Ether 12-15: Faith to Overcome or "By Faith All Things are Fulfilled"

Before going into Ether 12-15, please note that I posted an extra topic last week and then posted my lesson thoughts later on in the afternoon so you may have missed "Prayer and Gratitude" from the three previously posted thoughts from the book of Ether:

• Context and Timelines from the Book of Ether
• Ether 6-11: Prayer and Gratitude
• Ether 1-5: The Brother of Jared Prayed

Faith through Trials: A Brief Recap
I love the theme of Faith we see in Ether 12-15. We see how important this is because Ether 12-15 covers 28 generations of men, starting with the son of Jared who became the first king of the land, and was a good king. Jared's descendants led to seven good kings in a row from the seven generations of sons, BUT unfortunately, during those seven generations, wicked sons and son-in-laws overthrew those good kings multiple times, and the land was frequently in turmoil. Throughout the next 21 generations, there was a mix of good sons and bad sons, and when the sons were bad, they were really bad. They threw their fathers into captivity, one threw his own son into prison and ensured he starved to death. Incredibly, by the end, there were only two wicked leaders left, and they killed each other, thus finishing off a people that had been sent to the Promised Land and had had so much ... promise. Yet, despite this disturbing end, we learn that throughout those pockets of greed and wickedness, there were faithful followers of God that were truly tested and were blessed for their faith. 

Ether Taught about Faith
In Ether 12, Ether cried unto the people "from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled." (Ether 12:3).

How many times in the history of the world, including right now as we struggle through a pandemic and in the U.S., great political turmoil, have these words spoken to you? "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world?" (Ether 12:4).  

Ether teaches that faith:

1) Is "an anchor to the souls of men" (Ether 12: 4)

2) Is "things which are hoped for and not seen" (Ether 12:6)

3) Leads to the gift of hope, "if ye will but have faith" (Ether 12:9)

4) Is needed for the Lord to perform miracles. (Ether 12:12, 16, 18)

In Weakness We are Made Strong
I have always been moved by this scripture:

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)

I want to share three perspectives on this scripture:

1. Moroni's inadequacy. Moroni, the son of Mormon, who abridged Ether's records, shared his fear with the Lord that he was not "mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared." Who else does this remind you of? How about Moses, who told the Lord that he feared his inability to speak well before the people? (Exodus 4:10–12; 14:31) How about modern day general authorities that have shared the inadequacy they felt to take on these roles and help lead and guide faithful followers of Christ? Although these are the examples that immediately came to my mind, the Come Follow Me guide for Sunday School also lists Enoch (Moses 6:31–34; 7:13), Gideon (Judges 6:12–16; 8:22–23), Peter (Luke 5:8–10; 22:55–62; Acts 4:13–21), and Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith—History 1:28; Doctrine and Covenants 35:17; 135:3). I'm thankful that these records were protected and shared with us in this modern day, that we could see and learn that even some of the greatest and most faithful people to have ever walked this earth had weaknesses and felt inadequate at times. I'm grateful for the reassurance that the Lord will "make weak things become strong unto them." 

2. The story of Tom Holdman. I've shared this story in the past, but I had the opportunity to hear Tom speak at a local meeting many years ago. He really made a big impression on me during a year where I was battered on all sides by a difficult work environment. Tom is a stained glass artist that has created many of the beautiful stained glass works in many of the temples throughout the world. Tom is not defined by his impairment, which appears to be a fairly severe case of Tourette syndrome that interrupts his own speech. He is defined by his faith in the Lord and what he has been able to accomplish because of his faith. You can see some of his incredible stained glass work for temples around the world here. When Tom spoke at this meeting, he started with Ether 12:27 that I quoted above. I did not know he had a speech impediment at the beginning of this talk but it soon became apparent. In a 2015 issue of Friend magazine, Tom said, "I was born with a speech impediment, which means I stutter. When I was a child, I was often treated unkindly. But it actually blessed me because I had to find other ways to express myself. Through my art, people can feel my love for the Savior."

I doubt that impediment felt like a blessing to Tom for a great many years but Tom was faithful, and the Lord made weak things become strong. He has a beautiful wife and family and has done much to bring beauty and light into the world mostly through his stained glass work but even in speech, where the place where he inspired me was speaking in front of a group when I needed to hear his words.

3. My own weaknesses. Personally, I've never liked being the center of the attention in a room full of people, raising my hand, or speaking before a group. Through high school and college, I always tried to sit behind someone bigger than me, or with large hair, so I could disappear into the room. I'm no longer shy as an adult but I prefer 1:1 interactions over group interactions, and I have to really push myself to raise my hand and speak up in groups. I "fake it" really well as I can be quite social in smaller groups, so this isn't a known thing. However, speaking up in large groups has been a weakness for me and impacted my schooling and careers, as both in school and work, in American culture, being loud and confident in front of others is often equated with intelligence and awarded accordingly.

Today, I'm an adult Sunday School teacher, and that means leading the discussion and teaching the lesson in front of a large group of adults. I always felt that one day I would be asked to do this in church, in fact, I quite strongly felt that this was coming. However, by the time it happened, the Lord had prepared me and made weak things become strong. I had faithfully tried to do my best with all of my previous church callings, including one of my first ones, where I stood up when the Relief Society met on Sundays, and gave a brief music appreciation highlight each Sunday. I learned what worked best for me to prepare to speak before a group. I learned to rely on the Lord. I learned to become more comfortable in myself as I taught with conviction and faith in the things the Spirit had inspired me to consider and teach. Every calling I took in church, as well as every task I had to do in my full-time job as a Product Manager in technology, forced me to learn skills that allow me to teach in front of adults. 

Trust in the Lord in All Things
I want to end with a quote from David A. Bednar, in the October General Conference talk, "We Will Prove them Herewith," said, "Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name, and in His promises. As we 'press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men,' we are blessed with an eternal perspective and vision that stretches far beyond our limited mortal capacity."

I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Christ and the sure knowledge I have that through Him, weak things can be made strong, that we can overcome the trials in this world. 

Ether 6-11: Prayer and Gratitude

I'm privileged to share some thoughts from the book of Ether today.

While much of Ether 6-11 encompasses greed, treachery, and a line of both good and bad kings, to keep my comments to a reasonable length, I've chosen to focus most of my thoughts on Ether 6, though I do briefly address Ether 7-10. You can focus more on other topics by visiting the Come Follow Me manual.

A painting by Robert T. Barrett depicting Ether 

recording the history of the Jaredites; 

Primary manual 4-54

First, a Recap (Ether 1-5)
Last week, I talked about how the Brother of Jared prayed, and led followers of God to the seashore, where they camped for four years before building barges and preparing to depart for the Promised Land. The Lord had to rebuke the Brother of Jared for camping at the seashore for four years and for not praying for further direction and guidance. I think that seashore seemed "pretty good" to them, and they were tired of traveling, but the Lord had something better in store for them, the Promised Land. To get there, they would need to take a long and rough journey across a vast sea. In other words, they would need to leave the pleasant seashore where they had camped for four years, where things were pretty good, for something a whole lot better than pretty good. 

It May Get Worse Before It Gets Better
I am reminded of the many promises we received from many of our leaders during October General Conference, that things will be better on the other side of tribulation. Some of the assurances given in October 2020 General Conference:

• "Truly, for those faithful hearts and eyes to see, the Lord's tender mercies are manifest amidst life's challenges. Faithfully met challenges and sacrifice do bring the blessings of heaven. In this mortality, we may lose or wait for some things for a time, but in the end we will find what matters most. That is His promise." (Gerrit W. Gong, "All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues")
  
  
• "Our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. That is why God gives us modern revelation! ... Now, this does not mean we won't experience turbulence in our flight through mortality. It doesn't mean there won't be unexpected instrument failures, mechanical malfunctions, or serious weather challenges. In fact, things might get worse before they get better." (Dieter F. Uchtdorft, "God Will Do Something Unimaginable")
  
  
• "Opposition is an essential part of the divine plan for helping us grow, and in the midst of that process, we have God's assurance that, in the long view of eternity, opposition will not be allowed to overcome us. With his help and our faithfulness and endurance, we will prevail. Like the mortal life of which they are a part, all tribulations are temporary." (Dallin H. Oaks, "Be of Good Cheer")

For the Jared, Jared's brother, and their family and friends, it did get worse before it got better. They were stuck in those barges for 344 days, often "buried in the depths of the sea" because of "great and terrible tempests." (Ether 6:6). Yet, the Brother of Jared and his people never forgot their Savior or lost their gratitude.

A Spiritual Prescription: Daily Prayer and Gratitude
In fact, they way they handled their trials is consistent with the guidance that our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, gave on November 20, 2020 last week, regarding the Healing Power of Gratitude. As a man who has lost a first wife and two daughters, and known his share of heartache, he said of gratitude:

Over my nine and a half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription. 

Does gratitude spare us from sorrow, sadness, grief, and pain? No, but it does soothe our feelings. It provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life.

Second, he advised us to pray. He said:  

Second, let us unite in thanking God through daily prayer. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to God and then petitioning Him for the things we need. Prayer brings forth miracles.

The people of Jared were happy because waaaay back then, they were doing the things that the prophet is advising us to do today.

First, they continued to pray. In Ether 6:7 it says, "therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters."

Second, they praised the Lord continually. In Ether 6:9, it says, "... they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord."

In Ether 6:10, it talks about how they had light continually, "whether it was above the water or under the water." From this, I assume that based on previous scriptures about the plugs that could be removed, they either received natural light through the plugs being removed when they were above water, or light from the stones that the Lord touched at the Brother of Jared's request.

This light can be seen both as a literal light and as the Light of Christ. The people of Jared were so focused on gratitude and praising the Lord that they didn't have time to complain about being stuck in a boat for a year. In fact, the first thing they did when they stepped on the shore of the promised land was to "humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them." (Ether 6:12).

Always Remember
Unfortunately, as Jared and his brother grew old, we learn at the end of chapter 6, their many descendants wanted to name a king. Just like King Benjamin in the Bible,  the Brother of Jared was concerned that having a king would lead to the unrighteous desire for power and eventually, "leadeth into captivity." (Ether 6:23).

The story in the next few chapters is an unrelenting cycle of greed vs. good, one we've seen repeated over and over in the Book of Mormon and Bible, of how we lose the way when we forgot God and focus on greed and pride. Kings rose and fell as they used "secret combinations" and dishonest means to rise to power. Fathers and sons threw each other in prison and killed each other to take over kingdoms. Good Kings brought peace to the land. Bad Kings drove the spirit away. Through it all, we see many of the same patterns we've already learned in previous chapters:

1. The Lord loves us all and continues to send prophets to lead and guide. 

"And there came prophets in the. land again, crying repentance unto them - that they must prepare the way for Lord or there should come a curse upon the face of the land ..." (Ether 9:28)

"And in the days of Coriantor there also came many prophets, and prophesied of great and marvelous things, and he cried repentance unto the people, and except they should repent the Lord God would execute judgement against them to their utter destruction." (Ether 11:20)  

2. When we repent and humble ourselves before the Lord, he is waiting and willing to act on our behalf.

"... they began to repent ... and it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again." (Ether 9:34-35)

3. We are blessed when we remember.

"... Shez began to build up a broken people. and it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his father, and he did build up a righteous kingdom, for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; and he did walk in the ways of the Lord ..." (Ether 10:1-2)

Context and Timelines for the Book of Ether, the record of the Jaredite people in the Book of Mormon

I made some timelines and maps for the Book of Ether that I shared during my Sunday School lesson last week. I thought I'd share a few of them here.

Click to view any of these charts larger.

This chart shows the journey of Jared and his people to the Promised Land, as guided by the Lord and by the prayers of the Brother of Jared. You can see that they crossed water multiple times, not just at the end when they built their famous barges that were tight like a dish. Also, that they stayed for four years by the seashore. 

The chart below shows that it was almost 1500 years after the Brother of Jared prayed that their language not be confounded and the Lord directed them to the Promised Land, that their destroyed civilization was found, along with their 24 gold plates. It was then another 400 years before Moroni, the son of Mormon, the last Nephite alive, abridged those records into the Book of Ether (although he only abridged the part about the Jaredites as the book covered a lot of history that was already covered elsewhere).

This is not geographically accurate in size and exact placement but just gives a general reminder of how the plates came to be found and translated.

A summary of what you are seeing above, from the Book of Mosiah:

1. First, Zeniff left Zarahemla with his family and friends to reclaim Nephite land, believing the Lamanites were friendly. He was wrong about the Lamanites and his people spent most of their remaining years there fighting of Lamanite invasions.

2. Zeniff's son, King Noah was wicked, but had a son Limhi, who was not.

3. King Limhi sent 43 men to look for how to get back to Zarahemla. The men got lost but they found the remains of the Brother of Jared's descendants and a record (24 plates) that they couldn't translate. 

4. King Mosiah in Zarahemla sent Ammon to look for the people of Zeniff. Ammon and his men were successful in finding them. He brought King Limhi and his people back to Zarahemla, along with the 24 gold plates. That's how King Mosiah ends up with the 24 gold plates that Mormon's son, Moroni, abridged years later.

Ether 1-5: The Brother of Jared Prayed - What we can learn about sincerely praying, listening, and heeding the Lord's guidance

Update: I did not include the timelines and maps I made about the Book of Ether in this post but you can find it in a follow-up post here.

I am teaching virtual adult Sunday School this Sunday. It has been many months since I taught. We have several Adult Sunday School teachers, and we didn't start having virtual Sunday School for a long time so it just hasn't come around to me yet. 

I read all of the verses that are part of this week's lesson by Monday, then spent the rest of the week re-reading some scriptures, reading the Come Follow Me manuals, and reading General Conference talks that came to my mind as I studied. I consider those thoughts to be promptings that should be investigated. Why am I sharing all of this?

This afternoon (Saturday), I prayed to my Heavenly Father, and asked for his guidance in focusing on the things that the class would need to hear. I asked that I might have his Spirit with me, the way I have felt so many times this year as I have spoken to Him in prayer and listened for a response through feelings and through my scripture study. As I said these words aloud, I felt overwhelmed by his love for me. I know Heavenly Father listens and that if we are obedient, he will answer our prayers in his own time and his own way. He loves us. He loves us so much.

As I reflected on this powerful affirmation that my Heavenly Father is listening to me, I recalled how many times I have felt flooded with love this year. I think I have Heard Him more times this year than at any other point in my life. I have also sought him more deeply than at any other point in my life, and I don't think it's a coincidence that as I have sought to Hear Him, he has responded with love and kindness, and in some cases, he has responded with comfort. I shared one experience with feeling the Lord comfort me when I gave a pre-recorded talk in May, which I called "Turn to the Lord for Peace - the Importance of Remembering."

One of the big focuses of the Book of Ether is prayer, and how the Brother of Jared prayed, so this experience this afternoon was particularly meaningful. 

Brother of Jared Sees the Finger of God

by Robert T. Barrett

The Brother of Jared Prayed
One of the overwhelming lessons we learn from Ether is the power of prayer. The Come Follow Me Manual for Sunday School summarizes it by saying, "As we continually call upon the Lord, He will reveal his will."

Let's look at how the Brother of Jared Prayed. Click to enlarge the images below.

Some of the things to point out is:

1. The brother of Jared goes to the Lord with a specific problem but also a specific solution for the problem. "Please don't confound the language of my family." Followed by, "Please don't confound the language of my friends."

2. The brother of Jared goes to the Lord many times. 

3. The brother of Jared listens to the Lord. When his fears about the vessel being too dark are too broad of a request for the Lord, and the Lord asks him to come up with a solution, Jared comes up with a miraculous idea that takes great faith.

4. The Lord answers the Brother of Jared's prayers because of their great faith and "because this long time ye have cried unto me:"

I am reminded of Elder Uchtdorf's talk  that we're fine, because of our God that can do miraculous things and is always there for us, but that things might worse before they get better.

Again, I spoke about this in this video talk: "Turn to the Lord for Peace - the Importance of Remembering.", but when Alma fled evil King Noah with his followers, then were discovered by the wicked Lamanites and the priest of Noah, things worse better ... but they were faithful and they turned to the Lord, their fears were hushed, and things worse, but then they got better.

We just need "calm and clear-headed trust," as Elder Uchtdorf advises. "You muster your faith. And you listen for the guiding word of the Lord and His prophet to lead you to safety."

To be successful in turning to the Lord, we need to humble ourselves, and we need to remember how to recognize answers to prayer.

It's important to remember that we ALL have opportunities to be chastened and improve. The brother of Jared was "a man highly favored of the Lord" yet the Lord chastened him for three hours because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord." This was in Ether 2:14, after the families had reached the seashore and camped there for four years. The Lord wanted them to cross the great sea and go to the Promised Land, as they had requested, but I think when they arrived at the shore, they had been traveling for some time and felt pretty comfortable resting there. I imagine the Lord patiently waited and after four years, he had to have a talk with the Brother of Jared. 

Our church leaders and the scriptures have reminded us that the Lord rebukes whom he loves. **Update: In my lesson today, P.W. from my ward gave an example of a high school coach that was really tough on him. This coach was maybe a little hard on a group of young sixteen-year-olds. However, the coach one day said that they would know that the coach had given up on them if he stopped rebuking them and stopped showing interest in how to improve them." When we liken this to our Father in Heaven, he famously rebuked the Brother of Jared and the Latter-day prophet Joseph Smith. Obviously, these are great men that we look to for guidance on how to better follow in Jesus' footsteps. A rebuke doesn't mean less love. It means an opportunity to revaluate ourselves, repent, and improve.

 

While it's tempting to rest by the seashore like the Brother of Jared's family did for four years, as the trials in our lives ebb and flow, we need to always look to the Lord for gratitude, guidance, and needed course corrections. I'm so grateful for my Father in Heaven and the care he took to protect these records so that we can learn from these great men. 

Mormon and his Son Moroni were Faithful to the End - Mormon 7-9

This week's scripture study centered around Mormon 7-9. You can also read about it the Come Follow Me Study manual for Individuals and Families.

Two Hundred Years of Peace were Followed by Two Hundred Year of Pride and Destruction
For two hundred years after Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies and visited the Nephite people, there was peace throughout the land. The people remembered the joy of being with the Savior and they remembered the lessons he had taught. In addition, the Savior had called 12 disciples that continued to teach after the Savior was gone. They remembered to pray always (3 Nephi 20:1), that that spirit of contention was not of the Lord (3 Nephi 11:29). They were taught the beatitudes. It says in 3 Nephi 17:16, "The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father."

"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people." (4 Nephi 1:15.)

It was devastating to see then, that the next 200 years proceeded in such a devastating fashion after those first 200 years. By the time 400 years had passed since the Savior visited the Nephites, they were all dead. 

Mormon Bids Farewell to a Once Great Nation, by Arnold Friberg

In one of the most heart-wrenching scriptures in the Book of Mormon, Moroni write in Mormon 8:5, "... I am alone, My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not." 

Despite being a man of God, and living faithfully, as his father had before him, the wickedness around them was so great that the Lord allowed them to destroy each other until there was nothing. Of the disciples, Moroni wrote, "the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people ..." (Mormon 8:10). 

Mormon knew this was coming. His entire life, he was in despair over the unwillingness of their people to repent of their pride. I've created the chart below to show the course of his life among unrepentent Nephites:

(Click to zoom in:)

Timeline of the 400 years since Christ came to visit the Nephites as it relates to Mormon's age.

The Great Love of Our Father in Heaven
Yet, despite the terrible darkness and sadness of these scriptures, despite being frustrated that these people were willing to fight until they were wiped off the face of the earth, I find solace in the great love of God I see here.

First, the Lord ministered to Mormon when he was just fifteen. It says in Mormon 1:15, "And I , being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus."

Then, in Mormon 8:11, Moroni, his son, writes that despite the disciples having been removed by the Lord because the people were too wicked, "... my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us."

Second, the Lord instructed Mormon and Moroni to write in and protect the record for today, the latter-days, so they knew they had a purpose for being there in those awful times. It says in Mormon 8:22, "For the eternal purpose of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled." 

Third, we are assured that the Lord protected the records because of his great love for us, "... it shall be brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of the darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and it shall be done by the power of God."

Imperfections
I want to briefly also talk about imperfections. I had a conversation with a friend of mine on the East Coast who said that when she went to college as a Catholic woman, she tried to keep attending church. But, she was so stunned by hypocrites that did one thing right before church, then pretended to be devout while they were in church, that she stopped attending. This is not a criticism of Catholics as this can happen with any religion or group. My friend still believes in God but she had a difficult time seeing people not live the values they believed in. I told her that that although we have different faiths, no human on earth is perfect, and we are taught by our leaders to remember that Christ is perfect, that the gospel is perfect, and that the imperfections are from fellow humans. That doesn't excuse us in the sense that we should always be trying to improve but it does help us to not let the decisions of others impact how we choose to live our lives. 

In that same way, our leaders that we admire and respect and turn to for guidance are still human, and also imperfect. We still have much to learn from them. Moroni, son of Mormon, wrote, "And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you." (Mormon 8:12)

He writes in Mormon 9:31, "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been."

My Testimony
The Book of Mormon was recorded for us, in our day (Mormon 8:34). Humans are imperfect and mistakes can be made but we have a God that is unchanging, that "doth not vary" (Mormon 9:10). Our God is a "God of miracles" (Mormon 9:10) and if we remember him always he will bless and protect us. That doesn't mean the trials will fade but we will be able to endure them until the day we can return and live with him again.

Mormon Cries for Repentance - the Nephites are Destroyed Because They Won't Repent (Mormon 1-6)

This week's scripture study was Mormon 1-6.

Mormon Abridging the Plates, by Tom Lovell

Mormon is one of the few prophets in the Book of Mormon where we learn a little about what he was like in his youth and hear from his perspective the world he grew up in starting as a child. We learn that he moved to Zarahemla at age 11, and immediately there was a war around him. We also learn that except for one period of 4 years and one period of 10 years, the world he was living in was at war his entire life, the likes of which were so awful that Mormon refrains from describing many of these scenes. We also learn that Mormon was a man of God his whole life, and never wavered in his faith and trust in the Lord.

In the October 2020 General Conference talk "God Will Do Something Unimaginable," Dieter F. Uchtdorf said "Every dispensation has faced its times fo trial and hardship." He also said, "We must walk through difficult times, for it is in these times of adversity that we learn principles that fortify our characters and cause us to draw closer to God. our Heavenly Father knows that we suffer, and because we are His children, He will not abandon us." 

However, if we choose not to fortify our characters and draw closer to God, then these hardships are for naught. There is a sharp contrast between how Mormon lived his life, starting at age 10 when we are first introduced to him as a "sober child" and "quick to observe" versus almost all of the rest of the Nephites who allowed wickedness to "prevail upon the face of the whole land insomuch that he Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease of their iniquity of the people." (Mormon 1:13). 

In Mormon 2:10-12, when the Nephites began to repent of their iniquity, Mormon's heart rejoiced because he knew the Lord "would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people." However, his joy turned to sorrow "for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin." (Mormon 2:13). Unfortunately, for this generation of Nephites, this never changed. By the end of Mormon 6, a total of 23 armies of 10,000 per army have been destroyed by the Lamanites. Only about 24 people remain. Not 24,000. TWENTY-FOUR. 

Mormon reminds us that he writes this record for the descendants, for us to learn from. He calls this record, "my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites." (Mormon 6:1). He reminds us in Mormon 3:20-22 that he writes: "for this cause ... that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ. ... that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ ... that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgement-seat of Christ."

Interestingly, despite basically living in a war zone his entire life, Mormon mentions a son (Mormon 6:6, 12). From this, we can assume that most likely as an adult, he at some point married. I draw this distinction because Mormon is not a fictional character in a fictional war zone where war is the only story. He was a man trying to live a full life and follow Jesus Christ during a time of great conflict, just as we have over the years during different times of conflict. Mormon's son Moroni takes up the records after him so we will hear his words soon after but I wanted to call out that distinction that though he spent nearly his entire life leading armies into battle, he (and his wife I assume) also raised a righteous son.

You can click on this image to see an outline I put together showing a timeline of the years since Christ came, and what happened to the Nephite people, alongside Mormon's age at the time. I've also summarized it below the chart.

At age 10, when Ammaron approached him:

1. He was a sober child (Mormon 1:2)

2. He was quick to observe (Mormon 1:2)

3. Ammaron approached him and told him that Mormon would need to observe his whole life and record his observations by somewhere around age 24.

At age 11: 

3. He moved to Zarahemla and saw a land in ward, followed by 4 years of peace, before pretty much the rest of Mormon's life was lived in war. (He experienced 10 years of relative peace from battle from age 40-50 as described in Mormon 2:28.) (Mormon 1:6-12)


At age 15:

4. He was visited by the Lord "and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus." (Mormon 1:15)

At age 16:

5. He was large in stature (Mormon 2:2)

6. He was appointed the leader of the Nephite armies (Mormon 2:2)

At age 20:

7. He was leading armies as large as 42,000 against the Lamanites 44,000 (Mormon 2:9)

8. He continued to feel great sorrow for his people that they would not repent and turn to the Lord

At approximately age 33: 

9. As their battles and fleeing from the Lamanites led them to Jashon, which was near the land where Ammaron had deposited the records, Mormon took the plates of Nephi and did make a record as he was guided to by Ammaron at age 10.

At age 52:

10. Mormon refused to continue to lead a wicked, ungrateful people to war. 

"And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come." (Mormon 3:16).

11. Mormon continued to be guided by the Lord and by his desire to help his people and their descendants to be a repentant, God-loving people. He wrote:

"... And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil." (Mormon 3:20).

At age ~65:

12. Mormon once again led the Nephite army but "without hope ... for they repented not of their iniquities." (Mormon 5:2). I think this shows a great love for his people despite their wickedness.

At age ~74):

13. 23 Nephites armies of 10,000 men are wiped out. Only 24 people remain.

Mormon says in despair, "O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy." (Mormon 6:22).

One final thought. Mormon was described by Ammaron as being "sober" and "quick to observe." David A. Bednar gave a talk about this in a May 10, 2005 devotional, "Quick to Observe." He said, 

Please consider the significance of this important spiritual gift. As used in the scriptures, the word observe has two primary uses. One use denotes “to look” or “to see” or “to notice”—as we learn in Isaiah 42:20: “Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not” (emphasis added).

The second use of the word observe suggests “to obey” or “to keep”—as is evident in the Doctrine and Covenants: “But blessed are they who have kept the covenant and observed the commandment, for they shall obtain mercy” (D&C 54:6; emphasis added).

Thus when we are quick to observe, we promptly look or notice and obey. Both of these fundamental elements—looking and obeying—are essential to being quick to observe. And the prophet Mormon is an impressive example of this gift in action.

Mormon is one of my greatest heroes. I think there's a reason we get to hear about his from such a young age, as we do with the likes of the Savior, Moses, and Joseph Smith. The Savior was the ultimate example but there were men on earth that experienced a type of what the Savior experienced, and we can learn through them. Our trials may feel big and deep and burdensome but we all face trials and it's how we handle them that determines our path in life.

As President Russell M. Nelson said, "We are here on earth to be tested, to see if we will choose to follow Jesus Christ, to repent regularly, to learn, and to progress. Our spirts long to press. And we do that best by staying firmly on the covenant path." (October 2020 General Conference, "Moving Forward")