Never give up! Never surrender!

Mormon 6&7

The Nephites gather together for one last battle.  They are literally obliterated – 230,000 destroyed!  Mormon invites the Lamanites in the latter days to believe in Christ, accept his gospel and be saved.  All who believe the Bible will believe the Book of Mormon.

These last chapters of Mormon are the loneliest and saddest chapters in the Book of Mormon.  The Nephites went from being the most righteous people in the history of the world to being the most wicked in such a short time – 400 years.  What went wrong?   Can we avoid this same fate?  If so, how?

The Nephites were a blessed nation.  As the Lord blessed them, they became proud and forgot their dependence on the Lord.  I believe it is the goal of the righteous to avoid this cycle of destruction.  This is why such emphasis is put on loving everyone regardless of color, creed, or social status.  We give to the poor and search for those we can lift up.  We share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who have not heard it.  In doing so, we are humbled and teachable and promised that we will be saved in the last day.  This is our only hope of survival. 

I can’t imagine how sad it would have been to be Mormon.  He’s about 74 at the time he writes his last commentary in the Book of Mormon.  He’s seen war all of his life and he’s been injured numerous times.  I would love to have known him.  What a strong man and yet he had to be probably one of the most righteous to have been where he was in the history of the Nephite nation. 

Will I be strong?  Will I stay righteous in the face of challenge?  As I get older, the challenges change; the goal remains the same.  Will I cling even harder to my covenants with the Lord?  This is the hope and the goal.  As Clyde quotes from one of his favorite movies (don’t ask me because I don’t remember) – Never give up! Never surrender!