And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness, he spake unto us, saying, Behold, I have dreamed a dream, or in other words, I have seen a vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they and also many of their seed will be saved. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you. For behold, methought I saw in my dream a dark and dreary wilderness. And it came to pass that I saw a man and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he spake unto me and bade me follow him. And it came to pass that as I followed him, I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me according to the multitude of his tender mercies. And it came to pass, after I had prayed unto the Lord, I beheld a large and spacious field. And it came to pass that I beheld a tree whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof, and beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
Throughout the record of 1st and 2nd Nephi again and again we are presented with the situation of Laman and Lemuel.
I am seeking to change my heart with respect to them.
Let me explain.
All my life I have been judging and condemning them and I believe that has been a reflection of the conditions of my heart.
Let me be clear. I do not believe that their actions or points of view were correct. I believe that their actions and their points of view were wrong, critically wrong.
What I am learning is just what a delightful individual voiced to me.
God didn't give me the job of being a judge. He gave me the job of being a fruit inspector.
I am only allowed to inspect their fruits to see if they are good or not.
It is only God who can and does judge all men with a righteous judgment.
So the question remained for me, "Why was so much time given to inscribe on the plates concerning Laman and Lemuel?"
This is my present point of view on the matter.
1) It is important that I am given an opportunity to see from others' past practical experiences what the real consequences are of not coming to the Lord and having a personal relationship with Him.
This is provided in order that I may look inward at my own heart and view my own actions to see which path I am on.
Alma taught something concerning this relationship that is borne out in these experiences with Laman and Lemuel.
And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying, It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless, they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart — only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word. And he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until they know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the Devil and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell. (Alma 12:10 - 11, NC Alma 9 par. 3)
At the very beginning of this account we see, I believe, all the brothers on the same ground or at the same level.
I believe that all of them had at least some concern about believing the words of their father Lehi.
Laman and Lemuel take a different path than Nephi.
Nephi cries unto the Lord and initially the Lord softens Nephi's heart so that Nephi is able to believe all the words of his father Lehi.
Laman and Lemuel do not cry to the Lord. Consequently they receive nothing and rebel against Lehi's words.
We see the two paths continuing to diverge over time to the point where Nephi comes to know the mysteries of God in full because of his continued inquiries to God and Laman and Lemuel being taken captive by the Devil and being placed in the chains of hell knowing nothing concerning the mysteries of God.
This is reflected in their answer to Nephi's question, "Have ye inquired of the Lord"?
Laman and Lemuel replied,
"We have not, for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." (1 Nephi 15:9, NC 1 Nephi 4 par. 2)
It appears that at this point in the path that Laman and Lemuel are on that they are convinced that the simple act of asking God a question is foolish because God will not respond.
From this point on they continue to increase in their animosity towards anything the Lord commands through Lehi and Nephi.
In the end this path leads to a desire to shed their brother's blood because of their anger against him.
I feel that I ought to view their experiences with eyes on myself inwardly.
Where am I at?
How believing am I that God will soften my heart to the truth and give me answers to my inquiries if I seek diligently to obtain the mysteries of God?
Am I angry at the commandments of God, regardless of who they come through or what they are?
Am I reliant on my own reasoning and on the words of anyone else who is mortal to obtain an understanding of God's words?
The following was a prophecy given at the conclusion of a conference in which a new covenant of God has been extended to all men again now.
Those who have entered faithfully into the covenant this day are going to notice some
things. The spirit of God is withdrawing from the world. Men are increasingly more angry
without good cause. The hearts of men are waxing cold. There is increasing anger and
resentment of gentiles. In political terms, it’s rejection of white privilege.
Language of scriptures gives a description of the events now underway and calls it the
end of the times of the gentiles. This process with the spirit withdrawing, will end on this
continent, as it did with two prior civilization in fratricidal and genocidal warfare. For the
rest of the world, it will be as in the days of Noah in which, as that light becomes
eclipsed, the coldness of men’s hearts is going to result in a constant scene of violence
and bloodshed. The wicked will destroy the wicked.
The covenant, if it is kept, will prevent you from losing light and warmth of heart as the
spirit now steadily recedes from the world. The time will come when you will be
astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness
of mind of the world (Closing Remarks, Covenant of Christ Conference, Egyptian Theater, Boise, Idaho, September 3, 2017, Denver Snuffer, Jr.)
I believe that part of my faithfully keeping the covenant in order to retain the spirit of God in me even though it is withdrawing from the world is to follow Nephi's example of crying unto God and receiving from Him.
I do not want to become angry with my fellowmen.
I believe that the account of Laman and Lemuel is included to show that the path they followed leads ultimately to anger and a desire to shed blood.
Was there a gulf between the light and truth Nephi comprehended and the darkness of mind of both Laman and Lemuel?
2) I believe that the account of Laman and Lemuel are included to show how a person who truly possesses a hope in Christ reacts to all other human beings.
Recently I listened to a podcast.
The subject discussed was the subject of hope.
I would greatly encourage everyone to listen to the full podcast.
Part of the discussion went as follows:
Man must hope, or he cannot receive (Ether 12:32; see also Ether 5:6 RE). That phrase is filled with a great deal of significance. The term “hope,” particularly as it’s used here, is not that well understood. We sometimes view it as a weak virtue—something of a wisp, a phantom; something that we emote that we would like or desire. But in this context, the word “hope” is much more. It’s a concrete assurance based upon a promise or a covenant . Hope comes from knowing the Lord has
promised a person something. As the Lord has assured us, He does not make (and then break) promises. When He promises something, He will deliver it. He does not excuse Himself; even though the heavens and the earth [may] pass away, [His word] shall not pass away but shall [all] be fulfilled (T&C 43:3). Anyone who receives a promise from Him has an absolute certainty... There’s a direct relationship between faith, hope, and charity. Faith comes from obedience and sacrifice. Hope comes from the promise given to a person, by God, which their faith has secured for them. And charity comes as those holding faith and receiving hope, seek to have all others share in the same promises. The greatest gift you can give to another is eternal life. All those who have such a promise from God want everyone else to have a similar promise for themselves. They teach, preach, exhort, and write to share with everyone that same opportunity to gain hope in God. They understand how rare a thing it is to bring a soul to salvation. But they’re not interested in merely making a bad-person good or a
good-person better, nor are they content to move souls from a Telestial destiny to a
Terrestrial destiny. Those who have such promises for themselves long, hope, pray, and
preach to bring every other soul back to God to dwell with Him in Celestial glory. They seek
the eternal life of all mankind. They participate with God in His great work. They join Christ
in His declaration:
For behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore, he suffered
the pain of all men that all men might repent and come unto him. And he ha[th] risen
again from the dead that he might bring all men unto him on conditions of repentance.
And how great is his joy in the soul that repent[eth]. Wherefore, you are called to cry
repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in
crying repentance unto this people and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great
shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father? And now if your joy will be
great with one soul that you have brought unto me in the kingdom of my Father, how
great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me? (JSH 15:31 RE) ("Hope, Part 3, Denver Snuffer Podcast, Aug. 18, 2019)
Does this give us greater understanding why Alma declared the following to the people of Amonihah?
And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart — yea, with great anxiety even unto pain — that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance, but that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the holy spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering, having faith on the Lord, having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life, having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest. And may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death. And Alma spake many more words unto the people which are not written in this book. (Alma 13:27 - 31, NC Alma 10 par. 4)
Was this why Lehi declared that he feared exceedingly for Laman and Lemuel?
Is this a good barometer to see where I am as far as having a "hope" in Christ?
If I truly have a "hope" in Christ how will I feel about all who do not have the same "hope"?
How do I view the possible casting off of those around me, supposing that I am in any way a candidate for salvation?
Lehi later pleaded with his two eldest sons.
Wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto my words. Oh that ye would awake, awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe. Awake and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth. But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell — I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love. And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning. My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts, the Lord your God should come out in the fullness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed for ever, or that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many generations, and ye are visited by sword and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the Devil. O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord. (2 Nephi 1:12 - 19, NC 2 Nephi 1 par. 3)
Enoch refused to be comforted knowing of all who would be destroyed in their wickedness.
It is plain, from the scriptures, that if the inmost feelings in me do not match those of Lehi and his peers for those who might be cast off, that I am in a state where I do not yet possess a "hope" in my Savior Jesus Christ.
These are the two reasons I believe a merciful God has allowed the accounts of Laman and Lemuel to be so thoroughly included in the Book of Mormon; not for me to condemn them or jeer at them but for me to look inwardly and truly see my pitiful standing before God.
As I consider these things I can only think "May God have mercy on me a sinner".
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