The Curse of God did no more follow them

Today I ready Alma 23, where the king of the Lamanites declares religious freedom among his people. I have found it really interesting that throughout history, the people who have been strong in the Spirit of God have wanted religious freedom, whereas those people who have desired power over other men and desire to rule do just the opposite.

The reason is simple really, it is easier for dictators to rule over those who are ignorant and do not have a real understanding of who they are. But if you think about the tyrants in history, Mao Ze Dong, Hitler, Stalin and many others we could name, they attacked the intellectuals, burned the histories and books and declared that there was no God. Where as people like the founding fathers of America declared religious freedom so that all Americans could worship God in whatever fashion they so chose.

The thought of religious freedom verses religious oppression reminds me of 2 Nephi chapter 32 where it says that the evil one teaches a man that he must not pray, for that is exactly what happens during religious oppression. Just look at the story of Daniel in the lions den. King Darius was tricked into passing a law that made it a crime to pray to God. In Communist China, atheism was the declared "religion".

Nevertheless, I do not wish to dwell on such an unhappy subject. Rather I would prefer to think on the last sentence of this chapter, "the curse of God did no more follow them". I have already mentioned that for years I was mistaken in what the curse of God actually was. In fact I believe I was a teenager, almost an adult, before I was corrected in my thinking. The curse of God is of course, as we have previously discussed, the denial of the Priesthood of God. The authority to act in God's names and perform those ordinances that are necessary for salvation.

What a beautiful thing it must have been for Ammon and his brethren to ordain those they loved so dearly and see them receive all those ordinances which are necessary for salvation! No wonder Ammon sings for joy and praises God in Alma chapter 26! Truly, aside from baptism, this must have been the happiest moment of those Lamanites' lives to this point. I remember how proud I was the day I got ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood as a 12 year old, and then again at 19 being ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood. I can only imagine the joy they must have felt.

I think sometimes we men, and maybe even some women, take for granted the wonderful gift that is the Priesthood. I know that when we sin and become unworthy to use the Priesthood, we are definitely not revering it the way it is meant to be. After all, as we have mentioned, it is the very authority to act in God's name! By it's power the very worlds were created and put into motion. It shames me to think how I have defiled it at times by not living a pure and righteous life all the time. It puts the final judgment into a whole new light and helps you understand why God will not exalt everyone. At least it does for me.

I hope all men who hold the Priesthood, and all women, give it the respect and reverence it is due. I know I can do a better job, but having a wife and a daughter certainly give me the strength to live a better life so that I may use it to serve them. Until tomorrow.