2 Nephi 13-14

(August 1, 2015)

                This has the language of beating people to pieces and grinding the faces of the poor.  In my life, I have always read this in a way that it seemed to me that the motivation was greed – the people in power wanted what the poor and weak had, and so they destroyed them to get it.

                But since then, I have been in a bit of a different situation than I was in before.  I have, unfortunately, been obliged to deal with people who viewed my destruction as a positive thing independent of whether there was any other benefit conferred.

                I read this part in light of that this time.  I am certain greed is a part of the problem, but there are those in this world who would destroy others simply for the benefit of seeing them destroyed rather than to acquire some benefit of their own.  The irony, of course, is that having experienced this I have seen the Lord take what I have gone through and made me stronger and seen those who sought to destroy me become weaker through their efforts (even when they were successful).