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A nation can digress from righteousness to wickedness shockingly quickly. (3 Nephi 1-7)

Writer's picture: Marci & EricMarci & Eric

1:9,16, 18

Those who weren’t believers had decided that they would murder those who believed that Christ should come. “Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.” Why death? Why weren’t they just shamed or criticized or even thrown in jail? Why death? I think that those who wanted wickedness wanted absolutely no reminders of their wicked state. They wanted anyone who might call them to repentance, or even who may make them feel guilty because they existed, to die.


However, when the sign did come, these same people fell to the earth. “And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.” Did they fall because they were wrong? Did they fall because they felt guilt and shame? Did they fall in fear of the Lord? The text doesn’t say that.


They fell because their plan of destruction was “frustrated.” That was their first thought! They really wanted those believers to die and let them sin in peace! The thought of their plans being frustrated was so awful that they fell to the earth. It kind of sounds like a tantrum.


After their initial reaction, the reality of the situation begins to take hold. “For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.” Their grief had progressed from denial and anger to depression and acceptance. They realized that they should fear because they had sinned and they hadn’t believed what they should have.


How will it go at the time of the second coming? Will many initially mourn the loss of their opportunities to sin without regard for any moral law? Only to later realize that they have great cause to repent? I can’t help but think of those who have left the church and have attempted to harm the church after the fact. How much fear will they feel because of “their iniquity and their unbelief? I think a common thought will be “I should have known better.”


1:22; 2:1-2

Their repentance didn’t take hold. “And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen.” The lies began immediately! Wow. You’d think that people would give it a minute. They must have known that there was a God!


We learn about what the specific lies were in chapter two. “And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to…”

  • “Forget those signs and wonders which they had heard”

  • “Be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven.”

  • “Be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds.”

  • “Disbelieve all which they had heard and seen.

  • “Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people.”

“And thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.”



Over time, a miraculous even can be forgotten. As time passes, we become less and less astonished. Our natural man takes over and we harden our hearts. Our logical brains will chip away at the miracle until we actually disbelieve what we saw with our own eyes. Once the memory of it fades and the emotions die down, we will attempt to imagine an explanation for it. Perhaps we were tricked by our enemies or even that Satan himself did something to our vision! Our meaty brains are very good at coming up with plausible explanations to dissuade ourselves from believing a miracle.


This is why true and lasting conversion rarely occurs from a miraculous event. It worked with Saul and Alma and the sons of Mosiah - but it won’t work for most people. The problem is that faith is built little and little by little. If we attempt to skip levels of faith with a single, miraculous event, we haven’t built the strength, study habits, moral character to maintain a high degree of faithfulness. The miracle will serve only to condemn our future disobedience. God mercifully doesn’t rely on miracles to convert because he knows how fragile humans are. He doesn’t want us to have the increased accountability of sure knowledge that should have came through a line-upon-line process.


3:2-7, 10

There’s some prime attempted manipulation going on in chapter three from Giddianhi. First, he uses flattery:

  • “most noble and chief governor of the land”

  • “I do give unto you exceedingly great praise because of your firmness”

  • “most noble Lachoneus”

  • “feeling for your welfare”

  • “unite with us…become our brethren…be like unto us…partners of all our substance.”

Flattery is an amazing tool to manipulate the flattered.


He also inserts small pricks of doubt:

  • “that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty”

  • as if ye were supported by the hand of god”

  • “that which ye do call so

  • “which ye believe to be right”

It reminds me of when Satan began his questions with “if ye be the Son of God…”


He then simply lies:

  • “And it seemeth a pity unto me, most noble Lachoneus, that ye should be so foolish and vain as to suppose that ye can stand against so many brave men who are at my command.”

  • “because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them

  • “my people may recover their rights and government

  • “who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government


This is truly the basics of wicked manipulation. This is what con artists do. This is what wife-abusers do. This is what bitter ex-members do. They flatter, gaslight and lie to their supposed victim. We shouldn’t fall for this tired, worn out playbook!


3:11

I say that most of those who are suffering from self-inflicted wounds have no awareness that they are the villain in their story. They have to be the hero. The bad things that have happened in their lives are a result of bad things done by others. If they are struggling, they are the victim rather than the villain. The natural man demands it.



Lachoneus recognized this immediately. He knew that they were supposedly “threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers.” If people who have wronged themselves could only see that, repentance would be much more common.


3:16

This is a great example of how good words can have an impact on others. “And so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all the people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus.” I think his words were effective. I think the Spirit helped him with his words.


More importantly, the Spirit brought his words “unto the hearts” of the people - as is His job. Our words matter but cannot convert anyone. It is always the Spirit that does that.


5:1-3; 6:10, 15, 17; 7:8

People are so slow to be righteous and how quick to do iniquity. 22 years have passed since the sign was given. Everyone was converted. “And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled. And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken. Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night.”


What a conversion! What commitment! What diligence! They had repented and forsaken all of their sins! What could go wrong!? Just seven years later, things had changed. “But it came to pass in the twenty and ninth year there began to be some disputings among the people; and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions.” Pride seeps in. It always seems to. If we prosper, we have pride. This pride always leads to worse things.


“Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.” It sounds like Satan’s tools are to stir, puff, and tempt. We should be careful if we are ever feeling stirred, puffed up or tempted. This will all devolve quickly.



“And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness.” So, within eight years, the people had digressed from diligent righteousness to awful wickedness. Again, we are all built this way and need to always be on guard to protect ourselves spiritually. If we realize our frailty, we will be less likely to let our guard down.


“And thus six years had not passed away since the more part of the people had turned from their righteousness, like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire.”


5:13, 20

Mormon speaks up. “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.” We should all feel this same exact way! We are disciples. We are called of God to declare his word at every opportunity. Especially considering that “he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls.” As members of the church, we do have a special responsibility to follow the precepts of the gospel and share when we can.


This past week, Marci and I were at The Chosen conference in Florida. Part of the week was with a preacher who taught from the scriptures. It was a beautiful sermon. Also, there was a singer who sang a few songs about Jesus. Also beautiful. They were incredibly sincere and talented. We felt the Spirit. We looked up and appreciated and respected their devotion and commitment to Jesus.



It kept occurring to me that, in that group of 6,000 people, I was maybe one of a handful that actually had the priesthood of God as given by one in authority. I should be one of the most faithful, diligent, sincere, enthusiastic, righteous people - committed to share what I know about the plan of salvation. I do feel a renewed passion for living as someone worth of holding the priesthood and being valiant in my testimony of Jesus. All of us can do better - but as someone who truly holds the priesthood of God, I can definitely do better.


6:14

As the Nephites were becoming corrupt, the Lamanites were remaining faithful. “In the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.” Why would the Lamanites be so faithful when the Nephites weren’t?


Perhaps it has to do with the Lamanites knowing the difference between having the gospel and NOT having it. They may have appreciated the difference. It may have made them more grateful. Their gratitude and memory were the paths to commitment.


6:18

Rebellion is a most dangerous sin. Willful rebellion isn’t easy to repent of - because it’s sin NOT born from weakness or ignorance or temptation. It is about rebellion. This is the reason for Lucifer becoming Satan. Rebellion, I think, leads to the unpardonable sin. It is a big problem if we know what is right and wrong and we choose the wrong and don’t really care. The Nephites were doing exactly this. “Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God.”



7:2

The Book of Mormon is guide for what will happen in the last days. In verse two, we read something that sounds very familiar. “And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.” How many tribes are forming right now? Off the top of my head, some key divisions are straight and LGBTQ, white and black, Republican and Democrat, women and men, rich and poor, etc. Part of the last days is conflict and fighting and disunity and wars and rumors of wars. The government will eventually be destroyed.


7:5

“All this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.” It is relatively easy to yield ourselves to the power of Satan. What Satan wants is what this world wants and what this world wants is what our natural man wants. The path of least resistance will lead downward. It’s just the nature of this fallen world.

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