The Death of Absalom as a type of Christ

I was reading in 2 Sam 18 about the death of Absalom, David’s son, and the grief that David felt over his death and when I read verse 33 something clicked in my head.

And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept:

and as he went, thus he said,

O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!

would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

I thought to myself, That sounds an awful lot like how Heavenly Father would grieve over the death of His Son Jesus Christ! 

So I started looking more closely at the circumstances of Absalom’s death and I started to see it as a type of Christ.  Now, Absalom wasn’t the greatest person to become a type of Christ.  After all, his death happened as he was rebelling against his father King David, and previous to his rebellion he arranged for his brother Amnon’s murder for defiling his sister Tamar.  But let’s look at the circumstances of his death.

5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

6 ¶So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

9 ¶And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. (2 Sam 18:5-17)

After that, two messengers are sent to tell David the news of what happened and the second messenger has this conversation with David:

31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

33 ¶And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Sam 18:30-35)

So here’s a chart with all the similarities that are discernable.

Story of Absalom’s death	Story of Christ’s death
David instructed all his servants to deal gently with Absalom.	Heavenly Father expected all Israel and the leaders to reverence Jesus.
Absalom rode on a mule as a sign of his princely status.	Christ rode a donkey during his triumphal entry to Jerusalem.
Absalom was stuck hanging from a tree.	Christ hung on a wooden cross.
Joab said he would have rewarded a man ten shekels of silver for killing Absalom, which would have been a betrayal.	Judas was rewarded 30 pieces of silver for betraying Jesus to the leaders of the Jews.
The man who was offered the reward knew it was wrong and lists all the reasons why he didn’t.  These reasons become prophecy about Judas and what would happen to him.  1) He knew it was against the king’s commandments. 2) It would be falsehood against his own life.  3) The king would find out anyway. 4) The man knew Joab would turn on him if he had done it.	1) Judas broke Heavenly Father’s commandments in betraying Jesus. 2) By betraying Christ, Judas would betray everything he had lived for. 3) Heavenly Father knew everything about what Judas did. 4) The Jews turned on Judas after Judas betrayed Christ; see Matt 27:3-10
Joab pierced Absalom with darts while Absalom was still alive.	Jesus was pierced with nails to be hung on the cross.
Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom and killed him.	Roman soldiers surrounded, mocked, and abused Jesus during his trials, and also crucified him.
Absalom’s body was thrown in a pit and a great pile of stones covered him.	Jesus was put in a tomb and the entrance was covered with a great stone.
Clearly Joab thought he was doing King David a service by getting rid of the head of a rebellion.	The leaders of the Jews thought they were serving God by getting rid of Jesus, considering his claim to be the Son of God to be rebellion against God.
The messenger tells David that David has been avenged of all those who rebelled against him.	Christ’s suffering and death paid the price of justice for all who disobeyed God.
The messenger tells David he hopes that all David’s enemies will end up like Absalom’s end.	This prophetically shows how Christ’s death will be as if he were the enemy of God and also it warns that the enemies of God who don’t repent will die for their own sins.
David grieves greatly for his son’s death and wishes he could have died in his place.	We learn from this about the pain Heavenly Father felt over the death of Christ and that He would preferred to have sacrificed Himself in Christ’s place.

Intercession of the Spirit?

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

There are both touching and puzzling aspects to this block of scriptures.  I really like that it says “we know not what we should pray for as we ought” because it reminds me that with my limited mortal vision and my fallen nature I don’t always know what is best for myself and even if I happen to have a good idea, the things I pray for toward that aren’t always going to be the best way to obtain it.  It also reminds me that I need to be more real and less pretentious in my prayers.  God can see straight through all my pretense, so I’m not fooling him.  Why try?

I also like that it says the Spirit helps our infirmities.  I get the sense that here Paul is talking about how the Spirit can help us pray better, taking the badly uttered or poorly conceived ideas in our minds and hearts and turning them to something better.

Just when I was reading this, I thought about how my fiction writing has gone so far and I felt I needed more humor.  But I really don’t feel very funny these days. So I prayed about that.  I wasn’t sure how to pray for it. (“Make me funny”?)  But I then got some ideas about how to add in some incongruities so as to make a particular scene more absurd.

The puzzling thing about these verses is the idea of the Spirit interceding for us because doctrinally we only apply that role of intercessor to Christ.  I think the term here is used more in the sense of “translator” or “communication medium” rather than “advocate,” because it answers the question of how God can answer even our silent prayers and why the answer can be so different from what we imagine.

Adversity and the Parable of the Microchip

http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/5-billion-intel-chip-plant-in-arizona-by-2013/

My husband had a really good parable that he shared with me today when I was having a hard time.   Just to give you some background on what he does, he’s a test engineer for company called Microchip and he writes programs that tests chips to make sure they work according to specifications.

He compared how the circuits in microchips are made in the factory to how the Lord uses adversity to shape and mold us.  

In the factory, circuits are made in layers.  A layer of material is laid down, and then a layer of semi-conductive material is put down on top of that.  Then, a circuit pattern is laid on the material with photoresist, and the circuit-in-progress is put into an acid bath and the acid eats away everything that isn’t part of the pattern.  Multiple layers of circuit are added in this same basic way, over and over again until the whole chip is formed.

The things the Lord asks us to do are like that circuit pattern laid down.  Adversity is like the acid bath; it is designed to etch away from our lives everything that doesn’t belong in the pattern.   If we aren’t obedient, or if we neglect parts of the pattern, then the circuit of our lives is incomplete and will fail. 

UNLIKE microchips, it is wonderful for us that we have the atonement that makes it possible for us to undo errors and do things right so that we aren’t thrown away when we fail.

Lessons from the Shewbread

http://www.mishkanministries.org/shewbread.php

I’ve been reading about the directions given for various aspects of the tabernacle and service there, and the shewbread has sparked my interest.

And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. (Exodus 25:30)

5 ¶And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.

 7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

 8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

 9 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute. (Leviticus 24:5-9)

Exodus 25:30 has a footnote for shewbread that says it was “bread of the faces” of “bread of the presence.”  I started to wonder what meaning might be taken from this, and eventually I realized it meant to anticipate the sacrament when all covenant Israel would eat bread so that they would “always have His Spirit to be with them.”  In Moses’ day only the priests ate the shewbread.  I think they ate it on the Sabbath as they replenished the 12 loaves with new.  This corresponds with eating the sacrament every week.

The 12 loaves were like the 12 tribes of Israel.  Jesus was of Judah’s tribe.. but which loaf of the 12 is Judah’s?  We aren’t to know.  Jesus was among Israel becoming mortal, like us. I think the bread was also meant to symbolize the corporeal nature of Jehovah’s condescension to be born as a mortal among us and sacrifice His body for us. 

For a while I wondered why the shewbread loaves were left for 7 days and then eaten and new loaves provided.  I thought, The bread must get stale after 7 days sitting out!  And the priests eat that, and put out new bread?  And then I realized there’s a great lesson right there that corresponds perfectly to why we need the sacrament every week.  The fresh loaves perfectly represent our newness of life after taking the sacrament.  Then we go throughout the week and our resolve gets staler and staler and our soul kind of dries up, and by the end of the week we NEED to be renewed and refreshed!  We need that staleness to be swallowed up and we need to be made new again, just like fresh bread.  Just like the priests ate the bread so new bread can be put in its place, Christ as our high priest swallows up our staleness in His mercy, and makes us new again.  I can testify to that.  I've seen it in my life over and over and over again and I am SO grateful for it.

I also think the shewbread in the tabernacle gives us perspective as to the holiness of the sacrament, even though we eat it in church and not in our temples.  It is like a map of where we are.  It makes me think that maybe when we eat the sacrament we must imagine ourselves in the holy place of the tabernacle, next to the veil.   I think we are to learn the Lord wants us to live at moral level as though we are always so near to God that He can hear us through that veil and we can hear Him.  For we are certainly promised the presence of a member of the Godhead.

Eve, the Mother of All Living

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many. (Moses 4:26)

This phrase about Eve being “the mother of all living” is one that puzzles me.  Yes, I know she was the woman we all came from, but it seems like it has depths to it that need exploring.

It was given to Eve even before she ever had children.  I wonder if “mother” also communicates Eve’s ability to nurture.  Perhaps this ability was evident to Adam before she bore children.

What do we learn from the fact that Adam gave Eve this name?  It tells us he had this huge appreciation for her future role.  How did he get this appreciation or knowledge?  Or how did he even know what a “mother” was?   How did he know how she would become a mother?

If I may be permitted to speculate, I suspect that when the Lord married Adam and Eve and commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth, He also explained to them how that was to be done.  And since the Lord teaches so well, He must have explained it in such a way as to emphasize the sacredness and the miracle of it and how it fit into the plan of salvation.

Seen this way, Adam’s naming of Eve is his gasp of wonder.  I think Adam was in awe of the powers of creation that were part of Eve’s body and he wanted to remember that, and so he made it part of her name.  It is likely that Eve wouldn’t have allowed that name to stand if she hadn’t been similarly thrilled with what her body would allow her to do.

So, it seems to me that in Adam’s name for Eve we see a consciousness of and respect for the woman’s part in bringing about the creation of new human life.

Joseph in Egypt and Confirming the Message

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I was reading in the Old Testament Student Manual Genesis –2 Samuel about Pharaoh’s dreams and Joseph’s interpretation of them in Genesis 41 and I ran across an interesting tidbit that really got me thinking.

“Many assume that the dreams of pharaoh were beyond the scope of Egypt’s wise men and yet, in some ways, it is remarkable that these magicians could not have come up with some kind of logical explanation using their own well-known symbolism.” (Old Testament Student Manual Genesis –2 Samuel 8-13, p96)

“Being troubled about this double dream, Pharaoh sent the next morning for all the scribes and wise men of Egypt, to have it interpreted….[The magicians were] men of the priestly caste, who occupied themselves with the sacred arts and sciences of the Egyptians, the hieroglyphic writings, astrology, the interpretation of dreams, the foretelling of events, magic, and conjuring, and who were regarded as the possessors of secret arts…and the wise men of the nation….the clue to the interpretation was to be found in the religious symbols of Egypt. For the cow was the symbol of Isis, the goddess of the all-sustaining earth, and in the hieroglyphics it represented the earth, agriculture, and food; and the Nile, by its overflowing, was the source of the fertility of the land.” (Keil and Delitzsch, as quoted by Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel, 8-13, p96)

God was speaking to Pharaoh (and his wise men) using the Egyptian language of symbolism, but neither he nor his wise men could understand it?  The whole point of the Lord using Egyptian symbols and experiences they were acquainted with was so they could understand.  And yet the text says they couldn’t.

So… what if they did understand the dreams but found them so disturbing that they didn’t know what to do and so preferred to pretend ignorance?

I think it likely that Pharaoh understood it, but found the message to be of such gravity that he felt he needed outside confirmation that it meant what he thought it meant before he took any action on it.   The Egyptian wise men, however, might have been hesitant to give their interpretation of the message because it carried some very bad news—seven years of famine after seven years of plenty.  It takes a lot of courage to deliver bad news to a king.  No doubt the wise men were afraid the interpretation would make the king angry and they would be in danger of demotion or execution.

It is here that the Pharaoh’s butler mentions the guy he met in prison who was really good at interpreting dreams – Joseph.  This man, the butler said, interpreted two different dreams correctly about what would happen and “me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged” (referring to himself and the baker). 

Pharaoh would be very interested to talk to Joseph because the two dreams and interpretations about the butler and the baker show that not only is Joseph skilled at interpreting dreams, but he is forthright about telling the meaning, even when the message is very bad news.  The Pharaoh especially needed that honesty.

There’s another consideration too. The wise men would be excited to have Joseph do the job of telling the bad news about famine because to them he is expendable.  He’s just a prisoner, for heaven’s sake!  If the Pharaoh doesn’t like the interpretation, he’ll just take it out on the prisoner and leave the wise men alone.  No one will care if the prisoner gets executed, right?  Win-win situation.

Something that is really cool about Joseph’s beginning introduction as Pharaoh asks him to interpret is Joseph says, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”  We see Joseph doesn’t take credit for spiritual ability to interpret; he’s firm on the fact it comes from God.  Additionally he says, “God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”  If Pharaoh already had an impression of the meaning of the dreams, he (and his wise men) would be very curious to see how news of famine might be an answer of peace from God.  And Joseph succeeds in showing how the dreams are a warning that give time for preparation before the trouble comes.  There is something they can do to make it through that famine.  That’s totally making lemonade out of lemons.

Another cool thing Joseph says just as he begins sharing the interpretation of the dreams is he says, “God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do.”  If Pharaoh already had an idea of what the dream meant, then Joseph’s words would imply that not only did Joseph know, but Joseph knew Pharaoh knew too and agreed that it really was from God as Pharaoh suspected.

I really like that Joseph doesn’t just deliver the bad news about famine, but he was all ready with a solution about what to do.  Possibly Pharaoh had an idea of the solution too but needed confirmation it was necessary to take all the trouble the kingdom would have to go through to organize this effort and carry it through all those years.  I think the Pharaoh was excited to find Joseph was so in favor of what needed to be done that he figured the best person to put in charge of the food gathering program would be him.  When you look at it pragmatically, no one does a better job than someone firmly convinced of the urgency and necessity of it.

Seen this way, the story of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams not only teaches about spiritual receptiveness, but also about courage to deliver messages honestly, even if it is bad news, and deliver solutions as well.

Now, I grant that I tend to speculate, so it may be that both Pharaoh and his wise men had no idea what the dreams meant.  It is possible they were believing enough to go from complete ignorance to agreement with Joseph’s interpretation.  But it seems more likely to me that they could accept what he said because they already had an inkling of the truth and he confirmed it.

Marriage in Guide to the Scriptures

What do Mormons believe about marriage?

I think it is interesting to see some of the bulleted points from what the LDS church’s Guide to the Scriptures says about the topic of marriage.  

These are principles from the scriptures about marriage that are fundamental to our beliefs. (Commentary is mine.)

Marriage is “a lawful covenant or contract between a man and a woman that makes them husband and wife.”

* It is not good that man should be alone, Gen. 2:18 (Moses 3:18).

* God ordained marriage (D&C 49:15).

* Marriage is honorable. (Heb. 13:4)

* God created Adam and Eve to be man and wife.  (Moses 3:7, 18, 21–25)

* A man shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Abr. 5:18)

* The Lord commanded Lehi’s sons to marry the daughters of Ishmael. (1 Ne. 7:1, 5; 16:7–8).

* What God has joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:9)

* In the latter days some shall depart from the faith, forbidding to marry  (1 Tim. 4:1–3)

Mormons believe that marriage between a man and a woman is a very good thing, no matter the authority that performs it.    But we also believe that the best thing is to be married in the “new and everlasting covenant” for time and all eternity, which occurs in our temples by priesthood authority.  The requirements are stricter, but the blessings are greater, and this is the goal that Mormons strive for.  It is also a blessing that Mormons desire for non-Mormons… hence another reason for our efforts to convert. 

New and everlasting covenant of marriage

Marriage performed under the law of the gospel and the holy priesthood is for mortal life and for eternity. Worthy men and women thus sealed in the temple in marriage may continue as husband and wife throughout eternity.

* Jesus taught the law of marriage.  (Luke 20:27–36)

* Neither is the man without the woman in the Lord. (1 Cor. 11:11)

* To obtain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, a man must enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. (D&C 131:1–4)

* Whatsoever you shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven. (Hel. 10:7; Matt. 16:19)

* If a man marry a wife not by me, their covenant and marriage is not of force when they are dead. (D&C 132:15)

* If a man marry a wife by my word and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, it shall be of full force when they are out of the world. (D&C 132:19)

* Husband and wife are heirs together of the grace of life. (1 Pet. 3:7)

Interfaith marriage

Interfaith marriage is between a man and a woman of different religious beliefs and practices.

Mormons have mixed feelings about marriage between a Mormon and a non-Mormon.  On one hand, they are happy for the marriage because marriage is a good thing, but they are sad because the marriage was not a covenant marriage performed in the temple for eternity.

The concern that Mormons have that their children marry “in the covenant” mirrors the concern that is found among the patriarchs of the Old Testament and also in Book of Mormon scripture.

* You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites. (Gen. 24:3)

* If a man marry a wife not by me, their covenant and marriage is not of force when they are dead. (D&C 132:15)

* If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, what good shall my life do me?, (Gen. 27:46; 28:1–2).

* Israel shall not marry the Canaanites. (Deut. 7:3–4)

* We would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons. (Neh. 10:30)

* Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. (2 Cor. 6:14)

* The Lord set a mark on the Lamanites so that the Nephites might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions. (Alma 3:6–10)

* The sons of men took them wives even as they chose. (Moses 8:13–15)

* Israel intermarried with the Canaanites, worshiped false gods, and was cursed, (Judg. 3:1–8)

* Solomon’s wives turned his heart to the worship of false gods. (1 Kgs. 11:1–6)

Some of these principles may seem pretty strict, but this is only because the world has trivialized marriage so much.  (Think “drive-in wedding chapels in Las Vegas” and “no-fault divorces” as examples.)  Marriage by covenant for time and eternity implies that choice of a partner requires much more care and good judgment than is presented in mass media culture, which focuses on good looks and attraction.

Let’s examine the implications of some of the principles that might seem strict, as in the following:

What God has joined together, let not man put asunder. If a couple God has joined together is not supposed to be separated, then this means the choice of a spouse is a very VERY important decision and one has to be willing to stick with the spouse and work at the marriage.  It means that one has to develop oneself as a desirable mate before marriage and work on correcting their faults during marriage as well.   Obviously this is the ideal, and much suffering comes if one or both spouses don’t give their best efforts for the happiness of the other.

If a man marry a wife not by me, their covenant and marriage is not of force when they are dead.  If a couple want to be together for eternity, this principle makes it very important for them to be joined together by the Lord through divinely authorized  priesthood, and not just anyone. 

Mormons were not the ones who set the requirements for an eternal marriage.  Eternity is God’s dominion, and He sets the terms for marriages that endure beyond death, and He communicated those terms to ancient and modern prophets.  He also gave to Joseph Smith the authority to perform eternally binding marriages.  This authority has been delegated to other righteous men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is still on the earth today.  It is for us to learn about it, exercise faith, and act in obedience to the principle.  Further, it is the privilege of a couple being married in the temple to know by the Holy Ghost that their marriage is divinely sanctioned. 

Again, any who are anxious to have these blessings are invited to learn about the church and convert.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  This may seem strict because in the liberal view of the world, all you need is love and if two people love each other, then nothing else matters.  But let’s be real here.  A believer in Christ is going to consider certain things important to do and become that an unbeliever is not going to care so much about.  An active member of the LDS church has meetings to go to and service to render that non-member doesn’t.  In an LDS temple marriage, spouses sacrifice for each other so that each one can fulfill their duties and attend their meetings.  An active member of the church has certain expectations about how they will raise their children and teach them and encourage participation in church.  If one spouse doesn’t believe in the importance of those principles, the burden will fall heavily on the believing spouse.  A burden falling too much on one partner is what Paul means by “unequally yoked.”  When a couple is unequally yoked, it means the burden of living the principles of the gospel is only on one person in the partnership when it is much better carried (and is designed to be carried) by both.

The Lord set a mark on the Lamanites so that the Nephites might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions.  This concept of marking is historically controversial because it has racial overtones, but if we forget the race issue, the principle has a certain practical application in selection of a spouse.   To those who consider marriage in the covenant necessary to receiving exaltation, wise choice of a marriage partner becomes extremely important.  When one is trying to find a spouse to whom one can be united and stay married and be equally yoked with, one must look for signs and markers of one sort or another that indicate fitness or unfitness of a person for that type of marriage.  One must also develop oneself so that potential partners will be able to recognize one as a potential mate.  

Ultimately, the principle that drives Mormons to marry in the covenant (in the temple) is the promise that only by doing so can they gain exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom.  If you want to learn about the blessings that Mormons believe are implied in the promise of exaltation, you can read here and the promise of eternal life here.

It is also the reason Mormons are very concerned about upholding traditions privileging man-woman marriage in society.  We recognize that it is easier for people to achieve an eternal marriage when they live in a society that values and upholds traditional marriage. 

 

I remember when I was married in the Chicago temple.  Before it, I felt separate from the man I was going to marry.  I felt like an individual.  After I was married, I noticed that I felt married, connected to this man I loved.  Eternal marriage is real. 

Abusing Credulity

After the dramatic sign of Christ’s birth was given to the inhabitants of the Americas and people were converted and many other signs were given, we see that Satan began to try to destroy belief.

And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen… (3 Nephi 1:22)

I imagine these lyings may have been something along the lines of some jokesters making up dramatic stories of miracles and then, when people were all amazed and rejoicing, they said something like, “Just Kidding!”  Perhaps they were trying to make the high incidence of miracles and wonders into a joke.   But the effect of that is when people have been fooled, they feel embarrassed and gullible and they don’t want to be fooled again, so they learn to be suspicious. 

One of the saddest things is to say something true and have a child ask, “Is that really true or are you just joking?”  It means that someone has already abused their easiness to believe.

I think this story shows us as we are trying to nurture our own willingness to believe that we need to be careful to avoid abusing the trust of our spouses, children, or associates, which will make it difficult for them to believe us.  (This is one of the reasons why I don’t like April Fools Jokes..)