Today I read Alma 25. This chapter is taken up in its entirety by the story of how even more Lamanites were converted to the truth by the things which they suffered. As the chapter tells us, the Amulonites, Amalakites and those Lamanites not yet converted attacked the Nephites and are soundly defeated. Following this defeat many of the Lamanites are led to remember the words they were taught by Ammon and his brethren. This angers the Amulonites and they start killing the Lamanites. Not a wise move apparently. This caused the rest of the Lamanites to declare war on the Amulonites which according to Mormon, was still happening almost 600 years later.
There's not much to talk about in this chapter but it got me thinking about human nature. The book of Ether tells us in chapter 12, which we'll get to much later, that God gives mankind weaknesses so that he will be humble and turn to the Lord. This is the pattern that mankind follows unceasingly and with few exceptions.
Mankind typically, if everything is ok with their life, want nothing to do with God. They don't need Him, have no use for Him. Mormon, in the book of Helaman, which we will also get to later, also tells us that mankind is quick to forget the Lord and only by constantly giving them trials and threatening with death and destruction does mankind stay faithful to God.
If you are old enough, you actually saw this exhibited perfectly on September 11, 2001. When the World Trade Centers were attacked, America rallied like it hadn't since December 7, 1941, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. People turned to God, sports games ceased for a week. People started helping their neighbors and religions across the country saw a boost in baptisms and converts. But as time dulled the wounds inflicted by all those deaths, so too did the Spirituality of the nation dwindle.
When I used to read the Book of Mormon prior to 9/11, so for me as a teenager and a missionary, I used to wonder how after just having the Lord save them, could the Nephites be so degenerate and sinful again in just the space of 5 years! I couldn't believe it, until I saw it for myself, first hand. Prior to 9/11 America was on a path that would eventually lead to its destruction if not altered. Now, after 9/11 not only have we gotten back on that path, it seems we are in the express lane and I am left to add my voice to Mormon and cry "how quick [man is] to hearken to the words of the evil one" (Helaman 12:4).
It's really sad that most of mankind is this way. There are very few exceptions to the rule. It may not seem this way, but if you think of it the way it is, the world has a population of 6 billion, 1% of that is 6 million, so probably I would say on average there are somewhere less than 10% of the entire world that falls into this category, less than 600 million people in the world. It sounds like a lot but really it's not. It's a very small percentage really and people really misunderstand what happens. I have a friend who is convinced his life must be acceptable to God because it is going so well. I on the other hand if I don't have a trial every now and then wonder what I must be doing wrong. :)
I don't like talking about such morose topics, but I feel that the Spirit guides me when I write this blog and feel that somewhere, sometime and somehow, someone will get something from this. I think Mormon must have felt this way too. I feel sorrow sometimes for Mormon, I think he had a very thankless job. It must have been really hard to spend so much of his life focusing on the eventual and utter destruction of his people. I feel much the same when I write about such things like today's post. It saddens me but at the same time, I feel that this is what God wants me to blog about today. I may never know what good will come from today's post, but like Nephi I feel this was a personal commandment from God to me and I must obey. Until tomorrow.
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