The Savior continues teaching the Nephites the requirement
to forgive. The only way we can be
forgiven of our sins is if we forgive all who trespass against us. The scriptures are clear. “And ye shall also forgive one another your
trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s
trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under
condemnation” (Mosiah 26:31).
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and
plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” (Psalms 86:5).
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven
times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22).
“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against
thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him” (Luke 17:3).
“I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you
it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:10).
Then, the Savior again emphasizes the importance of serving
Him in secret and not before men. When
we fast, we should behave as if nothing is happening. We are not to do anything that would cause
one to know we are fasting.
Those that fast openly have received their reward. Those that fast in secret will be blessed.
We are next told to not lay up worldly treasures. They will become corrupted or stolen. Rather,
we are to lay up treasures in heaven.
Wherever we find out treasures, our hearts will be there as well.
“And now my sons[1],
behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not
do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up
for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth
not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we
have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers” (Helaman 5:8).
“But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled
against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing
can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the
day of judgment” (Helaman 8:25).
The eye is the light of the body. Our eye must be directed towards Him, and our
bodies will be filled with light. “And if your eye be single to my glory, your
whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you;
and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things” (D&C
88:67). If the eye is evil, you will be filled with great darkness.
We cannot serve two masters.
We will love one or hate the other.
We cannot serve God and mammon.[2]
“And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of
what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and
ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you,
whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
“For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God,
and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
“Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth
unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever
bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he
hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.
“And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him;
therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto
righteousness, being dead unto all good works” (Alma 5:39-42).
“When people try to save face with men, they can unwittingly
lose face with God. Thinking one can please God and at the same time condone
the disobedience of men isn’t neutrality but duplicity, or being two-faced
or trying to “serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24)” (emphasis in
original).[3]
“Let's look over in 3 Nephi 13. Here's the summary of the
whole matter of motivation. It begins in verse 19. Let me just tell you a story
before we read this. I was sitting in Salt Lake City in the home of a very dear
friend only hours before I was to leave on a mission. This young man had
married after coming home from his mission, and the way I knew him was he had
been on a mission in Louisiana and was one of the finest missionaries I had
ever known—maybe the most effective, deeply spiritual man I had ever known, and
he still is. I had a few moments with him, and I simply said, ‘I have to leave
soon. What counsel could you give me?’ Of all the things he could have said, he
snapped right back with this. ‘You keep an eye single to the glory of God, and
you will be successful.’ I thanked him and thought to myself that surely he
could have said something more profound than that. Maybe he could have taught
me how to find people more effectively. Surely he could have said something
about how to teach with power. I wasn't out two days before I realized that
what he said was the most centrally significant thing he could have said. Why
we do what we do affects what we do and the outcomes. If people are constantly
doing what they are doing for praise and applause, in the long run the outcome
will not be as great. Our impact is not as great if we are not a clear, clean
vessel. The Lord kind of gives the antidote to this sickness, beginning in
verse 19.”[4]
[1]
Helaman2 is speaking to his sons Lehi and Nephi.
[2]An
Aramaic word meaning “riches,” personified in Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:9, 11, 13,
Guide to the Scriptures, “mammon.”
[3] Which
Way Do You Face?, Elder Lynn G. Robbins, October 2014 General Conference.
[4] The
Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 2, Robert L. Millet, Maxwell Institute
website.
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