Nephi2 continues his sermon to the multitude.
19 And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will
repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat
for dogs and wild beasts. 20 O, how
could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you? 21
But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get
gold and silver. And ye have set
your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do
murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor,
and do all manner of iniquity.
Helaman 7:19 – 21 (Emphasis mine)
Unless the people repent, they will be scattered and “become
meat for dogs and wild beasts” (v. 19).
They have forgotten God “in the very day that he has delivered you” (v.
20).
Hugh Nibley explains the difference between the righteous
and wicked:
“The righteous can be entrusted with unlimited wealth
because they do not put their hearts upon it (Emphasis in original) … Riches are to be accepted
gratefully as a fringe benefit, in the Book of Mormon, but never to be the
object of our search … The condemnation of the Nephites in the days of
wickedness and vengeance is ever that ‘they have set their hearts upon their
riches.’ And another Nephi at the time of Christ repeats the refrain: ‘O, how
could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you? …
Ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world’ (Helaman
7:20—21).”[1]
(Emphasis mine)
What is in the hearts of the Nephites is to “be praised of
men, and … get gold and silver” (v. 21).
To do this, they murder, plunder, steal, bear lie, and do all manner of
iniquity” (v. 21).
The Savior taught us that “those things which proceed out of
the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart
proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies [GR: slanderous statements]: These are the things which defile a man: but to
eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man” (Matthew 15:18 - 20).
Hugh Nibley observes:
“Nephi too puts his finger on the spot: drugs, sex,
gambling, anything that comes under the heading of iniquity are all the
inevitable adjuncts of national depravity, but they are passed by every
time—almost completely ignored—to put the spotlight on the real culprit of
which they are but the faithful attendants, the seat of infection and the root
of evil being the desire to be rich and successful: ‘to get gain, to be praised
of men’ (Helaman 7:21).”[2]
22 And for this cause wo shall come unto you except
ye shall repent. For if ye
will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which
are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away
that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not
grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your
enemies. 23 For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show
unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto
those who repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my
brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye
shall repent. 24
For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that
great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful
unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their
seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.
Helaman 7:22 – 24 (Emphasis mine)
If the Nephites don’t repent, “this great city, and also all
those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our
possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them” (v.
22). They will not be able to “withstand
against [their] enemies]” (v. 22) and will be defeated.
We again see the Lord is more tolerant of the Lamanites
because of the traditions of their fathers.
Unlike the Nephites, the Lamanites “have not sinned against that great
knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them”
(v. 24). This is the same warning Alma2
gave the people of Ammonihah: “For there are many promises which are extended
to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that
caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be
merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land” (Alma 9:16).
[1] Good
People and Bad People, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute,
accessed July 18, 2012.
[2] The
Way of the Wicked, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed July 18, 2012.
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