Sunday, October 1, 2017

State and Church

The balance of state and church is a precarious one. As I have written on previously, Alma and Mosiah had an interchange on a religious issue, one which was of a spiritual nature. On that occasion, Mosiah, the acting King, rightly deferred the issue back to Alma, the acting high priest, to settle. On a separate occasion though, members of the church found themselves being persecuted physically due to their belief system. This time, with the well-being of his citizens at stake, Mosiah intervened on an issue that dealt with the public safety.

 Mosiah 27:1 And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests.
 2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.


LESSON LEARNED: The governments of sovereign states have an obligation to protect their populace. This includes issues that may have their roots in spiritual matters.

FEEDBACK: WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS?

Friday, September 8, 2017

Climb Your Wall

A missionary new in the field recently recounted her surprise at being spurned by the people in the area, even in passing as she greeted them on the street. This reminds me of my own experience as a missionary, when so many people wouldn’t even make eye contact with us as we would try and greet them. Rejection and discouragement seem to be part and parcel of sharing the word of God. The Book of Mormon is replete with similar examples of prophets and messengers being rejected. Should we think to have an easier time of it than they did? Likewise, should we think that we will be any less blessed in our efforts than these prophets were? Of course not. The Lord loves his servants, and is probably able to bless them even more when they carry on faithfully in the face of rejection. The prophet Samuel in The Book of Mormon is an example of this. It the face of rejection and being cast out, he magnified his efforts and presence even more by preaching atop the city wall to the people below.

 Helaman 13:2 And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.
 3 But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.
 4 And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.


LESSON LEARNED: Rejection of the word is God goes hand in hand with the sharing of it. This should come as no surprise, and even opens a opportunity for greater blessings when you press forward in the face of it.

FEEDBACK: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH REJECTION IN SHARING THE WORD OF GOD, AND HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO IT?

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Look and Life

Why is it that some of us are all too willing to ignor warnings when danger is eminent? Hurricane Irma is currently bearing down on the Caribbean and is on course to hit southern Florida. The governor of Florida has declared a state of emergency, similar to the declaration in Texas prior to Hurricane Harvey’s arrival. But in both storms, a small number of individuals have been too cavalier or curious to heed these warnings and feel they can stay and wait it out. In the case of Hurricane Harvey, this put rescue workers at risk as they waded through floodwaters to carry these would-be hapless heroes to safety. The Book of Mormon expounds on this same principle: an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

 1 Nephi 17: 41 And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

LESSON LEARNED: The Lord asks that we exercise wisdom as well as faith when we are given warnings.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU WITNESSED ANY EXAMPLES OF THIS BEFORE?

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Half of Everything

The tax burden currently in place in the United States is the highest of any country in the world. I lived in Sweden many years ago, and it was always a topic of discussion how onerous their high taxes were – reaching or exceeding 50% of your income for some. But Sweden, and all of Scandinavia for that matter, realized that this error was stunting economic growth, so they overhauled their tax code in order that their economies could once again prosper. Here in the United States, however, we are now approaching the same high tax brackets – 30-50% for some of the highest income individuals. When you add in the state taxes that are also required, it becomes a huge burden. Thankfully, strides are being made by the current sitting president to lower the percentages and remove this affliction so that growth can once again take place.

 Mosiah 7:22 And all this he did, for the sole purpose of bringing this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.
 23 And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn.


LESSON LEARNED: Taxation is important for any economy. But it should be limited in its scope to meet the basic necessities of the country, not to glut or support the population by way of entitlements.

FEEDBACK: WHAT ARE YOUR FEELING ABOUT TAXATION AND HOW DOES IT APPLIES TO THIS PASSAGE IN THE BOOK OF MORMON?

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Must Be Fulfilled

Most jobs just need to get done. The is particularly the case when on the Lord’s errand, because He has things He needs accomplished. Missionaries learn this early in their assigned areas, and discover that following their schedules and tasks with exactness and obedience is the formula to being blessed. Nephi also learned this lesson early in The Book of Mormon, and attacked his tasks directly with thoughtfulness and a lack of complaining. His oldest brothers Laman and Lemuel chose instead to learn the hard way. They would approach commandments with questions, fears and doubtful hearts. But on the rare occasions when the older brothers were whipped into shape and everyone was one the same spiritual page, the Lord was able to strengthen the whole family unit and to bless them more.

 1 Nephi 17:2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.
 3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.


LESSON LEARNED: When on the Lord’s errand, we will be most blessed when we put our fears and doubts behind us and performed our necessary tasks without murmuring.

FEEDBACK: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS?

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Serve One Another

Hurricane Harvey recently wrecked havoc on southern Texas and Louisiana, leaving thousands homeless in its wake.  It has been enlightening to see people pull together, of all religions and persuasions, to reach out and serve the victims. In a world that seems to be driving us more and more toward an inward mindset (it’s all about me) rather than an outward one (putting others first), this has been refreshing to see. But a firestorm of marketing and social propaganda is increasingly aimed at getting the individual to focus inward: my rights, my entitlements, my life, my choice, my personal happiness. Conversely, the Lord’s pathway to happiness is the one taught by the Savior – to lose oneself in the service of others. By doing so, we find real happiness and our real value. It’s probably no surprise that the route to developing an outward mindset begins with the family. In the family setting, we are forced to solve problems and consider the needs and wishes of others over ourselves. It is also no wonder that Satan, via intense propaganda, seeks to attack the family and thwart this innate avenue of service designed by the Lord. 

 Mosiah 4:14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
 15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.


LESSON LEARNED: The Lord teaches us to serve one another and look outward to the needs of others over ourselves. He has created the family unit to allow us to learn this. Satan seeks to thwart this plan.

FEEDBACK: WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY UNIT?


Thursday, August 31, 2017

Abish Shares Truth

In conclusion, I end this volume in the same way it began -- with a tribute to remarkable woman.  Abish, like Sarah, was a woman of amazing faith.  Both of them possessed a love for the Lord and a propensity for obedience.  Sarah was carried on the faith of her family until the moment that her personal conversion came.  In the case of Abish, we learn of the fortitude that comes from living as a quiet but persistent follower of Christ while living primarily amongst non-believers. Such is the task of many a single man or woman today who, while living in societies full of faithless peers, press forward with a determination to cling to that which they know to be true. We learn from Abish that no matter what level of apathy or opposition to religion we may confront, we can still be true to our own sure witness.  We also learn from her that we should be prepared to open our mouths and share that which we hold dear when the opportunity presents itself.

 Alma 19:16 And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father—
 17 Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people.


LESSON LEARNED: Though we may be shy in our beliefs and find it difficult to share the Gospel, we should hold fast to what we know to be true. Eventually, an opportunity will present itself to share with others what we believe.

FEEDBACK: HOW DOES THE EXPERIENCE OF ABISH GIVE YOU HOPE IN YOUR QUEST TO SHARE THE GOSPEL?