I apologize for a lack of posts over the last two weeks. Two
weeks ago, I had emergency surgery. I’m home and feeling much better. I’m ready
to continue my posts. I missed doing them, so it’s great to be back.
Chapter 4
Nephite dissenters and
the Lamanites join forces and take the land of Zarahemla—The Nephites' defeats
come because of their wickedness—The Church dwindles and the people become weak
like the Lamanites. About 38–30 B.C.
There was a period of three years of peace in the land. But
once again, contentions and dissensions arose in the church. As we have seen,
the Lamanites are not the primary cause of the Nephites problems. It is the
Nephites themselves. Their internal contentions and dissension led to their
problems.
Looking at the history of the Nephites, we see why, during
the Savior’s ministry, he warned the Nephites, “he that hath the spirit of
contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention,
and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another”
(3 Nephi 11:29).
Bloodshed broke out. The dissenters were defeated and force
out of the land. The dissenters went straight to the Lamanites, stirring them
up to war. In this instance, the Lamanites feared the Nephites and refused to
fight.
The next year, dissenters continued to stir up the
Lamanites. This time, they were successful. They began to prepare for war.
When ready, they attacked the Nephites. Over the next year,
they successfully occupied the land of Zarahemla as well as the lands near
Bountiful.
The Nephites retreated and fortified the land, from
sea-to-sea. They were there to prevent Lamanites advances.
The Lamanite success was due to the dissenters as well as
having a large army. Earlier in Helaman we read, “And they came down again that
they might pitch battle against the Nephites. And they were led by a man whose
name was Coriantumr; and he was a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was a
dissenter from among the Nephites; and he was a large and a mighty man”
(Helaman 1:15).
During this time, we see aspects of the Lord’s covenant with
the Nephites and the consequences of following or violating them.
When Nephites reject their
righteous leaders, the society disintegrates in a variety of ways.
- Groups adopt alternate religions. If these groups foment social discord, they either are defeated or defect and become Lamanites (Alma 1–4; 30–34).
- The government is seriously weakened so that the military must restore the social order by force (Alma 61–62; Helaman 1).
- Dissenting Nephites and Lamanites gain control of traditional Nephite lands (Helaman 4). Gadianton robbers threaten the future of the Nephite nation (Helaman 2, 6–7; 3 Nephi 1–3). Disparate clans and lineages assume control of the Nephite polity (3 Nephi 6–7).
- The government falls completely apart, and the society collapses as the Nephites totally reject the covenant. As a result, they are destroyed as a people (Mormon 1–7).[1]
- Reject Nephite religious and political authority, as did the city of Ammonihah (Alma 8–16);
- Undermine Nephite central government, for example, the “king-men” (Alma 51, 60);
- Repeatedly assassinate duly appointed Nephite leaders (Helaman 1); and
- Reject inspired spiritual warnings, even from a Lamanite prophet (Helaman 4, 13–15).[2]
The next year, they Nephites retook half of what they had
lost.
Mormon breaks into his account to remind us this war would
not have happened had the people been righteous. Wickedness was common even
among church members. “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye
do not what I say, ye have no promise” (D&C 82:10). “Nevertheless he cried
again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church
of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and
nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people” (Mosiah
27:13).
The sufferings of the Nephites were brought upon them
because of the wickedness. We read they were led by the pride of their hearts. “The
pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of
the rock, whose habitation is high;
that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?” (Obadiah 1:3).
“He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that abaseth himself shall be
exalted” (D&C 101:42).
Their pride occurred because of their riches. “Charge them
that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to
enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). “And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the
wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of
their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he
despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves
fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open
unto them” (2 Nephi 9:42).
They withheld assistance to the poor. “Hath oppressed the
poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and
hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination” (Ezekiel
18:12). “And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the
poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart” (Zechariah
7:10). “And behold, thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy
properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a
covenant and a deed which cannot be broken” (D&C 42:30)
The rich would mock that which is sacred. They denied
prophecy and revelation. They sins were number – lying, stealing, murdering,
ponderation, lying, stealing and being a contention people. This is why the
Lamanites were so successful in their war against the Nephites.
Following a period of military
successes against their enemies, the Nephites demonstrated the familiar pattern
of sliding from unity to a love of riches, from a love of riches to
separations, and from separations to hostility and inequality. First, they set
their hearts on riches and used them to separate themselves from those who had
less. Next they made worse the condition of the poor by withholding from them
food and clothing. Then they mocked that which was sacred and ignored their
laws by murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, and finally separating
themselves from their families by committing acts of adultery.[3]
The Lord took the Nephites at their word. They boasted they
were strong enough to defeat the Lamanites without His support The Lord warns
us against boasting.
“Thus with your mouth ye have
boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them” (Ezekiel 35:13).
“For the wicked boasteth of his
heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom
the LORD abhorreth” (Psalms 10:3).
“Whoso boasteth himself of a false
gift is like clouds and wind without
rain” (Proverbs 25:14).
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for
thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the
name of the LORD our God” (Psalms 20:7).
“Trust in the LORD with all thine
heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
“He that trusteth in his own heart
is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).
The Nephites learned the hard way not to rely solely on
their own strength. They “were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites,
until they had lost possession of almost all their lands” (Helaman 4:13).
General Moronihah, like his father, was a righteous man. He
called on the people to repent. Nephi and Lehi also preached and prophesied to
the Nephites. They warned them what would happen if they refused to repent.
As the people repented, they began to be successful in
war. Eventually, they were able to
reclaim half of the lands lost to the Lamanites.
[1] The
Covenant of the Chosen People: The Spiritual Foundations of Ethnic Identity in
the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Journal of the Book of Mormon and
Other Restoration Scripture 21/2 (2012): 25.
No comments:
Post a Comment