This
chapter in the Book of Mormon is always a little disturbing to me. The world today is far from a place of
equity. When I read about the Nephites
and Lamanites, I can’t help but wonder if the Lord is asking us to look beyond
the borders of our own “world”, i.e. towns, states, even country, and liken
what we are reading to the world instead.
The Nephites and Lamanites world was small. Ours encompasses the entire world. Surely and brothers and sisters in
third-world countries today are far from equal to those living in the United
States who have “more chances for learning” (v12). Many in the world are “ignorant” because of
their poverty. They do not have access
to education.
I’m
grateful the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a program for educating
the poor. It is called the PEF
(Perpetual Education Fund), and is available to those return missionaries who
have served faithfully and pulled themselves out of poverty spiritually. Then they must return to their poor country
and poor lifestyle. The Church helps
them get an education so they can provide for themselves and their families and
thus help the church to grow. What a
beautiful thing! I realize this is a
drop in the bucket to what needs to be done.
The Church has an amazing Humanitarian effort around the world. Oh how I would love to serve a mission in
that area.
I
guess what I’m trying to say this morning is that there is no shortage of ways
to short-circuit the tendency of the “Natural Man” (Mosiah 3:19). Our prophets and apostles have told us there
is a way to avoid the “Pride Circle”, i.e. poverty, blessings, prosperity,
pride, and downfall. It is in being
humble (teachable), charitable, kind, and seeking for ways to help others that
we can short-circuit this circle. In
doing so, we will not be boasters in our own strength and prowess, proud, vain,
and self absorbed.
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