22 That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body.
I’m sure that just as Nephi was shown the fate of his
descendants (see 1 Nephi 15: 5), Lehi knew what was in store for his, including
Laman and Lemuel. I’m sure he knew that they were on track to be cursed from
God. And I’m sure he knew that their wickedness was the cause of it. But I’m
also sure that as a loving parent he wanted to spare them from their inevitable
fate. Unfortunately, as parents we cannot shield our children from the natural
consequences of their choices. Even those parents who are always bailing their
children out of trouble with earthly authority cannot protect them from the
eternal consequences of their choices. The best a parent can do is teach and
encourage their children so they know how to avoid these consequences, and are
motivated to do what it takes to avoid them. So Lehi teaches, preaches, and
warns his children of the fate that awaits them at the end of the road they are
on. I think Mormon probably described how Lehi felt about his wayward children
when he described all he had done for his people, and loved them, but, “it was
without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts: (Mormon 3: 12). Lehi
must have felt much the same about his sons.
Of course we know that the Lamanites were marked with a dark
skin, but the real curse was the “eternal destruction of both soul and body.”
I’m not sure what he means when he talks about the destruction of the body, in
light of the resurrection.
- 2 Nephi 5: 21–24
