Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/MAGdaVl-AmI
ICEBREAKER
This activity is available as a handout for download at:https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPower
Start with the “Know Your Government" matching activity. How well do you know different types of government? I’m going to give you a list, and then you tell me which description matches that form of government. Here we go:
D Dictatorship
C Theocracy
A Monarchy
E Democracy
F Totalitarian
B Anarchy
A. Rule by a King or Queen that has absolute power. That power is passed along through family.
B. A situation in which there is no government ruling.
C. Rule by leaders who lead based on a set of religious beliefs or principles.
D. Rule by a single leader who has not been elected and may use force to keep control.
E. Rule by representatives chosen by the majority of the people, usually for a set period of time.
F. Rule by a single political party. People are forced to do what the government tells them.
TRANSITION
So how did you do on that? This week we are going to get a little political. Government plays a major role in our lives and as such, you would imagine that the Lord might have something to say about it and he does. The Book of Mormon contains some wonderful principles of good government. What’s nice is that it’s fairly non-partisan. I’ve found that there are principles in the scriptures that political conservatives will most likely find challenging, and principles that political liberals will find challenging. I’m not going to attempt to paint the teachings here according to my own political leanings OR try to mask the principles either in an effort to be politically correct. I’ll just do my best to present what the scriptures teach.
THE BEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT
So in Mosiah 29, we’re going to look for and identify principles of good government, and this chapter begins with King Mosiah facing a political problem. None of his four sons want to be the next king. They've decided to build up a different kingdom instead, the kingdom of God. They plan to go out and preach the gospel to the Lamanites. Mosiah’s solution is to completely overhaul their political system from a monarchy to a more representative form of government. A government made up of judges.
And that leads us to our first question. What is the best form of government?
The answer may surprise you. Look for it in Mosiah 29:13 and you can also check out Alma’s view on the subject back in Mosiah 23:8 when his people attempted to make him a king.
Answer: Righteous kings. And you can probably guess why. If you have a righteous man, whose judgment is according to God’s will, who isn’t power-hungry, who has the best interest of the people at heart instead of himself, how amazing would that be! How quickly would things get done! Righteous decisions could be made and implemented at once. It’s a very efficient form of government. In fact, when Christ returns to earth, what will the government be? A monarchy, with Christ as our King. The King of Kings, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, like Isaiah taught. The people in Zarahemla have good evidence of the virtue of this system. They’ve been fortunate enough to have three great kings in a row. Mosiah 1, Benjamin, and then Mosiah 2. HOWEVER, there is a very important caveat with that. Notice that in both instances you have the word IF before they come to that conclusion. IF you could always have just men to be your kings, that would be the best form of government anywhere.
THE MISHAPS OF MONARCHY
BUT, there are some major problems with Kings.
What are the mishaps of monarchy?
Mosiah 29:16-18, 21-24. All men are not just. There is no way to guarantee that you will have a righteous king. And, "how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed”, all it takes is one rotten apple to mess everything up. Case in point. King Noah. Many of the people of Zarahemla know all too well the problems a bad king can bring upon his people.
Also, in 21-24 It’s very hard to get rid of a wicked king. The only way to do it is with much bloodshed. And in 35-36 he teaches them all the disadvantages of having an unrighteous king. So as effective as monarchy can be, it’s just not worth the risks, because when it goes bad, it really goes bad and quick, and it’s so difficult to recover from it.
THE NEXT BEST THING
So, what’s the next best thing apparently? What kind of a government does King Mosiah recommend and establish? Democracy. Representative government. Apparently this is the best form of government when you can’t guarantee righteous kings.
I like what Winston Churchill once said.
“Democracy is the worst form of government . . . except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Winston Churchill (House of Commons, 11 November 1947).
And yes, democracy isn’t perfect, is it. It’s just better than anything else. It’s horribly inefficient. Just think of how hard it is to get anything done or for decisions to be made. In fact, the Nephites are going to face some challenges to this new government right off the bat with men like Nehor and Amlici. But, apparently, it’s the best alternative we have. But why? What makes it superior to all others that have been tried.
WHY DEMOCRACY?
One reason why? 7-8
7 And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.
8 Now I say unto you let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another if he should be appointed in his stead.
Do you get what he’s saying there? If we give my son all that power, who knows if he’ll stay righteous or not. Perhaps it’ll go to his head and cause contentions. Power destroys, and we have no right to destroy my son or anybody else we might put in his place. Giving somebody that much power can destroy them. You’ve all heard the old adage “All power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. A good example of this is Saul in the Old Testament who started out so humble, and righteous, but power corrupted him. You’re probably also familiar with D&C 121:39
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
So you don’t have to have a lot of authority for it to corrupt you. You don’t even have to have authority, you just need to think that you do.
5 PRINCIPLES OF GOOD GOVERNMENT
Therefore, a good government will always limit the power that goes to the individual. Not only for the governed’s sake but for the sake of the person who has the power. There is compassion in limiting the amount of power somebody can receive. It needs to be shared. So That will introduce us to the first of five principles of good government taught here in Mosiah 29 that I’d like to cover with you.
So, Principle #1 of good government. Good government limits power given to any one individual.
PRINCIPLE#2
Principle #2 It would make sense that good governments would have good judges and good laws too. So we should elect good judges or leaders that will judge according to the law. But what makes a good law?
29:11 The judges will judge the people according to the law, but later he adds a synonymous phrase, according to the commandments of God. So, the closer the laws match the commandments of God, the better the laws will be, and the more happy and peaceful we’ll be as a society. Now we’re not trying to put Church and State too closely together here, but we’re trying to establish a principle by which we can determine if a certain law is going to ultimately promote the common good. So good laws will be righteous laws.
So how do you know a good law from a bad law? You have to ask yourself if they make it easier or harder for a person to live the laws of God. There should be a pretty good match between the two. So if there are laws that protect people’s lives and property and happiness, and help them to be moral and just people, then those would be good laws. But laws that excuse sin or make it easier for people to commit sin, are bad laws. For example, sometimes there are laws that make it easier for businesses or individuals to cheat or take advantage of others Sometimes there are laws that allow pornographic, ultra-violent, or explicit material to be protected by free speech laws. I sometimes wonder about those laws.
So principle #2 is Good Governments appoint wise leaders that enact laws according to the commandments of God
PRINCIPLE #3
Principle #3 Who is given the power in a good government according to 25-26?
So if it’s unwise to give too much power to one individual, where should the power lie? You have to give it to somebody. What phrase in these verses shows where the ultimate power comes from. Yes, there are judges, but who appoints them. The voice of the people. The people are given the ultimate power in choosing who leads them. And that is determined by the majority. But why the majority? There’s a principle in there. It is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right, but more common for the lesser part to desire what’s not right. That’s why it is unwise to give too much power to one man, as in monarchies, or even a small group of people, like an oligarchy. Because it’s common for the minority to not want what is right. That truth makes me wary of special interest groups, whether they’re right-wing or left-wing, because it’s common for a small group to get so caught up in their cause, that they might do wrong. So if you find yourself in the minority on any certain issue, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re wrong, but it should give you reason enough to take pause and really examine your position. Because the majority is usually right. Now is majority rule foolproof? No, take a look at the next verse.
27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.
So I guess it’s also possible that the majority could end up getting it wrong. But when the majority of the people desire that which is not right, your society is losing its way and moving closer to a fulness of iniquity and therefore destruction. We have many examples of that very thing happening in the scriptures.
So principle #3 Good government operates by the voice of the majority of the people.
PRINCIPLE #4
What do verses 28-29 teach us?
What governmental principle does that sound like? Checks and balances right. Don’t let anyone particular group of your elected officials to have too much power. Put checks in place in case that small group gets out of line. This is a major facet of American government. I suppose you could also argue that the existence of differing political parties helps to keep checks and balances on things too. Although, at the same time, they can be very maddening and keep things from getting done.
So principle #4 Good Government employs checks and balances of power.
PRINCIPLE #5
I see in these next verses a thought-provoking balance. Balance is an eternal principle and government is no different. Let’s imagine a set of scales. On one side we are going to place something that I think we can all agree on s a major role of government. To provide the people with what? Look for the answer in vs. 32.
To create a system that protects the liberty, rights, and privileges of all people. That is the role of good government. Governments that seek to deny people their liberties, their rights, and their privileges is bad government. I think we could all come up with some examples from the last century of bad governments that have done just that.
But there is another principle to consider here. There is more to making our nation work than liberties, rights, and privileges. Those need to be balanced with something on the other side. So let’s make a little diagram and put liberties, rights, and privileges on one side. But what lies on the other side of that balance. Mosiah will make an interesting point about being a king. Let’s pick it up in vs 30-31.
30 And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads.
31 For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings.
So with all that power that is given to kings, there’s something else that goes with it. Accountability for the actions of his people. He continues in 33
33 And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them.
Huh, fascinating. King Mosiah is saying that heavy is the head that wears the crown. If a society goes bad, the King may have to answer for the sins of all those people. With great power, comes great responsibility. God apparently holds leaders accountable for how they lead their constituents. King Noah would is an example of this. Remember how it was described, "he did cause his people to commit sin". (Mosiah 11:2) King Mosiah says that it’s not right that any one man should have that much power, or that much liability either.
His conclusion:
34 And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part.
So what are we going to put on the other side of this balance? Yes, government should protect our rights and privileges. But what’s our part. What do we call “every man bearing his part?” Responsibility. And since the power is going to lie with the people, therefore, so should all the accountability. Can you see how that balance works?
Now look at vs. 38 and tell me which phrases fit on which side of the scale?
38 Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land;
(Which side am I going to put an equal chance on? Liberties, Rights, and Privileges, right. And then: )
yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins. (Where do I put that? On the responsibility side)
You can see this balance in D&C 101: 77-78 as well:
77 According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; (RIGHTS)
78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. (RESPONSIBILITIES)
And then this interesting note here:
79 Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
So why is slavery wrong? I think that most of us would say because it denies people their rights. And that’s true. But there’s another reason. God also doesn’t like slavery because it denies people their accountability and responsibility. I can’t judge people fairly for their actions if they had no choice in the matter. So slavery is wrong for both reasons.
So back to Mosiah’s people. He’s saying, if we're going to give you rights and privileges, then you’d better be willing to do your part and answer for your own sins.
In another section of the Doctrine and Covenants that is political in nature, we have a warning about this balance. D&C 98:6-7
6 Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land;
7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.
In this balance, if you give either side more or less, than that cometh of evil, it’s going to cause your nation grief. If I were to attach the word more or less to one side or another, our balances get out of order. We need to keep things in balance. Now, in your nation, if it is out of balance, which side do the scales tip towards? I know in my nation, the United States, more and more it seems that people are demanding rights and privileges in an effort to not be accountable for their actions. But to use them as a license for sin. If there are protests, which side do they focus on? Liberties, Rights, Privileges. We want our rights! Don’t step on our liberties! Give us our privileges, our entitlements! How often have you seen a protest with people yelling “give us more responsibility! Expect more of us! Hold us accountable. You’re just not going to see that. No, it’s all about rights. Whether it’s abortion, drug legality, gambling laws, welfare issues, explicit material in the media, and so on, we have to consider the other side of the coin. What about our responsibility to choose good leaders, our responsibility to support our elected leaders, our responsibility to follow and obey good laws, our responsibility to work hard to support our nation, our responsibility to be willing to serve and fight for our liberty, or at the very least, to support those who do. We have a responsibility to be good citizens. The next chapters at the very beginning of Alma seem to suggest this. The new government faces some real challenges and whole groups of people rebel, and become prideful and cause problems. But, throughout it all, you have descriptions of good people doing good things despite it all. So, you may not be able to control your fellow man, you may not be able to control your government, but you can control you. Even in the worst of political circumstances, whatever country you might be in, no matter how good or bad your leaders are, you can still be a good person and live according to your morals. You can see that in Alma 1-4. Unfortunately, more and more societies are becoming obsessed with rights, instead of responsibilities. There is a statement attributed to Joseph Smith, though granted, its authenticity is debated, where he is reported to have said that one day the Constitution would hang by a thread. If he did make that statement, perhaps this is what he was referring to, that the scales of good government would skew out of balance, tipping so far to the rights and entitlements side, that the welfare of our nation could be in jeopardy.
So principle #5 is Good Government encourages a balance between Rights and Responsibilities
LIKENING THE SCRIPTURES
What principles of good government do you see in your nation?
What good has come into your life because of them?
What areas in your nation do you find to be out of balance? Is there anything in your power you could do to help right them?
What could you do to more fully bear your responsibilities as a citizen of your nation?
If you would like some scriptural ideas on what you could do, check out D&C 98:6-11, and D&C 134.
CONCLUSION
I encourage you to seek that balance within yourself even if your government struggles with it. I hope that we can all be good citizens, especially as members of the Church of Jesus Christ. May the nations and communities we live in be grateful that we live within their borders. And I hope that we will always keep in mind the purpose for democratic principles and for our freedoms. I love something that Joseph Smith once said: "Be wise; let prudence dictate all your counsels; preserve peace with all men, if possible; stand by the Constitution of your country; observe its principles; and above all, show yourselves men (and women) of God, worthy citizens."
( Source: Messages of the First Presidency 1:74-75 )
ALMA 1-4 SUMMARY
Alma 1
Nehor preaches universal salvation and priestcraft. He is confronted and executed for murder.
Alma 2-3
Amlici seeks to become king and overthrow the reign of the judges. Civil war ensues. Amlicites driven back and join with the Lamanite army. Amlici and Lamanites beaten by Nephites.
Alma 4
Nephite society begins to split between the prideful wicked and the humble followers of Christ.
(YOU CAN APPROACH THIS SECTION AS A HANDOUT. AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPower)
ICEBREAKER
But I’d like to focus on this Amlici episode for a minute. I feel there is a really powerful principle taught here especially vital for the youth to understand. And it all revolves around one particular word.
And to introduce you to that word, I’d like to do a brief activity with you.
Look at these pictures. Which one of the dog’s shadows is the perfect match? And you’ll probably want to pause this for a minute so you can take a closer look. Which is it?
And the answer is E. It’s not A because the nose is turned up in the shadow. It’s not B because there’s no collar. It’s not C, because the tongue isn’t long enough. It’s not D because there is no space between the front legs, and it’s not E because the tail is too long.
Kind of tough one huh? Well, what about this one? Which picture is different? Now take your time, I know how difficult these can be.
And the answer to this one is C. And can you see why? See, this cow is standing up on two legs, right, and he has yellow horns. All right, all silliness aside. There’s a point I’m trying to make here.
The more different the outward appearance is, the easier it is to tell it apart. The more extreme the difference, the easier to differentiate it from other things. The more subtle the difference, the harder. Extreme, easy, subtle, hard. Keep that in mind during this lesson.
And for a final activity, I want you to look up the following verses and find the word that best matches this activity. It’s the same word in every verse and the focal point of our lesson.
Alma 2:11, Alma 3:4, Alma 3:8. And the word is DISTINGUISHED.
TRANSITION
To distinguish something is to set it apart, to make it different, to cause it to stand out. We are going to look at a few different groups of people in the Book of Mormon who sought to distinguish themselves and how. The first group is a faction of the Nephites that support the desires of a man named Amlici to be the king. They wanted to distinguish themselves.
DISTINGUISHED LIKE AN AMLICITE
And they do it in two ways. In what two ways did the Amlicites distinguish themselves in 2:11 and 3:4?
First, 2:11
11 Now the people of Amlici were distinguished by the name of Amlici, being called Amlicites; and the remainder were called Nephites, or the people of God.
So first, they distinguish themselves by taking on a new or different name. They didn’t want to be called Nephites, or the people of God. They didn’t want to reflect the name Nephi. So they take on Amlici’s name. That’s who they want to be associated with, that’s who they wish to support and serve.
And then they do something else to distinguish themselves. How do they do it in Alma 3:4?
4 And the Amlicites were distinguished from the Nephites, for they had marked themselves with red in their foreheads after the manner of the Lamanites; nevertheless they had not shorn their heads like unto the Lamanites.
They mark themselves with red on their forehead. They change their appearance to send a message to anyone who looks at them. And what was that message? Look in Alma 3:18:
18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come out in open rebellion against God; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.
It symbolized rebellion. So if you were to walk down the streets of Zarahemla and you saw somebody pass by with a red mark on their forehead, what would you say about that person. Ah, that's an Amlicite. This person is rebelling against our government and our religion, they don’t wish to be associated with the people of God. They want to distinguish themselves. To be separate.
DISTINGUISHED LIKE AN ANTI-NEPHI-LEHI
Now there’s another group of people in the Book of Mormon that wanted to distinguish themselves also. And they also do it in two different ways. See if you can find those two ways in Alma 23:16-17, and Alma 27:27.
16 And now it came to pass that the king and those who were converted were desirous that they might have a name, that thereby
they might be distinguished from their brethren; therefore the king consulted with Aaron and many of their priests, concerning
the name that they should take upon them, that they might be distinguished.
17 And it came to pass that they called their names Anti-Nephi-Lehis; and they were called by this name and were no more called Lamanites.
So this is the group of Lamanites that had been converted by Ammon the missionary. And they decide that they need to change something. To change their names, since they are new people. They wish to throw off the name Lamanite and all the connotations of rebellion that went with it and called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehis. Which I know is a confusing name because it sounds like they’re against Nephi and Lehi. That’s the way we use the term Anti. But perhaps anti meant something different in the Nephite language, or maybe the idea is that they are choosing to stop facing or reflecting the values and traditions of Laman and the Lamanites, but rather to face and reflect the values and traditions of Nephi and Lehi. That’s who they wanted to be associated with. So they take that name upon themselves.
You could also cross-reference this idea with Mosiah 1:11 where King Benjamin uses the word distinguished.
11 And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God
hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I do because they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the Lord.
They too took on a name. And what was the name that they took upon themselves? Later in Mosiah, they take upon themselves the name of Christ. That’s who they wanted to be associated with, that’s who THEY wished to support and serve.
Well, the Anti-Nephi-Lehis distinguish themselves in another way as well. How do they do it in Alma 27:27?
27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.
So whereas the Amlicites decided to distinguish themselves with an outer mark, how did the Anti-Nephi-Lehis do it differently? These are all inner things or qualities of the soul. They were distinguished by their character.
COMPARING THE TWO
Now let’s create a comparison chart here to see if we can’t learn something from all this. These groups are great foils to each other. A brief note here. If you wish, you could use this handout as an activity to help students to discover these principles on their own.
A quick review then. The Amlicites distinguished themselves by changing their name. The meaning was to reflect their commitment to the values of Amlici. The second way was with a red mark. Meaning rebellion. Where was their focus? The outward appearance. How long did it take to distinguish yourself as an Amlicite? Not long. Dip my fingers in red paint, wipe it across my forehead, and boom, I’m an Amlicite. How much effort does that take? Not much. Quick and easy. And what was the result of these actions? Look in Alma 3:19. Cursed, and condemnation. But what about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. They also changed their name. And they did it to reflect their commitment to the values of Nephi and Lehi. Their second way of distinguishing themselves was through their zeal, their honesty, their faith, or in other words, their character. Meaning devotion, to God and Christ. Where was their focus? On the inner beauty, the inward appearance. How long does it take to distinguish yourself in that way? A long time. Maybe even a lifetime to really distinguish yourselves by your character. How much effort? A great deal, and many sacrifices. But what was their result in Alma 27:30? We’re told that they were highly favored of the Lord.
So really, there is no problem with distinguishing yourself or separating yourself. It’s the way we do it that becomes the issue.
LATTER-DAY DISTINGUISHING
Well, let’s liken the scriptures here. Do people distinguish themselves in the same kinds of ways nowadays?
How about the Amlicite way? What are some of the ways people distinguish themselves by name or by appearance that show they are rebelling against either the church or society in general?
Perhaps they give themselves names: I’m progressive. I’m an intellectual, I’m spiritual but not religious, I’m an ex-Mormon, I’m anti-religion. Or they show their allegiance to a specific group. I’m from a certain gang, or a certain social status or even music preferences can dictate identities and appearance. And what are some of the marks of rebellion? Sometimes clothing styles can communicate rebellion, hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, immodesty, the language we use, the places we spend time in, all of these outward things. And of course, a caution here, just because somebody has a certain hairstyle or a tattoo or a piercing, doesn’t mean they’re bad people, we should reserve our judgment and treat all well and welcome all. I’m asking you to look at yourself and determine your own actions rather than pointing the finger at others. Are there things that we do that are efforts to distinguish ourselves the Amlicite way. And why do we do these kinds of things? More than likely, it’s because we want to stand out in a certain way. And as we demonstrated earlier, the more extreme our appearance, the more we stand out. We are trying to communicate something when we do these things. Usually, it means that I’m trying to communicate rebellion. Rebellion against the church, my parents, society in general, or my culture. And really, it doesn’t take much effort or time to do it does it. If I wanted to distinguish myself like an Amlicite, how long would it take me? No time at all. I could run down to the barbershop and get a certain haircut, I could get a tattoo, I could go buy a certain set of clothes, and boom, I could totally distinguish myself in the Amlicite way in a matter of hours. Or, we could be more subtle in our appearance. Not so extreme. I believe that God would have us distinguish ourselves like Anti-Nephi-Lehis. Through our character, through things that are more on the inside, things that require time and effort to develop.
Can you think of anybody you know who distinguishes themselves like an Anti-Nephi-Lehi? How do they do it?
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Which of the two ways do you seek to distinguish yourself?
Are there any “Amlicite” markings you need to let go of? Will you?
How can you distinguish yourself more like an Anti-Nephi-Lehi this week?
CONCLUSION
So my friends, especially my young friends, if you want to be distinguished, distinguish yourself by your character. Be an Anti-Nephi-Lehi, not an Amlicite. And if you want to be distinguished by a name, let it be the name of the prophets, or better yet, the name of Christ. I can promise you that if you do, you too will be highly favored of the Lord.
