Today's Favorite Verse: Mormon 3:11-12
"And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination.
Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts."
It is so hard to see the ending of the Nephite nation. Its now 360 AD and Mormon would be 50 years old. He has lead their armies for 35 years. The people could not acknowledge that God had spared them in battle. They swore by all that was forbidden that they would destroy their enemies and avenge themselves. The voice of the Lord came to Mormon and said "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth." It would appear that it is acceptable to the Lord to go into battle with your enemies to preserve your liberty, land, and family but not for vengeance. The vengeance you seek on another will come back at you by the hand of the Lord.
Mormon said he did as the Lord commanded, "utterly refused to go to battle and did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come." Mormon was letting the prophecies come true of the destruction of the Nephite nation. He was our witness to these events.
How this grieves my heart. How could Mormon pray for them, even without faith? I would think this necessary so he could continue to have love in his heart for his people. The prayers for my enemies and the wicked even if unheard, because of the hardness of their hearts, does something for me. It shows the righteous desires of my heart to the Father. It allows me to continue on and not be weighed down with this grief. I'm sure Mormon had a peace and comfort that only the Lord could give him during this time. He also had myself and thousands of others to speak to. Even if his words would be sealed up and hidden for hundreds of years to come, he had faith they would come. The chapter gives his words to help us come to Christ. He knew he would see the destruction of his people. But, he also knew someday they would blossom like a rose by way of the Gentiles. That must have been both bitter and sweet what he was going through.
Day 387 Tami Fitzgerald Harris
No comments:
Post a Comment