3
Nephi 1:27
What
27 And
it came to pass that the ninety and third year did also pass away in
peace, save it were for the Gadianton robbers, who dwelt upon
the amountains,
who did infest the land; for so strong were their holds and their
secret places that the people could not overpower them; therefore
they did commit many murders, and did do much slaughter among the
people.
Evil
is present and these people create much havoc.
Why
Satan
fights against the good and in this time while Christ is on another
continent he is going about ruining the lives of all the believers on
the American continent.
Pattern
- 11
25 And
they did commit murder and plunder; and then they would retreat back
into the mountains, and into the wilderness and secret places, hiding
themselves that they could not be discovered, receiving daily an
addition to their numbers, inasmuch as there were dissenters that
went forth unto them.
26 And
thus in time, yea, even in the space of anot
many years,
they became an exceedingly great band of robbers; and they did search
out all the bsecret plans
of Gadianton; and thus they became robbers of Gadianton. 27 Now
behold, these robbers did make great havoc, yea, even great
destruction among the people of Nephi, and also among the people of
the Lamanites. 28 And
it came to pass that it was expedient that there should be a stop put
to this work of destruction; therefore they sent an army of strong
men into the wilderness and upon the mountains to search out this
band of robbers, and to destroy them.
29 But
behold, it came to pass that in that same year they were driven back
even into their own lands. And thus ended the eightieth year of the
reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
30 And
it came to pass in the commencement of the eighty and first year they
did go forth again against this band of robbers, and did destroy
many; and they were also visited with much destruction.
31 And
they were again obliged to return out of the wilderness and out of
the amountains unto
their own lands, because of the exceeding greatness of the numbers of
those robbers who infested the mountains and the wilderness.
- 2
11 And
it came to pass in the thirteenth year there began to be wars and
contentions throughout all the land; for the aGadianton
robbers had
become so bnumerous,
and did slay so many of the people, and did lay waste so many cities,
and did spread so much death and carnage throughout the land, that it
became expedient that all the people, both the Nephites and the
Lamanites, should take up arms against them.
Christ
This
verse points to Christ in that the people had peace. Satan always
fights against Christ and he has his band of robbers to destroy that
peace.
Conference
By
Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“It
must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so,
… righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness,
neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad” (2 Nephi
2:11;
see also verse
15).
As
a result, Lehi continued, “the Lord God gave unto man that he
should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save
it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other” (verse
16).
Similarly, in modern revelation the Lord declares, “It must needs
be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not
be agents unto themselves” (D&C
29:39).
Opposition
was necessary in the Garden of Eden. If Adam and Eve had not made the
choice that introduced mortality, Lehi taught, “they would have
remained in a state of innocence, … doing no good, for they knew no
sin” (2 Nephi
2:23).
Years
later, Joseph was painfully imprisoned in Liberty Jail for many
months. When he prayed for relief, the Lord told him that “all
these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good”
(D&C
122:7).
We
are all acquainted with other kinds of mortal opposition not caused
by our personal sins, including illness, disability, and death.
President Thomas S. Monson explained:
“Some
of you may at times have cried out in your suffering, wondering why
our Heavenly Father would allow you to go through whatever trials you
are facing. …
“Our
mortal life, however, was never meant to be easy or consistently
pleasant. Our Heavenly Father … knows that we learn and grow and
become refined through hard challenges, heartbreaking sorrows, and
difficult choices. Each one of us experiences dark days when our
loved ones pass away, painful times when our health is lost, feelings
of being forsaken when those we love seem to have abandoned us. These
and other trials present us with the real test of our ability to
endure.”4
To
illustrate the opposition of temptation, the Book of Mormon describes
three methods the devil will use in the last days.
First,
he will “rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them
up to anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi
28:20).
Second,
he will “pacify, and lull [members] away into carnal security,”
saying “Zion prospereth, all is well” (verse
21).
Third,
he
will tell us “there is no hell; and … I am no devil, for there is
none” (verse
22),
and therefore there is no right and wrong. Because of this
opposition, we are warned not to be “at ease in Zion!” (verse
24).
Through
all mortal opposition, we have God’s assurance that He will
“consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain” (2 Nephi
2:2).
We have also been taught to understand our mortal experiences and His
commandments in the context of His great plan of salvation, which
tells us the purpose of life and gives us the assurance of a Savior,
in whose name I testify of the truth of these things. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Apply
repeat
from the words of Elder Oaks
Through
all mortal opposition, we have God’s assurance that He will
“consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain” (2 Nephi
2:2).
We have also been taught to understand our mortal experiences and His
commandments in the context of His great plan of salvation, which
tells us the purpose of life and gives us the assurance of a Savior,
in whose name I testify of the truth of these things. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.Hymns
122 though Deepening Trials
43 Zion Stands With Hills Surrounded
Children
158 Dare To Do Right
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