Keep the Commandments

Alma 47

This chapter relates some disturbing events in the history of the Lamanites.  Amalickiah uses cunning devices to gain the advantage and eventually be made king over the people.  Remember Amalickiah is an apostate.  He uses his cunning to talk Lehonti from his retreat in the mountain.  They were safe there, but because of his convincing ways, they came down and pretended to capture the Lamanites.  Amalickiah took second place in command but had his servants administer poison by degrees to Lehonti until he died, thus making him the leader of the entire armies.

Degrees – an interesting word.  From one who knows, this is Satan’s tactics.  He doesn’t start with the big guns.  He uses tiny temptations that don’t seem all that big at first.  Gradually, a person is lead down a path where they are committing more serious sins and find themselves trapped in his web and having lost the Spirit and their agency.

After Amalickiah had control of the Lamanites and returns to the king, he conspires to kill the king and blames it on the king’s servants who flee!  This guy must have been some smooth talker, as the next thing he’s managed to convince the king’s wife to marry him and the kingdom is his. 

It is the last verse that is disturbing: “Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites – drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.”

Why is an apostate so much more hardened and determined to undermine the things of the Lord than those who have never heard the gospel – those who have never had the same instruction as those who were raised with the gospel?  Why do they feel the need to prove something?  Why do they feel the need to collect others who believe as they do, and to actually try to convince others of their beliefs?  These are sincere questions that I can only find one answer to.  The answer is in the temple endowment.  Basically once a person ceases to keep the commandments of God and live (and desire) eternal life in God’s presence, he becomes an enemy to righteousness and God.  At that point, he is a servant of the devil and is in his control.   

That’s an interesting thought.  When we live righteously, are we in the control of someone or something?  Not!  We are free to make choices that will continue to lead us toward eternal life and bless us in this life.  As long as we make righteous choices, we have our agency.  Conversely, when we start making unrighteous choices – choices that need to be repented of quickly, we begin to lose our agency and Satan owns us.  We are his servant. 

So how does this affect me today?  On a very personal one-on-one basis, I need to do everything in my power to stay on the side of righteousness.  As one who loves my Heavenly Father and His children, I need to do all in my power to help his children see the importance of keeping the commandments and serving the Lord.