2 Nephi 20:1-4

[pam]

Reference Search: 2 Nephi 20:1-4

1 Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Quotes for Discussion

Fourth Evil—Social Injustice

To be justified before God we must love one another…we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction,…for such virtues flow from the great fountain of pure religion….We can love our neighbor as ourselves, and be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a consolation! What a joy! Let me live the life of the righteous, and let my reward be like this!

Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ, 2:229

It is a disgrace to every man and woman that has sense enough to live, not to take care of their own relatives, their own poor.

Discourses of Brigham Young, comp. John A. Widtsoe [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 317-18

We urge you, particularly priesthood brethren and Relief Society sisters, to be sensitive to the needs of the poor, the sick, and the needy. We have a Christian responsibility to see that the widows and fatherless are assisted. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 449

Blessed of the Lord is Brother Whitney, even the Bishop of the Church of Latter-day Saints,…the time cometh that…he shall deal with a liberal hand to the poor and the needy, the sick and afflicted, the widow and the fatherless. And marvelously and miraculously shall the Lord his God provide for him, even that he shall be blessed with a fullness of the good things of this earth….And it shall come to pass, that according to the measure that he meteth out with a liberal hand to the poor, so shall it be measured to him again by the hand of his God, even an hundred fold. Angels shall guard his house, and shall guard the lives of his posterity….As a lion goeth forth among the lesser beasts, so shall the going forth of him be whom the Lord hath anointed to exalt the poor.

Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ, 2:289

The term widows is used 34 times in the scriptures. In 23 of these passages, the term refers to widows and the fatherless. I believe the Lord has a tender feeling toward widows and the fatherless, or orphans. He knows that they may have to rely more completely on Him than on others. Their prayers will be more personal and lasting, service to fellowmen more genuine, and faith greater….

To you wonderful sisters who find yourselves as widows, please know that God loves you. You are the choice among the choice….Dear sisters, your very lives, as an example of righteous living, continue to inspire younger family members to do better. You continue as teachers.

At some period in God’s timetable, you will join your eternal companion and serve together, forever, in the great work in the spirit world.

For you young widows with ever-increasing family responsibilities, know that God is aware of your needs and that he will provide. Continue to exercise faith and good works. Faithful family and Church members will assist. Be willing to receive assistance from others as necessary. Your children will know that you provide them with a double measure of love. It is my testimony that our Heavenly Father will abundantly compensate your family with eternal blessings because of the goodness of your hearts.

To the family and friends of widows, God knows of your service and He may judge your works by how well you assist the widow. President James E. Faust once shared with the General Authorities a wonderful story about how neighbors and friends in a small farming community in central Utah treated the widows. They each had so many hours or minutes to take water turns to irrigate their home gardens. They agreed that they could each take a little less water so that the widows of the neighborhood could have more water for their gardens.

I recently observed five elderly widows drive together to a Church meeting in a modest car. They entered the meeting together and sat down beside each other. They seemed to draw strength and protection from one another. I felt the goodness of their noble lives as I watched their tender association with one another in the twilight of their lives.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord loves widows. I know that the leaders of the Church are concerned about the welfare of the widows. We members should care for and assist the widows within our family, home, ward, and neighborhood. I urge you young people—members of the Primary, youth, and young adults—to take the opportunity to assist and draw strength from the widows in your community.

Elder Earl C. Tingey, Ensign, May 2000, 76-78

Recently, while in my car leaving my office I was stopped two blocks away at a stoplight. A man who appeared to be homeless walked across the crosswalk in front of me. I couldn’t help but notice his shoes. Actually, the shoes were only a façade. As he approached, his toes were visible where the top of the shoe should have connected with the sole. As he walked away, even more visible were the bare bottoms of his feet as he tried to walk swiftly away, obviously struggling not to limp as he tried to walk as normal as possible….

I drove away but could not get the scene out of my mind. While turning on to the freeway, I thought of my closet full of shoes and about trying to decide which pair to wear. I looked down at my new walking shoes that were so comfortable. The next exit was more than a mile away, but I took it and drove back to try and see if I could help this man in some way.

A few minutes later I was back on the same street, and sure enough he was still walking. I looked again at his feet and in a quick glance determined that his shoe size would be very close to my own. I turned into a parking lot and stopped near the sidewalk, where he would have to walk right past me, untied my shoes, held them inside the car and as he walked past called to him, “Sir, may I see you for a minute?” He hesitated briefly, not sure that I was calling to him. When he came over to the window of the car I said, “I couldn’t help but notice your shoes.” He said, “Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of walking lately.” I handed him my shoes through the car window. He asked, “What size are they?” “Size 9,” I said. “That’s my size,” he said, and then offered a very sincere, “Mister, thanks a lot.”

I don’t think I will ever forget his face. As he walked away and as I drove away in my stocking feet, I felt a calm, peaceful feeling.

Guy A. Irwin, Church News, November 24, 1990, p. 11

[a mustard seed]

I love that story by Guy A. Irwin! It appears in one of my manuals and I was impressed by the spirit to read that to my siblings tonight during scripture study to start a discussion about service.

I know that this is something I've had a hard time with, doing service unto others but I long to find opportunities for myself to do so. This is also not the first time up to this point in the Book of Mormon that it is mentioned how the wicked are punished because they forgot their poor. The proud rich refuse to think of anyone but themselves, putting themselves before God even. It reminds me of a realization I had this December during the Light the World initiative. I'm not sure if anyone else saw that video introducing the month-long initiative but they showed it to us at least 5 times all December during different meetings and get togethers at church. In it, different people emulate Christ in different acts of service, some small, and some big but each meaningful.

It reminded me of the scripture in Matthew 25:40:

Quote

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me

.

Not only do we become like Christ in serving others but they act as an offering to Christ himself as we serve those who are in need and poor. Like a circle it all connects us to Him and to each other. In that way, I am impressed by the message of these different leaders imploring the people to look after their poor or the Lord will see fit to punish them, with war and captivity by other nations.