Adventures in the scriptures!

So, the other night I opened up my scriptures to 1st Nephi to pick up where I left off reading the night before.  But I felt restless in Nephi.  I felt like I needed to just flip through and let the Lord dictate my reading schedule.  And, lo and behold, what should I land on but Helaman chapter 5, which begins:

1 And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.

2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.

3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.

4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days . . . .

I thought it profoundly interesting that Nephi, in a position of supreme political power, walked away from the judgment-seat in order to preach the word of God, knowing that this would be the most powerful way to effect change among the iniquitous people.  Because truly, how can a righteous man in any political position fight against corrupted laws that know no boundaries or end to redefinition and accommodation?

I need to be better about sharing the gospel with those within and without my sphere of influence.  I know it to be true, and I know it to be the Lord's Will that we open our mouths, so nothing should be stopping me, not one thing.  My brother recently got back from a single adult conference in Boston, MA, and shared his notes from General Authorities and LDS entrepreneurs who spoke there.  Read them.  They are phenomenal!  They stoked the fires of urgency in me.

So anyway, from Helaman chapter 5, I glanced at the opposite page and found these verses in Helaman chapter 4 staring back at me:

20 And it came to pass, because of the greatness of the number of the Lamanites the Nephites were in great fear, lest they should be overpowered, and trodden down, and slain, and destroyed.

21 Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah*; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God;

22 And that they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people; and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like unto the Lamanites.

23 And because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation; and the judgments of God did stare them in the face.

24 And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples -

25 Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish.

*Guess where the footnotes referencing Alma and Mosiah lead us?

Alma 5: 53-54

 53 And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?

54 Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance . . . .

And just for good, demonstrative measure, let me give you a small taste of what homosexual marriage proponents are saying about Mainers after natural marriage won in Maine yesterday.  These quotes (and more) can be found at my good friend, Euripides', blog:

"F*** GOD and all homophobics religions"

"I am going to ask the City of Portland to remove poling place from all Churches, (how can you have a vote for a free county, in a place that is run by a hate group). Ask everyone to stop giving to any group that supports hate, this include the united way, they are a big supporter of Catholic Charities, with is part of one of the worlds largest hate groups."

"The fault lies with the right wing Christians and half of the electorate who didn't think we are worth trouble."

"Christian , you are a christian taliban , you live in the middle age like Ben Laden . Stay on your cave!"

"Christians talibans win a battle in Maine but not the war ."

"Time to vote on whether or nor Catholics should be enslaved. Time to vote on whether Protestants should pay double taxes. Time to vote whether Jews can live in a house or must live in a shack. Time to vote on whether a white man is a whole man or 5/8ths of a man. Time to see how the breeders would like them apples!"

And Mosiah?  Which of his words were the Nephites of Helaman's time reminded of?  Mosiah 29:27.

27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

Believe what you will, but as for me and my house, we will be updating our emergency supplies and continuing to build our food storage as the Lord has commanded through His prophet.  How wonderful to have His counsel through the Prophet during these difficult times!  How wonderful to know that those who cling to the gospel, to the Savior, to our Heavenly Father, will be able to live happy lives, filled with smiles and peace.  Because of this knowledge, we have a duty to bring others out of the dark and into the light and happiness which define our mortal existence!

Following the natural marriage victory in Maine, Fox News reported "Gay marriage has now lost in every single state - 31 in all - in which it has been put to a popular vote." And Thomas Peters at NRO wrote

"It now appears highly likely that, when all the votes are counted, Maine will join every other state in the union (which has had a popular vote on the issue) in rejecting gay marriage.

This result comes despite Maine being a liberal state, despite a 2-1 funding disadvantage, despite aggressive legal action against traditional marriage defenders, despite unusually high voter turn out, and despite Rachel Maddow and the elite press running interference.

Proponents of same-sex marriage, unlike in California’s Prop 8, can’t blame Maine on Mormons, on African Americans who turned out for Barack Obama, on confusing ballot wording. Their issue loses when the people decide. And it loses every time."

And again I am reminded of Mosiah 29:26

26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law - to do your business by the voice of the people.

I pray the people choose righteously for many, many more years to come.