Mormon - Chapter 3

I think it is marvelous our Mormon loved the Nephites.  It was an unconditional love that sprang from his love of God.  He did not approve of their behavior.  He grieved over their lack of faith and humility.  He warned them of the danger of the path the trod; even of the consequences that lie ahead in the course they were choosing.  But that did not prevent him from loving them.  How can that be?  I think it is because it was all about them, rather than all about him.  Mormon's efforts were not to preserve himself or his lifestyle.  Mormon served them because he wanted to preserve and provide means for their happiness.

He didn't attempt to change them, or get even with them when they refused.  He simply warned them and let them choose for themselves.  We need to follow this example.  Too often the rebellion we experience from those we "love" is because we sought to control them, to manipulate them, to change them.  It is because we sought to take away their agency.  If we love them like Mormon did, we will warn and prepare them, but we will leave the choices to them.  Of course that means we are leaving the consequences to them as well and we will soon see that the consequences the Nephites chose were grievous indeed.  Still, that is what we must do, if we are to love the Father and truly love His children.

Fortunately, we live in a time when the promise is sure that the gospel will never again be taken from the earth.  We can hope that many will not be destroyed.  In my work with troubled youth we didn't find many children from active Latter-day Saint families who got into trouble.  The rare ones who did, always reported having had one or two controlling manipulative parents.  Interesting.  Let us love unconditionally, like Mormon did.