A sign and Bearing Record

1 Nephi 11: ,NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6

 For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

TSJ 1 Nefi 3:6

For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that yhwh was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart, I was caught away in the spirit of yhwh, yes, into an exceedingly high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before set my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what do you desire? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said, Yes, you know that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hoshianna to yhwh, the El Elyon, for he is Elohim over all the earth, yes, even above all! And blessed are you, Nefi, because you believe in the Son of the El Elyon; wherefore, you shall behold the things which you have desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto you for a sign, that after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness. And after you shall have witnessed him, you shall bear record that it is the Son of Elohim.

Here Nephi is told that he will behold what he desires to see and understand because of his belief in the Son of the Most High God.

What about the particular way that the spirit phrased the introduction of the vision to Nephi?

Why is it important that the spirit said, "this thing shall be given unto you for a sign,"?

Why not just say "after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness."?

Are we invited to learn something from that fact that right here Nephi is being told that he is receiving a sign?

Was Nephi seeking a sign?

Was Nephi desiring to see the same things his father, Lehi, had seen in order the prove that his father was speaking the truth?

What is the difference between what Nephi desired (to see what his father, Lehi, had seen; which the spirit declared was a sign) and the temple authorities who confronted the Savior after He drove the money changers from the temple for example?

The temple authorities, who had authorized the profiteering, confronted Jesus asking, If you think you have a right to exercise authority over the temple, while identifying yourself as God’s son, show us a sign to prove you have this right, so we can believe you. Jesus answered and said, I will replace the holy of holies in three days with a new holy House of God. The Jews declared, It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you replace it in three days? But he was talking of the temple of his resurrected body. Later after he was resurrected from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this to the temple authorities, and they remembered the scripture, and what Jesus had said to the disciples. (Teachings and Commandments, Section 171, The Testimony of St John Chapter 1 par. 19)

Would it be critical to understand the difference between the actions of Nephi and the actions of the temple authorities who confronted the Lord?

What has the Lord declared about people who seek for signs?

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and testing Jesus, desired of him that he would show them a sign from Heaven. And he answered and said unto them, When it is evening you say, The weather is fair, for the sky is red; and in the morning you say, The weather is foul today, for the sky is red and overcast. O hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot tell the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them and departed. (Matthew 16:1 - 4, NC Matthew 8 par. 15)

Why did the Lord sternly charge those He healed to be silent about the matter?

And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying and saying, Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on us. And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said unto them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened. And sternly he charged them, saying, Keep my commandments and see you tell no man in this place, that no man know it. But they, when they had departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. (Matthew 9:27 - 31, NC Matthew 4 par. 13)

This happened on multiple occasions by the way.

Does it have anything to do with this?

And he that seeks signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation. Verily I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning. But behold, faith comes not by signs, but signs follow those that believe. Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men nor as they please, but by the will of God. Yea, signs come by faith unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleases God. And with whom God is angry, he is not well pleased, wherefore, unto such he shows no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation. Wherefore, I, the Lord, am not pleased with those among you who have sought after signs and wonders for faith, and not for the good of men unto my glory. (D&C 63:7 - 12, Teachings and Commandments 50 par. 3)

Is it possible that the Lord, knowing the wicked and adulterous nature of those who seek for signs, did not want a following of people who were there to see great miracles?

Christ said to tell no one because it would attract the wrong kind of follower. It would attract the adulterers. It would attract the sign seekers. It would attract the wrong kind of people. Satan tempted Christ asking him for signs that were self-serving. Bread for the Lord to eat when the Lord was hungry. A show of angelic support when he would be cast off the Temple's pinnacle. At his death, the wicked emanded signs from him. Spare yourself from the crucifixion; heal yourself. Signs are by their very nature self-serving and attention-grabbing, and it is just inevitable. (Denver Snuffer, "Signs Follow Faith", March 2019, Centerville, Utah, pg. 13)

Remember what the Lord declared about the city of Capernaum?

And you, Capernaum, which are exalted unto Heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. (Matthew 11:23 - 24, NC Matthew 6 par. 6)

Capernaum enjoyed the earthly presence of the Lord and it was also the place where many miracles and great works occurred.

Isn't it evident from the Lord's words that the city of Capernaum failed to believe on Christ as the Son of God?

Is it putting people in a position where they incur the wrath of God and bring condemnation upon themselves to manifest a sign if they do not already believe?

Is this why the Lord was careful to instruct the recipients of the miracles He wrought to not publicize the miracle?

This sign Nephi is receiving then is coming because Nephi already has belief and the Lord declared above that "signs follow those that believe. Yea, signs come by faith...Yea, signs come by faith unto mighty works".

The scriptures demonstrate that anyone who believes in Christ the Son of God will receive signs; not because they seek them but because the Lord is confirming their belief and their faith.

As an example, Nephi's initial experience concerning his inquiry about his father's words.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceeding young, nevertheless, being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore I cried unto the Lord. And behold, he did visit me and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2:16 - 24, NC 1 Nephi 1 par. 9)

Wasn't the softening of Nephi's heart a sign that God gave to him?

When Alma spoke of the experiment on the word of God how it would grow and swell if we would give it place, isn't the growing and swelling a sign from God that the word is good?

There is a part of Joseph Smith's history that is dear to me because of the experience I had.

Following their baptisms, Joseph and Oliver experienced the following.

Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of...(Joseph Smith History 1:74, Teachings and Commandments, Section 1, Joseph Smith History part 14 par. 4) 

Wasn't this a divine sign that followed because of Joseph and Oliver's belief in the Doctrine of Christ?

Following my re-baptism on the 21st of September 2014 I began to experience the very same sign.

What about the following sign the Lord set forth?

I give you a new commandment, That you love one another. Love each other as I have loved you. If you have love for each other it will be a sign that will identify you to all mankind as my followers. (Teachings and Commandments, Section 171, The testimony of St John 10 par. 7)

Does the following align with what the Lord stated here above?

Signs follow faith. Signs follow faith by the will of God, not of man. From the Teachings and Commandments: And these signs shall follow them that believe:in my name they shall do many wonderful works (T&C82:22). You want a sign that someone is a follower of Christ? Go ask the single mother with children who's being helped by the tithes of a fellowship that go directly to help her whether that is a wonderful work in her life and in her experience, and that's the first sign —perhaps the primary sign; perhaps the greatest sign. Because it’s relieving the need of someone that needs it. (Denver Snuffer, "Signs Follow Faith", March 2019, Centerville, Utah, pg. 14)

The Lord has further stated, concerning signs,

And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall do many wonderful works; in my name they shall cast out devils; in my name they shall heal the sick; in my name they shall open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf, and the tongue of the dumb shall speak; and if any man shall administer poison unto them, it shall not hurt them; and the poison of a serpent shall not have power to harm them. But a commandment I give unto them that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the world, for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation. (D&C 84:65 - 73, Teachings and Commandments section 82 par. 22)

Is Nephi's experience with signs instructive for us so that we can understand "how great things the Lord has done"?

Shouldn't we be confident that if we do not seek for signs but we believe in Christ and act on that belief that God, according to His will and His timing, confirm our belief and our actions?

Receive Him. It may start very slow, very small, very distant. Act on that. Hearken to that. It gets louder. You will never wind up in the company of Gods and angels if you’re not willing to have faith in those preliminary things that you receive that ask you to go and to do. ("Who Is Christ", Denver Snuffer Podcast, Episode 3, Denver Snuffer.com.  Also 40 Years in Mormonism Talk Series Talk #7, "Christ:Prototype of the Saved Being", Ephraim, Utah, June 28, 2014)

If we consider Nephi's journey to this point where he receives this sign does it not follow this course?

What you need is a true message from God.  That is what the restored Gospel says it is.  If you would like to know if those claims are true, you must want to believe it and be willing to ask God to find out.  You must have a "desire" to believe.  Then you must "cry unto the Lord" so the Lord can aid you to overcome unbelief.
Although the end of the process may be great and glorious, it begins very humbly.  It began so with Nephi.  It begins similarly with everyone who will walk that path.  Interestingly, wherever you are in the path, the next step is always the first step all over again.  Whenever you encounter the doubts and skepticism, the route through them is the same route taken to find faith in the first place. (The Second Comforter, Denver Snuffer, pgs 65 - 66)

We've discussed this before.

Isn't Nephi's experience included in here so that we may see the path we can and we must trod in order to come back to God?

Aren't the signs, even the small ones, that God gives along the path meant to confirm that we are still on His path after we have traveled the distance God requires us to travel to that point?

Wouldn't this way of doing things, God's way, make the process of walking in the path more important than the signs received?

Isn't it the process of walking the path that allows us to become like God?

Is it the same for each of us just like it was for Nephi?

Again, as always, there is so much more to consider and so many more resources that can be accessed than can be shared in a blog post.

Hopefully, the post gives the inspiration to dig deeper into the matter.

At the end of this paragraph, according to my present understanding, isn't Nephi being told that he is going to become a "preacher" in the sense that Paul was talking about; what we covered in the last post?

Nephi is told, "after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God."

Nephi, after this experience, will have a true message from the Father. He will be sent to bear record of the Son of God.

Believing in the Son of the Most High God

1 Nephi 11: ,NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6

 For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before sat my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what desirest thou? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bare the fruit of which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness. And after ye shall have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

TSJ 1 Nefi 3:6

For it came to pass, after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that yhwh was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart, I was caught away in the spirit of yhwh, yes, into an exceedingly high mountain, a mountain which I never had before seen and upon which I never had before set my foot. And the spirit said unto me, Behold, what do you desire? And I said, I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the spirit said unto me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said, Yes, you know that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hoshianna to yhwh, the El Elyon, for he is Elohim over all the earth, yes, even above all! And blessed are you, Nefi, because you believe in the Son of the El Elyon; wherefore, you shall behold the things which you have desired. And behold, this thing shall be given unto you for a sign, that after you have beheld the tree which bears the fruit of which your father tasted, you shall also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall you witness. And after you shall have witnessed him, you shall bear record that it is the Son of Elohim.

It is interesting to me that following Nephi's confession of belief in the words of his father, Lehi, we have a reaction by the spirit accompanying him.

And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God

How about that?

Does there seem to be some excitement expressed here in praising God and blessing Nephi for his belief in the Son of the Most High God?

What is it about Nephi's belief that is so exceedingly exciting to the spirit?

What can or should I do to come to believe in the Son of the Most High God in a manner that will engender the same excitement by the spirit for me?

Evidently the belief that Nephi exhibits is rare upon the earth.  Why?

What is the difference between faith and belief?

Is there a difference?

More than belief; a principle of action that requires one to act on belief in order to produce faith. The Lectures on Faith are a study on the topic. Joseph Smith defined faith as a principle of power through action, in which one puts those beliefs into action and thereby acquires power. Joseph related faith to having power. One can spend a lifetime as a “believer” without ever developing faith. Before belief can turn into faith, action is required. Without some action consistent with belief, a disciple cannot move along from mere belief to developing faith. It is action, obedience, and living in conformity to God’s will that yields faith. The commandments give us a chance to develop faith, which begins in very small ways. Emotional, sympathetic feelings are the beginnings of this seed sprouting. After that, the mind begins to “get” or to “see” the truthfulness of the system. Faith covers a broad spectrum. It begins embryonic and weak but can develop into an “unshakable faith” in the truthfulness of a principle. Jacob described this kind of faith; it results in actual power (see Jacob 3:2). In the Book of Mormon, the word “faith” is used when an angel has ministered to someone. Moroni 7:7 says, Behold, I say unto you…it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men. Wherefore, if these things have ceased, woe be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
The development of faith will save one, but faith is not the end, and much more is offered if one is willing to receive it. Belief becomes faith, and faith becomes knowledge. Knowledge is what one gets when they are “redeemed from the fall” as Christ explained to the Brother of Jared. “Faith in Him comes by hearing the word of God, delivered as He authorizes, by whomever He chooses to deliver it. If we receive God’s word preached by someone He sends, then we can have faith in the Son of God. We can receive Him. But if we harden our heart, blind our mind and refuse to receive what He offers today, then we do not and cannot have faith in Him. We fall short of the faith required by His sons and daughters. This has always been the test. This will always be the test. I have been sent, and God is proving you. Joseph Smith testified to these things, and I am now a second witness. Therefore, two proclaim the same doctrine.” (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, "Faith")

I remember a statement made by the apostle Paul.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they are sent? — as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:14 - 15, 17 , NC Romans 1 par. 49)

What does this statement of Paul have to do with having a belief in Christ?

What does Paul mean when he declares, concerning those who must hear about Christ in order to believe in Him?

If a preacher is necessary in order to preach so that those who hear can begin to believe in Christ what is the criteria to be a preacher?

What does it mean to be sent?

Is this related to what occurred with Jacob, Nephi's younger brother?

And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old, desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son. Yea, and they also began to search much gold and silver, and began to be lifted up somewhat in pride. Wherefore, I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having firstly obtained mine errand from the Lord. For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph, had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people by the hand of Nephi. And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence. Wherefore, by laboring with our mights, their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise, their blood would come upon our garments and we would not be found spotless at the last day. (Jacob 1:15 - 19, NC Jacob 1 par. 4)

Is this an example of someone who has been sent, a preacher?

Weren't Jacob and Joseph ordained priests before Jacob went to the temple to preach?

Was Jacob preaching on his own initiative or was he preaching because a Higher Authority (God) had sent him?

If Jacob had presumed to go to the temple himself and preach what he thought would be important, instead of being sent by God, would his words have had the effect of causing people to believe in Christ?

When we are talking about inspiring a belief in the Son of God is this element of a preacher being "sent" from God with an actual message from God an indispensable element?

Is it possible that inspiring actual real belief in the Son of God is impossible to do if an individual is trying to "preach" without being "sent"?

Do the scriptures bear up the necessity of one being a true "preacher" only if they are "sent"?

What examples do the scriptures give?

How about Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, King Mosiah the first, King Benjamin, Alma, Abinadi, the sons of King Mosiah among the Lamanites, Nephi son of Helaman, Samuel the Lamanite, Ether, Paul, Peter, Jacob, John, Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Isaiah, the Prophet Joseph Smith, etc., etc., etc.?

Did any of these individuals act of their own accord to "preach" or were they all "sent"; God having given them a clear message to impart?

What happens if we endeavor to "preach" when we haven't been sent?

And now behold, my brethren, I have spoken unto you according as the spirit hath constrained me; wherefore, I know that they must surely come to pass. And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel. For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other, Behold, I, I am the Lord’s — and the other shall say, I, I am the Lord’s — and thus shall everyone say that hath built up churches and not unto the Lord. And they shall contend one with another, and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the holy ghost which giveth utterance. And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel. And they say unto the people, Hearken unto us and hear ye our precept, for behold, there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men. Behold, hearken ye unto my precept. If they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work... (2 Nephi 28:1 - 10, NC 2 Nephi 12 par. 1)

Have you ever listened to an individual try to "preach" by trying to use their life or work experiences and/or learning and education to explain Christ, His attributes and His gospel, in order to convince those listening that they know something concerning Christ?

Have you ever heard an individual try to "preach" by using the claim that God has given them authority to preach and there are no others who are able to utter a word from God by the power of the Holy Ghost because God hasn't given any others authority to speak but them?

In the history of the world, including today, what has been the predominant influence as far as "preachers" go?

Have there been more times when there were "preachers" who were actually "sent" or have there been more times when there are pretenders seeking to "preach" without a real message from God?

When God gave the command not to take His name in vain, did He give that command because He knew how destructive to peoples' real belief in His Only Begotten Son (and therefore destructive to their salvation) it is for pretenders to declare in their pride their own understanding and learning?

Is it clear how destructive to the souls of men it is to take the name of the Lord in vain; to say you speak in the name of the Lord when you have no authority to do so?

Is Nephi in a situation where he has and is hearing a message from a "preacher" (Lehi) who actually has been "sent"?

Given the history of the world would that be one thing that makes Nephi's belief in the Son of God a rare thing?

What about unbelief?

What is that unbelief?

Is unbelief the same as disbelief?

How might that apply to this event of Nephi's belief in the Son of God?

The following is from the glossary of terms in the Restoration Edition scriptures.

As used in the Book of Mormon, it means one does not understand and has not accepted true doctrine. The word unbelief means to accept false doctrine or to have an incomplete and inaccurate understanding of correct doctrine. Unbelief is often used in conjunction with losing truth, forsaking doctrine, and “dwindling.” The phrase dwindling in unbelief is the Book of Mormon’s way to describe moving from a state of belief, with true and complete doctrine, to a state of unbelief, where the truth has been discarded. Miracles end because men dwindle in unbelief. (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, "Unbelief")

I would like to use an example from the Book of Mormon to illustrate the above definition of unbelief.

And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him, Believest thou that there is a God? And he answered unto him, I do not know what that meaneth. And then Ammon said, Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? And he said, Yea. And Ammon said, This is God. And Ammon said unto him again, Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in Heaven and in the earth? And he said, Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth, but I do not know the Heavens. And Ammon said unto him, The Heavens are a place where God dwells, and all his holy angels. And king Lamoni said, Is it above the earth? And Ammon said, Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart, for by his hand were they all created from the beginning. And king Lamoni said, I believe all these things which thou hast spoken. Art thou sent from God? Ammon said unto him, I am a man, and man in the beginning was created after the image of God. And I am called by his holy spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true; and a portion of that spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge and also power, according to my faith and desires which are in God. 
Now when Ammon had said these words, he began to the creation of the world, and also to the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man, and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father Lehi left Jerusalem. And he also rehearsed unto them (for it was unto the king and to his servants) all the journeyings of their fathers in the wilderness, and all their sufferings with hunger and thirst, and their travel, etc. And he also rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman, and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael — yea, all their rebellions did he relate unto them. And he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time. But this is not all, for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption which was prepared from the foundation of the world; and he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and all the works of the Lord did he make known unto them.
And it came to pass that after he had said all these things and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words. And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, have mercy, according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me and my people. And now when he had said this, he fell unto the earth as if he were dead. (Alma 18:24 - 43, NC Alma 12 pars. 15 - 17)

Did king Lamoni possess a portion of true doctrine?

Did Lamoni have an inaccurate and incomplete understanding of correct doctrine?

Was Ammon a true "preacher" who had been "sent" with a true message from God?

As an important aside, where was the message Ammon was sent to deliver located?

What was engendered in Lamoni by hearing of Christ from a "preacher" who was "sent"?

How did Lamoni get into his original state of unbelief?

... Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence from the beginning of their transgressions in the land. Nevertheless, I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for you if ye remain in your sins, yea, and even more tolerable for them in this life than for you, except ye repent. For there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites, for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that cause them to remain in their state of ignorance. Therefore, the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land. And at some period of time, they will be brought to believe in his word and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name. (Alma 9:13 - 17, NC Alma 7 par. 3)

It was the traditions of their fathers that caused the Lamanites to persist for generations in a state of unbelief.

When "preachers" who were truly "sent" from God came among the Lamanites they did just what the above scripture states, they began to believe in the words of Christ because they now had the entire correct true doctrine of Christ in their possession and they discarded the traditions of their fathers.

This brings in something we must absolutely consider when it comes to looking inside to determine within ourselves if we are filled with unbelief.

We must consider the traditions of our fathers.

What does the Lord have to say about the traditions of the fathers?

The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the Fall, man became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth. (D&C 93:36 - 40,T&C 93 par. 11)

It would appear that the traditions of their fathers cause the wicked one to have great power over the children of men because by these traditions he is able to take away truth and light from the children of men causing a sore state of unbelief.

The following is an example of this.

Now, in the days of the apostles, the law of circumcision was had among all the Jews which believed not the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it came to pass that there arose a great contention among the people concerning the law of circumcision, for the unbelieving husband was desirous that his children should be circumcised and become subject to the law of Moses, which law was fulfilled. And it came to pass that the children, being brought up in subjection to the law of Moses, and gave heed to the traditions of their fathers, and believed not the gospel of Christ, wherein they became unholy. (D&C 74:2 - 4,T&C 21 par. 2)

Does this give new understanding to the Savior's explanation of His parable of sower and the seeds?

Hear therefore the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and understands not, then comes the wicked one and catches away that which was sown in his heart; this is he who received seed by the wayside. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word and readily with joy receives it, yet he has not root in himself and endures but for a while; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he is offended. He also who received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word and understands and endures, which also bears fruit and brings forth: some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. (Matthew 13:18 - 23, NC St. Matthew 7 par. 4)

Why wouldn't someone understand the word of the kingdom of God?

Would their traditions get in the way of them understanding how God really works among men?

The Savior uses the same term for the adversary, "the wicked one", who catches away that which is sown in peoples hearts as He uses in the Teachings and Commandments, "the wicked one", who takes away truth and light because of disobedience and the traditions of the fathers.

Is this just a coincidence?

In the history of the world, including now, is it more prevalent for people to receive the word of the Lord or is it more prevalent for people to reject it because they follow their fathers' traditions?

Is it a tradition from our fathers that only a certain number of select individuals can receive revelation from God that is binding for all of God's children?

I mean really.  

If a Lehi or an Abinadi or even a Samuel the Lamanite (he came among people who already had a true "preacher" among them) came and called us to repentance would we hear the message they were sent to deliver or would we laugh and scorn and declare that our traditions from our fathers of having scriptures and leaders and sacred space to worship shows that these folks are lunatics?

When the Lord came upon the earth He spoke words that were and still are binding upon all of God's children.

At the time the Jews had an institution with leaders, who were the only ones allowed to speak authoritatively, and they had scriptures, and they had sacred space for worship.

According to the traditions of their fathers, they did not need Christ or His words because they already had what they needed to be saved and Christ was an outsider after all.  He had not risen through the ranks of the hierarchy to become authoritative and to be "trained in the ministry".

Is it a tradition of our fathers that someone must have years of experience in leadership and study in an institutional setting (they must be "trained in the ministry"), they must rise through the ranks, in order to qualify to receive and speak God's authoritative words?

Is it a tradition from the fathers, not found anywhere in scripture, that we can follow someone in authority, anyone, besides Christ and they will not lead us astray?

Could we say that Lamoni's and the other Lamanites unbelief was damning to them?

Were they kept from light and truth because of the traditions of their fathers?

Are we any different?

Isn't our unbelief damning to us?

Doesn't our unbelief because of the traditions of our fathers remove light and truth from us?

There is much much more that we could cover here but even with just these two things we've talked a little about, the need of a preacher who is sent, and the unbelief that comes from following the traditions of our fathers, is it apparent how rare a thing it is to find a person or people on the earth who truly do believe in the Christ, the Son of God?

Is it no wonder that the spirit who was accompanying Nephi cried out in a loud rejoicing voice, "Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God,"?

Here is joy being expressed that something that is so rare on the earth, true belief in the Son of God, exists here in Nephi.

If I am to come to have the same belief in the Son of God as Nephi then I too must reject the traditions of my fathers and seek to hear the message of a preacher who truly has been sent.

I am in luck because I know that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince both "the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."

I know that the Book of Mormon is filled with the words of preachers who have been sent.

It would behoove me to read the Book of Mormon with the intent of seeing what it can teach me instead of reading into it the traditions of my fathers, allowing the wicked one to come and take away the light and truth the Book of Mormon can impart to me.

I also know that at this moment in time there is a living "preacher" who has been "sent" with a true message from the Father.

This is kind of a hard thing for me though because if my understanding of these things is correct then I am left without excuse if I refuse God's words.