Thursday, August 12, 2010

Helaman - Chapter 1


I think it is so horrendously sad how many times the cycle of pride, dissension and destruction had to repeat itself in the Nephite history.  Mostly, it appears, the Lamanites were pawns in the process.  Usually, it was a wicked Nephite who stirred them up to do battle.  So many times the righteous Nephites chose to forebear the shedding of Lamanite blood and sent them home or even off to live with the Ammonites in Jershon.  I think these righteous Nephites were fully aware that the Lamanites were being used as fodder for the wicked purposes of their own dissenters.  It must have been woefully tiresome, to have to continually deal with the wickedness of their fellows.

Such is the nature of agency.  We were fully informed before we chose and entered into mortality that we'd likely become the victims of someone's mistreatment.  We were fully aware of those risks and we chose to come anyway.  In the end, it doesn't really matter what afflictions we suffer or in what manner we die.  What really matters is, given the choice, that we chose compassion and righteousness.  This principle is likely to matter in our lives every bit as much as it did in the days of Helaman and Moronihah.

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