3 Nephi 9
3 Nephi 9
"...for the devil laugheth and his angels rejoice..."
I used to tell the young women I taught that whenever a boy leaned over to kiss them goodnight, they should imagine the adversary standing next them with pom poms cheering, "Go for it!"
He really does want us to fail, and therein lies his only happiness, if you can even call it that.
We have the power to make God cry, or Satan laugh. Which will we do?
I used to read this chapter and think He was just making sure everyone knew just now much destruction there really was. Remember, they didn't have cable or the internet. They didn't know what was happening around the river bend. So, it seems the Savior was letting them all know just how vast the destruction was, and why..."because of their wickedness and their abominations." (12)
But, I noticed something different this time. Five times the Savior says, "..that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto to against them..." Is He saying here that He ended their lives before they dug themselves any deeper in their holes of sin and iniquity?
We know that the people we purposefully hurt will stand witness against us at the last day (Alma 14:11) It seems to be logical that the more people testify against you, the greater your punishment will be. Perhaps, then, the destruction was merciful. Could it be that they were spared a greater punishment because they had less of a chance to persecute the righteous and kill the prophets?
What do you think?
I love the open invitation at the end of this chapter from the Savior for ALL to have eternal life, if they just come to Him and offer up our broken hearts and contrite spirits.
He truly knows each one of us, and atoned for each one of us. He wants each one of us to be saved, else why did He do what He did? And here He is personally inviting them (and us in a way) to follow Him. I wonder what He sounds like.
Amazing chapter. Amazing.
Here's the link to the last year's post on this chapter, which talks more in depth about the Savior's invitation.
"...for the devil laugheth and his angels rejoice..."
I used to tell the young women I taught that whenever a boy leaned over to kiss them goodnight, they should imagine the adversary standing next them with pom poms cheering, "Go for it!"
He really does want us to fail, and therein lies his only happiness, if you can even call it that.
We have the power to make God cry, or Satan laugh. Which will we do?
I used to read this chapter and think He was just making sure everyone knew just now much destruction there really was. Remember, they didn't have cable or the internet. They didn't know what was happening around the river bend. So, it seems the Savior was letting them all know just how vast the destruction was, and why..."because of their wickedness and their abominations." (12)
But, I noticed something different this time. Five times the Savior says, "..that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto to against them..." Is He saying here that He ended their lives before they dug themselves any deeper in their holes of sin and iniquity?
We know that the people we purposefully hurt will stand witness against us at the last day (Alma 14:11) It seems to be logical that the more people testify against you, the greater your punishment will be. Perhaps, then, the destruction was merciful. Could it be that they were spared a greater punishment because they had less of a chance to persecute the righteous and kill the prophets?
What do you think?
I love the open invitation at the end of this chapter from the Savior for ALL to have eternal life, if they just come to Him and offer up our broken hearts and contrite spirits.
He truly knows each one of us, and atoned for each one of us. He wants each one of us to be saved, else why did He do what He did? And here He is personally inviting them (and us in a way) to follow Him. I wonder what He sounds like.
Amazing chapter. Amazing.
Here's the link to the last year's post on this chapter, which talks more in depth about the Savior's invitation.
I have this picture in my mind of the Prophets and the Saints sitting in a committee meeting in heaven with the Lord. They are all giving their opinions on what's happening on earth. Maybe, at this point, they have just had enough of watching the suffering of the innocent because of the wickedness of others and ask the Lord to please just make it stop. Because of their righteousness, their opinions and desires hold a lot of weight.
ReplyDeleteI think that the righteous, especially those who worked hard to help and serve others (prophets and saints) would feel such pain just having to sit by and watch as people they care about fall deeper and deeper into sin. I know I have felt that way and begged the Lord to intervene -not asking for death and destruction- but an intervention of some sort. Sometimes the only thing the Lord has left to do is complete the "final warning" and prove a point. In this case... it was death and destruction.
We do that as parents... I will give you one more chance and after that - grounded, toys gone, spanking, no tv, no treat, etc. what ever the "final" consequence is to change behavior. I really believe that we as parents can learn a whole lot of parenting skills through reading the scriptures and understanding how the Lord parents us. We have to set firm guidelines, but sometimes children give us no choice but to keep our word. We do the same with God.