Mosiah 9 – Awaken and Remember

Zeniff seems to be a good guy, albeit it a bit over-zealous by his own admission (v3).  In his over-zealousness, the people became slow to remember the Lord.  This creates an issue, but it doesn’t last. 

The Lamanites were kind enough to them as they were wandering around, looking for the land they could not find, and offered them an area to live in.  The Lamanite king had an evil plan.  He had his people move out of this land so Zeniff’s people could have it.  Zeniff’s people were industrious.  They built buildings, repaired walls, tilled the ground and began to prosper. 

During this time, the Lamanites were a very lazy people, idolatrous and began to “glut” themselves with the labor of Zeniff’s people.  They created contentions by killing and chasing their flocks while they were watering them and basically causing havoc.  Zeniff created and armed his people with weapons of all kinds.  And now I come to my point of pondering:  v17 “Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a rememberance of the deliverance of our fathers.”

Zeniff and his people weren’t evil.  They just weren’t on track.  What did it take for them to have a change of heart?  After all, it sounds like life was pretty good for them.  V9 says they “prospered in the land”.  What was the turning point?  They were being beaten and abused.  Their enemy was making life miserable – miserable enough that they woke up and remembered.  What did they remember?  They remembered the deliverance of their fathers.  Who were their fathers?  They were Nephites?  How many times was Nephi – aka the good guys – beaten?  Enough that there was probably no shortage of things they could remember.  Possibly the first one that comes to my mind was on the boat that brought them to America when Nephi was bound with cords and the ship was in peril and they were all headed for imminent death if something didn’t happen.  Nephi was released, prayed, the storm stopped, and the people were saved.  That’s just one.

So how does this apply to me today?  Maybe not to me personally, because I do remember.  Every day I remember the awfulness of being in bondage.  I had a miserable existence.  It wasn’t until I awakened, and remembered, that I was able to break from that bondage that my life changed.  The Lord was quick to hear my cries for help.  I did go forth and battled my enemies – not all of them were people.  God did hear my prayers and I went forth in his might against my demons – those things that held me bondage.  It was not an easy thing.  But I am here to testify the Lord hears our cries.  He knows what is happening in our lives and is involved in the details.  He is waiting for us to humble ourselves and wake up to our awful situation and remember the lessons we were taught in our youth.  Remember, remember, remember! 

I’m grateful for this time in my life, and the testimony I gained of the Savior’s love and care for each of us.  It is this experience that gives me great hope for anyone who has wandered off the path of righteousness and become numb to the things of the Spirit.  When it hurts bad enough – when the trials of life are more than they can bear – I pray with all my heart they will drop to their knees and remember and have the courage to make the changes to be brought from bondage.