Day 15 - Mosiah 19-24, D&C 57-60, Moses 7-8, Abraham 1

[pam]

Discussion

[Seanette]

Current at last! Feels SO good to not have that backlog, and I really do enjoy the reading when I’m feeling human.

Mosiah 18 – Alma teaches the words of Abinadi in private, while hiding from the king (who apparently still wants to kill him). He sets forth the baptismal covenant, and baptizes those who wish to enter that covenant at the waters of Mormon. He ordains one priest for every fifty people, commanding them to preach only repentance and faith. There is to be no contention among them. He commands that they keep the Sabbath. The priests are to labor for their own support. Members are to impart of their substance to the needy. The members take care of each others’ needs, both temporal and spiritual. The group flees from King Noah into the wilderness.

Mosiah 19 – Gideon tries to slay King Noah. The Lamanites invade. When his people are fleeing, King Noah tells the men to leave the women and children behind so the men can get away. Noah’s righteous son, Limhi, is made king, but the Lamanites are firmly in control of their captives and take half of all they possess each year. Noah is killed by fire, the priests flee deeper into the wilderness.

Mosiah 20 – Noah’s priests abduct twenty-four daughters of the Lamanites, who blame the people of Limhi. King Limhi investigates the matter, and Gideon reminds him of his father’s priests. King Limhi agrees with Gideon, and gives this information to the Lamanite king, who promises that the Lamanites will not kill Limhi’s people.

Mosiah 21 – The Lamanites abide by their king’s oath, but torment their captives in various ways. An attempted rebellion fails. After this, Limhi’s people finally humble themselves and cry out to God. Because of their iniquities, God is slow to respond, but does. Ammon finds the people of Limhi, and is told of the discovery of a desolate area covered with bones and of the records that were found (the previously discussed twenty-four plates). Limhi and his people desire baptism, but there is no one there with authority.

Mosiah 22 – Limhi’s people cause their Lamanite guards to become too drunk to do their job and escape to Zarahemla, where they unite with the people of Mosiah.

Mosiah 23 – Alma’s group finds a place to settle and industriously build and farm. Alma is high priest. His people want him to be king, but he refuses and tells them there should not be a king, reminding them of Noah’s reign. They prosper, and call their land Helam. Amulon, leader of the priests of Noah, forms an alliance with the Lamanites. The Lamanites take the land of Helam captive.

Section 57 – The City of Zion and the Temple are to be built at Independence, Missouri. The Saints are to purchase lands and receive inheritances there. Sidney Gilbert is to establish a store there. W. W. Phelps is to be the printer for the Church, with Oliver Cowdery selecting and editing materials to be published.

Section 58 – After tribulation come blessings. Bishops are judges in Israel. The Saints are to obey the laws of the land. We should not need to be commanded in all things, but should be anxiously engaged in doing good by our own free will. The truly repentant will confess and forsake their sins. The Saints are to gather in Missouri and purchase inheritances. The Gospel must be preached to all.

Section 59 – The faithful are blessed. We are to love God, serve Him, and keep His commandments. We are to honor the Sabbath, and will receive spiritual and temporal rewards for doing so. The righteous are promised peace and eternal life.

Section 60 – The Gospel is to be preached. We are told not to idle away our time or bury our talents.

Abraham 5 – Creation is carried out.

JS-Matthew – Again, JST of Matthew 24. Christ tells the disciples about the pending destruction of Jerusalem and about the Second Coming (see D&C 45 for more on this).

[pam]

If perfect love casteth out all fear (Moroni 8:16), then Noah must lack any charity. Indeed, fear is one of his best emotions. A coward’s response to danger and fear is to run away, and this is precisely how Noah responded. His wickedness left him without any hope that the Lord would preserve him personally or his people collectively. As the servant of Satan, Noah had only the evil one to come to his rescue, but the devil will not support his children (Alma 30:60).

His first problem is Gideon, a leader in a group of dissidents unhappy with Noah’s rule. As is typical, Noah’s only concern is the preservation of his life. Accordingly, when chased to the tower, Noah sees a Lamanite army approaching. This is his great opportunity to divert Gideon’s attention. Mormon makes it clear that Noah was only concerned with himself, saying, now the king was not so much concerned about his people as he was about his own life (v. 8). His argument implied that the people needed him to face the Lamanites, but he had no intention of facing them. His typical response was the directive, “run for your lives.” But why not trust in the Lord and face the Lamanites with faith? The Nephites had beaten Lamanite armies before, even when greatly outnumbered, but their successes in these instances were predicated upon faith in the Lord. Noah lacked the spiritual leadership to draw upon the powers of heaven in preserving his people. His cowardice only increases as the story continues.

Next, after being caught by the Lamanite armies, his people begin to get slaughtered. This is a time of great crisis for his people, but Noah is again more concerned with preserving his own life. If captured, Noah may well have been imprisoned, tortured, or killed, and so Noah commands the men to leave their women and children and flee. Again this is a ruse designed to preserve his own life. Some of the people left their families to preserve their own lives. Finally, their consciences began to bother them and they decided to return to the aid of their families, Noah, who had no conscience, commanded them that they should not return (v. 20). This was his final cowardly command. The people, apparently realizing at last that Noah was the source of most of their problems, turned on him and killed him by fire.

While there are many villains and evil men in the history of the Nephites and Lamanites, there are no individuals as self-centered and cowardly as Noah. Who has less integrity? Who has less faith? Who has less fortitude? Unquestionably, Noah represents the antithesis of manhood and integrity.

Elder John H. Smith

“May the spirit of cowardice, fear and trembling never come to you. May you stand [tall] in the majesty of the cleanest, sweetest manhood, not blushing in the presence of your mothers, sisters or wives, nor even in the presence of the Lord, but be confident of His mercy.

“Again I say to you young men, be not afraid of the enemies of Zion, bow not in fear and trembling before any hand that may be raised. Accept the responsibilities that may be imposed upon you by the Divine Master, and preach His Gospel in the world. Stand for right, not only for your own house hold and those of your own faith, but see to it that the Catholic, the Jew, the Methodist, the Presbyterian, the atheist and the pagan shall enjoy that right of conscience which you yourself wish to enjoy, and that you with them shall stand up and maintain it with your lives, if necessary. May the spirit of heroism, faith, love, charity, forbearance, kindness and consideration, without fear or trembling, characterize the lives of all of you, that wherever you go you may mingle among men as honorable men or women, understanding yourselves, resolved upon the maintenance of purity of life, that the finger of God, if it should touch you, would not cause you to shrink with fear because of wrongdoing.” (Conference Reports, Oct. 1906, pp. 25-6)

[pam]

Mosiah 24

This verse implies that the Lamanites had become illiterate by this time. Certainly, this was not the case with their forefathers, Laman and Lemuel, who would have been able to read and write in Hebrew and probably reformed Egyptian. Over the course of many generations, this most fundamental skill appears to have been lost until Amulon and the other priests teach them how to keep records and to write.

A remarkable thing happens to the Lamanites, apparently right after they become literate. They began to increase in riches, and began to trade one with another and wax great. Sophisticated trade relationships and powerful societies are possible only when the people, or at least the rulers, know how to read and write. The subsequent organization of Lamanite society suggests that this skill was not lost again for many years. Today the plague of illiteracy still affects many people, including descendants of the Lamanites. To these people, Spencer W. Kimball declared:

“Yesterday you roamed the wilderness in feast or famine; today you are finding security in education and industry; and tomorrow your destiny will be brilliant in self-sufficiency, faith, fearlessness, and power. Like the Israelites released from Egyptian bondage, you have been promised deliverance from your foes of superstition, fear, illiteracy, and from the curses of want and disease and suffering.

“Yesterday you traveled uncharted oceans, wandered over trackless deserts, lost your high culture, your written tongue, and your knowledge of the true and Living God. Today you are arising from your long sleep and are stretching, yawning, and reaching. Tomorrow you will be highly trained, laying out highways, constructing bridges, developing cities, building temples, and joining in inspired leadership of the Church of your Redeemer…You will arise from your bed of affliction and from your condition of deprivation if you will accept fully the Lord, Jesus Christ, and his total program. You will rise to former heights in culture and education, influence and power. You will blossom as the rose upon the mountains. Your daughters will be nurses, teachers, and social workers, and, above all, beloved wives and full-of-faith mothers of a righteous posterity. Your sons will compete in art, literature, and medicine, in law, architecture, etc. They will become professional, industrial, and business leaders, and statesmen of the first order.” (Conference Reports, Oct. 1959, p. 59)

[pam]

D&C 58

DC 58:26 it is not meet that I should command in all things

Boyd K. Packer

We are following the admonition of the Prophet Joseph Smith: “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.” (Messages of the First Presidency, comp. James R. Clark, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75, 3:54.) We should not, according to the scriptures, need to be commanded in all things. (See D&C 58:26.) (“Teach Them Correct Principles,” Ensign, May 1990, 89)

Boyd K. Packer

Members write in asking if this thing or that is against the Word of Wisdom. It’s well known that tea, coffee, liquor, and tobacco are against it. It has not been spelled out in more detail. Rather, we teach the principle together with the promised blessings. There are many habit-forming, addictive things that one can drink or chew or inhale or inject which injure both body and spirit which are not mentioned in the revelation.

Everything harmful is not specifically listed; arsenic, for instance—certainly bad, but not habit-forming! He who must be commanded in all things, the Lord said, “is a slothful and not a wise servant” (D&C 58:26).

In some cultures, native drinks are claimed to be harmless because they are not specifically mentioned in the revelation. Yet they draw members, particularly men, away [page 18] from their families to parties which certainly offend the principle. Promises made in the revelation will be denied to the careless or the reckless.

Obedience to counsel will keep you on the safe side of life. (“The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises,” Ensign, May 1996, 17-18)

Marvin J. Ashton

Instead of our being commanded in all things, we are given a pattern in all things. The choice to use these safe paths is ours. (“A Pattern in All Things,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 22)

How many times do we read that something must be okay because either scripture or words from our General Authorities have not mentioned it specifically?

[pam]

DC 60:2 with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths

Thomas S. Monson

We never know when our turn will come to comply with the admonition of Peter to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” ("1 Pet. 3:151 Peter 3:15.)

Some years ago I had an opportunity to address a business convention in Dallas, Texas, sometimes called “the city of churches.” After the convention, I took a sightseeing bus tour about the city's suburbs. Our driver would comment, “On the left you see the Methodist Church,” or “There on the right is the Catholic cathedral.”

As we passed a beautiful red brick building situated upon a hill, the driver explained, “That building is where the Mormons meet.” A woman in the rear of the bus asked, “Driver, can you tell us something about the Mormons?” The driver steered the bus to the side of the road, turned about in his seat, and replied, “Lady, all I know about the Mormons is that they meet in that red brick building. Is there anyone on this bus who knows anything about the Mormons?”

I gazed at the expression on each person's face for some sign of recognition, some desire to comment. I found nothing—not a sign. Then I realized the truth of the statement, “When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.” For the next fifteen minutes I had the privilege of sharing with others my testimony concerning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Live the Good Life [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1988], 119-120.)

[KeithLBrown]

What have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord?

Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins "is the introductory ordinance of the gospel" of Jesus Christ and must be preceded by faith in the Savior and by sincere and complete repentance. "Baptism in water … must be followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete" (see Bible Dictionary, "Baptism," 618). As the Savior taught Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). (Elder David A. Bednar, "That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us," Liahona, May 2006, 28–31)

Scripture Reference: Mosiah 18:8-10
"And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"

The Ordinance of and Covenant Associated with Baptism (Elder David A. Bednar, "That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us," Liahona, May 2006, 28–31)

As each of us was baptized, we entered into a solemn covenant with our Heavenly Father. A covenant is an agreement between God and His children upon the earth, and it is important to understand that God determines the conditions of all gospel covenants. You and I do not decide the nature or elements of a covenant. Rather, exercising our moral agency, we accept the terms and requirements of a covenant as our Eternal Father has established them (see Bible Dictionary, "Covenant," 651).

The saving ordinance of baptism must be administered by one who has proper authority from God. The fundamental conditions of the covenant into which we entered in the waters of baptism are these: we witnessed that we were willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, that we would always remember Him, and that we would keep His commandments. The promised blessing for honoring this covenant is that we may always have His Spirit to be with us (see D&C 20:77). In other words, baptism by water leads to the authorized opportunity for the constant companionship of the third member of the Godhead.

Walk In Newness Of Life (My Baptismal Experience)

*I shared more thoughts on this subject in a Sacrament talk that I delivered to the congregation of the Annapolis Maryland Ward on Sabbath Day morning, 8 March 2009. You can be read the complete talk online by going to : The Vicissitudes Of Life: Walk in Newness of Life. I will only share a few of those thoughts in this post.*

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4

The fourth Article of Faith states: "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

The Savior revealed the true method of baptism to the Prophet Joseph Smith, making clear that the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority and that it must be done by immersion:

In Doctrine and Covenants 20:73-74 we are taught, "The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water".

The act of immersing a person in water is symbolic of that person’s sinful life being buried and they being reborn or receiving a new life – a spiritual life – a life that is dedicated to serving God and others. Immersion is also symbolic of the death and resurrection of the Savior. In Romans 6:3-11 we read these words, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

I was born and raised as a Baptist. As such, the method of baptism by immersion was not a new concept to me. I had read the New Testament Gospel accounts of the baptism of Christ numerous times and I fully understood that being baptized by immersion was indeed following the example that the Savior had set before us when he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (See Matthew 3:13-17). I also understood the symbolism that Christ’s baptism represents and teaches us. I also did not have a real issue with having to be baptized again because even growing up in the Baptist church, if I transferred from a church that was a part of one sect or convention to another; re-baptism was often required before membership would be accepted. What did concern me for some time, Brothers and Sisters, was the ideal of having to be baptized by one who had proper authority. The question in my mind was. "Were not those who baptized me before authorized to do so?" It took a lot of soul searching, pondering the Scriptures, and prayer to finally come to terms with the matter.

I had no doubt in my mind that this is the Lord’s true Church and that becoming a member of His Church was indeed the right thing to do. I also came to the realization that if I were to become a member of His Church I had to be willing to be obedient to the things which He has commanded and one of things which He commanded was that baptism was to be done by immersion and the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority.

I further came to realize that if I were to become a member of His Church, I had to be willing to take His name upon me and be willing to follow His example because when we are baptized we enter into a covenant with God to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end (See Mosiah 18:8-10; D&C 20:37). Each time that we partake of the Sacrament we renew the covenant that we made at baptism (See D&C 20:77-79).

Confirmation and the Baptism of the Spirit (Elder David A. Bednar, "That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us," Liahona, May 2006, 28–31)

Following our baptism, each of us had hands placed upon our head by those with priesthood authority and was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Holy Ghost was conferred upon us (see D&C 49:14). The statement "receive the Holy Ghost" in our confirmation was a directive to strive for the baptism of the Spirit.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: "You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost" (History of the Church, 5:499). We were baptized by immersion in water for the remission of sins. We must also be baptized by and immersed in the Spirit of the Lord, "and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 31:17).

As we gain experience with the Holy Ghost, we learn that the intensity with which we feel the Spirit’s influence is not always the same. Strong, dramatic spiritual impressions do not come to us frequently. Even as we strive to be faithful and obedient, there simply are times when the direction, assurance, and peace of the Spirit are not readily recognizable in our lives. In fact, the Book of Mormon describes faithful Lamanites who "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not" (3 Nephi 9:20). Edited July 16, 2009 by KeithLBrown