Pride, selfishness

4^th Nephi

The best of times; the worst of times

There is so much to comment on here that one doesn't even know where to begin. From the time Christ appears to the people until about 200 years, there is peace in the land. They live the law of consecration with no contentions among them. What a joyful time that must have been! Why? Because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people (V15).

But this changes, and Satan begins to have success again. What happened? Pride. Selfishness. Verses 26 through 43 basically give the steps to apostasy.

1. Division among people (class distinctions)
2. Churches did receive all manner of wickedness
3. Denied miracles
4. Persecuted the believers of Christ
5. Children were taught to hate believers

The one that jumped out at me is #2. How does a church receive all manner of wickedness? By administering the sacred ordinances to those not worthy who then trample under feet those things we hold sacred. The sacred “thing” that stands out to me today – because of the news, is that of marriage. States are now making it legal for same sex marriage. Is this not “receiving” wickedness? As I watch faithful members of the church fall away, I see them imagine injustices they have received and become bitter toward the church. They pass this onto their children and their children's children. It is not hard to see how after 200 years it is possible for an entire nation to dwindle in unbelief.

So how does this apply to me? What can I change in my life to prevent such tragedy? 

A sticky note I have in my scriptures quotes Millet and McConkie's, BOM Commentary:  "Once a people begin to focus on themselves they are no longer in a position to focus on the needs of others."   Can I prevent this happening on a personal level? Absolutely!  How do I do my part to keep it from happening on a more global sphere? Therein lies the real problem. Satan has gotten his teeth into the muscle of our world. There is such selfishness and sin in the world, one wonders how we will ever turn it around. Alas, I can only do my best to influence those in my small circle, and hopefully they will influence those in their small circles and then perhaps the world can be a little better. At least our part of the world. But if 4^th Nephi is indeed a parallel of what we have to look forward to (as prophets have told us), we can see that it is only going to get worse. It is our duty to keep our family ties loving and close. It is only in the family where we can know the peace that the Nephites had in the first half of 4^th Nephi.