25 Now ye know that the children of Israel were in bondage; and ye know that they were laden with tasks, which were grievous to be borne; wherefore, ye know that it must needs be a good thing for them, that they should be brought out of bondage.
Nephi continues to remind his brethren of the mercies God has
shown His people in the past by leading them out of Egypt’s bondage. That’s
important for us to remember as well, but the bondage we are more likely to be
led out of is the bondage of sin, and the tasks grievous to be borne by us are
addictions. Satan uses addictions to force our agency away from us, just as
surely as a person in physical bondage has his freedom or agency taken away.
That person in physical bondage to someone else has his freedoms forcibly taken
from him. It is slavery to another’s will. The person in bondage to addictions
also loses his freedom or agency, but usually with addictions we start by
willingly handing it over. But the loss of freedom to choose (agency) is just
as sure as if it had been taken from us by force. It is “a good thing for [us]
that [we] should be brought out of [this] bondage” of sin and addiction. The
Lord has a long record of leading people out of this spiritual bondage, and it
is just as important for us to remember that as it was for Nephi’s brethren to
remember how Israel was led out of Egyptian bondage. He has provided the
Atonement, which was symbolized for the children of Israel by the Passover, and
he has provided a prophet, like Moses, to show us the way out of our spiritual
bondage.
- Genesis 15:13 (13–14)
- 2 Nephi 1:13
- Alma 12:11
- D&C 101:79
