Mosiah 19 'the men...left their wives and children and they fled'

As I continue to search the Book of Mormon for principles and doctrines that will help me be a better husband and father, Chapter 19 of Mosiah stands out to me.  This chapter tells the account of King Noah commanding the men to leave their wives and their children and flee from the Lamanite armies who are coming to destroy them.  There are three types of men in this account, with respect to how they value and regard their responsibilities to their wives and children.  The King and his priests flee their responsibilities, looking after only themselves, and leaving their families to fend for themselves when it comes to those trying to destroy them.  They never turn back.  The second group, for various reasons I'm sure, listened to King Noah when he told them to leave their families.  They also fled and looked after their own needs, but this group had a change of heart, and turned back, determined to rescue their families or perish trying to do so.  The third group had their hearts and priorities straight from the beginning.  They never let their fear or self interest dictate.  They stood strong to attempt to protect their families from evil.

As I read this chapter, I considered whether sometimes I am tempted to flee and leave my family to fend for themselves against the evils of our day.  I realized that when I let work, hobbies, laziness, ect. take priority over my responsibilities to stand with my family against the forces that would break us apart, I am fleeing like these first two groups.  When I spend time with my family, strengthen relationships, have fun, study and share the gospel, serve, etc., I am helping to protect them against the evil.  I want to become better so that I never flee.  But as I work toward this, I must strive to catch myself and turn back quickly when I realize I have fled.  Those who stayed, or turned back, were able to save their families and their relationships.  It took great cost to do this, one half of what they possessed.  It was obviously worth any cost to them.  If my family is my highest priority, it should also be worth any cost I need to pay to stand with them and help protect them from the evils they face.  The King and his priests who left and did not return to stand with their families in their time of need never did regain those relationships (see Ch 20:3).

Words of Mormon 1:8 "And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren"

The chapters from Jacob 7 through Mosiah 6 are packed with powerful messages.  One account that particularly touched me this time around comes from the first part of Words of Mormon.  I want to apply this to help me be a better husband and father.

Mormon, like Nephi, Jacob and the other great prophets, is filled with charity.  Mormon is currently watching the Lamanites destroy his people, the Nephites, off the face of the earth.  He is in the heat of the battle.  He has led his people in these battles.  This is not some theoretical thing for him.  This is not some distant memory that has had time to soften.  Right in the midst of watching the Lamanites brutally destroy his people, he loves his enemy.  He regards them as his brethren.  He prays and labors for them.  He instructs his son to do the same.  His only desire is for their eternal welfare.

As I become converted more fully unto Christ, I will also be more filled with this love.  This is what I need to better handle conflicts in my relationships, particularly within my own marriage and family.  When I feel 'attacked', too often I am prideful and concerned too much about my own feelings or welfare.  I turn inward instead of outward.  I can learn from Mormon that I need to turn outward and be concerned about my 'brethren'.  I know that through the enabling and strengthening power of the atonement of Jesus Christ that I can be more converted to Him and be more filled with this love which He bestows on all of His true followers (Mor 7:48).  I can call on His name and exercise faith through my actions.  I can work to be less concerned about my own injuries and more concerned about how to help others with their injuries.

2 Ne 33:3 "I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them"

As we become more converted to Christ, our thoughts and desires turn out toward those around us.  I think this is a good measure of my own conversion - my degree of desire for the welfare of those around me.  Nephi's tender account of his feelings toward his people in 2 Ne 33:3-4, touches me deeply and gives me greater desire to be more fully converted and to have these feelings toward those around me.  It inspires me to be a better husband and father.  At times I am impatient with how slowly I seem to be progressing.  But the words in 2 Ne 28:30 help me to be patient and to understand the need for gradual progress.  Nephi teaches that the Lord gives to us "line upon line" and that "unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."

I think this verse holds a key to a very powerful and important principle regarding my ability to progress spiritually.  I receive spiritual guidance line upon line.  As I desire, accept, cherish and obey the guidance I receive, I will receive more guidance.  As I reject guidance, seek my own will and harden my heart, I lose the light that I've received.  It must be this way if I am to become converted to Christ.  If God just gave me all light and truth at once, without my exercise of faith, I could not grow.  I could not become.  I would be 'spoiled' and his great plan for me would be frustrated.

In the first few chapters of Jacob, we again see what it looks like to be a true disciple of Christ.  Jacob receives instructions from the Lord to deliver a very difficult message to his people.  This task gives Jacob much grief, but he doesn't shy away from it.  He loves his people enough to do all he can to help them desire to follow the Lord and to understand and apply the principles that lead to true happiness. I also must do all I can, and ensure I do not shrink from the sometimes difficult responsibilities associated with teaching my family.  And I need to be able to separate evaluation of my own desires and efforts from the outcomes.  It is easy to think I am doing enough when things are going well and my kids seem to be making good decisions.  And conversely, when my kids do not respond to my efforts, it is easy to think I am not doing enough.  I can be wrong in each case.  Like Jacob, when I sincerely seek to “obtain mine errand from the Lord”, and then follow the guidance received, I think I am doing what the Lord would have me do.  This is the criteria I can apply to evaluate my efforts.  I can do better.  I can continue to strive for consistency.  In family worship.  In my personal worship.  In one on one time.  But I also need to strive for these activities to be uplifting and meaningful.  Not just going through the motions.  Many times our family worship feels like we are going through the motions.  The other night though, we had a really nice discussion about the importance of Christ and repentance.  Our son started it by offering to share something he had highlighted from his personal scripture study.  Everyone then shared some of their thoughts, feelings and questions, and we had a really nice discussion.  I would like to have more family scripture sessions like that.

In contrast to Nephi and Jacob, the men mentioned in Jacob 2:35 highlight the other end of the spectrum.  Through their selfishness, these men broke the hearts of their tender wives and lost the confidence of their children.  These were declared to be greater sins than the Lamanites committed.  If I am to fulfill my responsibilities as a husband and father, I must not be like these people.  I must protect the hearts and confidence of my wife and children.  I want to be like Nephi and Jacob and pray for my people continually, and put forth all of my best efforts to magnify my responsibilities.  To do this, I need to continually be converted to Christ, line upon line.

Likening the words of Isaiah unto ourselves

One of the purposes Nephi gives for writing the words of Isaiah is so that we can liken them unto us (2 Ne 11:8).  I am not very good at doing this yet with Isaiah's words.  President Eyring gave a great talk on the Book of Mormon to religious educators in 1990. The talk was published in the February 2004 Ensign (https://www.lds.org/ensign/2004/02/the-book-of-mormon-will-change-your-life?lang=eng).  He teaches how the Book of Mormon will change our lives.  He gives many great insights in his talk - one of these concerns how we can liken the words of Isaiah to ourselves.  He gives a personal example using 2 Ne 12:11.

2 Ne 12:11 And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

I won't repeat here what President Eyring said, but his talk gives neat insight into how he studies Isaiah.  I will try to follow his example and liken the words of Isaiah, and all the words of the prophets, unto myself.

2 Ne 9:42 - "And whoso knocketh, to him will he open"

I would like to become more receptive to receiving spiritual guidance in my life.  2 Nephi 9:42 contains an important principle.  To receive spiritual guidance, I must knock.  If I knock, it shall be opened unto me. If it is not being opened unto me, I must not be actually knocking.  I must be doing something else.  This verse gives a key to know know whether I am knocking or whether I am doing something else.  If I am puffed up, if it is about me, and my glory, I am not knocking.  I am doing something else.  If I am humble, and it is about Him, and His glory, then I am knocking.  And what is it that shall be opened?  That which brings the happiness prepared for the saints.

Knocking requires humility.  It's not about me.