Brethren, I pray some benefit will come to you, or to another in the watching of this short video below, and the context of which I will try to explain will help you in some way... in any way. So, here is the video:
At the conclusion of this video, you hear the heartfelt, inquiry of Mormon as his son Moroni helps him along to discover just the grave reality of the destruction of nearly all the Nephites.
The gravity of the great fall of the Nephites had been discounted by many, even though the voice of the Lord foretold it. (3rd Nephi)
In this plea, Mormon (In the video) speaks in a manner of near disbelief because I assume the gravity of the situation finally set in. In fact, you hear the fear and anguish in his voice. First, go to Mormon 6: 17 where Mormon writes:
"O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!"
Mormon then appeals to the wishful thinking if they had only remained righteous. We see this in verse 18 of the very same chapter, when Mormon says:
"Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen...."
Regretfully, many prophets, including Nephi of old, saw this same disaster- This certainly must have been discouraging but I marvel how, seeing these prophecies, these prophets in the Book of Mormon still held firm, never giving doubt a home to root in their hearts. To understand the magnitude of the anguish that Mormon, Moroni and the 24 final standing Nephites must of felt as they beheld this scene from the Hill Cumorah, seek out and read the words of Nephi in 1st Nephi 15:4; Just before Nephi writes this verse on the plates, he alerts us (At the beginning of the chapter) that he was "...carried away in the Spirit, and seen all [these] things..." (Verse 1) and what he saw among many other things was the utter destruction of his people. So says Nephi: (Verse 4)
"And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall."
So honorable a man Nephi was! Nephi, if he was anything short of a dedicated servant of the Lord, would not have mentioned this great vision of future tragic events to overcome his people. He did use caution in refraining from much additional information concerning their fall, and seeing the report given of Mormon and Moroni in the 6th chapter of Mormon, it is no wonder Nephi was pained and overcome... mentioning the fall of his people as his personal "affliction."
What personal "affliction" you might ask? Read verses 10 through 16 which read:
10 "And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life."
11 "And when they had gone through and hewn down all
my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son
Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the
morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top
of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down,
being led in the front by me."
12 "And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni."
13 "And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst."
14 "And
Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his
ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum
had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and
Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten
thousand each."
15 "And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few
who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted
over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and
blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those
who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to
their mother earth."
16 "And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people..."
Now, should you not have counted the amount of men that Mormon lost in battle to the Lamanites at the Hill Cumorah, I did. Total cost of souls that viciously left this world completely un-prepared to meet their maker (On this particular day) 230,000 people!
I now see, and feel for the sorrow that must have existed in the soul of Nephi as he saw ahead, in vision, of the destruction to come to his people... and 230,000 people is tremendous. This story can readily be applied to our lives, but in this battle, is the battle against Spiritual death...
The difference between the situation of our day and the days of Nephi or Mormon, is the greater level of Faith. Indeed, we also have the records engraved upon the plates of brass, by these very before-hand mentioned Prophets ; Translated to the Book of Mormon. Thus we know what will come of us, should the majority of us become wicked, and how to prevent it. As the Lord mentions in the 38th Section of the Doctrine & Covenants, verse 39:
"...beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old."
We simply must do all we can, to serve as best as we can - because the battle for souls is significant, and many will be lost, but many can be saved. President Henry B. Eyring once said at a General Conference:
"...since the creation of Adam and Eve, the conflict has continued. We have seen it intensify. And the scriptures suggest that the war will become more violent and the spiritual casualties on the Lord’s side will mount." (Henry B. Eyring, "“Man Down!”", Ensign, May 2009, 63–66)
We will beat the adversary, and it is vital we rescue all that we can, as soon as we can. For, like the above mentioned talk "Man Down" suggests, no soldier wounded on the battle field wishes to die, and they readily cry "Man Down" so that a medic, or rescue comes- We should approach the goal of "Immortality and Eternal Life" (Moses 1:39) for all souls seriously!
I hope this has been helpful, and meaningful for you brethren. I love this gospel, and the blessing that is ours as we share it with others. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the Messiah- the man who atoned for both my sins and the sins of the world. He is our life, of which this testimony I thankfully share with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
************************** Lubbock Texas Announcements:
***************** Plainview Branch Elders & High Priest Lessons By Date:
11-21-10 : Chapter 22 Gospel Principles Manual "The Gifts Of The Spirit"
11-28-10 : "That Our Children Might See The Face Of Our Savior" - By Cheryl C. Lant - April 2010
12-5-10 : "Only An Elder" - by Elder Bruce R. McConkie in 1974
12-12-10 : Chapter 23 Gospel Principles Manual "The Sacrament"
12-19-10 : Chapter 24 Gospel Principles Manual "The Sabbath Day"
12-26-10 : To Be Announced
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