Mormon 1-6

Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: Mormon 1-6 Video

To purchase slides or handouts, go to: Teaching with Power Etsy Shop

LESSON #1 MORMON’S WORLD (MORMON 1-6)

OBJECT

There is an object lesson that I like to do in conjunction with this portion of the Book of Mormon that requires the following simple materials that you probably have just laying around your home. You’ll need a clear jar, a pitcher of dirty water, and then a sponge. You can set those materials aside though until later in the lesson. 

ICEBREAKER

For an Icebreaker, I like to play a little game I know we’ve talked about before called PYRAMID. I often use this activity in seminary because it’s really effective and a fun way to begin a lesson with the youth. Not that this wouldn’t work with adults, but it’s definitely geared towards a younger crowd. You can basically use this idea for any lesson you want. And I’ll include the instructions this time for those that are new to the channel since I haven’t done that in some time.  And what you do is come up with 12 different words that have something to do with the lesson that day. Split your students up into pairs and you have one of them face the board or the screen while the other is facing the back or away from the front. Then you reveal the pyramid with the words on them. The person who can see the board gives clues to their partner to try and get them to say that word. Once they get that word, they move on to the next, and the next and on up to the top of the pyramid. The first pair to get all the words wins. A couple of rules with giving clues. You can’t do starts with, rhymes with, or use the word in any part of the clue. So, for example, if the word was dog, you couldn’t say, “It starts with a D”, or “It rhymes with log”. Or say, “they eat dog food”.  But what you can do is give them clues like “They like to chase cats, they bark, small ones are called puppies” and so on. I usually like to do two round so that each person gets a chance to both give clues and make guesses. It’s really a fun way to break the ice and get them in the mood to be more talkative. Here are some of the words that I might use to introduce this particular lesson in Mormon 1-6. But you could choose your own.

ROUND 1

MORMON

WAR

REPENT

EDUCATION

SORROW

TASTE

ROUND 2

LOVE

WICKED

JESUS

YOUTH

VIOLENCE

CHANCE

After you’ve played, to transition to the lesson you tell them that each of the words that we saw in the game will play a part in our study today.

Now if you’re teaching adults and don’t want to do this activity, let me give you a good discussion question that you could ask as an Icebreaker. I would ask: Is it harder to live righteously nowadays than it was when you were younger? Why or why not?

Regardless of which icebreaker you use, you can then introduce them to the Book of Mormon, within the Book of Mormon. And no, Mormon is not a new character to us in our study this year. We’ve kind of been with him all along. We’ve read his words in numerous places throughout the text as he’s explained his process of compiling and abridging the record. He’s interjected little thoughts and commentaries here and there, and he’s been a constant companion and presence all throughout our study. But now, we’ve come to the end of the historical narrative of the entire book, and we get to hear about Mormon himself and the times that he personally lived in. Yes we still have Ether and Moroni left, but Ether is a flashback, and Moroni is just going to sum up some of the teachings of his father and wrap up his own lonely story before burying the plates. So what we’re studying in this first portion of Mormon are the final days of the Nephites. Now there are going to be some common themes running throughout all three of the final books. So, since we can’t cover all three books at once, the schedule has done its best to divide them up over the next two months. But be prepared. We are going to be covering these same two themes throughout the rest of our study this year. Now, gratefully, interspersed throughout these books are some lovely additional teachings on faith, prayer, charity, spiritual gifts, and more. And we will cover those, but ultimately, the major thrust of these final books are these two things. One, how societies and individuals spiritually self-destruct, AND how to live righteously in a wicked world. We’re going to see those two ideas over and over again until the end.

SEARCH-HANDOUT

So the first thing I like to do is help my class gain an understanding of what Mormon’s world is like. One way you could do that would be with this little crossword puzzle activity. It’s a quick but effective means of helping them understand the setting of the final books. An overview of what Mormon’s day to day existence was like.

So let’s go over the answers:

ACROSS

4. In this year there began to be a ________ (1:8) WAR.

(Something that you’ll notice about the content of these chapters is that they recount much of the military maneuvers and war events that take place at this time. I’m not going to focus as much on that aspect of this section, but you’ll certainly notice it as you study here)

5. A continual scene of ___________ and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man. (2:18) WICKEDNESS

6. ___________ not to give a full account of the things which I have seen (5:9) DARING

7. It is impossible for tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the _____________ scene (4:11) HORRIBLE

DOWN

1. The work of ____________ and healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people. (1:13) MIRACLES

(This is one of the saddest aspects of their society. There just aren’t enough righteous people for the church to really survive intact. So with the breakup of the church, you also lose priesthood authority, and priesthood blessings, and then the following verse tells us that there were no spiritual gifts, or the Holy Ghost bestowed. Truly this was a spiritual wasteland of a society).

2. therefore there was ________ and carnage spread throughout all the face of the land (2:8). BLOOD

3. Every heart was ____________ (4:11). HARDENED

5. And there were sorceries, and ___________, and magics. (1:19) WITCHCRAFTS

So ouch. Does that help to give you a sense of what Mormon’s world was like? That’s a pretty grim portrayal of what he had to live through, what he had to deal with. The one that gets me the most is from 2:18. A continual scene of wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man. What a terrible way to have to live. War, blood, carnage, wickedness, hardened hearts, no miracles. To say it sounds rough would be a massive understatement.

And get this, in chapter 5:9 Mormon tells us that he’s only including a small account of what he saw in his life, “daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen” . . .”that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people”.  That’s how bad it got. So bad that he didn’t want to go into details because it would be too disturbing for us. I think at one point we get just a small taste of what Mormon may be referring to here. We have to go to Moroni 9:8-10 (and we’ll do that here) where we get to read a letter that Mormon had sent to his son, and I would have to say that these are some of the ugliest verses in the entire Book of Mormon. Quite disturbing really. I’m not even going to read them out loud, they’re that bad, but sufficeth to say that both sides have really fallen far in this conflict. There is no humanity between these groups anymore. Violence to innocent women and children, slaughter, rape, torture, cannibalism. All of these incredibly ugly things are happening in Mormon’s world. And he doesn’t want to disturb us too much. He wants us to get an idea but doesn’t feel the need to rub our noses in it, either. For me, it’s kind of like watching movies or documentaries about the Holocaust. I think it’s important that we as people understand what took place there, and we should be revolted by it, but by the same token, there is only so much of that kind of material and human cruelty that I can handle, and I just turn away and say. “Ok, that’s enough, I think I understand what I need to, I don’t want to dwell on that for too long. It’s just too much. Too much ugliness.”

This kind of society is given a special name by Mormon, but we have to go to the Book of Ether to see it. As the Jaredites are preparing themselves to cross the ocean to the promised land, Mormon reviews the promise of the promised land. A promise that we’ve seen repeated many times over throughout our study of the Book of Mormon. And that promise is: If your nation and people serve God, they will be protected on this land OR

Ether 2:10

10 For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

What kind of society have the Nephites become by the end of the Book of Mormon? They have reached the fulness of iniquity, they are a fulness of iniquity society, therefore, according to the promise of the promised land they are swept off the face of the earth. 

OBJECT LESSON

To help illustrate this principle, now is when I would perform the following object lesson. I take out the cup and say that this represents a society, a nation, a people, or it could even represent individuals. And we’re starting out pure, clean, and innocent. But as a society begins to falter, as it becomes lifted up in pride, wickedness, disobedience, greed, rejecting the prophets, they begin to fill up their cup. Every drop of dirty water represents one of these acts. At this point you begin pouring the dirty water into the cup. And over time they become more and more wicked, filling their society with greater and greater iniquity. As the water almost fills the cup, that’s the point when I take out the sponge, and I say, Now this sponge represents God’s mercy, his patience, his long-suffering, his efforts to reclaim, warn, and invite his people to change, his willingness to forgive and offer second chances, all of those things our loving Heavenly Father does to try and help his children to live happy and fulfilling lives. And so I dip the sponge into the dirty water, and it begins to absorb it. But what happens if the society doesn’t respond to all of those things, those efforts, those warnings, those offered chances. The cup continues to fill (and keep pouring into the cup). And eventually, there does come a point, where God’s long suffering and efforts become full. He cannot continue to soak up and prolong justice and ignore his rejected pleas indefinitely. And when that cup begins to overflow, and there is no more room in the sponge of his mercy, that society has reached a fulness of iniquity. It’s more unjust for God to continue sending the spirits of his children to those kinds of societies because, they don’t even stand a chance. And so, they are swept off the face of the earth. They are destroyed.

Now there are other examples of "fullness of iniquity” societies in the scriptures as well. The people at the time of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, the people of Ammonihah back in Alma, the Jaredites (which Moroni is going to include in the Book of Ether as a comparison to his own society, and  the Israelites around the time of Lehi). Interestingly enough, the Book of Mormon both begins and ends with the destruction of a fulness of iniquity people.  Let’s take a closer look at what defines a society that is reaching the fullness of iniquity.

QUALITIES OF A FULLNESS OF INIQUITY SOCIETY

As a teacher, I would simply call on students to read these verses out loud to the class, while everyone ponders and looks for the fullness of iniquity quality. As they discover them, you can write them on the board or display them on the PowerPoint slides. Then, with each quality that is discovered, you can ask: Is there any evidence of this quality in our current world? In nations and individuals? So here we go:

4:11

11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.

This is a quality that we’ve already covered partially in our opening activity. A fullness of iniquity society is a violent society. A warlike, glory in bloodshed and carnage, hatred filled, kind of society. Can we relate? Is there any evidence of this quality in our society? Well, turn on the nightly news or your local news even and what you’re most likely to see is a continual scene of wickedness and abominations and violence and disturbing things. War, violent crime, terrorism, human trafficking, and murder. Now I know the media tends to focus on the bad, and emphasizes and exaggerates those kinds of things, and that there are lots of good things happening in our world too, but we are far from living in a peaceful and happy world. But then, if that weren’t enough, that there are real, terrible things taking place right now, I sometimes shudder at what passes as entertainment these days. Maybe the majority of people in this world aren’t personally engaged in incredibly violent or sexually perverse or torturous and gruesome kinds of things, but a great majority of us, as a society, are entertained by it. My wife and I will sometimes search for things to watch, shows and movies, and I always do research before we decide to watch anything. I’ll look to see what are considered to be the most popular shows of the day to see if we want to watch them. And as I read the descriptions of some of these shows and movies,  about what’s portrayed, I’m appalled and I think, "This is what people are watching?” These are the most popular shows of the day? I’m just reading the DESCRIPTION, and I’m disgusted. Incredibly violent, sexually charged, pornographic, profane, and disturbing content. And, I hate to say it, but sometimes I hear my young students talking about these shows and I think to myself, “Do your parents know you’re watching that?” “Why would you subject yourself to that kind of material, especially at your age”. And no, I don’t necessarily believe that WATCHING those kinds of things is going to inevitably cause you to DO those kinds of things, but how can it not have an effect on you. On your mind, your character, your spirit. It’s desensitizing. In my opinion, I believe that we are, in a lot of ways, a very violent society.

2:11, 14

Mormon 2:11

11 Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi.

Mormon 2:14

14 And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives.

What’s the quality? Their lives are filled with misery and sorrow. They hate their lives. We’ve already learned in the Book of Mormon that wickedness never was happiness. So you would have to expect that a people this depraved and removed from God would be very unhappy. And that holds true. Verse 14 tells us that they did curse God and wish to die. Probably because a life of deep sin and misery isn’t much of a life after all. But ironically, even though it says they wish to die, they still struggle with the sword for their lives. I’m not sure exactly how to explain that, but they want to die, but they also don’t want to die.  They hate life, but they’re afraid of death. So the only thing that seems to keep them going, and motivating them, is their hatred and desire for revenge. You can see this particularly in Mormon 3:9 and 14. I also find Mormon 2:23 interesting. Mormon obviously looked to Captain Moroni as a hero and even named his own son after him. In that verse you see him try to motivate his people to fight for the same things that Captain Moroni had written on the Title of Liberty.  But what’s missing in his version? It’s not an exact copy, is it? It doesn’t include God, or religion. I think that’s probably because he knows that those things are not going to motivate them. So he thinks, maybe I can at least get them to fight for their wives and children and their country. That’s at least a good thing. But even that doesn’t seem to work. Revenge, the most worthless of causes, is what seems to drive them most to fight. Any evidence of this quality in our world? Misery and sorrow? Yeah. I believe there is a lot of that in our current world. Especially in places where there is war, violent crime, and contention. And on an individual level, those that sow the seeds of sin and rebellion, reap sadness and despair.

2:12-13

Verses 12-13 give us some additional detail about that sorrow and misery that they feel. What kind of sorrow is it?

12 And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people.

13 But behold this my joy was vain, 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.

Sorrow, we know from the scriptures,  is a natural result of sin. So Mormon initially is hopeful that this sorrow will lead them to repentance. But, his hope is vain. They are not feeling the “godly sorrow” that Paul teaches us about in 2 Corinthians 7. Their sorrowing is not unto repentance. It’s worldly sorrow. The sorrowing of the damned. It stems from their utter frustration with the undeniable laws of God and the universe. They can’t come to terms with the fact that sin does not lead to happiness. It’s reminiscent of the truth that Samuel the Lamanite taught back in Helaman 13:38 where we talked about snipe hunting:

38 But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.

The Nephites at the time of Mormon really struggle to come to grips with that reality. The Lord will not suffer them to take happiness in sin. And they can’t stand that truth. They are living in a fantasy world where they wish to separate consequences from their associated actions. You’ve perhaps heard of the statement “when you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other”. Well, these Nephite think that they should be able to break the stick in half, take the pleasure of sin, but then receive the blessing of the righteous. But when they find the stick is not made of brittle wood, but indestructible iron, they get angry. It’s like fighting the law of gravity. You’re not going to win that battle.  And so they live in sorrow, worldly sorrow.

2:26

26 And it came to pass that when they had fled we did pursue them with our armies, and did meet them again, and did beat them; nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren.

A fulness of iniquity society loses the strength of the Lord. They are left to themselves when they turn away from God. I have no doubt that the Nephites could have beaten back the Lamanites, as innumerable as they were, had they been righteous. There is no doubt in my mind. There are so many precedents in the scriptures where a weaker or smaller group of people won out in the end against a bigger foe because they were righteous and had God on their side. Plenty of David vs. Goliath type stories and that’s because a man or nation with God on their side will always be in the majority. But THEY had abandoned God, not the other way around. God leaves them to themselves in their own strength, or weakness in this case. In Helaman 7:23, God says that, "I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other”. He just steps back and allows events to occur naturally without his intervention. I think that’s interesting. God usually doesn’t have to destroy a people. Maybe in the case of Noah or Sodom and Gomorrah. But in most cases, guess who destroys them? Not God. Look at 4:5 for that answer. It is by the wicked that the wicked are punished. He can usually just let things happen of their own accord. In the end of the Book of Mormon we know that it’s not a fight between good and evil. It’s a fight between evil and evil. The two sides seem to deserve one another as they slaughter each other. And all God and the righteous can do is sit back and watch with horror and sadness at the devastation. Likewise, when we turn from God, we too are left to ourselves and make ourselves vulnerable and unprotected from the wickedness around us.

2:8, 3:13, 3:15, 4:10, 5:2, 5:11

That’s a lot of verses to cover so I maybe wouldn’t have them all read out loud, but instead, invite your students to scan them to see if they can find the common element in each. And if they do, they should discover possibly the greatest indicator of a fullness of iniquity society that we have in these chapters. The thing that’s repeated over and over again is that they will not repent. No matter what. Even when their lives are miserable. And when the misery of sin can’t prompt us to change, when those natural terrible consequences can’t provide the motivation to alter our behavior, then nothing else will.

In 2:15 Mormon observes that "the day of grace was passed with them". I don’t think that he’s saying that they couldn’t repent, or that God wouldn’t allow it, or that Christ’s grace wasn’t there for them to receive. He’s saying that they won’t take it. They’ve reached a fullness. They’ve allowed themselves to slip so far into the pit of sin and misery, that they wouldn’t grab the rope of rescue offered them even it was dangled in front of their face. We know they still have the opportunity because later in 3:2-3 Mormon gives them that chance. After a surprising victory against the Lamanites, Mormon thinks that perhaps this will cause them to turn back to God in their gratitude for the victory, and so he cries repentance unto the people.

3 And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God.

Well, I guess there comes a point when offering another chance does absolutely no good. I think that’s a necessary step in the fullness of iniquity model we’ve been talking about. I don’t think God’s sponge of mercy will ever be filled up as long as people are willing to repent and strive to change. It’s when there is a constant and consistent refusal to repent that his patience and long-suffering meet their limits.

And although not a prophet, I agree with C.S. Lewis’s conclusion about God offering chances. He said,

"I believe that if a million chances were likely to do good, they would be given.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

This principle reminds me of a situation I encountered as a brand-new seminary teacher, in my very first year. I remember having a student that just didn’t want to be there. But his parents wanted him to. And so, as a way of rebelling against their desires, he kept skipping class. He wasn’t coming, which is a liability issue in a released time program.  So I spoke with him, and I spoke with the parents, and I told them we would give him another chance, but that he needed to come or else he would need to sign up for a different class with the school. He started coming the next few days, but, then skipped class again. We had another discussion. His parents asked if I could give him another chance. And I did. Well, this happened a number of other times until finally, I told them that if he skipped class one more time, according to our seminary policy, that we would have to drop him from the roll, and he would need to sign up for a different class at the school that semester. They agreed. He came for maybe three days, and then, skipped class again. And I informed the parents that we would be dropping him. They protested and asked if we could talk. I remember we all sat down together at the seminary, me, the boy, and his parents. And they begged me to give him another chance. Well, I relented and said, “Ok, we’ll give him another chance.” And I still remember the look that young man gave. He looked up at us all and said, “I’m tired of second chances”.

You see, there comes a point, where it makes no difference to give another chance. The day of grace is passed. It’s not that the grace isn’t there, it’s that it won’t be received. The question is not whether his hand is outstretched, the question is whether they are willing to take it.  Mormon’s people will not. Evidence of this in our day? This is probably more evident on an individual basis rather than societal one, but perhaps you too have seen individuals that aren’t interested in getting a second chance.

Finally, 5:16-19

16 For behold, the Spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their fathers; and they are without Christ and God in the world; and they are driven about as chaff before the wind.

17 They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.

18 But now, behold, they are led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so are they.

19 And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the land.

More qualities of a fullness of iniquity society.  They lose the Spirit. They don’t have Christ and God in their lives. They are aimless and purposeless, out of control, and manipulated by the adversary. They have no anchor, which is an image that we’ll talk about in more detail when we get to Ether 12. And they lose their blessings. All the things that God intended to bless them with, all the things that they might have received, are now reserved or held back.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now, remember, the Book of Mormon was written for our day. Why do you think Mormon would include this account here for us, besides completing his historical narrative? Why would he want us to know the things that led his society to be destroyed?

Could it be, so that we wouldn’t make the same mistakes today? So that we could avoid their fate? Well, Mormon straightforwardly tells us why he wants us to understand what happened to his people in Ether 2:11

11 And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

So these are warning chapters. Mormon says, “Don’t let what happened to us or to the Jaredites happen to you!” We’ll speak a little more particularly about that message in next week’s lesson which includes Mormon 7, where Mormon directly addresses us. Now I know that we as individuals don’t really have the power to control our entire society. But we can heed these things as personal warnings as well. If we see any of these qualities within ourselves, hopefully we can let this serve as a warning to us, as individuals, because we can control our own actions, and avoid the consequences of reaching a fullness of iniquity in ourselves. It’s almost as if Mormon is saying to us “My people wouldn’t listen to me, but perhaps you will!”

TRUTH

When a fullness of iniquity is attained, a fullness of sorrow, misery, and destruction will accompany it.

Or, more simply stated, as another prophet in the Book of Mormon succinctly taught us: Wickedness never was happiness.

TAKING IT TO HEART

This would be just a personal pondering kind of question. No need for anyone to share. But something we might consider asking ourselves here would be, “Do I need this warning right now?” Are any of these qualities we’ve discussed manifest in my own life, in any measure, big or small. And if so, what can I do about it?

THE TAKEAWAY

The major message for me here. Heed the warnings! Don’t become like Mormon’s people! Don’t continue until the fullness. If we notice any of these qualities, in any degree, within ourselves, perhaps this account in Mormon, can help us to course correct. How tragic it would be for any of us to suffer the same fate as the Nephites of old.

LESSON #2 BE A “MORMON" (MORMON 1-6)

Well I don’t like to dwell too much on the horribleness of Mormon’s world. Rather, I love focusing on the silver lining of these chapters. And that silver lining is Mormon himself. He stands as a shining example of how it is possible to maintain righteousness even in the midst of an incredibly wicked world. He was the best of men, in the worst of worlds. You would think that a person who had only witnessed the ugliest and the worst of human nature his entire life would eventually become jaded, bitter, or just give up on being good. But not Mormon. We too live in a pretty crummy spiritual environment right now, but Mormon gives us hope and inspiration. Though our worlds are similar and share a number of the same characteristics, (I do believe that his is worse, by the way) but If he could stay good in his circumstances, then hopefully so can we.

OBJECT

There’s a simple object lesson that I like to use when I teach this principle from Mormon as well. What you’ll need is a jar of vinegar, and a strawberry. And that object lesson will also come up later as you teach.

ICEBREAKER

A simple one here. You can just ask your class if they’ve ever had an experience where they lived in a place, for some time, where they were one of the only members of the Church, or there were very few others around them. Just ask them to share what that was like and whether that made it easier or harder for them to live the gospel. You could also ask them to share what kinds of things they did that helped them to stay true to the gospel and commandments even when the majority of those around them didn’t believe what they did.

SEARCH

Mormon was in just such a position. He lived at a time when almost no one around him shared his conviction and faith, and yet, he was able to maintain his righteousness and love for God. For this lesson, I invite you to study Mormon’s character to discover what kind of a man he was. Sometimes I like to give my students what I call a thinking map like this one. And you could either make the following diagram on the board, or have them fill it out on a handout which I’ll make available. Encourage your class to look up the identified references and list all the qualities of Mormon that they can find. To find all the things that helped him to maintain his righteousness even though everything around him opposed it. You can have your students do this as individuals, in pairs, or in small groups. However you do it, have them share what they found when done.

Here are some of my thoughts on these verses.

1:2

Mormon chapter 1 is so good for the youth, although, all of the qualities that we find here describing Mormon are just as important for adults to develop as it is for the youth. But it’s interesting to me just how often in the scriptures that God turns to the young when the world drifts closer and closer to reaching a fulness of iniquity. Enoch, Samuel, David, Gideon, Timothy, Joseph Smith, and Mormon here are all great examples of this truth.  Just look at how old Mormon is when Ammaron approaches him with the future responsibility of caring for the plates. He’s just 10! And yet, Ammaron sees his potential and his goodness already manifesting itself in him at Primary age. If you want to live righteously in a wicked world, start young. Like Alma said to his son Helaman  in Alma 37:35 “O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.  Our youth is often the time that sets our trajectory throughout the rest of our lives. How significant it is for us to focus seriously on our development during these critical years. I believe our modern prophets have recognized the importance of developing spiritually in our youth as well. We have the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet, Young Men’s and Young Women’s leaders and activities, seminary and institute, FSY, and the new youth program that was introduced a few years ago emphasizes the development of our youth in all critical areas: Intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual development. See if you can find evidence of Mormon developing himself in each of these areas throughout these chapters. Preparing ourselves in our youth will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

In that same verse we see that he began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people. So he’s developing himself mentally and intellectually. It’s important for our young women and young men to take their education seriously. The “For the Strength of Youth pamphlet reminds us that:

"Education is an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan to help you become more like Him. He wants you to educate your mind and to develop your skills and talents, your power to act well in your responsibilities, and your capacity to appreciate life. The education you gain will be valuable to you during mortality and in the life to come”.

Having an educated mind will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

Mormon was a sober child. What does it mean to be sober? In modern terms we would say sober is the opposite of being drunk. If you’ve ever seen somebody drunk, the first thing you will notice is how out of control they are. They do silly and often dangerous things when they’re drunk. To be sober, is to be in control. Mormon was in control, of his thoughts, his words, his deeds, his desires, his natural man.  I also like the biblical definition of the word sober which is probably the same context that it is being used here. It means to be calm and collected, to have good sense, good judgment, wisdom, and to be level-headed in times of stress. You certainly see those qualities displayed in Mormon’s leadership throughout these chapters. Being sober, will help us to live righteous in a wicked world.

Also, Ammaron says that he is quick to observe. Again, a sign of Mormon’s intellectual and spiritual abilities. "To observe" here could mean a number of things. It could be that he was observant and aware. He noticed things and understood their significance. He had his priorities in place. How many youth can you think of that are aware of what’s going on in the world around them and have a grasp of what’s really important. Or are they too wrapped up in the trivial? The sports scores, whose dating who, or what celebrities are up to. The quick to observe focus on their personal development, their future, and the things which matter most. “To observe” could also mean that he was discerning. He understood the motivations and desires of his fellow man. He relied on the help of the spirit to discern whether those around him were a good or poor influence on him.  “To observe" could mean that he was obedient. We speak of observing the laws of the land or the commandments. Perhaps he was quick to be obedient to the things that he noticed and discerned. Whatever way we take the meaning of that phrase, being quick to observe will help us to live righteous in a wicked world.

1:4 In 1:4 we learn that Ammaron gave Mormon the future responsibility of taking care of the plates of Nephi. Mormon was trustworthy even at an early age. What future responsibilities do our youth hold? Full time missionary service? Temple worthiness? Temple marriage? Motherhood and fatherhood? Future church callings? Representing the name of Christ? Being trustworthy of these great responsibilities and not taking them for granted will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

1:15

At age 15, once again we hear that has a sober mind. But here he adds that he had been visited of the Lord. Here was a young man who had also developed himself spiritually. He had lived his life in such a way that he was worthy of the presence of the Lord in his life. I don’t know if that means that he had personally been visited by Jesus or that he had had experiences in his life that had borne witness to him of the reality of the Redeemer. I tend to lean to that latter meaning. I believe that those who are quick to observe, will often have experiences in their life that testify of the presence of God in their lives. I can think of a number of times in my youth where I had simple but profound experiences with the Spirit. Nothing grandiose or visionary, but subtle and plain manifestations of a heavenly presence that was aware of me and cared about my progress. Seeking that relationship with deity will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

OBJECT LESSON

Also in that verse, he had tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus. If we want to survive the bitter, unappetizing, nauseating things of the world, we need to taste the sweetness, and the deliciousness of the gospel and righteous action. We need to surround ourselves with it as much as possible. How can we know the bitter, if we’ve never tasted the sweet? This is a critical point here. Especially for the youth. To make this point this is when I bring out the container of vinegar and the strawberry and ask if they think they could taste the difference between the two with their eyes closed. Certainly they will say yes. But then imagine if you had only ever tasted vinegar in your life, would you even be able to describe sweetness? Would you even know what that meant? No. One of the most important ways I feel we can live righteously in a wicked world is to be sure that we taste of the goodness of Jesus. I think that’s a crucial thing for parents to understand. Have we helped our children to taste of the goodness. Do we show them good movies, so that they know the difference between a good movie and the crummy ones. Do we have them listen to good music, so they know bad music when they hear it. Do we involve them in good activities, so that they will naturally know to reject the bad ones when they come along. Have we helped them to feel the happiness of worship, the joy of righteousness, and the delight of truth? What attitude do we display when it’s time to go to church, or study the scriptures, or pray, or pay our tithing, or watch general conference? Is it a sweet or bitter attitude? It behooves us to fill our lives with the strawberries of the gospel and the good, positive, uplifting things of this world, especially when we’re young. Then, when Satan comes along with his bitter counterfeits and empty calorie temptations, we will instinctively reject them, because we know the difference.  Knowing and tasting the goodness of Jesus and filling your life with it will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

2:1

Is there any evidence of Mormon developing himself physically? Yeah. Look at 2:1. When the Nephites need to choose a leader of their armies, they choose Mormon. A 16-year-old teenager to do it. Why? He says that he was large in stature. So he must have also been impressive physically to be chosen for such a task. He knew how to fight and be a warrior. In 6:11 we see him out at the front of his army entering the field of battle. He certainly must have been an impressive physical presence. However, I’m not quite willing to just take Mormon at his word here. This also may be an example of his humility. He tells us that they chose him because he was large in stature, but surely, there must have been other large men amongst the Nephites. I like to cross reference this verse to 3 Nephi 3:19 where we learn of a very thought-provoking, Nephite military tradition. It says:

19 Now it was the custom among all the Nephites to appoint for their chief captains, (save it were in their times of wickedness) some one that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecy; . . .

Hmmm. So maybe that’s the more likely reason they chose him. It’s because he had the spirit of revelation and prophecy. Evidence here of both Mormon’s physical and spiritual development. But certainly, how we take care of our physical bodies is important to the Lord. I mean, half of the space of most of our church buildings is a basketball court. Developing ourselves physically, taking good care of our bodies, obeying the Word of Wisdom, being deliberate about our diets, physical activity, and sleep will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

1:17/ 2:19/3:12/ 6:16-22

Well, we’ve hit 3 of the 4 areas of development in the new youth program. What about the social aspect? Any evidence of Mormon’s social development. I see this one all over these chapters in the relationship between Mormon and his people. He was chosen as their commander at a young age. That speaks to his ability to inspire the loyalty and trust of his fellow man. I’m also impressed by his attitude towards them. You would think that somebody as righteous as Mormon might be repelled and disdainful to the wicked people that surround him. Certainly he hates what they are doing, but he doesn’t hate them. You never get the sense of self-righteousness in Mormon do you? He’s not judgmental either. He loves them, sincerely and demonstrates real charity towards them.

In 1:17 he remains among them even though they are hard of heart. He doesn’t abandon them. He does what he can for them. Yes, in the future he does refuse to lead them into battle when they decide to go on the offensive, but he still doesn’t walk away from them completely.

In 2:19 he sorrows because of their wickedness.

In 3:12 we learn that he had loved them, according to the love of God which was in him. He poured out his soul in prayer all the day long for them. Mormon is teaching us the proper way of working with those who stray. He never justifies what they do; in fact he strongly condemns it. But he doesn’t condemn them. He doesn’t excuse them, justify their actions, or tolerate their wickedness. He just loves them and prays for them. The whole “love the sinner, hate the sin” dynamic that we’ve heard of.

And then, at the end of Mormon 6 we get what is sometimes referred to as “Mormon’s Lament”. This takes place after the great final battle between the Lamanites and Nephites at Cumorah. At this point, Mormon says that there are really only 24 Nephites left alive. The rest are moldering in heaps upon the land. As you read this, notice the tone of his lament? How would you describe it?

16 And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:

17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.

19 O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!

20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.

21 And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ to be judged according to your works and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.

22 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.

Do you sense the tone here? Is it dismissive or vengeful? A “serves them right”, “good riddance to this evil people” kind of attitude? No.  There is real charity and regret and mourning in there.  Is it self-righteous? No. There is only one “I” in the entire section. And it’s when he says, “I mourn your loss”. It’s not about him at all.  Is it judgmental? No, in the very last two verses he leaves the judgment to God. God will do with you according to his justice and mercy. Interesting that the last word in that chapter is “mercy”.

A really good foil to Mormon’s attitude would be Jonah in the Old Testament. Do you remember what he did after he had reluctantly taught repentance to the people of Ninevah? He goes outside of town, sits on a hill, and gleefully waits to watch God destroy them. Finally, these wicked people that I hate are going to be destroyed. I can’t wait to watch the fireworks begin! Contrast that with Mormon. His people have given him nothing but grief, ignored his teachings and counsel, lived wickedly and murderously, and blasphemed everything that he held sacred. And yet, he weeps for them. Mormon certainly loved his fellow man. He is a shining example of the balance of the two great commandments. To love God, and love his fellow man. He’s even willing to die with them. We learn that he is wounded in that final battle and probably unable to flee with Moroni. He stays loyal to his people right to the bitter end. The mature and Christlike love displayed by Mormon in these circumstances is evidence of his social development. Developing this Christlike love for our fellow man regardless of their actions, will help us to live righteously in a wicked world.

TRUTH

If I seek to emulate Mormon, I will be able to maintain my righteousness even in a very wicked world.

TAKING IT TO HEART

Which quality of Mormon do you admire most? Why?

I WILL GO AND DO

Which of Mormon’s qualities do you most need to work on right now?

What is something you could do this week to follow his righteous example?

CONCLUSION

Well I know that we have been instructed to call the church by its inspired name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And that we are not to refer to ourselves as “Mormons”, but as members of the Church of Jesus Christ. However, in this instance, I feel that it’s ok for me to encourage us all to be “Mormons”, or people like Mormon. Of all the monikers for us to go by for the past nearly 200 years, “Mormon” isn’t a bad one. I truly hope that we all can be “Mormons” in these latter days—individuals who are capable of living righteously in a wicked world. Just like the original Mormon. If we wish to survive the last days of this earths terrestrial existence, we’re going to need to be “Mormons”, or else we won’t stand a chance. If we are following Mormon’s example, we are also following Christ’s. It is possible to live righteously in a wicked world, just like the original “Mormon”. May we all be “Mormons” and in the end be “clasped in the arms of Jesus”, just as I’m sure he was when he completed his mortal journey.