In chapters 13 thru 15 of the Book of Helaman in The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ we read about a Lamanite prophet called Samuel who comes among the Nephites and, among other teachings, prophesies of their eventual destruction. Although the ways to avoid utter destruction is the overriding theme of his teachings I find many of his thoughts worthy of serious pondering for we who live during the third decade of the 21st century.
And behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it unto me, and he did bring glad tidings to my soul. And behold, I was sent unto you to declare it unto you also, that ye might have glad tidings; but behold ye would not receive me. (Helaman 13:7)
Although we may be trained in public speaking and have spent years learning how to and practice teaching there is no greater way to ensure our words will have a powerful effect on an audience than to have had them authored by an Angel.
I suspect few of us will have angelic ghost writers compose our speeches for us during our mortal lives, but gratefully the whisperings of the Holy Spirit are available to all who will seek that aid.
Besides a speaker or teacher being inspired to utter revelatory words, all of us likewise need to seek the help of heavenly inspiration to understand and know how to apply words which come to us from those who have received them.
We should never let ourselves become victims to the negative consequences of failing to heed revelatory instructions from one who has received them, in whatever manner the Lord may have seen proper to bestow them.
Yea, wo unto this great city of Zarahemla; for behold, it is because of those who are righteous that it is saved; yea, wo unto this great city, for I perceive, saith the Lord, that there are many, yea, even the more part of this great city, that will harden their hearts against me, saith the Lord.
But blessed are they who will repent, for them will I spare. But behold, if it were not for the righteous who are in this great city, behold, I would cause that fire should come down out of heaven and destroy it.
But behold, it is for the righteous’ sake that it is spared. But behold, the time cometh, saith the Lord, that when ye shall cast out the righteous from among you, then shall ye be ripe for destruction; yea, wo be unto this great city, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in her. (Helaman 13:12–14)
The clouds which come to block details in my memory don’t allow me to recall the exact time nor which prophet of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Time pronounced it, but I remember the impact it had on my younger mind when he gave the same pronouncement as Samuel that there are times when destruction does not happen because of the righteous who abide among a people.
Two thoughts come to me: First, is that this is one more way we can be of service to our sisters and brothers who abide with us simultaneously on the earth. Second, that it seems this protection has its limits.
The one limit that Samuel mentions is that when the wicked begin to slay the righteous is that saving umbrella will be removed. I suspect that even if slaying does not take place the degree of wickedness can reach a point where destruction is the only solution for the Lord.
Yea, and wo be unto all the cities which are in the land round about, which are possessed by the Nephites, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in them.
And behold, a curse shall come upon the land, saith the Lord of Hosts, because of the people’s sake who are upon the land, yea, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.
For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land.
And the day shall come that they shall hide up their treasures, because they have set their hearts upon riches; and because they have set their hearts upon their riches, and will hide up their treasures when they shall flee before their enemies; because they will not hide them up unto me, cursed be they and also their treasures; and in that day shall they be smitten, saith the Lord.
Behold ye, the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord saith; for behold, he saith that ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you.
Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; yea, your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice, persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities. (Helaman 13:16-22)
Before adding any of my own thoughts to those of Samuel, I feel impressed to add the teachings of Jacob the son of Lehi who was born in the wilderness and succeeded Nephi the son of Lehi as prophet of the Nephites. A quick scriptural search will make known to us that this concern about the dangers which accompany the accumulation of riches was shared by the prophets whose words are found in the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Doctrine and Covenants as well as The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!
Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.
But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to ado good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it? (Jacob 2:16-20)
Those who have made even a casual following of my Thoughts will surely remember how often I have spoken about the extra burden those who are born into poverty carry during their mortal probation, but from the writings of the prophets we also learn that those who are blessed with an excess of the riches of the world, likewise, can be ladened with exceptional tests which may curtail their righteous progression. I suspect there are those on both ends of the continuum who would innocently gladly switch positions. It makes one wonder if in the paragraphs of Heavenly Father’s Plan which apply to us individually if our all knowing Father pre ordained where on the riches spectrum we should tarry during mortality to provide us with the greatest test of our faith.
The prophets through the ages have connected what is in our hearts about riches as the most important test we must pass. Even to those who have very little of the bounties of the world the Lord has admonished them about where their hearts must be.
And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.
And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.
And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. (Mosiah 4:24-26)
So what is it that these teachings of the scriptures tell us must be in our hearts concerning riches or the lack of riches?
The scriptures teach us that we must always remember the earth and all that there is therein are the Lord’s, not ours. It would be wonderful if some of the teachings of the ancient cultures which inhabited the lands of the Americas, the African continent and the Islands of the sea concerning the fallacy of being the owner of properties and stuff hadn’t been destroyed by those who came, conquered and subsequently replaced these higher value systems.
The words of the prophets also tell us that whatever the amount of His world’s wealth we have had placed under our stewardship during our lives, we must always remember these riches were not given to us to be able to live in luxury, but were give so that we would learn to be righteous servants who are conscious of the hungry, naked and sick and what we can do to lighten their burdens.
Before ending today’s thought it would be well to remember the counsel of Mosiah found in (Mosiah 4:27).
And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.
The early converts in the Dispensation of Jesus the Christ who isolated themselves and brought all they had to their Christian communities, without having provided means for the continuation of sustenance, soon found themselves being overwhelmed with the conditions of universal poverty.
The early converts in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times when given the principles of the United Order failed miserably, because as the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. taught they were like children who tried to use tools without first having learned.
I am grateful for the way the Lord has instructed and provided the opportunity for those who have been given, through the means of tithes and offerings a way to provide for those in need.
(To be continued)
THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
❣️THINK + PLAN + PREPARE + DO ➡️ GENTLENESS + KINDNESS + CARING + GENEROSITY ➡️ HUGS + PEACE + JOY + LOVE ➡️ INTEGRITY + FAITH + HOPE + CHARITY❣️ = 💞THE GOOD LIFE💞
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