Latest / Scripture Central / Helaman 7-12 | Book of Mormon Insights: Revisited

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Helaman 7-12 | Book of Mormon Insights: Revisited · Scripture Central

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This particular set of chapters is.
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Very, very difficult. There's no easy way to get
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around this. The Nephite Society and the
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Lamanite Society have have gotten to the point.
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Where they are steeped. In pride and sin and destruction
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and sorrow and spending most of their time in this.
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Aspect of the pride cycle. And spending very little time
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here in the humility and repentance side.
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So we pick up our story. In the 60 and 9th year of the
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reign of the Judges, with Nephi, who's that son of healman coming
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back down into the land of Zarahemlah, he's been up in the
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land northward trying to. Teach the people up there.
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But has been. Largely rejected, so he comes.
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Home. He's on his.
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Garden Tower, which is near. The highway that runs by.
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His property there. And he is pouring his.
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Heart out to God. In a lament.
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He's very, very sad about the state of, of, of, of affairs.
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Among his people, and this large group gathers, and of course in
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the group you have some gadiant and robbers, some of the judges,
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and then you have some common people there, and these gadiant
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and robbers, these people who have some authority, they don't
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like hearing the. Truth about how they have.
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Changed the laws and corrupted the government and.
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Corrupted the laws. Because you'll notice.
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It's far easier to. Change a law than it is to
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change your heart. It's far easier to force
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conformance. Of the law.
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To my behavior than it is to repent and be humble and force
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conformance of my behavior. To God's laws.
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So that's what's happened. Societally is this group has
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just. Slowly made.
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It so that the laws match up with their desires.
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For iniquity and their desires for evil skipping over the 1st.
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15 verses where he's he's. Crying his lament to God and
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having that initial interaction with these people from his.
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Tower look at verse. 16 and Chapter 7.
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Yeah, how could you have? Given way to the enticing of him
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who is seeking to. Hurl away your souls.
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Down to everlasting misery and endless woe.
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It's such a fascinating thing to stop every once in a while, take
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a time out and step back from mortality and just look from an
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eternal perspective and say, you know, I could.
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Do whatever it is that that the. Natural man, natural woman,
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aspects of of mortal experience, desire, I could enjoy life for
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the short term. But Nephi here brings us back to
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the reality of. We're just giving way to the
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enticing of this being. Look at those words again.
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Who is seeking to? Hurl away your souls.
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Down to everlasting misery and endless woe.
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Those are powerful words. That they've given their agency.
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Over to the to the desires. Appetites and passions of the
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the natural man, natural woman, and it's leading to everlasting
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misery and endless woe where they can't keep going through.
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This cycle, but they're just. Going to end up in eternal
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sorrow, eternal woe. So what's the?
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Solution. He turns to them in 17.
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He says, O repent ye, repent ye. Why will ye die?
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Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God.
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And in a Hebrew context, saying Repent ye and turn ye is saying
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the same thing. It's turn the corner, turn
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towards God, turn away from the mortal and turn towards the
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eternal. Then go to verse 20.
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Oh, how could you have forgotten your God in the?
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Very day he has delivered. You now he gives the answer.
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Look at verse 21. Behold, it is to get gain, to be
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praised of men. Yeah, and that you might get
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gold and silver, and you have set your hearts upon the riches
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and the vain things of this world.
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For the which you do. Murder and plunder and steal and
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bear false witness against your neighbor and do all manner of
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iniquity. You'll notice the the order of
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what happened there. He says what you're after.
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Is to get gain, to be praised of men and to get gold and silver.
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So you're getting gain, you're getting that gained.
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Through power, riches honor the glories of the world.
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And what are you willing to do in order to?
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Get. That game?
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Well, murder Plunder. Steal Bear.
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False. Witness against your neighbor.
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Do all manner of iniquity. All for you to get.
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Game There's an interesting scripture in the New Testament.
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First Timothy Chapter 6 we read for the love of money.
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Is the root. Of all evil.
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Just a side note here, the King James Version says the love of
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money. Is the root of all evil.
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There's no definite article in the Greek, so most other English
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translations. Of the Bible will tell you.
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That the love of money is a. Root of all evil.
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Which is more? Accurate to the to the.
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Original. It's not the only.
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Root, but it is a. Strong root of all evil.
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Why? Think about it.
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What happens when you start to get more and more and more and
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more money? What happens to your feelings of
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power and your ability to to do things and to buy things and to
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get what you want? And here's.
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The real question. When you turned your life.
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Over to the devil. And you're seeking for more and
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more money. When is enough enough?
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When do you arrive? When do you say, hey, I'm good,
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I don't need any more? It's fascinating that these
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people have made money and power and the glory of the world
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become their God. They're not looking to Heavenly
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Father. And you're going to see it in
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the story coming up really quickly in a personal context,
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in the. First year of.
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Marriage, my wife and I. Were pretty poor.
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I was still. Working my way through.
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School had a couple of part time jobs.
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We didn't. Have a lot of excess.
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Money and we. Budgeted every dollar that.
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Came in and we knew where it was all allocated to go out to live
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within our means and my dear wife on multiple occasions.
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She would write out this. Two week menu for our food and
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then she. Would go to the local.
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Grocery store and. She'd have a calculator.
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And she'd be buying things and adding it up and by the time
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she'd get to the end, looking at the menu, she would have added
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it up. And on multiple occasions, she
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would say. Oh, we're $3 over.
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And she would have to. Decide what to put back.
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What don't we really need? At first that that was.
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Kind of hard on me thinking. This is.
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Rough that we have to. Be so careful.
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With our money. But brothers and sisters, those
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were those were sacred days. Where?
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We didn't have a lot and we had to sacrifice and we had to trust
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a lot more in. God to provide for.
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Our needs and we trusted him and he and he did provide for our
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needs. The problem with the Nephite
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civilization here and and some of the Lamanites mixing in is
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they have so much of gold and silver and precious things.
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That it's all they think about, it's all they pursue.
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Everything is bent on getting more, more, more, and thus the
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devil is seeking to. Hurl away their.
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Souls, by giving them this fleeting thing that can't save
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them, it won't bring them ultimate happiness one.
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Of the beautiful things about the Book of Mormon is we are
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told consistently that it's written for our day.
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And as we pointed out, these are actually hard chapters to read
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because it's hard to watch people that we love suffer.
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And by this point in the Book of Mormon, we've kind of felt this
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deep love for the people, the Book of Mormon, the people of
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God, and we were almost like cheering them on, like you can
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do this, you can trust God and he can be good to you.
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And then we see them falling into these, this pattern that's
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just, it's hard sometimes for humans to want to fully trust
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God. One of the challenges we face
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still in our day is this fallen nature tendency to want gain and
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power, but to do it on our terms and not God's terms.
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It's interesting. God is willing to prosper us.
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Now we have talked in the past that this is having his presence
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in your life. And if you look down here, true
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sorrow is being cut off from God.
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Now in prosperity, yeah, God will take care of your needs.
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He will. He will help you with that.
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But in this fallen nature, drive for power and gain, which
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unfortunately is still happening today in societies around the
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world, which is why the Book of Mormon was preserved and
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revealed for our day. They give us a handbook to
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remind us that we can help ourselves, our families, and our
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societies by trusting God, being humble, trusting that as we
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repent and turn to Him, He will bring us the prosperity of His
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presence that we seek. And I want to just share
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something here about what happens when fallen nature kicks
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in and we get ourselves into this side of the pride cycle.
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Let me write this word up here. Rupture, right?
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Rupture means something to explode or to break.
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And if I put this in front of it, that actually is an
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intensifier. So the word corruption literally
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means intensively and thoroughly broken.
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And so when you look around society today, corruption is
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unfortunately easy to see. It's wherever people, officials,
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institutions are thoroughly breaking the rules and breaking
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the laws or designing laws or rules that actually break the
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way things should be. And so the Book of Mormon
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provides this model and a reminder that if we glory in
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corruption, if we support and glory in those who practice
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corruption or love corruption and promote corruption, we will
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reap the consequences. But if instead we actually turn
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to the Lord who heals brokenness, our own in
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societies, if we turn to humility, repenting, returning
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ourselves towards him, we can find the peace and prosperity
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that he has offered. And we're all in different
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circumstances, all of us, No matter how much wealth you might
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have or little, we all can be spiritually wealthy as we
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practice humility. I know in my own life, like
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Tyler, I've had financial struggles.
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I also remember being a student. I spent a lot of years in
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school. I was a bit of a slow learner.
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I remember sitting in a beat up old car once in grad school and
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remembering Jesus's promise about look at the lilies of the
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field and how God has clothed them, right?
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They're better clothed than I'm not translating this very well,
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but better clothed than all the raiment of Solomon in his temple
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and whoever thinking, Lord, I've tried really hard to be
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righteous and I'm feeling under enormous financial pressure
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right now. And at the time I trusted the
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Scriptures and yet I didn't have faith.
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It's just kind of this weird thing, like I knew it was true.
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And then sometimes I felt like, well, maybe God's not going to
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come through. And it's interesting, when I
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truly did turn my life to Him over the long run, He gave me
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the peace and prosperity that I needed.
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Maybe not the prosperity that I thought that I really wanted,
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but the prosperity that really mattered to help me endure to
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the end with peace and joy. So as you read through the rest
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of chapter. Seven And you start getting into
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Chapter 8, you see more and more and more of the problem being
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laid out by Nephi and these chief judges, these members of
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the some of the judges rather and the Gideon robbers in the
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crowd trying to incite. The rest of the people.
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To take him so that he can be judged according to their
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corrupt. Law.
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Because he will, for sure. Be found guilty based on that.
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Law. So we've got all of this.
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Problem being established. I love the fact that.
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Finally, in verse 14 we get the solution.
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Yeah, did. He not bear record that the Son
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of God should come, and as he lifted up the brazen serpent in
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the wilderness. This is Speaking of Moses even.
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So shall he be. Lifted up, who should come the
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solution to all? Of these cultural.
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Corruptions and these personal pride issues and and iniquity
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and sin comes back to one answer.
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It's the coming of the Son Son of God.
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Look at verse 15 and as many as should look upon that serpent
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should live, Even so as many. As should look.
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Upon the Son of God, with faith, having a good contrite spirit,
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might live even unto. That life which is.
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Eternal, and then Nephi invokes. A serious list of the law of
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witnesses. Moses didn't only testify of
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these things. But also all the holy prophets
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from his days. Even to the days of Abraham.
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And Abraham saw his coming and was glad.
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Verse 18. Not just Abraham only, but there
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were many. Before the days of.
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Abraham who were. Called by the order of.
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God, yeah, even after the order of his Son and this that it
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should be shown unto the people a great many thousand years
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before His coming, that even redemption should come unto
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them. Then he invokes Zenus in 19
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Zenoch. Isaias, Isaiah.
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Jeremiah in 20 and he keeps going.
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Verse 22. Lehi Nephi.
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Almost. All of our fathers, they've.
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Testified of the coming of Christ and have looked forward
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and have rejoiced in his day which is to come and by the way,
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that's. What got Lehi?
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Driven out of Jerusalem, he tells you at the beginning of
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verse 22 is his testifying of Christ.
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So. He finishes up this long law of
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witness list of the solution of the coming of the Messiah, and
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the people aren't convinced. Obviously you've got these.
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Gadion robbers in the crowd listening to him, and he says,
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let. Me let me give you.
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Another. Another indication, another
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witness. Of your awful state.
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That you're in of your corruption, of how broken, how
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thoroughly broken your laws and your society have become right
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now, your. Chief Judge is.
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Lying in his blood. He's just been murdered on his
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judgement seat. That's a pretty bold.
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Statement to make. There's this whole group like.
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That's impossible. And so five guys in Chapter 9,
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they run to the judgement seat to see and.
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There he is. Dead, lying in his blood and
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they collapse and pass out and people come along and think, Oh
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well, God's smitten them that's who it is and they throw them in
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prison and Chapter 9 it all finally unravels when the people
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who. Were out at the garden tower,
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say well, where are those? Five guys we sent and they're
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like, I don't know about. Your five guys, but.
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We found five guys and they're in prison, so they call them
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out. Have this little oh wait.
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That's them. So they released them and then
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the answer that these judges. Have.
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For explaining why this phenomenon occurred, they don't
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want to acknowledge God, they don't want to acknowledge the
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Spirit of prophecy and revelation.
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So the natural man response is let me come up with a solution,
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the simplest explanation. For why this if?
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We're not going to call it a miracle because those don't
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exist. This phenomenon existed.
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It's really simple. Nephi has conspired with someone
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to go and murder. The chief judge, so he.
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Could make it look. Like he was a prophet.
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You see how easy it is for the devil to take, the prophetic to
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take, the revelatory to take. The miraculous and explain it
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away and to tear down. People's faith.
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And to get them to not look at God, but to say, Oh yeah, that's
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not a big deal. In fact, let's arrest Nephi.
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So they go and get Nephi. They bind him and bring him to
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question him and. Look at verse 16 of.
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Chapter 9. Now it came to pass.
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That the judges did. Expound the matter unto the
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people, and did cry out against Nephi, saying, Behold, we know
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that this Nephi must have agreed with someone to.
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Slay the judge. And then he might declare it
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unto us, that he might convert US unto his faith, that he might
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raise himself to be a great man. Notice their own motivation
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coming through their accusation. Whatever I can do to lie, cheat,
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steal, murder in order to puff myself up and get gain and glory
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and praise, they're now superimposing their own
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iniquity, their own corruption onto.
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The Prophet, because that's what they do.
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These are the exact kinds of things that they would.
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Have thought to do. Notice they bring Nephi in verse
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19, and he's bound before the multitude, and they began to
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question him in diverse ways, that they might cross him, that
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they might accuse him to death, saying unto him, Thou art
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confederate. Who is this man that hath done
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this murder? Now tell us, and acknowledge thy
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fault, saying, Behold, here is money, and also we will grant
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unto thee thy life. If thou will tell us.
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And acknowledge the agreement which thou has made with him.
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Notice. This as they hold out.
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Money. Their God, the thing that gives
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them. Power.
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The thing that they turn to when they're in trouble, the thing
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that they use in order to feel accepted and worthwhile, they're
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offering him money. Here, tell us who it.
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Was. Can you?
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Picture the look on his face as he looks at that kind of like
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Amulek and Zezrum before in M and I how looking at six aunties
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of silver. This is not Nephi's God.
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He he recognizes money for what it is and he then says in verse
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21. O ye fools.
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Ye uncircumcised of heart, ye blind and ye stiff necked
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people, do ye know how long the. Lord, your God will suffer.
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You that ye shall go on in this your way of sin, you ought to
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begin to mourn, and to howl. And then he tells them that if
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they don't repent. They they will.
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Be mourning and howling. They they will be totally
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destroyed. And then he takes them on a
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totally different direction than they had anticipated.
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He piles on more prophecy and more revelation.
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Verse 27/28/20 9:30 He gives them a script, he says.
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You go to. Scissorum's brother.
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See Anthem. And here is what you're going to
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say, here's what he's going to say, here's what he's going to
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do, here's how you're going to respond, and here's how it's
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going to turn out. Well.
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They send a group of people. Verse 37.
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They went and did, even according as Nephi had said unto
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them, and behold the words. Which he had said were true for,
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according to the words. He did deny and also.
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According to the words. He did confess.
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So at this point you say wait, but one of our questions si
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anthem was did you? Have were you confederate with?
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Nephi and his answer No, I had nothing to do with Nephi at that
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point. You'll notice that miracles
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signs don't convert anyone. They don't.
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They don't lead to lasting change.
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Now some of you say, well wait a minute down in verse 40 and 41.
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Notice what it says. Now there were some among the
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people who said that. Nephi was a prophet.
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So they're convinced now that he's a prophet.
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Some of them Verse 41. There were others who.
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Said behold, he's a God. For except.
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He was a God he could not know of all things, for behold he
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has. Told us the thoughts of our
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hearts. And you're thinking?
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Oh good. So at least we've got a a couple
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of groups. Who think he's a prophet, and
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some who actually think he's a God, which isn't a great thing,
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by the way. But the key here is.
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Not what's happened in the convincing of the mind, but
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what's happened with the soul. Have they truly become humble to
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the point where they're going to turn to God and repent?
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Or they just walking away going wow.
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That was really cool. He he, he must be a prophet.
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Another, I think he's a God and most of them saying, no, I
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don't, I can't figure this out yet, but there's there's some
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other secret combination in here.
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Because that's the way they. Think.
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Right. Look at the.
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Clue in verse one of chapter 10 and it came to pass.
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It there arose a. Division among the people in so
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much. That they divided hit her.
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And thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone.
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As he was standing in the midst of them.
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You'll notice they went their ways.
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They didn't go. God's way.
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They didn't follow Nephi in the way they went their ways and
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left Nephi standing all alone in the midst with these different
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groups. Earlier than sisters, Taylor
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said this before this. Is one of the key elements of
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the Book of Mormon. It is written for our.
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Day. It's a handbook.
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For how to be good. In our day and in our day we
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have great divisions among the people, and they divide.
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Hit her and thither and. Go their ways after their causes
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this. Is not the ideal scenario.
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For God's children. We are all children of heavenly
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parents sent down to this. Earth.
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And yet somehow we continually set up these boundaries and
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these differences between each group and go our.
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Ways, that's what the devil. Wants he wants to divide, He
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wants to cut, He wants to separate.
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Whereas Christ wants to unify his number one prayer to heaven
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before going into Gethsemane and the.
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Intercessory prayer was Father Bless.
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Them that they may be one as we are one that they may be one in
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US. It's a unifying Zion feeling.
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It's a being more concerned about the needs of my neighbors
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and the people around me than myself.
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It's not me trying to puff up in pride and sin in order to get
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money and gain and power and riches and honor and glory.
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It's like life's too short for that.
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We didn't bring that with us and we're not taking it with us when
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we leave. So see.
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It for what it is. Use it to build up.
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Those around us anyway. Nephi, poor Nephi, standing here
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probably thinking to himself, what could I have done more?
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What else possibly could I have done to help these people
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recognize the prophetic nature that God has granted me to?
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Be able to prophecy. These things and notice.
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Verse 2. He went his way towards his own
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house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto
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him, and as he's pondering, being much cast down because of
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the wickedness of the people in the Nephites.
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Their secret works of darkness. And their murderings and their
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plunderings in all manner of iniquities.
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And it came to. Pass as he was thus.
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Pondering in his. Heart, behold a voice.
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Came into him. Now, before we talk about what
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the voice said, let me just point something out.
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There's a pattern. That the people of God through
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the history. Of time spend most of their time
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worrying about and laboring for others.
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You'll notice Nephi wasn't going home saying poor me.
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He's not throwing a pity party for himself.
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He's not saying wow, I can't believe how poorly.
25:21
I was treated that's. Not What is soaring is he's
25:24
soaring because he's cast down because of the wickedness of the
25:28
people of the Nephites and their.
25:30
Secret works of darkness. And then comes the.
25:32
Voice here he. Is in this in this downtrodden
25:36
state? Blessed.
25:38
Art thou Nephi for those things which thou hast done?
25:43
You'll notice the voice didn't say, Blessed art thou, Nephi?
25:46
Because of the great success. You've had in your missionary.
25:48
Laborers because. You've been such an amazing
25:50
teacher. Look how many converts you have.
25:53
That's not why Nephi. Was blessed by the Lord.
25:55
He was blessed because of those. Things which thou hast done,
25:59
which is you've turned to me, you've given your life to me.
26:04
You've devoted everything you have.
26:05
To me. Fully consecrated, blessed art
26:08
thou. This is a beautiful next.
26:11
Phrase here for. I have beheld how thou hast with
26:16
unwearyingness declared the word which I have given unto thee.
26:20
Unto this people I don't think. That phrase applies just to.
26:25
Nephi, I think that. Applies to our prophets and
26:28
apostles today. I think that applies to
26:32
numberless leaders in the church, men and women of God who
26:37
with unwaryingness have. Declared the word.
26:42
I think that applies to numerous mommies and.
26:47
Daddies who life is. Hard.
26:50
They're downtrodden. They've got so many pressures
26:53
and struggles. But they keep.
26:55
With unwaryingness they keep teaching and in some cases where
27:00
children have gone astray and don't want to hear any teaching.
27:04
They keep loving. They keep.
27:06
Doing they keep pouring their heart out.
27:09
Look at this next phrase. Thou hast not feared this
27:13
people, and thou hast not sought thine own life, but thou hast
27:17
sought My will, and to keep my commandments, the thing that
27:22
makes. Verse four.
27:23
So beautiful. To me is not because.
27:25
It's such a good. Description of Nephi.
27:27
But because it's such a good. Description of Jesus Christ and
27:30
nephi then becomes a. Type or a shadow of.
27:32
Christ a lens. Through which I can better see
27:35
Jesus. I'm trying to be more like
27:38
Jesus. Well, Nephi gives me a pattern
27:40
of. I can try a little harder to be
27:42
a little better. At these elements, look at verse
27:43
5 now, because thou has done this with such unwaringness.
27:47
Behold, I will bless thee forever.
27:51
And I will make the mighty in Word and in deed, in faith and
27:54
in. Works it's.
27:56
Kind of fun when you get a. Scriptural passage that's so
27:59
clear like this where a. Person is is being told by the
28:03
Lord, I'm going to. Bless you forever.
28:05
But it didn't come at the front end.
28:09
Of all of his. Struggles and his issues
28:13
teaching the people. It came after waiting through
28:16
many years of having his faith and his patience tested and
28:21
tried notice. That he is told.
28:23
At the end of verse. Five that he'll be.
28:26
Given anything he asks for why Thou shalt not ask that which is
28:30
contrary to my will. Behold, thou art Nephi, and I
28:34
am. God, behold, I declared.
28:36
Unto thee in the presence of mine angels.
28:38
That you shall have power over this people.
28:40
And shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence and
28:43
destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.
28:46
Behold, I give unto you. Power that whatsoever ye shall.
28:48
Seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall
28:51
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven, and thus.
28:54
Ye shall have power. Among this people.
28:56
So what does he do? It says verse. 12 Behold, now it
29:01
came to pass it. When the Lord had spoken these
29:03
words underneath I, He did stop, and did not go unto his own
29:07
house, but did return unto the multitudes who were scattered
29:10
upon the face of the land. And he began to declare unto
29:12
them all the things that the Lord had.
29:14
Asked him to teach, so he. Instantly turns around, sounds
29:19
a. Lot like other stories.
29:20
In the Book of Mormon and he goes, and he starts teaching the
29:23
people, and only after he has warned.
29:26
All the group. One more time and they refuse to
29:29
repent. Does he finally decide, OK, all
29:34
right, I will call down a famine?
29:37
So. Chapter 11 Watch what happens.
29:41
As we go through Chapter 11. I'm just going to put the dates
29:45
here. Look at verse one now.
29:47
It came to pass in the 72nd year of the reign of the judges that
29:49
the contentions did increase in so much.
29:52
That there were wars throughout. All the land among the people of
29:55
Nephi. So we're in the 70 and 2nd year.
29:58
We're some somewhere in here between sin and destruction
30:01
because there's. Wars we're we're.
30:04
Moving along in this area, and it was the secret band of
30:07
robbers who did carry on this work of destruction, wickedness
30:10
and this war. Did last all that year.
30:12
And in the 7th and 3rd. Year it did also last so because
30:16
there's war. There's going to be more death,
30:18
more destruction. Look at verse four O.
30:21
Lord, do not. Suffer, those people shall be
30:23
destroyed by the sword. But, O Lord, rather let there be
30:27
a. Famine to stir them up in
30:29
remembrance. Perhaps they'll repent.
30:32
And so it was done. There's a famine, so now we get
30:36
into this deeper destruction which is going to lead to sorrow
30:40
because now they're not even able to.
30:41
Eat well look at verse six. This work of.
30:44
Destruction did also continue in the 70 and. 5th year.
30:49
So now we're coming down into the 70 and 5th.
30:52
Year for the Earth was. Smitten that it was dry, and it
30:56
did not yield forth its grain and notice.
30:59
The bottom of verse 6. Thousands did perish in the more
31:03
wicked parts of the land. Major destruction, major sorrow
31:06
in this year verse 7 and it came to.
31:09
Pass The people saw that they were about to.
31:10
Perish by famine. And they began.
31:13
To remember the Lord their. God and they began to remember
31:17
the words of Nephi. So now we're working our way up
31:21
and the people began to. Plead with their chief.
31:23
Judges and their leaders, that they would say unto Nephi,
31:27
Behold, we know that thou art a man of God.
31:30
Notice this. They, the people go to their.
31:34
Judges and say you go to Nephi. Nephi.
31:38
Goes to the Lord. In verse 11 and pleads with God.
31:42
He pours his heart out. Please take away this famine
31:46
verse 17 it came to pass in the 70 and. 6th year the Lord did.
31:51
Turn away his anger. So we have the 70 and 6th year.
31:56
End of the 75th they get humble 76th year.
31:59
Now the Lord turns away his anger and verse 18.
32:04
Behold, the people did rejoice. And glorify God.
32:06
The whole face land was filled with rejoicing.
32:09
Pick it up now in verse 20. Thus it did come to pass.
32:12
The people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land.
32:16
They build it up, they cover. The land and verse 21 it came to
32:20
pass in the 70 and 6th year did end in peace.
32:23
In the 70 and 7th did begin in peace.
32:25
So we're up here, lots of blessings, lots of prosperity.
32:32
Look at the timing hasn't been that long and and we were in
32:37
serious. War right there.
32:40
Now we're in great blessings. Look at verse 20.
32:45
Two, they also. Had peace in the 70.
32:47
And 8th year watch Save It were a few.
32:51
Contentions concerning the points of doctrine.
32:53
And in the 70 and 9th year there began to be much strife, and it
32:57
came to pass. Nephi and Lehi, many of their
32:59
brethren, they had many revelations.
33:02
So now we're in the 70 and 9th year and we've got some pride
33:06
and some contention starting to set in.
33:09
And verse 24 it came to pass in the. 80th year there were a.
33:12
Certain number of the dissenters from the people of Nephi, they
33:15
go down, stir up the Lamanites. Verse 25.
33:17
They commit murder and plunder. That they would retreat back.
33:21
Verse 26 and thus in time, yet even in the space of not many
33:25
years, they became an exceedingly.
33:27
Great band of robbers. And they did.
33:29
Search out all the secret. Plans of Gedian, and then thus
33:31
they became robbers of Gedian. Brothers and sisters.
33:34
This is not many years when we've now made a complete jump
33:41
down here. Now we're in this next cycle.
33:44
Where we're. Building up the gadiant and
33:46
robbers again, and it wasn't that long ago that we were stuck
33:50
in major famine. Pleading with the chief judges
33:56
to get. Nephi to plead with God to take
33:57
it away now. Four years later, here we are.
34:00
Back in the same area again. Verse 30.
34:04
In the commencement of the 18 first year they begin to go
34:06
forth against the band of robbers, and to destroy many,
34:09
and they were also visited with much destruction.
34:12
So we're. Struggling in the 80 and 1st
34:15
year with destruction. Notice verse 30.
34:18
Four, this great evil. Which came up to the people
34:20
because of their iniquity, did stir them up again in
34:24
remembrance. Of the Lord their God.
34:26
And thus ended the 80 and first year of the reign of the judges.
34:29
So it's stirring them up again. This 80.
34:32
First year comes over here and they're humbling themselves
34:36
turning to God. Now notice verse 36.
34:38
In the 80 and 2nd year they began again to.
34:40
Forget the Lord their God. So here we were.
34:46
You can see this outer circle and now we're forgetting the
34:50
Lord our God again. In the 18 third year they began
34:53
to wax strong in iniquity, and in the 18 fourth year they did
34:59
not mend their. Ways.
35:02
And it came to pass, the 18 fifth year they did wax stronger
35:05
and stronger in their pride, in their wickedness, and thus they
35:07
were ripening again for destruction.
35:11
That's three times in 13 years. It's just interesting.
35:15
You actually get the voice of Mormon right here in Helaman 12
35:19
and Mormon just like, I just can't handle this people.
35:22
I just got to insert my voice and I'm just going to read a
35:24
couple of verses. You can just hear his
35:25
exasperation, like, and he's living in his own time.
35:29
He's seen his own people doing. This which is worse than this in
35:32
in Mormon 4567? Wow.
35:35
And you can just hear Him just like how is it we cannot seem to
35:39
figure this out? Verse one, Halo and 12.
35:43
And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness
35:48
of the hearts of the children of men.
35:49
Yeah, we can see that the Lord and His great infinite goodness
35:52
to bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
35:55
The book was written for our day.
35:57
We're seeing it again. Verse two.
35:59
Yeah. And we may see at the very time
36:02
when he doth prosperous people. Yeah, in the increase of their
36:05
fields, their flocks, and their herds, and in golden and silver,
36:08
and all manner precious things of every kind and art, sparing
36:11
their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their
36:13
enemies, softening the hearts of their enemies that they should
36:16
not declare wars against them. Yay.
36:18
And define doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His
36:21
people. Yay.
36:22
Then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and to
36:26
forget the Lord their God, and to trample under their feet the
36:29
Holy 1 Yay. And this because of their ease
36:32
and exceeding great prosperity. So the question for all of us,
36:38
God labored diligently with profits to preserve these words
36:43
for us today. And so where are we at in our
36:46
own personal lives? God wants us to give, gives us
36:49
the good things in the world. He wants to give us His peace,
36:51
His presence, His love and our needs and hopefully some of our
36:56
wants. But then do we walk all over God
36:59
and say I have done this, I am a self-made man.
37:04
Only God makes us. And we have to ask ourselves,
37:09
are we expressing gratitude for all that we have and remembering
37:12
all the good that God has done and remembering to share what
37:16
blessings God has given with us, freely and freely sharing with
37:19
others? That is interesting, how Mormon.
37:22
Has to take. An entire chapter and insert his
37:26
own personal reflections on the state of humanity.
37:30
Look at verse 3. Thus we see that except.
37:34
The Lord does. Chasten his people with many
37:37
afflictions. Yeah, except he does visit them
37:40
with death and with. Terror.
37:42
And with famine, and with all manner of pestilence, they will
37:47
not remember him. Oh, how foolish and how vain,
37:51
and how evil and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity and
37:53
how. Slow to do good.
37:55
Are the children of men? Yeah, how quick to hearken to
37:58
the words of. The evil one, and to set their
38:00
hearts upon the vain things of the world.
38:02
And he goes on and on and on, talking about the fallen nature
38:08
of mankind and how. Slow we are to to.
38:13
Turn. To God about how quick.
38:15
To jump into this other. Side of the pride cycle.
38:19
Notice verse 23 because we don't want to end on a down note.
38:26
Therefore, blessed are they who? Will repent, and hearken unto
38:31
the. Voice of the Lord their God, for
38:33
these are they that shall be saved.
38:36
And May God grant in his gratefulness that men might be
38:39
brought under repentance, and good works that they might be
38:41
restored under. Grace for grace.
38:44
According to their works, and then he.
38:46
Tells us that he wishes. That all men might be saved.
38:50
But he realizes that that's probably.
38:53
Not going to be the. Case because of agency.
38:57
In. Closing brothers and sisters,
39:00
this book is true. It.
39:02
Wasn't just a storybook about. Events that happened to an
39:07
isolated. Group of people over 2. 1000
39:09
years ago on the American continent.
39:12
These stories. Are relevant today as much as
39:17
they've ever been in the history of time.
39:19
God has prepared this book and these teachings to help any who
39:26
are willing to turn to Him in humility and repent of their
39:31
sins to come unto Him and be perfected in Christ to not have
39:36
to spend time over in this. Part of the pride cycle.
39:42
We may be surrounded by a cultural wilderness by.
39:47
Societal issues that are getting.
39:50
More and more difficult. With each cycle that progresses.
39:57
But we don't need to. Feel like we're a victim of that
40:02
society if. We as individuals and families.
40:07
Wards. Communities can band together in
40:11
humility, turn to God and seek His will.
40:15
A lot of what? Happened in these.
40:16
Chapters involves prayer. The object of prayer is.
40:21
Not to change the will of. God, but to secure.
40:24
For ourselves and for others. Blessings that God is already
40:27
willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking
40:31
for them, may the Lord. Bless each of us.
40:34
As we move forward in faith and humility, turning to God.
40:40
To. Allow more fully our will.
40:43
To be swallowed. Up in his and to find out what
40:46
blessings he already has in store and he's just waiting for
40:49
us to ask. Know that he's there.
40:51
Know that He loves us. Thank you for spending time with
40:54
us. We hope you feel the love of God
40:56
as you spend time in the scriptures, and we hope you feel
40:59
His outstretched arms to you as expressed in the Book of Mormon,
41:03
that He is there, willing and ready to embrace you in His
41:07
love.