Thursday, September 1, 2016

the Canker of Contention 1 Nephi 18:18

1 Nephi 18:18

The Canker of Contention

What
 18 Because of their grief and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God; yea, their agrey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave.

Why
Lehi and Sariah felt they could not bear any more sorrow over their children.
Pattern
Jacob also flelt this sorrow
Gen.42:38
2: 36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take aBenjamin away: all these things are against me.
 37 And aReuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
 38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with asorrow to the grave.



Christ
Russel M. Nelson
When Christ did come to the Nephites, He confirmed that prophecy:
He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me [saith the Lord], but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.” (3 Ne. 11:29–30.)

Conference
April 1989- Russel M. Nelson
The Canker of Contention
Creator of Contention
To understand why the Lord has commanded us not to “contend one with another,” we must know the true source of contention. A Book of Mormon prophet revealed this important knowledge even before the birth of Christ:
Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come.” (Hel. 16:22.)
When Christ did come to the Nephites, He confirmed that prophecy:
He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me [saith the Lord], but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.” (3 Ne. 11:29–30.)
Alma, having authority from God, … commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” (Mosiah 18:18, 21; see also Mosiah 23:15.)
Steps to Supplant Contention
What can we do to combat this canker of contention? What steps may each of us take to supplant the spirit of contention with a spirit of personal peace?...
To begin, show compassionate concern for others. Control the tongue, the pen, and the word processor. Whenever tempted to dispute, remember this proverb: “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.” (Prov. 11:12; see also Prov. 17:28.)...
Bridle the passion to speak or write contentiously for personal gain or glory. The Apostle Paul thus counseled the Philippians, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” (Philip. 2:3.)...
Shun contention. Seek godliness. Be enlightened by eternal truth. Be like-minded with the Lord in love and united with Him in faith. Then shall “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philip. 4:7), be yours, to bless you and your posterity through generations yet to come. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


April 1899 Gordon B. Hinckley
Let Love Be the Loadstar of Your Life
There are even those among us whose lives are torn with hate. They lash out at one thing and another, including the Church. They manufacture and spread vile falsehoods behind which there is not a shred of truth. There is nothing new about this, except that there have been those in each generation, including this generation, who appear to be possessed of a sickness that so manifests itself. In such circumstances, we draw comfort from the words of the Master: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” (Matt. 5:11.)
We think also of the mandate of modern revelation: “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” (D&C 64:10.)
We think of a public figure who, when driven from office, said: “Those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them—and then you destroy yourself.”


Apply
And the divine voice of revelation speaks: “Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings.” (D&C 108:7.)

Contention is truly a canker and a cancer. It is something that we want to keep out of our families and our lives. Although Lehi and Sariah were in a terrible situation that we seldom see, we can appreciate their circumstances.
For the most part a kind word and loving, forgiving spirit can reduce the tension and contention in our lives.

Let us humbly bridle our passions and follow the advice of our prophets to reach out in love,

Hymns
336 School thy Feelings
Prov. 16:32  32 He that is slow to aanger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Children

145 Kindness Begins With Me

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