As I was working on this post, Nephi’s statement, “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it
might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23) came to mind. Lehi’s words were directed primarily to
Laman, Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael and their families. It was also a message to his future descendants.
Lehi’s words apply to us as they do to those to whom he was
talking. We live in challenging
times. Religion is becoming less
important in people’s daily lives. Many
think of themselves as “spiritual.” The
problem here is that is a nebulous term with little meaning.
The age of marriage is increasing. More and more, people are delaying
marriage. This is a problem even in the
Church. This problem has been addressed
by leaders in conferences and talks elsewhere.
The FCC is considering relaxing standards on broadcast
television, allowing producers to “expand the envelope” of what is
acceptable.
Lehi’s warnings and teachings in 2 Nephi 1 are very much
applicable to our day. Here is an
example where we need to take the scriptures in the Book of Mormon and apply
them to our day and us.
Lehi continues to express his concern for Laman and
Lemuel. They have hardened their hearts
and turned away from the Lord. For this,
God’s wrath will come upon them and they will be cut off from His presence
forever. The Lord warned Nephi, “For behold, in that day that they shall
rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have
no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also” (1 Nephi
2:23).
Sadly, that day is not far off. Shortly after Lehi’s death, Nephi records:
And
he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because
of their iniquity. For behold, they had
hardened their hearts against him, that
they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and
exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my
people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.
And
thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy
people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.
And
cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be
cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done.
And
because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people,
full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of
prey.
2 Nephi 5:21 - 24
Abinadi warned King Noah and his priests that the Lord has
said “except they repent I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the
earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them, and I will preserve them for
other nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may
discover the abominations of this people to other nations” (Mosiah 12:8).
Lou Midgley discusses forgetfulness.
[W]hen people forget, they "do
harden their hearts, and do trample under their feet the Holy One"
(Helaman 12:2). Forgetfulness is also pictured as a dreadful sleep from which
one needs to awake (see 2 Nephi 1:12-13). The person who does not remember
suffers from blindness and disbelief (see 3 Nephi 2:1-2). To forget is also to
fasten one's heart upon or worship riches (see Helaman 13:22). It means to
engage in wickedness and to become involved deeply in iniquity (see Helaman
11:36). Being "cut off and destroyed forever" (2 Nephi 1:17) is the
ultimate and dreadful fruit of forgetfulness.[1]
Richard Draper examines the consequences of iniquity.
From a Book of Mormon perspective,
we can define atē as the point at which a person or a people
has become fully ripe in iniquity. At that moment they come under the judgment
of a just God from whom there is no escape, for "the fulness of the wrath
of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer
that the wicked shall destroy the righteous" (1 Nephi 22:16). The Book of
Mormon prophets feared that such a condition would come upon their people. Lehi
warned: "For the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God [will] come out
in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed
forever" (2 Nephi 1:17).[2]
The cursing that would come upon them will last for many
generations. They will suffer famine,
wars, and be hated. In his great vision,
Nephi saw…
…the
people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went
forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.
And
I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars
among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away.
And
the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief.
And
it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became
a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of
abominations.
1 Nephi 12:20 - 23
[1] The Ways of Remembrance, Louis Midgley, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2013.
[2] Hubris and Atē: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon, Richard D. Draper, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2013.
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