Nephi asks, “[h]ath he
commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation” (2 Nephi
26:27). No! The choice is ours. It has been given to us, free for all. Paul wrote, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
We see that salvation is a gift, given to freely, by the
Savior. All he asks is that we repent
and follow Him.
Has God commanded anyone that they should not partake of His
goodness? He commands no one. It is our choice. No one is better than anyone else is. Paul told the Romans, “For there is no respect [GR partiality] of persons with God” (Romans
2:11).
Alma2 told Zeezrom, “Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with
their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of
the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the
atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—“ (Alma 13:5).
Nephi had made this same point to Laman and Lemuel.
And
now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of
promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were
righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
Do
ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had
been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.
Behold,
the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of
God. But behold, this people had
rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of
the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them,
and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their
destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power
over it.
(1 Nephi 17:33-35)
Nephi makes it very clear that “there shall be no priestcrafts” (2 Nephi 26:29). What did Nephi mean when he tells us the Lord
commanded no priestcrafts among the people?
Priestcraft, a word not
in most modern dictionaries, is defined by the 1828 American Dictionary
of the English Language by Noah Webster as "the stratagems and
frauds of priests; fraud or imposition in religious concerns; management of
selfish and ambitious priests to gain wealth and power, or to impose on the
credulity of others." This is in contrast to the same dictionary's
definitions of priesthood: (1) "the office or character of a
priest" and (2) "the order of men set apart for sacred offices; the
order composed of priests." From these definitions, it is clear that
priestcrafts, including the order of Nehor, are counterfeits or frauds of
priesthood or the sacred priestly order.[1]
A man who practices
priestcrafts are more interested in getting “gain
and praise of the world, but they seek no the welfare of Zion” (2 Nephi
26:29).
After converting to the gospel, Simon the Sorcerer saw Peter
and John exercising their priesthood.
Now
when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word
of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Who,
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy
Ghost:
(For
as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus.)
Then
laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
And
when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was
given, he offered them money,
Saying,
Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the
Holy Ghost.
But
Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that
the gift of God may be purchased with money.
(Acts 8:14-20)
The Savior warned the Nephites:
And
thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the
Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my
gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations,
and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all
manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of
hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret
abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the
fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my
gospel from among them.
3 Nephi 16:10
The Lord warned Joseph Smith:
Behold,
there are many called, but few are chosen.
And why are they not chosen?
Because
their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors
of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
That
the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of
heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only
upon the principles of righteousness.
That
they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins,
or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion
or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the
Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the
authority of that man.
D&C 121:34-37
[1] Conflicting
Orders: Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah Conflicting Orders: Alma and Amulek in
Ammonihah, Thomas R. Valletta, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 18,
2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment