Out of the Mouth of Babies

Today I read 3 Nephi 26 which is the end of Jesus' second visit to the Nephites. I had a thought keep running through my head as I was reading this chapter this morning. Have you ever noticed how so often in the scriptures it says something like a hundreth part of the happenings of this people cannot be contained in this work? I've often wondered why, since that is true, did these certain scriptures get recorded.

I also couldn't help but wonder why the things the babies said were unlawful to write or record. It brought to mind something my dad said to me a few months ago. As you are all aware Elder Bednar came and visited our Stake for Stake Conference. Well I typed up my notes from all the meetings and my wifes notes so that we could have them and I shared them with our parents.

A few days later I asked my dad if he had received the notes and he had and thanked me for them but then he said that he was always a little leary of reading notes from someone's Stake Conference and here is why. He said that unlike General Conference, a Stake Conference is a the local level and the Stake President, and in this case, the General Authority, receive revelation that is specific to that area and its membership. So knowing this to be true, I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the things the babies and young children were saying were specific to that time and place. Perhaps the babies were telling their parents things the parents needed to know but would have no meaning to us at all.

I do know that these scriptures were inscribed on plates of metal, a very painstaking and deliberate process. So I can tell you that with so many scriptures to choose from, what we ended up with as the Book of Mormon is exactly what we need. It is specific to us and to our needs. I am very confident that if we needed to know what those children had spoken, we would know. It does make one wonder at the choice of the words that it was unlawful for them to be recorded. That is a very unique way to record that it was not to be written down.

Now we do know for a fact that in this case the reason certain things were not recorded was so that we can exercise faith. As we have already determined if a man knows a thing to be true, then it is not needed to have faith, because the person knows it to be true. I imagine that if Mormon had been allowed to record just what the Savior had taught those people that it would be so powerful as to the convincing of all those who read it and thus there would be no need for faith. It is not always fun to know that we were so close to getting such marvelous revelation such as we can only dream about only to have it snatched away from us. It is a comfort that we will receive it at some point.

I love how this chapter ends, how the people did minister unto each other and each man did deal justly with one another. I've often fantasized about what it would be like to live in a utopian society and to not have to be concerned with other people and crime. I can only imagine the wonderful state of happiness those people must have had for the remainder of their lives, living in such a way. I can only hope that one day we will obtain such a society and that we too can all deal justly one with another. Until tomorrow.