As Lehi approaches his last days in mortality, he has some important things to teach his sons. One theme that he repeats over and over again is that of keeping the commandments. If ye shall keep the commandments, ye shall prosper in the land. This land, America, or the American continent(s) were consecrated by the Lord for a sacred purpose, that all those who would be blessed to inherit the land would serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.
Lehi clearly teaches that if the people who inherit the land of America turn away from God and to iniquity, the Lord will bring other people to the land, people who will serve Him. If we think of the history of the Americas, from the Jaredites, to the Nephites, Mulekites, and Lamanites, and to our time, when the pilgrims and colonists settled this land, we can view the history of this land of freedom through an eternal lens.
In other words, there are patterns throughout the history of the Jaredites, Nephites, and the establishment and growth of the United States of America, that are worthy of consideration. The cycle of civilizations relates to the pride cycle, which is simply that people who are free to serve the Lord and who do so, and keep the commandments as Lehi said, prosper both temporally and spiritually. The tendency for those who prosper is to forget the Lord, to forget the source of blessings, Him from whom all blessings flow, even Jesus Christ, and to become proud, heard hearted and impenitent. When the pride of the people becomes incurable or when the cup of iniquity is full, or when the people are ripe in iniquity, eventually the Lord sends warnings and calls people to repent, whether through prophets, or through the voice of nature and calamity, war and famine, pestilence and destruction. When these things occur, sometimes the people humble themselves before the Lord and repent of their sins, and begin again to serve the Lord and to prosper. This cycle is observable on a grand scale throughout the scriptures and throughout the history of the nations of the world, but it can also be observed in our individual lives.
Lehi is a loving father who is tenderly offering his testimony of the most important things to his children. He is also sustaining Nephi in his calling, because he knows that Nephi will carry out the Lord's work after he has passed away.
"But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love."
Lehi clearly teaches that if the people who inherit the land of America turn away from God and to iniquity, the Lord will bring other people to the land, people who will serve Him. If we think of the history of the Americas, from the Jaredites, to the Nephites, Mulekites, and Lamanites, and to our time, when the pilgrims and colonists settled this land, we can view the history of this land of freedom through an eternal lens.
In other words, there are patterns throughout the history of the Jaredites, Nephites, and the establishment and growth of the United States of America, that are worthy of consideration. The cycle of civilizations relates to the pride cycle, which is simply that people who are free to serve the Lord and who do so, and keep the commandments as Lehi said, prosper both temporally and spiritually. The tendency for those who prosper is to forget the Lord, to forget the source of blessings, Him from whom all blessings flow, even Jesus Christ, and to become proud, heard hearted and impenitent. When the pride of the people becomes incurable or when the cup of iniquity is full, or when the people are ripe in iniquity, eventually the Lord sends warnings and calls people to repent, whether through prophets, or through the voice of nature and calamity, war and famine, pestilence and destruction. When these things occur, sometimes the people humble themselves before the Lord and repent of their sins, and begin again to serve the Lord and to prosper. This cycle is observable on a grand scale throughout the scriptures and throughout the history of the nations of the world, but it can also be observed in our individual lives.
Lehi is a loving father who is tenderly offering his testimony of the most important things to his children. He is also sustaining Nephi in his calling, because he knows that Nephi will carry out the Lord's work after he has passed away.
"But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love."
Lehi beheld the glory of the Lord, as did Nephi, and Jacob, as did Isaiah about a century earlier. These witnesses of Jesus Christ prepared the way for the new civilization on the American continent that would serve the Lord. Lehi teaches his sons to arise from the dust, to be men, and to be united. He exhorts them to put on the armor of righteousness. He blesses them, and he blesses Zoram along with them.
Lehi felt anxiety for the welfare of his people. This is a word that Jacob also uses. Why do the prophets feel anxiety? Is anxiety a bad thing? There was a good reason for this anxiety, and it was an anxiety for the eternal welfare of souls within their stewardship.
No comments:
Post a Comment