Saturday, November 22, 2008

Book of Mormon Lesson 43: “How Could Ye Have Departed from the Ways of the Lord?”

Mormon 1-6 & Moroni 9

As we begin this lesson, it is vital to remember the decline of spirituality and society the descendants of Lehi are in at this time. Mormon, who was responsible for abridging all of the plates into the record we know as the Book of Mormon, has begun to document the current events in his life. The record of his own time and people is contained in Mormon 1-6.

Mormon Chapter 1
Mormon begins in verse 1 with an explanation of who he is and his purposes to write his own record he calls the book of Mormon, not be confused with the entire abridgment of records with the same name. The inclusion of his own record was to be in compliance with the charge given him from Ammoron. (see verse 4)

Mormon was righteous throughout his life and recognized in his youth. He was only ten years old when Ammoron (who was charged with caring for the plates when his brother, Amos, died (see 4 Nephi 1:47) recognized him as a "sober child", "quick to observe" (verse 2) and began his education of the learning of his people. In addition to being educated in the secular things, Mormon was brought up and educated spiritually. At the age of fifteen he “was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus” (verse 15), this spiritual understanding led him to want to teach the people and bring them to repentance, but he was forbidden (verse 16).

To accomplish writing his own record, Mormon was commanded that at twenty four years old he should retrieve and care for the plates which Ammoron had hidden up unto the Lord (verse 3). In a time when there was so much wickedness, Gadianton Robbers, sorceries and witchcraft (verse 19), there stood a young man named Mormon. This is his record.

Mormon Chapter 2
Mormon was not only recognized by the Lord, he was recognized by the people he lived with. At the age of sixteen, he is appointed leader and General over the Nephite armies (verse 2). Do you believe there was a significant lack of leadership in the society if a sixteen year old chosen to be their military leader?
Mormon leads the armies in a time with tremendous bloodshed, carnage and wickedness (verse 8). Despite the surroundings and experiences of Mormon he remained faithful. He wrote: "And wo is me because of their wickedness; for my heart has been filled with sorrow because of their wickedness, all my days; nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day" (verse 19). This faithfulness can be attributed to the testimony taught to him by his parents, the visitation from the Lord, and the perspective he had due to his detailed knowledge of the history and dealings of his ancestors with the Lord he obtained through the scriptures. He is a sharp contrast to the times he lived in. He saw and lived in a time of war almost all of his days. There is a lesson in his life for our day. The success of Mormon gives us guidance as to how to remain faithful. By using these same tools (our testimony and the testimonies of others, spiritual experiences and the scriptures) we can be islands of righteousness in the vast sea of wickedness.

All of Mormon’s efforts almost bring the people to understand. He describes it as "somewhat to vigor" which led to them having a successful campaign against the Lamanites. They made a treaty with the Lamanites and the Gadianton Robbers. Mormon wrote: "...nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren." (verse 26)

In this chapter, there is another glimmer of hope… almost. The “Nephites began to repent of their iniquity…” because “…no man could keep that which was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which was in the land. Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi.” (see verses 10-11) This mourning caused Mormon to also see this glimmer of hope and have some joy. But Mormon’s “joy was vain, for their (the Nephites') sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin” (see verse 13). What a lesson we have here.
President Spencer W. Kimball: "The truly repentant man is sorry before he is apprehended. He is sorry even if his secret is never known.
He desires to make voluntary amends. The culprit has not 'godly sorrow' who must be found out by being reported or by chains of circumstances which finally bring the offense to light. The thief is not repentant who continues in grave offenses until he is caught. Repentance of the godly type means that one comes to recognize the sin and voluntarily and without pressure from outside sources begins his transformation." (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p 153)
There is a difference between 'godly sorrow' and the 'sorrow of the world'. "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

Mormon Chapter 3
Mormon is finally charged with crying repentance to the people (verse 2). Mormon says that the people hardened their hearts and refused to realize it was the Lord who spared them and "granted them a chance for repentance" (verse 3). Despite their unwillingness to repent, Mormon continued to protect them and caused them to make preparations “against the time of battle”.
In the following verses the Lamanites come to battle against them and lose. This causes the Nephites to “boast in their own strength” and they “began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies." (verse 9).
The people were not thankful in the least for the protection or the blessings of the Lord. This coming Thursday will be Thanksgiving. We are commanded to be thankful in our day and we see throughout the Book of Mormon it is part of the plan of salvation to be thankful (see Alma 34:38).
In addition to having a lack of gratitude to the Lord, the people of Mormon's time decided to act in vengeance against their enemies. Mormon sees this and refuses to be their leader (verse 11). He gives several reasons for not leading them any longer, they are: “because of their wickedness and abomination”, Mormon had “led them into battle” and “loved them despite this wickedness”, Mormon “prayed for them all the day long” and three times “delivered them out of the hands of their enemies and they have repented not of their sins” (verses 12-13).
On top of these reasons, the voice of the Lord came to Mormon and told him “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth” (verse 15).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Men are forbidden to execute vengeance upon their fellow men, unless by revelation (acting in the capacity of the Lord's agents) they are sent forth to do his appointed will. (Doctrine and Covenants 98:23-48.) Ancient Israel, for instance, was commanded to execute the Lord's vengeance upon the Amalekites. (1 Sam. 15:2-3.) Aside from such unusual and seldom-occurring situations, however, the decree is that vengeance, recompense, and judgment come from the Lord himself." (Mormon Doctrine, p 821)
Until the end of this chapter, Mormon explains the reason he writes the record.

Mormon Chapter 4
The battles continue between the Nephites and the Lamanites. We see the effects of the Nephites going to battle for vengeance in verse 4, “And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them”. In verse 5 we learn about the outcome of wickedness and the fruits which come from living away from the ways of the Lord, "But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.”

Mormon attempts to paint a picture of how things are going in verse 11, "And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually". In the chapter we see the absolute baseness of the society with the sacrificing of women and children to idols.
The Lamanites came down to war and from this time forward the Nephites could have no power over the Lamanites, they "began to be swept off by them even as a dew before the sun" (verse 18).
Of interest here at the end of the chapter is Mormon sees the Lamanites are overtaking Nephite lands. He goes to the Hill Shim (where the records are deposited) and takes them so they can be preserved. The record is being prepared to come forth in the last days and nothing will stand in the way of the Lord accomplishing His design.

Mormon Chapter 5
Mormon returns to leading the armies but this time he is saddened and without hope for the Nephite Nation. We read in verse 2, “I was without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them; for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them”. He then writes to us in our day and sees the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to the Gentiles, to teach us Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He writes about the Lamanites in the last days and how the gospel will be brought to them.

Mormon Chapter 6
Mormon writes an epistle to the King of the Lamanites and asks for the Nephites to be allowed to gather at Cumorah in preparation to go to battle against them. This battle is the end of the Nephite nation. Mormon is old (about 74 years old). Mormon hides the records in the Hill Cumorah, except for the few plates he delivers to his son, Moroni. In the great and last battle, all but twenty four of the Nephites are killed.
Mormon laments the loss of the nation in verses 8 through 22.
“And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.
9 And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.
10 And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.
11 And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me.
12 And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.
13 And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.
14 And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.
15 And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.
16 And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:
17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!
18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
19 O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.
21 And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.
22 O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy. "

Moroni Chapter 9
This is the second epistle written by Mormon to his son, Moroni. The first is Moroni chapter 8.
There is great love and hope for his son expressed in the chapter. Mormon encourages his son to be optimistic. It is in Christ we will be saved. Do not be weighed down by the wickedness around you. Christ’s promise is sure, be diligent, be faithful, then “the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever” is the hope of the message.

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