deep down, and what road are you taking to get it? Do you know why you want it? Whatever you and I want, we think it will make us happy. Will it?  Is God’s love involved?

As In the Days of Noah

41 But as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;

42 For it shall be with them, as it was in the days which were before the flood; for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;

43 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:41-43)

This statement about how things were in the days of Noah has always puzzled me. Why are eating and drinking and marrying used as statements to encapsulate the wickedness during the days of Noah? What is so bad about eating and drinking and marrying?  On the surface, there isn’t anything wrong.

When I was thinking about this scripture, I thought it was odd that eating and drinking (something that is done a least three times a day in prosperous, plentiful times) is paired with marrying and giving in marriage (something that ideally is only done once in a lifetime).  It realized that pairing those activities together was implying something about their frequency. 

Eating and drinking happens often because we need food and water. But if marrying happens just as often, that really says something about appetites and passions—they are practically unbridled.  It is as though people are marrying and divorcing almost as often as they are feeding themselves. It means marriage has lost its sacredness and is used as a hypocritical cloak for casual sex. It says something about how unstable families and society will be.  

Now, I don't know if that will literally be true or whether it is a hyperbolic statement meant to emphasize hyper-disloyalty and moral decadance.  However, it seems to me that these verses warn us that unbridled gratification of appetites and passions shrinks spiritual awareness to nothing, since these behaviors made people completely blind and deaf to the warnings of the flood in Noah’s day. It will similarly prevent awareness and responsiveness to the signs of Christ’s coming as well.

I ran across a quote by M. Russell Ballard about the influence of the entertainment industry which is related to this: “I believe human sexuality cannot be continually portrayed as just another physical appetite that has to be satisfied—whenever and with whomever the urge strikes—without diminishing respect for God and His commandments.” (“When Shall These Things Be?” Ensign Dec 1996.)

So, while everyone else seems to surrender to their appetites and passions, we must not. We must keep marriage sacred.

Teancum’s great warriors

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But behold he [Amalickiah] met with a disappointment by being repulsed by Teancum and his men, for they were great warriors; for every man of Teancum did exceed the Lamanites in their strength and in their skill of war, insomuch that they did gain advantage over the Lamanites. (Alma 51:31)

It is neat that the men of Teancum were pointed out to us as great warriors. Their greatness is shown to consist of 1) strength and 2) skill of war.

This makes me ponder how these principles might be applied to us today in the battle against Satan. In what ways do we have strength and skill of war against the devil? And if we feel like we don’t have these qualities, how might we acquire them?

Strength starts, I think, with our desires to do what’s right, to please the Lord, to serve Him. Being converted by the Spirit and changed is a significant step, since it causes us to abhore evil. But at some point, strength also has to have an element of endurance too because if the enemy outlasts you, you end up giving in. 

I think on one hand, we are promised that God will not suffer us to be tempted above what we can bear, but we also can’t seek out temptation. Also, the grace of God is enabling power that we can access to push beyond our own limited powers.

So part of strength is from our desires and efforts, and part of it comes from the Lord. Part of it is what we muster in the moment to resist, but it has to have endurance if the struggle is prolonged.

What about skill of war? What skills do we have to have to resist temptation? How do we gain them?

I think these skills are one part knowledge and one part experience. We can learn in various places the different methods Satan uses to attack us. The scriptures help reveal to us Satan’s various designs and strategies before we encounter them so that we can recognize them and resist when they come. (Also, I think the war chapters of the Book of Mormon are very useful for pointing out a wide variety of these methods.)  Prophets point out things to look out for, and revelation can reveal to us what Satan is doing to us.  And this may sound odd, but I’ve noticed that sometimes cognitive-behavioral psychology books can reveal ways Satan might use our distorted thinking to enslave us (though they don’t necessarily take a spiritual angle. But they are great for pointing out faulty thinking patterns.)

That’s the knowledge part.

And then, we live life and we experience temptation of all sorts. Hopefully we pray for discernment and gain experience recognizing the devil’s attacks in the moment and resisting them. We also learn practical spiritual principles which dictate that in a particular situation, we should act a certain way, and living by those principles automatically builds our skills and resistance.  (For example, if we are committed to living the principle of forgiveness, then any time we are wronged, we have an immediate weapon to use against Satan’s temptation to hold a grudge and resentment against others.) I suppose many commandments we are given help build our skills for war against the devil.

The nice thing is that both strength and skill can be increased. They are increased by prayer when we notice we need help, by purposeful study, by learning new principles, by increasing our obedience. Part of it is from our own efforts and desires, but the other part comes from God by revelation and grace. And of course, when we give in, there is repentance, which gives us a chance to start over and fight some more.

Perhaps Teancum’s men are not as well-noticed as Helaman’s stripling warriors, but the fact is, without them and their strength and skill, Amalickiah’s invasion would have been even more successful than it was. They turned the tide of the Lamanite advance. They were just as serviceable to the Nephites as the stripling warriors.

The stronger and more skilled we are at resisting temptation, the more we can help those around us resist the rising tide of sin in our world.

Beginning today, let’s pray for the skills and strength we need to resist temptation.

David O. McKay on Indulgence versus Spirituality

The LDS Citation Index app has conference addresses back to 1942. There are some wonderful things to find there. 

In the October 1963 conference, I found this neat bit in President David O. McKay’s talk “The True Purpose of Life”:

Aside from resisting such oppression from without, each individual carries within himself the responsibility of living nobly or ignobly. Daily every normal person is faced with the choice of submission to what Paul designated the “works of the flesh” (Gal. 5:19), or of reaching upward for the fruits of the Spirit, which are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal 5:22-23).

Conditions in the world today seem to indicate that to many human beings are living not very far above the animal plane. Cunning deception, thieving, lying, cruelty, brutality warring conflicts are still all too common even among Christian nations.

Charles Wagner in The Simple Life gives this impressive warning against indulgence in animal desires:

“He who lives to eat, drink, sleep, take his walk—in short, pamper himself all that he can—be it the courtier basking in the sun, the drunken laborer, the commoner serving his belly, the woman absorbed in her toilettes [makeup preparations], the profligate of low estate or high, or simply the ordinary pleasure-lover, a ‘good fellow,’ but too obedient to material needs—that man or woman is on the downward way of desire, and the descent is fatal. Those who follow it obey the same laws as a body on an inclined plane. Dupes of an illusion forever repeated, they think: ‘Just a few steps more, the last, toward the thing down there that we covet; then we will halt.’ But the velocity they gain sweeps them on, and the further they go the less able they are to resist it.

“Here is the secret of the unrest, the madness, of many of our contemporaries. Having condemned their will to the service of their appetites, they suffer the penalty. They are delivered up to violent passions which devour their flesh, crush their bones, suck their blood, and cannot be sated. This is not a lofty moral denunciation. I have been listening to what life says, and have recorded, as I heard them, some of the truths that resound in every square.

“Has drunkenness, inventive as it is of new drinks, found the means of quench thirst? Not at all. It might rather be called the art of making thirst inextinguishable. Frank libertinage, does it deaden the sting of the senses? No; it envenoms it, converts natural desire into a morbid obsession and makes it the dominant passion. Let your needs rule you, pamper them—you will see them multiply like insects in the sun. The more you give them, the more they demand.  He is senseless who seeks for happiness in material properity alone . . . Our needs, in place of the servants that they should be, become a turbulent and seditious crowd, a legion of tyrants in miniature. A man enslaved to his needs may best be compared to a bear with a ring in its nose that is led around and made to dance at will. The likeness is not flattering, but you will grant that it is true.

“It is only by direct action on youth that a better society can be successfully moulded. All pseudo-mysticisms—social, philosophical or political—must be replaced by the Christian ideal, the only one based on liberty and the respect of human dignity. When people have received the same education, when they obey the same moral rules an think universally, they do not easily accept the idea of fighting each other and are very near an understanding.”

A very profound thought. Indulgence of desire ultimately doesn’t do away with it, but only inflames it.  

I think we can easily forget this principle today because of the sheer mass of advertising we are subjected to, all of which is designed to convince us that we should give in to our desires, especially the ones that require buying something. This idea that all desires must be satisfied is bleeding into public discourse about sexuality as well. 

The purpose of life is the gradual perfection of humanity through Christ’s atonement. To be alive only to physical desires and not to spiritual desires or simple beauties is to deprive ourselves of many of the joys of living. Christ specifically endorsed those who seek to gratify spiritual desires: "blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost." (3 Nephi 12:6).

President McKay also said:

Spirituality is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the Infinite. Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and more strength. To feel one’s faculties unfolding and truth expanding the soul is one of life’s sublimest experiences. Being true to self and being loyal to high ideals develops spirituality. The real test of any religion is the kind of man it makes. Being “honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men” (Article of Faith 13) are virtues which contribute to the highest acquisition of the soul. It is the “divine in man, the supreme, crowning gift that makes him king of all created things, the one final quality that makes him tower above all other animals.

Today let’s be suspicious of our indulgences and instead welcome every call to grow, learn, serve, and pray.  Try the experiment and see if you are happier at the end of the day than you were the day before.

Mormon’s analysis of the spiritual result of the Amlicite-Nephite battles

25 Now all these things were done, yea, all these wars and contentions were commenced and ended in the fifth year of the reign of the judges.

26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.

 27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth. And thus endeth the fifth year of the reign of the judges. (Alma 3:25-27)

After all the messy battles with the Amlicites are over, Mormon gives us this sum-up statement.

What Mormon implies but doesn’t say is that this shows us how quickly people can meet their end. In one year these contentions started and brought on a war that expanded, and the Lamanites were drawn into it, and by the end, tens of thousands of people were dead, all of whom probably expected to live a full life.

Because death can come when it isn’t expected, it is best for us to repent day by day and live our lives righteously so that we are not caught unawares if it comes sooner than expected.  The Nephites had had quite a long stretch of peace, and yet, in that one year it all broke down.  Living in America, we’ve had a long stretch of civil peace, so we might think it couldn’t happen here, but can we say that we are better than the Nephites?  That peace could be shattered more easily than we think, so we are not so secure as we might think.

It is also interesting that Mormon mentions this concept of which spirit one lists to obey.  The archaic meaning of list is “want or like.”  If think what you list, then you think what you like. 

Another meaning of list is related to shipping.  If a ship lists, it leans to one side because of the weight put on that side of a boat.  So if you list to obey a particular spirit, you lean toward or have a preference for obeying that particular spirit because of the weight or importance you put on what it says.

It is worth thinking about the kinds of impulses we have a tendency to follow in life.  Are they angry?  Criticizing? Procrastinating? Punishing? Kind? Honest? Greedy?  Lustful?  Amusement-seeking?  Loving? Industrious?  Generous?

Mormon also says that every man receives wages of that spirit they list to obey.  So it is worth thinking about the wages we will receive from the particular spirit we follow.  What are the wages of procrastination and delay?  Lack of readiness and sloth and non-completion of tasks and a sense of non-efficacy.  What are the wages of industriousness?  A sense of power and satisfaction.  Enjoying the fruits of our labors, and so on. 

Today let’s determine to list away from those spirits that entice us to bad things and list to obey the Spirit of the Lord.

The desires of King Noah’s heart

1 And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father.

2 For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness. (Mosiah 11:1-2)

King Noah started lots of bad stuff, but I want to highlight one part of v2 that shows the relatively simple beginning of it, a beginning that looks so benign.

..he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart..

King Noah’s wickedness started with following the desires of his own heart.  That’s kind of startling, especially since our culture makes “doing what you want” into a big virtue and a goal and a privilege. It should cause us to realize that it isn’t good for us to go after everything we want all the time.  And it makes us consider whether what we want is good or not. 

As Noah went after what he wanted, he undoubtedly came into conflict with the commandments of God, and he chose to break those commandments rather than sacrifice what he wanted. And we learn from reading the rest of his story that doing that ultimately led to his destruction.

So what we can learn is that the commandments of God are meant to be an obstacle to doing whatever we want.  (That’s the whole point of the “thou shalt nots”)  God put them there for that purpose to help us learn to regulate our desires, appetites, and passions so they wouldn’t destroy us.  When the commandments get in the way of our doing what we want, it is because they are protecting us from ourselves when doing what we want would be self-destructive.  They are even more helpful when effects of breaking them seem invisible or when the consequences are a very long time in coming and affect whole societies.

I’m grateful that the Atonement of Christ and being born again makes it possible to have my desires educated and changed and sanctified over time.

Looking Back from the Plough

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61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:61-62)

Jesus’s words here seem unexpectedly harsh in response to someone who just wants to say goodbye to family before leaving to follow Jesus.  Thus, it is a good bet there is a principle He is explaining that we don’t quite understand.

These verses come in a context of others who are declaring they’d like to follow Jesus and they are taught different things about the commitment required, like “The son of man doesn’t have a place to lay his head” and “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

The person in these verses wanted a chance to say goodbye to family, which seems harmless, if we assume that he had a good family who wanted the best for him and who were faithful themselves. 

But what if his family were not good people?  What if they were a major obstacle to this man in following Jesus?  In such a case, it would be better for him to separate himself and not return, since by going back even once would put himself under much negative pressure to renounce following Christ.   By asking to return to this family to say farewell, the man was certainly demonstrating his reluctance to separate himself from them.  It showed he wasn’t completely convinced that his sacrifice would bring him much greater blessings than those he enjoyed with his family. 

Jesus taught a great principle in response.  “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  Just like plowing is work, it takes a lot of work to be a disciple of Christ.  To look back is to wish one didn’t have to plough or to look back at one’s comfortable house and bed.   It is the equivalent of looking back with a sense of sorrow that one has to leave at all.  And yearning for past sins definitely makes us unfit for the kingdom of God.   To yearn for past sins and past dear associations that are nevertheless bad influences is as if one had never converted in the first place.  It means one has not really changed their heart and has only changed their behavior.  The kingdom of God is always an improvement over sin, not a step backward. 

Some converts to the church have literally had to separate themselves from their families, and thereby they have demonstrated great bravery, but not all have, and I think there are other ways of applying this story to us. 

Maybe we haven’t had to leave family to convert and stay faithful, but we have to leave behind all our bad habits and false traditions and our favorite little sins.  When we are called upon to repent, do we find ourselves wanting to “say goodbye” to those sins we feel especially attached to with a final binge before we take up the cross of discipleship? 

What Hindered You?

7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. (Galatians 5:7-10)

This block of verses resonates with me right now.  I feel like I’ve been a little hindered in my gospel run because of internal negative self-talk in my head.  I like that Paul points out this persuasion doesn’t come from the Lord.  It helps to have that discernment.  Satan is the one who tries to create obstacles for us, and a little corruption, like leaven, affects our whole spiritual life.

Also notice the words used for the problem – hinder, persuasion, troubleth.  Sometimes it is obstacles, sometimes it is persuasions from Satan, sometimes it is just troubles.  And trouble could be circumstances, or it could be persecution.

I also like that Paul points out that “he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.”  That means that the people who try to hinder, persuade away, or trouble us to keep us from enduring faithfully to the end will someday stand before God in judgment and be held accountable for those actions.  Yes, there is opposition in all things, but there is no call for anyone else to be someone’s opposition to doing good.

But what about those of us who struggle against ourselves?  Paul says, “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded.”  He is assured that our thoughts are all towards choosing the right and being true.   Having good desires is very important.  (I suppose that means if my thoughts are not that way, then that is an indication there are internal yearnings toward sinning, and that means I’d need to repent and seek to be born again.)

Good desires and reward

And now I command you, that if you have good desires—a desire to lay up treasures for yourself in heaven—then shall you assist in bringing to light, with your gift, those parts of my scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity. (D&C 6:27)

I like this verse because I feel like it doesn’t just speak to Oliver Cowdery about translating the Book of Mormon, but I feel it speaks to me and anyone else who works to understand the scriptures and write about them for other people.

I also like that it highlights that it is a good desire to want to lay up treasures in heaven. Laying up treasure in heaven usually means doing something that is not necessarily praised or rewarded on earth. It’s not rewarded on earth because the world doesn’t know how to estimate the true value of spiritual things, and even if it could, it doesn’t have the power or resources to reward adequately.

Fortunately, God can reward now and later, as is shown in v20, 33-34:

…Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love….

33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

We see that we are rewarded by being encircled about in the arms of God’s love, we are promised a harvest of a good reward, and we are promised that we will prevail over the opposition that will come.

Which parts of this reward come now and which parts come later? In what ways have you felt that you’ve received some reward from God?

Consider your desires

Behold, O ye my people, or my brethren, for I esteem you as such, I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider—for ye are desirous to have a king. (Mosiah 29:5)

These words are in the context of Mosiah trying to get the people’s input on who should be the next king over the Nephites. In this verse, Mosiah begins his letter in which he will give his best reasons why it would not be good to have a king. The words of this verse suggest that it is important for us to think about the things we want and consider WHY we want them. When we consider WHY we want things, often we are confronted with our shoddy thinking or unrighteous motivations. Acknowledging that our motives are bad or our good reasons are lacking can help us relinquish unrighteous desires.

I went through a phase a few years after I was married when I really wanted a tiara. And I didn’t want a little toy one; I wanted a really fancy-nice one. I wanted to be the queen of our house and wear it around. I wasn’t going to wear it other places, just at home. I’m not sure why I wanted it, other than I wanted to look extra special to myself and my husband. If the tiara that I wanted had been inexpensive, my husband probably would have gotten it for me, but it wasn’t. (After all, those rhinestones cost money!) And as he asked me why I wanted it, I realized that my reasons weren’t really good enough, so eventually I relinquished all serious intention of getting one. Deep, deep down, I suppose my motive for getting a tiara was all about stroking my own pride and vanity.

I’ve wanted to be famous. I can’t remember when this was, but I know I wanted it at some point. And I don’t know why I wanted it. Maybe I thought fame would bring happiness or that fame was the same as being appreciated or worthwhile. Now I know that is rarely the case, and thank goodness I didn’t have to become famous to discover that.

I’ve wanted to be rich. I’ve wanted to start a business. I’ve wanted to be an inventor. And you what? I’ve wanted those things for all the wrong reasons.

Yes, it is good to consider the reasons why we want what we want.

Tell me about some not-so-worthy desires that you've learned to relinquish. How did you come to let them go?

The great Nephite prayer party of 3 Nephi 19

I think we remember pretty well what the events of 3 Nephi 19 are. The news is spread abroad that Jesus has been seen and there are many who work very hard all night to get there where He will appear again. One of the main features of the chapter is an account of the disciples praying continuously and the prayers of Jesus for them, then their glowing white, and Jesus’s prayers in words that can’t be written. At the end of the chapter are these words:

35 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.
36 Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard. (3 Nephi 19:35-36)

The first question I asked myself was, how did the people show their faith? As I searched the chapter, I saw a number of ways they showed faith.

• They spread the news abroad that they had seen Jesus and Jesus would return the next day.
• Those who heard the news worked very hard to be where Jesus would be.
• The twelve caused all the people to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus, which created great unity.
• The twelve prayed (all of them)
• The twelve taught all the words of Jesus.
• The twelve prayed for the Holy Ghost to be given.
• The twelve were baptized.
• The twelve continued to pray.

I think it is notable that the twelve did not sit around doing nothing while they waited for Jesus to come; they seem to have determined that they needed to help the people become spiritual prepared, so they taught the people all the things Jesus had taught (bringing them up to speed), they prayed for the Holy Ghost, and they began to obey the teachings of Jesus about baptism. They did a lot in this short period of time. This reminds me of the importance of being quick to obey and do all I can to prepare myself spiritually.

…they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the earth, and should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus. (3 Nephi 19:6)

I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like to be there as the whole crowd was praying. Did they pray out loud? Or did they pray silently? What would it feel like to be with so many people, praying, knowing they were all praying too? Stop a minute and really think about that. What would it be like if we did this today? What if we united our own prayers with those who pray in our meetings, instead of simply listening? What a way of building unity and acquiring an eye single to the glory of God!

13 And it came to pass when they [the disciples]were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
14 And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them.
15 And it came to pass that while the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst and ministered unto them. (3 Nephi 19:13-15)

Joseph Smith said, “If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates." (History of the Church 4:605) Joseph Smith said this about the Relief Society, as it was organized, but perhaps it applies to all who live up to their privileges, and maybe this is a case when these people, particularly the disciples, had lived up to their privileges.

16 And it came to pass that he [Jesus] spake unto the multitude, and commanded them that they should kneel down again upon the earth, and also that his disciples should kneel down upon the earth.
17 And it came to pass that when they had all knelt down upon the earth, he commanded his disciples that they should pray. (3 Nephi 19:16-17)

Why does Jesus have the disciples pray? Why not the multitude too?
Why does He have the multitude kneel too, especially if they weren’t specifically asked to pray?)

It seems that Jesus meant to make the disciples and what they did into examples for the rest of the people to follow, and He knew that the manifestations that resulted from their faith and prayers would become a precedent that would be remembered for ages. Rather than preach a long sermon about the blessings of prayer, He did something better—He created an environment of prayer that would bring the blessings that He wanted to them all to realize. He put them into a position to learn about the blessings of prayer from experience. Further, He put the whole multitude into a position that if they wanted to pray too, they could. Commanding them to kneel was an unspoken invitation for them to participate, a suggestion that they could experience the same thing as the disciples.

Why did the disciples pray to Jesus?

Elder BruceR. McConkie said, “Jesus was present before them as the symbol of the Father. Seeing him, it was as though they saw the Father; praying to him, it was as though they prayed to the Father. It was a special and unique situation that as far as we know has taken place only once on earth during all the long ages of the Lord’s hand-dealings with his children” ( The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [1978], 561). Part of me finds it very odd that the disciples prayed to Jesus, but I can imagine that if I was with Jesus and I would find it very convenient to ask Jesus directly, rather than Heavenly Father.

Another thing that caused me to marvel was that as they prayed to Jesus, He walked a little ways away and began His own prayer. Now, when I talk to someone, if they were to walk a little ways off and start praying, I would be inclined to stop talking to them because I would assume that they were no longer paying any attention to what I was saying to them. (Not to mention not wanting to interrupt their prayer..) If I had been one of the disciples, I think I might have felt a little bit hurt by Jesus walking away and saying His own prayer. It would have tested my faith a bit. Maybe it DID test their faith. Still, they kept praying determinedly along.

What made the disciples decide to KEEP praying?
Perhaps they remembered His words from the previous day when He said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always…” (3 Nephi 18:15)

I notice that there seems to be a progression in what Jesus prays for his disciples. First, He prays that they will believe in Him that they can be one in Him. The second time, He prays for those who will believe in their words, that they can be purified in Him as the disciples had been and be one with Him like Jesus is one with the Father. The third time, He prays words that can’t be uttered, they are so great. This causes me to think that this prayer process describes a process of ascension to greater and greater stages of holiness and that at each stage, Jesus’s prayers were answered.

It is interesting that the disciples’ prayers are not recorded. The only thing we are given to know is at the beginning they pray for the Holy Ghost to be given them. Later, when Jesus prays, He thanks the Father for giving the disciples the Holy Ghost. This makes me think that perhaps Jesus’s later prayers similarly reflected the disciple’s prayers, so when He thanked the Father for purifying the disciples, that may be an indication that the disciples had prayed to be purified. However, even if we can’t say for sure what the disciples prayed for, we are given to know four wonderful things:

• “they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray”
• “they did not multiply many words”
• “it was given unto them what they should pray”
• “they were filled with desire”

It is amazing that they keep their prayers going so long, especially since they weren’t wordy about it. I’ve heard some pretty wordy prayers; a prayer can go on forever if you think of a million fancy ways to say one thing. But if you say one thing as simply as you can and say it only once, you have to find more to pray about. With simple words and no repetition, prayers can cover a huge amount of ground.

How did they not run out of things to pray? “it was given unto them what they should pray.” Somehow the Spirit prompted them as to the next thing they should pray for. And being filled with desire, they wanted to keep praying, so they allowed the Spirit to guide them. Maybe this is something I can do. Maybe if I pray for a desire to pray like those disciples, maybe I can have that experience too. Maybe the Spirit will prompt me what to pray when I’ve come to the end of my ideas and still want to keep praying.

Yet another thing I observe is that when Jesus came back from praying the first time for His disciples, He blessed them as they prayed to Him. This causes me to marvel on several levels. Were all the disciples praying at once? Different prayers? Out loud? Or were they praying in unison, with one person speaking and the others repeating? Or were they praying silently? I think they had to have been praying out loud and in unison, otherwise there would have been much confusion of voices. How did Jesus bless them as they were praying? Was it a pat-on-the-back-you’re-doing-well blessing, or was it a priesthood blessing? I think it had to be a priesthood blessing, else how are we to understand the earlier account of Jesus blessing the children? But how would He bless a priesthood blessing while they were praying, especially if they were praying out loud? It would be hard to focus on either praying or the blessing. Unless… He was blessing them to have the very things they were praying for because they were so unified..

And they were white as the countenance and the garments of Jesus and nothing could exceed that whiteness. There’s a footnote for this that simply says, “TG Transfiguration.” What an amazing thing! And Jesus, when He goes to pray again, thanks the Father for having purified those He had chosen. This seems connected to their transfiguration. It makes me wonder whether transfiguration is a sign of purification, or a privilege attached to it, or whether it is a natural result of purification, or whether it was a result of their purification, faith, and continuing prayers.

Something tells me that transfiguration like this is probably not a goal one makes when one starts praying. ("Yes, today I'm going to pray until I am transfigured.. Ready, GO!") It seems like it is probably the result of purification, faith, and continuing prayers, like that of the disciples. Will we ever know if we are transfigured? I have no idea. Could it be something that others are meant to observe as a sign of God’s light?

Another thing I notice is that in the two prayers of Jesus that are recorded in this chapter, both of them contain a request that all those who believed His disciples would have Christ in them as the Father was in Christ so that “we may be one.” Perhaps those requests were finally granted when the record says Christ prayed words that could not be written yet the multitude heard and understood with their hearts the words He said. It was a prayer to be felt more than analyzed, maybe?

I get a sense from this chapter of how strongly Jesus wants to be at one with His people and for them to be at one with the Father. (I think these prayers also inform our understanding of Jesus’s intercessory prayer in John 17.) He prays for all those who the Father has given Him out of the world that they may be purified in Him and have Him in them as the Father is in Him so that all these may be one. This fills me with hope that even today we can experience those great blessings because Jesus prayed that we would.

Finally we come again to the end of this chapter where Jesus makes the observation about their faith.

35 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.
36 Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard. (3 Nephi 19:35-36)

At first glance this almost seems like a reason for the Nephites to gloat and take pride. (“Ha! We are better than the Jews!”) However, I don’t think Jesus meant to provoke pride. I think that He meant to reinforce the principle that the greater a person’s belief, the greater their action, and the greater their action, the greater the miracles they will experience. They were not told how long to pray, and they took initiative to continue to act, so the blessing was greater than it would otherwise have been. I think it is true today too; the more effort we put in to our prayers of our own free will and good desires, the greater the blessing that we can experience.

The end of this particular experience is at the beginning of the next chapter. We have to read this, otherwise we miss important information.

And it came to pass that he commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples. And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts. (3 Nephi 20:1)

We learn several important things here. We see that the multitude DID learn the lesson that Jesus wanted them to. Even though He hadn’t asked them to pray at the beginning, by the end, they were all praying too. (I also think that Mormon included this account in his record because he wanted us to learn this lesson too.)

Another interesting thing that we see is that Jesus asks the multitude and His disciples to cease to pray. But to make sure that they don’t lose the lesson they just had, He tells them not to stop praying in their hearts. This is consistent with our knowledge that the Holy Ghost teaches us that we should pray.

As I have studied this chapter over several days, I have been filled with the desire to practice the principle of praying always. I have been praying a lot more and I can testify to the great blessings of continued prayer. I have felt more in tune with what the Lord wants me to do. I have felt much closer to God and sometimes I have felt heavenly beings very near. I had this kind of experience before a few months ago, but somehow I forgot to exercise my faith and continue. I'm trying to maintain it longer than a few days.

Have you ever tried this? If so, will you share what it is like for you? If not, do you want to try it?

“O That I Were an Angel!”: A Look at the Wish of Alma’s Heart

We are familiar with Alma’s exclamation in Alma 29 when he wishes he could be an angel so that he could cry repentance to the whole earth. But he turns away from this wish with words that have consistently puzzled me: “But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish” (Alma 29:3)

How did Alma sin in his wish?! Every time I read these words, I would go back to the preceding verses, trying to detect that sin because if Alma (an undeniably righteous man and a high priest) detects sin somewhere, it would behoove me to understand what that sin is so that I can avoid it myself.

His wish is:

• To be an angel
• To go forth
• To speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth
• To cry repentance unto every people and declare unto every soul repentance and the plan of redemption (that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth)

On the surface, it has always seemed like these wishes were harmless, but when I began to think about the motive behind the wishes, I began to notice that Alma realized his motives weren’t right and that later in the chapter he worked hard to remind himself of some important truths to get himself to relinquish those wishes.

Alma wants to be an angel because he thinks that would make him a more effective teacher. I suppose he remembered how amazing it was to have that first angel visit him and the four sons of Mosiah to stop them from fighting the church, and he thought that a more dramatic or powerful appearance would give him more success. I imagine that his run-in with Ammonihah stubbornness caused him to yearn for ever greater powers of persuasion and authority.

I suppose that we may fall into the same sin if we think, “Maybe if I were a bishop/relief society president/stake president/general authority, then people would listen to me better when I’m trying to share the gospel or teach an important principle.” We forget that the Lord has taught that those who receive His servants receive Him, and those who receive Him receive His Father. I imagine that promise applies whether the Lord's servant is a nursery leader, 16-year-old priest, or prophet.

Alma eventually tells himself this: "But behold, I am a man, and… I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me." (Alma 29:3) It’s a good hard look at reality and a reminder that his state is something that the Lord has given him to make the best of. “Why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?” (Alma 29:6) He already has a special calling to do—he’s the high priest!

4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.
5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience. (Alma 29:4-5)

Alma had to remind himself of the principle of agency and that it wasn’t proper to violate that agency. No matter how powerfully persuasive and authoritative the servant of God, ultimately they can’t coerce their audience.

There’s another part of his wish that is problematic: that of wishing he could declare repentance to every soul. It sounds good, but if just one person does all the preaching and teaching, no one else gets any experience, and that’s not what Heavenly Father wants.

It might be helpful for us to take a minute to think about how this wish might have arisen in Alma’s heart in the first place. Alma was a very skilled and effective teacher and evidently he was a prolific writer as well. Consider that the largest book in the Book of Mormon is the Alma’s portion, and that is after Mormon abridged it. Alma probably saw a lot of other peoples’ teaching, saw what they were doing ineffectively, and wished he could have done it instead so that those errors could be avoided. But he recognized this would be contrary to the wisdom of God:

7 Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?
8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. (Alma 29:7-8, emphasis added)

Well, just like Alma wanted to be an angel, I wanted to have the best scripture blog that everybody in the world reads. I want everybody to learn from me. BUT… this chapter has taught me that it is wisdom in God that there be many people from all nations writing about the scriptures and witnessing online about the gospel. I know very well that it is impossible to write something edifying without learning by the Spirit in the very act. So when I see so many bloggers' edifying posts, I’m happy because I know that the Spirit is teaching those writers and I remember how the Spirit has taught me. And when I see so many of these good blogs with so many attentive readers, I’m happy because that means so many of my brothers and sisters appreciate the things of God and are seeking out what is virtuous, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy. Ultimately I feel to echo Alma at the end of chapter 29:

15 Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!
16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.
17 And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen.
(Alma 29:15-17)

Dysfunctional family dynamics: Herod, Herodias, and daughter Salome

16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man [and a holy man, and one who feared God and observed to worship him; and when he heard him he did many things for him].
21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. (Mark 6:16-28, JST inserted)

I have to make several observations about this story. First, even though Herod respected John, listened to him, and did many things for him, Herod’s leadership did not extend to his own family. He didn’t teach his wife or his daughter to respect John as well. Think what would have happened if he had. This whole tragic episode might have been avoided completely. If he had been a better leader to his family, perhaps the desires of his wife and daughter might have been different. They might have learned to ask for righteous things instead of something so terrible as a prophet’s head on a platter.

Another thing--from what Herodias instructed her daughter to ask, we can see that mothers can pass on their evil desires and inclinations to their children. Herodias’s daughter didn’t know what to ask for. She didn’t know what was worth having when offered what amounted to a blank check. If Herodias had been a righteous woman, think what good might have been done!

Another thing I observe is that Herodias had a problem with cattiness and holding grudges. She would have had John killed right off, but Herod wouldn’t let her. Yet she pressured Herod until he had John put in prison. Did that satisfy her to have a prophet’s freedom abridged so that he was unable to preach? No. She wanted him dead and that was at the top of her mind when her daughter came to her to find out what request she should make of Herod. She didn’t even consider asking something that could have benefited her daughter in any way. Her daughter was the one that deserved the reward for her dancing skills, but Herodias put herself first even before her daughter.

If we look even deeper, we find that Herod’s family affliction was rooted in his disobedience of a particular portion of the Law of Moses—taking his brother’s wife. “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.” (Leviticus 18:16) “And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness...” (Leviticus 20:21) (And evidently the woman he chose wasn’t the greatest.) As a prophet, John the Baptist was obligated to decry wickedness and call to repentance all people, including those in high places, such as Herod and Herodias. Herodias would be highly offended by this and view John the Baptist as a meddler who was coming between Herod and her. Her opinion was probably the same as is sometimes seen today—“It is not the prophet’s business to say who is allowed to marry who! That’s a private decision!” It is also possible that Herod and Herodias wanted people to think they were religiously devout and John the Baptist was spoiling their public relations.

The final thing I observe about this story—which is actually in the first verse of the quoted material above—is that after it was all over and John was dead, when Herod heard of the things Jesus was doing, he made statements that it was John risen from the dead. I don’t think this indicates that Herod was superstitious and thought that John was coming back to take revenge. I think Herod preferred to think that it meant that his own heinous act of murder had been cancelled out somehow, perhaps forgiven, somehow reversed. Maybe he said it to try to anger his wife too. Imagine the guilt he must have felt for killing John the Baptist and how this must have affected his relationship with his wife.

So what does this sad story teach me? It shows me how important it is for a man and a woman to be equally yoked in marriage and how difficult it can be when one partner wants to listen to the prophet and the other is offended by the prophet. It makes my heart ache when I think of members whose marriage partner is even just inactive or a nonmember. How difficult that must be want to do right but feel unable to whole-heartedly embrace it because of a critical or skeptical family member or partner.

In summary, this story conveys:

• The importance of marrying a righteous person in the Lord’s way
• The need to teach family to revere the prophets and listen to them
• The importance of forgiveness
• The importance of teaching children to want righteous things
• The importance of looking for wise ways to reward our children for their skills

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