The war has ended.
Peace and prosperity reign in the land.
The Nephites have become a righteous people, worshiping the Lord,
Unfortunately, we’re talking about the Nephites, so we know
this won’t last. Three years after the
end of the war, wickedness begins to set in.
It starts with disputes among the people. Some become prideful and boast because of their
wealth. But they didn’t stop there. There began to be persecutions among the
people.
Solomon warned, “BOAST
not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth”
(Proverbs 27:1). James warned, “now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such
rejoicing is evil” (James 4:16).
There were many lawyers and merchants in the land. The people began to separate themselves into
classes “according to their riches and
their chances for learning” (3 Nephi 6:12).
Sixty years earlier, the Nephites are defeated in war. This came about because of their wickedness
among the people, including the membership of the church. “[I]t was
because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches” (Helaman
4:12).
They also ignored the needs of the poor. They withheld “their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked”
(Helaman 4:12). Their wickedness and
boastings of their own strength while denying the power of God in their lives
led to their defeat and loss of land (see Helaman 4:13).
The poor were left ignorant, not being able to learn because
of their poverty. Only the rich were
allowed opportunities to learn.
Nephite society resembled those in the great and spacious
building Lehi saw in his Tree of Life vision.
The dress of young and old, male and female was “exceedingly fine.” They
mocked those who were “partaking of the
fruit.” Some became ashamed and
wandered away. Some were actually
looking for the great and spacious building.[1] This is what Nephite society had become.
Richard Draper writes about the problems of pride.
To those living in the last days
the Lord warned: "Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of
old" (D&C 38:39). The reason God's warning lies particularly upon the
Americas seems to be the unprecedented wealth the land provides. Partaking of
its easy abundance, Americans often forget from whom the blessings flow. In
their blindness, they attribute their success to themselves and desire more.
Pride sets in. As in the case of Nephite society, "the people began to be
distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for
learning, yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did
receive great learning because of their riches" (3 Nephi 6:12).[2]
While there were those lifted up in their pride, there
others who were humble. In spite of
their persecutions, they “would not turn
and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God” (3 Nephi 6:13).
Inequality spread through the land. It became so bad the church had become
divided. Only “a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith … were
firm and steadfast” keeping the commandments of the Lord (3 Nephi 6:14).
Satan had great power over the people. He stirred up the people to commit all manner
of sin, to build up their pride, tempting them with power, authority, and
riches. The hearts of the people were
fully under the control of Satan, four years after the people had been a righteous
people (see 3 Nephi 6:15-16).
Hugh Nibley expounds on their wickedness.
It was clear sailing ahead, a happy
ending to a storm-tossed journey, a splendid economic boom and the flowering of
a business civilization. And how long did it stay on course? For about two
years—when "there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that
the church began to be broken up" (3 Nephi 6:14). Broken up into what?
Why, to be sure, into "ranks, according to their riches and chances for
learning," a yuppie civilization (3 Nephi 6:12). And what caused it all?
The same rich TV mix: "Now the cause of this iniquity was this: Satan
[was] stirring up the people” with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and
authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world" (3 Nephi 6:15).[3]
[1] See
1 Nephi 8:26-28, 32
[2] Hubris and Atē: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon, Richard D. Draper, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 7, 2012.
[3] The Book
of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed November 7, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment