Helaman 15-16

(May 19, 2014)
The reaction of the Lamanites to their conversions (as opposed to the Nephites) I think has a message for us in our days of retention efforts for youth.  I think the main issue as to why the Lamanites stayed strong and the Nephites waivered was the fact that the Lamanites were new to the Spirit, and thus they felt it very strongly.  The Nephites, on the other hand, grew up in the faith and had the Spirit more or less with them throughout their lives.  This taught them a great deal and helped to prepare them, but having never felt the absence of the Spirit they had difficulty recognizing His presence.

I can relate to that – I never learned more about the Spirit than I did in the course of my life where I became unworthy of the Spirit and then worked to regain that worthiness over time.  The reintroduction of the Spirit demonstrated to me what I had been operating without for so very long.  I had lived in a lit room, then wandered in the darkness, finally returning to the light.  The light had been so omnipresent growing up and in my early adult years (despite a period of not recognizing what it was and despite my limited worthiness even then) that I didn’t appreciate its constant presence.  When I wandered the darkness, then reentered the light – then I realized what a blessing that light was to me in my life.

What does that mean for the Church (and, in particular, for my own children)?  The Spirit waxes and wanes as we live the Gospel – and, during those times when the Spirit’s presence is strong we must identify it so that they feel and understand what the Spirit is.  We must also provide opportunities for them to feel it, and we need to let them know from our experience (instead, hopefully, from their own) the consequences of living without the Spirit and what a blessing that it is to have the Spirit in their lives.

The other thought that I had was in understanding the Book of Mormon as having taken place in a particular place and time.  The statement of the ‘people’ that the priests would use cunning arts to bind the people as their servants was not something that was understood in the 19th Century, but was very common in many ancient cultures.  A shaman, using showmanship, chemistry, and ritual would bind the people to him to follow his every word – and surely such false priests and priestcrafts were not unknown to the people of Nephi.  So it is understandable that they would have that concern, even if it was directed at the wrong prophet.