Mosiah 12

(March 2, 2015)

                I love seeing the progression of Abinidi.  In the beginning of his ministry, he is solely speaking the words of the Lord that were given to him.  But in his eventual defense, he speaks very little directly quoting the Lord.  He expounds some scripture, but mostly he has become someone the Lord can trust to speak the truth and so he is able to speak for himself.

                There is a pattern here that is consistent with not only our speaking but our actions as well.  First we must turn our wills over to the Lord.  By so doing, He teaches us until we are in the position to act for ourselves according to His principles and be counted on to do the right thing.  If the Lord desires something different, He will let us know.  But the first step must always be hewing closely to the Lord.

Ezekiel 29-30

(March 1, 2015)

                A theme that I have seen over and over throughout the scriptures is that Egypt is more often used as a symbol than it is as an actual country (although it is being used as both here).  Babylon seems to be the symbol of wickedness, but Egypt (due to its history and proclivities) is more often used as the symbol of false priesthoods, hypocrisy within the Church, and so forth.  Understanding that, and reading it with both of these symbols in mind, these chapters really open up and a lot of things are found in them.

Mosiah 11

(March 1, 2015)

                One of the great problems with sin, I have learned (sadly, through experience), is that it makes you more and more self-centered and self-absorbed.  Life, in general, is not about you and it is not about me.  Heavenly Father has put together a perfect plan for us, and that means that the life that I experience is perfectly tailored for me.  But it also means that it is perfectly tailored for everyone else as well.  The chance meeting with a friend in the store is as much for them as it is for me.

                But Noah demonstrates a fact of sinful behavior – it causes the sinner to become so self-focused that they cannot see that there is anything out there.  Noah denies the Lord, and claims that Abinidi is speaking out solely in an attempt to discredit and destroy Noah.  He has made something personal that really was not.  If Noah truly disbelieved Abinidi, he would have spoken of him being mad or handled the situation differently.  But because his sins had made everything about him, he reacted solely from a self-centered perspective.

Ezekiel 27-28

(February 28, 2015)

                A big message of Ezekiel seems to be idolatry – the idolatry that moves away from worshiping actual idols (although that is mentioned as well) but turns instead to the worship of power, or of money, or of popularity, or of other worldly things.  The truth is idolatry is a very broad, very common sin.  Any time we put anything before God, we are changing our worship from the worship of God to the worship of this idol. And that includes those times when we worship ourselves (a practice becoming far more common these days).

Mosiah 9-10

(February 28, 2015)

                I have always been naïve – it has frustrated me more than a few times.  While my naivety is not something that is particularly helpful in my life, I have often taken comfort in the fact that the one fooled is often better off than the one who employs cunning to fool.  By the end of Zeniff’s life, he has recognized his mistakes and seems repentant for them.  He has tried (from the record we have) to have lived a good life and encouraged his people to do the same.  After all, Noah has to put down the priests Zeniff appointed because they wouldn’t let him get away with his behavior.  The king of the Lamanites, however, lives and dies without the Gospel and as a murderer.  Give the choice between Zeniff’s naivety and Laman’s cunning, I will gladly go the route of Zeniff every time (even if it seems to have negative mortal consequences).

Ezekiel 24-26

(February 27, 2015)

                I can only imagine what Ezekiel went through, dealing with the death of his wife and continuing to be about the work of the Lord (even using his wife’s death to communicate with the people and not mourning her passing).  Presumably Ezekiel loved his wife (as a prophet, we can safely presume that, I believe).  And yet he recognized that even this special human relationship was secondary to his relationship to the Lord.

                We understand our obligations to develop strong and loving bonds with those around us – family, friends, spouses, and so forth.  But when these relationships become a substitute for our relationship with the Lord, we encounter severe and negative consequences.  It is only when our relationship with the Lord is strong that we can create the healthy relationships that bless both our lives and the lives of those we love.

Mosiah 8

(February 27, 2015)

                The idea that there is no greater gift than the gift of being a seer is an interesting one.  I read the phrase, and I think that it includes the position of prophet and revelator as well, but what is interesting is that it does not include the sealing power.

                Ammon might not have known or understood about the sealing power, but Mormon certainly did when he abridged this section.  Mormon left this phrase in the scriptures for a reason.  Is it because the sealing power is part and parcel of the role of prophet?  I tend to think that is the case – the sealing power is a part of the calling, but one that few of those called have ever been qualified to receive.  But I really don’t know.