24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.
I originally thought the focus of this verse was punishment, as in Mormon 4:5, where we read clearly that the wicked punish the wicked. But upon further reflection, I think it has more to do with the value of opposition, as in 2 Nephi 2:11, where we read that there must be opposition in all things. The Lord purposely allows opposition to remain for our benefit. He did the same thing for the Children of Israel when they came to their Promised Land. These oppositions or weaknesses are given to us to keep us humble, as it tells us in Ether 12:27. This was the purpose of the Lamanites. They helped the Nephites get back in line when they (the Nephites) strayed from righteousness. As much as we would like wickedness to be removed from the world, as much as we would like to not be tempted, these things play an important role in our lives. The Lord will not remove these things without our efforts. We need to do our part so He can strengthen us against opposition. If we are able, with the Lord’s help, to remove opposition, it will be when we are truly converted. When Satan is bound in the Millennium, it will be because
we bind him through our righteous desires. That’s why he will have no influence over us, because we won’t allow it. I don’t think it will be because the Lord physically removes him from our presence (although that is also possible). I think we’ll be humble and righteous even without the “Lamanites” to keep us in line.
- Mormon 4:5; 8:7–8
- Ether 12:27
- 1 Nephi 12:2–3
- Joshua 23:12–13
No comments:
Post a Comment