Alma
quotes the words of God dealing with this land.
He will shine light on the darkness of the wicked and, if they don’t repent,
they will be destroyed.
That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do
they shoot at him, and fear not.
They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say,
Who shall see them?
They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent
search: both the inward thought of
every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
Psalms 64:4-6
“…Book
of Mormon prophecies indicate that the teachings concerning the land of promise
apply to all nations there, not one nation only…”[1] The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And then shall
the first angel again sound his trump in the ears of all living, and reveal the
secret acts of men, and the mighty works of God in the first thousand years. And
then shall the second angel sound his trump, and reveal the secret acts of men,
and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God in
the second thousand years” (D&C 88:108-109).
Speaking
of the bones and 24 gold plates found by Limhi people, we read, “Nevertheless,
they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with
dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and
they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of
Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the coming
of Ammon” (Mosiah 21:26).
The
Jaredites did not repent and they were destroyed. Their secrets are known to all. “Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants
may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do
unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of
darkness, and of murders, and of abominations” (2 Nephi 10:15).
While Helaman
was commanded to retain all things dealing with the secret combinations, he was
also commanded to keep the knowledge from the people lest they fall into darkness
and be destroyed. “And it came to pass
that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret
words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the
covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be
injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken
this covenant” (Helaman 6:22).
“Now
behold, all those engravings which were in the possession of Helaman were
written and sent forth among the children of men throughout all the land, save
it were those parts which had been commanded by Alma should not go forth” (Alma
63:12).
The
Lord has placed a curse on this land.
Destruction will come upon all those who participate in works of
darkness. “And he had sworn in his wrath
unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from
that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or
they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them” (Ether
2:8).
In an example of the devil coopting God’s
language, we read he calls his evil works “oaths and covenants,” imitating the
Lord. “Now behold, it is these secret oaths
and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth unto the world,
lest they should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction” (Helaman
6:25).
Alma told Helaman to teach the people to
abhor this wickedness and abomination.
15 But Jeshurun waxed fat,
and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the
Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked him to jealousy
with strange gods, with abominations
provoked they him to anger.
17 They sacrificed unto
devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not [HEB which were not gods], to
new gods that came newly up, whom
your fathers feared not.
18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and
hast forgotten God that formed thee [HEB gave you birth].
19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.
Deuteronomy 32:15-19
He is to teach them to abhor wickedness. “Now
they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made
white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were
with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made
pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God” (Alma 13:12).
These workers of evil murdered the Lord’s
prophets who testified of their sins.
“And when the Jews heard these things they
were angry with [Lehi]; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast
out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take
it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show
unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen,
because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance”
(1 Nephi 1:20).
“And [Abinadi],
a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them
of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are
to come, yea, even the coming of Christ” (Mosiah 7:26).
“And it came to pass that the people did revile
against the prophets, and did mock them.
And it came to pass that king Shule did execute judgment against all
those who did revile against the prophets” (Ether 7:24).
“For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it
up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and
it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the
devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our
first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder
from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered
the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning” (Ether 8:25).
“And the glory of the telestial is one, even
as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in
glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world … These
are they who … received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither
the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant” (D&C 76:98, 100-101).
“But unto the wicked [Christ] did not go, and
among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the
flesh, his voice was not raised; Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies
and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his
face” (D&C 138:20-21).
The blood of those who had been murdered
cried to the Lord for vengeance upon the wicked.
[1] Losing
the Remnant: The New Exclusivist “Movement” and the Book of Mormon, Matthew
Roper, FARMS Review 22/2 (2010): 93.
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