On more than one occasions, Laman and Lemuel failed to understand something their father had taught them by the Spirit. They were frustrated because Nephi always seemed to "get it" and they didn't. One occasion that I remember was when Lehi had taught them about the olive tree. They said to Nephi:
Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive tree, and also concerning the Gentiles. And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? And they said unto me: We have not, for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. (1 Nephi 15: 7-9)
People who have chosen to harden their hearts to the promptings of the Spirit and have dulled their conscience through sinfulness are not in a position to receive revelation.
One reason for this is because where much is given, much is expected. If such people receive such an understanding, they are then under condemnation if they don't live it. When Zeezrom asked Alma and Amulek to know more about the kingdom of God, Alma explained this to him:
It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of the word which he doth grant unto the children of me, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. . . . therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God. And they that will harden their hearts . . . are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. (Alma 12: 9-11)
Alma explained that this is why the Lamanites are under less condemnation than the Nephites, even though they were wicked, because their choices came because they didn't know any better. They had been taught the false traditions and hatreds of their ancestors, Laman and Lemuel, and thus were less accountable than the Nephites who knew better.
The wicked people of Ammonihah had confessed that they knew Alma and the Church and had conciously chosen to rebel. Instead of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the fall, the atonement, and the resurrection, they chose the easy doctrine of Nehor who said that everyone would be saved no matter what they did. They had so dulled their consciences that they did not recognize how far astray they had gone.
The people of Ammonihah didn't understand the plan of redemption. They didn't understand the connectedness of the fall of Adam and the atonement of Christ. They didn't understand why repentance is necessary. They didn't understand the resurrection. They didn't understand the concepts of agency and accountability, nor recognize whose plan called for universal redemption with nothing due on our part.
To Zeezrom's credit, he began to remember what he had known. He trembled in fear as the testimonies of Alma and Amulek cut him to the core. He did know the difference between truth and error and recognized with clarity the exact nature of his sins. When he visualized standing before the throne of God in his current state, it made him ill unto death. He did repent and stood as a witness and testifier of Jesus Christ for the remainder of his days. If someone like Zeezrom who began with all the attitudes of an anti-Christ could turn his life around, there are none of us who have sinned beyond the reclaiming grace of repentance and the Savior's atonement. When we think of Zeezrom, we usually think only of his wickedness and forget ther repentant man of God. Like Ebeneezer Scrooge, let us think of Zeezrom on Christmas morning and not on Christmas Eve.
© June 2020 Dr. Kathleen Rawlings
Buntin Danielson
No comments:
Post a Comment