Love Your Enemies

There is much to be learned by reflecting on what happened in 2006 in the Amish community around Nickel Mines, PA. A gunman stormed into a one-room schoolhouse and shot 10 young girls, killing five. He then killed himself. What followed was a powerful demonstration of the depth of Amish forgiveness. That very afternoon of the shooting, an Amish grandfather of one of the girls who was killed expressed forgiveness toward the killer. Also that same day, Amish neighbors visited the killer’s family to comfort them in their sorrow and pain. A few days later, families who had buried their own daughters just the day before were in attendance at his burial, and they hugged the killer’s widow and other members of the killer's family. In the New Testament, the Savior teaches “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” Moroni, in The Book of Mormon, certainly exemplified this. He lived to witness the entire destruction of his people in battle by their enemies. And yet, his final desire was to leave words of wisdom that might someday aid the perpetrators.

 Moroni 1:2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
 3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.
 4 Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord.

LESSON LEARNED: Divine love reaches to the depths of loving those who hate us, despitefully use us, and would even try to kill us.

FEEDBACK: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE DEPTHS OF DIVINE LOVE, AND WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THE SAVIOR WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND IT? 

Pleasing Just God

Elder Devn Cornish of the Seventy was our visiting General Authority at Stake Conference last weekend. He gave very motivating talks during each session, the last of which dealt with pride. He stated that we often see ourselves higher or lower than others, and both viewpoints are equally associated with pride. The first is seeing ourselves, our circumstances and our achievements above those of other people, which is obviously associated with pride. But similarly, when we obsessively see ourselves as less than others or when we denigrate ourselves to draw attention to ourselves due to our misfortunes (including how we are mistreated by others) -- this is also pride. A classic example he used is social media, where it is easy to compare your worst to someone else's best (others post only their best moments). He said that instead of talking or thinking so much about ourselves ("I, I, I"), we should instead be thinking, "I wonder how Mabel is doing?" He summed up his talk with what he feels are the two most important words to live by: "Please God". We need to reflect on how we think, act and respond in all situations, to think of others rather than ourselves, and consider trying to please God rather than ourselves.

1 Nephi 6:5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world. 

LESSON LEARNED: I have always associated pride with inflated opinions of ourselves over others. It was interesting to learn that doting over our misfortunes and drawing excess attention to ourselves by how bad we have it is also a form of pride.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU SENSED THESE FORMS OF PRIDE IN YOURSELF OR OTHERS?

Destructive Family Gathering

I have very fond memories of family reunions as a child. They were usually held in the Preston, Idaho region where my dad is from. They were happy gatherings, with lots of food, talk and genealogy. Family unity and gatherings are typically centered around recreation, traditions and common goals. In The Book of Mormon, examples of strong family unity are demonstrated with Lehi and his family, and also the brother of Jared and his family. A sad tale of a destructive gathering of families, however, is seen in the final chapters of Ether in The Book of Mormon. Satan has full reign of the hearts of the people at this time. They are past feeling, and are bent on destroying one another. It is noteworthy to see that men, women and even children all gathered to take part in this tragic event.

 Ether 15:14 Wherefore, they were for the space of four years gathering together the people, that they might get all who were upon the face of the land, and that they might receive all the strength which it was possible that they could receive.
 15 And it came to pass that when they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he would, with their wives and their children—both men, women and children being armed with weapons of war, having shields, and breastplates, and head-plates, and being clothed after the manner of war—they did march forth one against another to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not.

LESSON LEARNED: Satan has no regard for families, and seeks for their disruption and destruction. Peaceful family gatherings, purposeful goals and wholesome activities are vital to instill the generational traditions of successful family unity.

FEEDBACK: WHAT EARLY MEMORIES OF UNITY DO YOU RECALL IN YOUR FAMILY?

The Two Jerusalems

Like the unfolding of the plot of a really good movie, The Book of Mormon begins and ends with hints of its own purpose: a remnant of the seed of Joseph of Egypt needing to be preserved before impending disaster hits. Like bookends on a shelf, this fact is detected by Lehi at the beginning of The Book of Mormon, and we are reminded of that purpose towards the end of it. Joseph and his family would have perished in the famine if they hadn’t escaped to Egypt, and Lehi and his family would have perished in the destruction of Jerusalem if they hadn’t fled it. Beautiful parallelism. Further, the Lord promises that Joseph’s seed will survive a third wave of disaster with the building up of a New Jerusalem in this land as well as the one in the old world. Two Jerusalems, two lands, two gatherings, one purpose.

 1 Nephi 1:14 And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.
 

 Ether 13:7 For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.
 8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.

LESSON LEARNED: The Lord will keep His promises made to His servants, the prophets of old. The America’s and the children of Lehi that inhabited this land are a fulfillment of those promises made to the Joseph of Egypt.

FEEDBACK: HOW DOES THIS IMPACT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON?

Feeling the Prints

When I was serving as a counselor in a prior bishopric, we planned a youth activity at the Mesa temple. The youth were to take part in baptisms for the dead, and then have a mini-fireside in the Christus room of the Visitor's Center. I was assigned to go with them to the baptismal area, so I was late getting back to our fireside portion. I will never forget how I felt when I finally entered the Christus room and saw all of our marvelous youth sitting there. It was like being at the feet of the Savior as He taught us. As the bishop finished his words, I looked up at the Christus with new eyes of understanding. I couldn’t help but think that the prints of the nails in His hands represented my sins. I know them well, and He does too. The implication of reaching out and feeling those prints hit me at that moment: that in doing so I was acknowledging His sacrifice, and He was acknowledging back that He knows my sins and has willingly paid the price for them. The impact of that moment has since stayed with me, and I think of it often.

3 Nephi 11:14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

LESSON LEARNED: In The Book of Mormon, the Lord patiently had each member of the congregation come and individually feel the prints of the nails in His hands and side. This is a reminder of how individualized the atonement is for each of us, and that we must come and place our sins and our broken hearts upon His altar.

FEEDBACK: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SAVIORS SACRIFICE FOR YOUR SINS?

Bound By Oaths

The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood is a beautiful principle.  It teaches us that if a man is valiant in keeping his baptismal and temple covenants, the Lord promises (or makes an oath) that he will be rewarded with His greatest gifts: eternal life and all that He has.  This means so much to the Lord that He allows himself to be bound by the oath, similar to other oaths and principles he promises.  The Book of Mormon reveals an example of the Lord allowing Himself to be bound by His own promises -- in this case, an oath regarding the principle of faith.

 Ether 12:10 Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God.

  20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.

 21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.

LESSON LEARNED: It is by faith that Christ showed himself to Ether and others. He did not do this until after they had sufficient faith in Him.  And because of their requisite faith, the Lord could not withhold Himself from them.

FEEDBACK: HOW DOES THIS MAKE YOU FEEL ABOUT FAITH, THE LORD’S OATHS, AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO BE BOUND BY THEM?