Samuel the Lamanite

Reading: Helaman 13-16

Samuel the Lamanite is one of the great and unexpected prophets of The Book of Mormon.  Great because he doesn't hesitate to tell the people what the Lord wants them to hear and what they need to hear in order to change their ways.  He prophesied "unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart."  Unexpected because he was a Lamanite.  For much of The Book of Mormon, the Lamanites are the unrighteous people.  But during the "war chapters" in Alma, a group of Lamanites were converted to Christ and swore to never take up weapons again.  From this group of Lamanites, or from their children, came Samuel.  Perhaps the fact that he was Lamanite made the truth even more hard to swallow for the wicked Nephites (though, they had plenty of other issues).

Samuel does what most prophets do to help people understand they must repent.  They teach people about the plan of salvation the Lord set for them.  It is especially poignant because Samuel prophecies that the birth of Christ will happen in five years.  Here is what he teaches about the plan of salvation (I've italicized the main points of doctrine):

Helaman 14:11-19

11 And ye shall hear my words, for, for this intent have I come up upon the walls of this city, that ye might hear and know of the judgments of God which do await you because of your iniquities, and also that ye might know the conditions of repentance;
 12 And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
 13 And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.
 14 And behold, again, another sign I give unto you, yea, a sign of his death.
 15 For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.
 16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
 17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
 18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.
 19 Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.

Also v 30-31:

30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.
 31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.

It seems so simple and complicated at the same time.  But we have been given to know good and evil AND we have been given the author of good to help us along the way. If we will apply to Him for help we will be restored to good, or good will be restored to us. I believe this to be true.

Cycle of Becoming

Reading: Helaman 6-12

Today we will discuss the cycle that happens when we forget God.  This cycle is sometimes referred to as “the pride cycle.” I wish it were called the humility cycle or the righteous cycle, but it really wouldn’t be a cycle if we were truly humble and righteous all the time!  By the end of my studies for this lesson, I felt that it might be called something more appropriately with the proper perspective.

Reading through this cycle brings all too familiar issues, and appropriately so, since this is written for our time and as such, is meant to give us warnings and suggestions.

Here is the cycle:

Pride/wickedness leads to suffering/destruction, which leads to repentance/humility, which leads to righteousness/prosperity, which hopefully does not lead back to pride and wickedness, but it seems to be human nature to do so, and so our job its to resist that nature.

We will read scriptures describing some of these phases and some points of intervention, we will discuss the phases and things that happen in between the phases.

The Nephite are the people having a hard time with pride and wickedness at this time and the Lamanites are trying to preach doctrines of the gospel to the Nephites.

Pride/Wickedness

Helaman 6:31  Actions that led them to wickedness:

• ·      Turned out of the way of righteousness
•  Trample under feet the commandments of God
•  Turn to their own ways
•  Build up idols for themselves
• This led to the Spirit of the Lord withdrawing (v 35)

 Helaman 6:39  How they treat other

• Robbers had control of government – how the laws helped or hurt others
• Abused or turned their backs upon the poor and the meek and the humble followers of God

 Helaman 7:5

• Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness
• Letting the guilty and wicked go unpunished because of money
• Unrighteous rule
•  Get away with crimes

Prophets intervene

Nephi was so sad about the seemingly long-lasting wickedness of the people that he began to pour his heart out to the Lord upon his tower which was in his garden, but where people could hear.  He attracted people and he started to preach to them regarding their iniquities.

A few of the doctrines are recorded among the many that he probably taught:

7:16 – serving a master who doesn’t care about you

7:17 – repent/change

7:19 – you will be scattered instead of gathered

7:22 – destruction will come

7:23 – righteous are blessed

8:24 – you will be accountable for the evidences of God in all the earth

I’m going to quickly summarize the experiencing Nephi had while praying on his garden tower as it will relate to a discussion point later.

Nephi cites other prophet’s miracles and teaching of Christ (Moses, Abraham, Lehi – prophets who hold their respect at least traditionally).  After preaching to them, the people questioned the authority and position of Nephi and so to prove these things, the Lord allowed Nephi to have information about the murder of the chief judge and the name of the murderer.  Nephi challenges them to verify his prophecies.  Five men were sent to discover if Nephi’s words were true.  In the end, Nephi’s prophecy was declared as true by the five men, as well as many of the people.

The Nephites hearts were so hard that even after this miraculous prophecy, only a few believed.  Nephi was so sad about the lack of faith and belief this miracle produced, that he was left to only ponder its meaning.  While pondering, a voice came to him pronouncing blessings for his faithfulness and he is offered the sealing power.

We will discuss his faithful example a little later.  With this sealing power, Nephi, in great charity, asks the Lord for a way to humble the people which would extend their lives longer than war would.

Suffering/Destruction followed by Humility/Repentance

Helaman11:4, 7-8

• Nephi chose famine over war, perhaps to prolong their preparatory state, more than war would
• At the point of perishing, the people finally remembered the Lord their God and turned to the one who taught them about God, at first asking Nephi to intervene

• Helaman 11:14-18 (for humility/repentance)Nephi remembers that God listened to him when he asked for famine and therefore had confidence that He would hear now.
• Asks the Lord to “try again” by turning his anger away and bless the people according to their repentance.
• People were blessed with rain and crops

·      The glorified God and finally saw Nephi as a prophet with proper authority

It is interesting that the people were given a huge miracle – a prophecy concerning a murder and a murderer, but the majority of the people were not converted with that experience.  But most were converted with a famine?  WHY?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THESE TWO SCENARIOS IN THE PROBABILITY OF ACHIEVING BELIEF?

• Famine is more personal suffering leading to despair
• Show of miracle is just a show, not a personal experience 

Righteousness/Prosperity

The Nephites were blessed for their righteousness for about three years with prosperity and peace, before dissentions and contentions began to cause problems even to the extreme, as it states in v36, they “did not mend their ways.”

Now that we’ve read a little about the cycle and some causes and effects of actions or no action,

WHAT PERSPECTIVE DOES IT GIVE TO US?

There are a few ways to look at it.  This particular cycle lasted 23 years and the people went through the cycle 2-3 times.  We can look at it as a civilization, as a church, as individual evaluation or tempering judgment on others.

WHAT PERSPECTIVE DOES IT GIVE TO YOU?

Two people in these chapters give us eternal perspective, Nephi and Mormon.

Nephi is a good example of how to circumvent the pride and destruction parts of the cycle.  The Lord told him what it was that he was doing correctly after he was so depressed from the lack of converts after the prophecy concerning the chief judge murder.

Helaman 10:4-7

Attributes Nephi exemplifies:

• Unwearying, steady, consistent in belief and action
• No fear of the people
•  Sought the Lord’s will
• Kept the commandments
• One in mind with the Lord 

Nephi throughout his life has focused on becoming something.  Elder Oaks gave a talk on the process of becoming:

A parable illustrates this understanding. A wealthy father knew that if he were to bestow his wealth upon a child who had not yet developed the needed wisdom and stature, the inheritance would probably be wasted. The father said to his child:

“All that I have I desire to give you—not only my wealth, but also my position and standing among men. That which I have I can easily give you, but that which I am you must obtain for yourself. You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I have learned and by living as I have lived. I will give you the laws and principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature. Follow my example, mastering as I have mastered, and you will become as I am, and all that I have will be yours.”

This parable parallels the pattern of heaven. The gospel of Jesus Christ promises the incomparable inheritance of eternal life, the fulness of the Father, and reveals the laws and principles by which it can be obtained. “The Challenge to Become,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Nov. 2000.

Blessings Nephi received for his faithfulness:

• Mighty in work and deeds, in faith and in works
•  Whatever he asked he would receive, because it would be the Lord’s will
•  Reminder that even though he is extremely faithful, the power comes from God
• Receives sealing power 

IS THIS POWER AND THE BLESSINGS THAT COME WITH IT AVAILABLE TO US?

·      Yes.  Although with blessings come great responsibility (D&C 88:63-65):

o   63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

o    64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;

o    65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.

·      We are reminded of these blessings AND responsibilities in the temple and the more often we go, the more likely we will be like Nephi – our will aligns with the Father’s.

Mormon gives us his perspective on the pride cycle as summary to these chapters in Chapter 12:

 Helaman 12:1-3  

• Here’s what Mormon says we need to know about ourselves:Your tendencies are false and unsteady
• If you trust Him you will be blessed BUT
• Because you are unsteady, blessings will lead to forgetting God

·      So, He has to send afflictions to chasten us for forgetting.

Quote about chastening

I would like to speak of one particular attitude and practice we need to adopt if we are to meet our Heavenly Father’s high expectations. It is this: willingly to accept and even seek correction. Correction is vital if we would conform our lives “unto a perfect man, [that is,] unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Paul said of divine correction or chastening, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct.

Divine chastening has at least three purposes: (1) to persuade us to repent, (2) to refine and sanctify us, and (3) at times to redirect our course in life to what God knows is a better path. “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2011.

WHY DOES THE LORD BLESS US WITH PROSPERITY, WHICH MANY COME IN DIFFERENT FORMS, IF HE KNOWS IT MIGHT LEAD TO DOWN FALL?

·      See ch 7:26 “lifted up beyond that which is good” what He gives us is good, but we seek for better – is there better than what God gives?  Why aren’t we satisfied with what God gives us?  Comparison (great and spacious building)

·      Deut 8:18 “for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant.”  He knows how to establish his work on the earth and knows the channels it takes.  Wealth or mean is not the only channel, but is one of the channels.

Mormon makes one more point of warning us about ourselves:

Helaman 12:5-6  Pride

·      Pride

·      Quick to boast

·      Slow to remember God and his counsels

·      They do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them. ONE OF YOUR BIG ISSUES IS GOING TO BE AUTHORITY – I have my rights! Nobody is going to tell me what to do.

Then Mormon gives us the main key to avoiding the pride cycle:

Helaman 12:7-8

·      Children of men are less than the dust of the earth

So, what are we to do? Repent:

Helaman 12:23-24

It seems to me then, that this is a cycle, while it includes pride, should really be called the cycle of becoming.  We wouldn't have repentance/humility/righteousness if we didn't have it's opposite for at least definition.  But all the phases of the cycle help us become whatever Heavenly Father wants us to become.  It a cycle of refinement.  It's a hopeful and merciful cycle that allows us to "try again" (Hel 11:16) with God and allows Him to "try again" with us.  

Pride

Reading: Helaman 1-5

Before I sight a few scriptures regarding pride, I will just say that what I have to say pales in comparison to President Ezra Taft Benson's discourse of the subject of pride.  I read "Beware of Pride" at least once a year and highly recommend it to anyone.

The first chapters in the book of Helaman are full of contentions and dissentions and wickedness.  There are, of course, prophets who testify against all of this, but the people are so hard hearted that they do not listen to the prophets.  We get Mormon's summary perspective in chapter 4 of all the proceedings of the people.  This summary is important because as he says in chapter 3 (v14)

14 But behold, a ahundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of btemples, and of synagogues and their csanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.

So, when Mormon gives his summary that one of the main causes of trouble for the Nephites and Lamanites was pride, we need to understand that pride really is the cause of a downfall of a nation and is therefore a warning. In fact, President Benson said,

The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that the Book of Mormon is the “record of a fallen people.” (D&C 20:9.) Why did they fall? This is one of the major messages of the Book of Mormon. Mormon gives the answer in the closing chapters of the book in these words: “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction.” 

The word pride is mentioned three times in chapter 3 and a good explanation of pride is offered in chapter 4:12-13 describing what actions, attributes lead to the Nephites downfall:

12 And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—
 13 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.

This describes what President Benson says is the core issue with pride:

The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works. Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s. 

Haven't we heard the phrases: "you can't tell me what to do," or how my kids like to put it: "you're not the boss of me." This stretches ugly tentacles to equality issues, authority issues, political issues down to family issues, sibling rivalries and really almost any part of our lives.

But it really comes down to our relationship with God. If our relationship with God is a good working relationship (I say working because it has ups and downs too, but at least we're trying), he gives us the Holy Spirit to help us self-check - to help us understand our place: that God is our Father, and Jesus Christ is our Savior and they have the authority to be those things.  When we remember these things, we are actually given more freedom.  It is the working of Satan to convince us that obeying someone else is restricting - you can't tell me what to do - and pride begins a destructive cycle and eventually spiritual and physical fall.

In opposition to this, Helaman tells his sons how they can avoid spiritual and physical fall (Helaman 5:12):

 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.