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Dear
Gramps, I was stunned reading Nephi the other day where Jesus Christ
destroyed entire towns, women and children. I asked my Mormon neighbor,
who rhetorically asked about Sodom and Gomorrah. But I was shocked that
the Savior of the World, the Prince of Peace, and the King of Forgiveness
would do such a thing. I am bitterly confused. Chuck from Texas |
Dear
Chuck,
As
you imply, the Savior of the world is indeed the king of forgiveness. His love
for the children of God is so infinitely vast that he has taken upon himself
all their sins, and suffered beyond measure that they would not have to suffer
if they would only listen to him, obey his word, and adopt those practices
that were designed for their own happiness. Nevertheless, he is not a
namby-pamby God, who winks at sins and demands no accountability. He has
said--
Therefore
I command you to repent--repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and
by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore--how sore you know
not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For
behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer
if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble
because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and
spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink--
Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my
preparations unto the children of men
(D&C 19:15-19).
Consider
the above scripture--if we reject the Savior and his sacrifice, by thus
rejecting it we cut ourselves off from its benefits and must suffer for our
sins as if there had been no Savior. We must submit ourselves before the bar
of justice, condemned by our own actions and our own admission, and pay “the
uttermost farthing” for the wicked things that we have done.
Yet
there is a purpose in suffering. Hopefully, we will learn from our afflictions
that result from breaking the law, that it is far better to obey the word of
God. Again, Jesus said--
Verily
I say unto you, concerning your brethren who have been afflicted, and
persecuted, and cast out from the land of their inheritance-- I, the Lord,
have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been
afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions; I will own them, and they
shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels. Therefore,
they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to
offer up his only son. For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny
me, cannot be sanctified. Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and
contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among
them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances. They were
slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord
their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of
their trouble. In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel;
but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me. Verily I
say unto you, notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with compassion
towards them. I will not utterly cast them off; and in the day of wrath I will
remember mercy. I have sworn, and the decree hath gone forth by a former
commandment which I have given unto you, that I would let fall the sword of
mine indignation in behalf of my people; and even as I have said, it shall
come to pass. Mine indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon
all nations; and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full. And in
that day all who are found upon the watchtower, or in other words, all mine
Israel, shall be saved. And they that have been scattered shall be gathered.
And all they who have mourned shall be comforted. all they who have given
their lives for my name shall be crowned. Therefore, let your hearts be
comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know
that I am God (D&C
101:1-16).
The
destruction of which you speak occurred just prior to the advent of the Savior
among the Nephites following his resurrection. The wickedness of the people at
that time was without measure--
Now
the cause of this iniquity of the people was this--Satan had great power, unto
the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing
them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and
riches, and the vain things of the world. And thus Satan did lead away the
hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed
peace but a few years. And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year--the
people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried
about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them,
and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should--and thus in the
commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful
wickedness. Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God
concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully
rebel against God (3 Nephi 6:15-18).
At
the coming of the Resurrected Lord among the Nephites all those wicked were
utterly destroyed because of their wickedness. But undoubtedly there were
among them many innocent children who knew no sin, but were in the care of
their wicked parents. They were destroyed also. Was that a careless or
non-caring act? Not by any means! Supposing they had been left. They would
have slowly died in agony. But on the other side of the veil, in the spirit
world they were loved by the Savior and cared for by loving, kind spirits.
Without doubt they would have received the blessings that the Savior gave to
little children as recorded in 3 Nephi 10:21-24.
And
when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it,
and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed
unto the Father for them. And when he had done this he wept again; And he
spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. And as
they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the
heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the
midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and
they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
The
scriptures are true. It would be well for us not to attempt to judge the Lord
based on the narrow and limited perspective permitted to us in mortality, but to
believe in him, in his mercy and in his justice, and in his revealed word; and
do all that we can to not offend the Savior of the World, the Prince of Peace,
the King of Forgiveness.
Gramps