In the Book of Mormon we read that Moroni and Pahoran marched with a large body of men toward the land of Nephihah, determined to overthrow the Lamanites there. They wanted the Lamanites to come out to battle against them, but they refused. So Moroni and his men climbed the city wall with ladders and let themselves down into the city in the middle of the night. When the Lamanaites woke up and saw the Nephites inside their city, they became frightened and fled. Moroni caught many of them, slaying them or taking them prisoner. They were able to take possession of the city without losing one of their men, although many Lamanites were slain. Alma 62:14-26 "And it came to pass that Moroni and Pahoran, leaving a large body of men in the land of Zarahemla, took their march with a large body of men towards the land of Nephihah, being determined to overthrow the Lamanites in that city. And it came to pass that as they were marching towards the land, they took a large body of men of the Lamanites, and slew many of them, and took their provisions and their weapons of war. And it came to pass after they had taken them, they caused them to enter into a covenant that they would no more take up their weapons of war against the Nephites. And when they had entered into this covenant they sent them to dwell with the people of Ammon, and they were in number about four thousand who had not been slain. And it came to pass that when they had sent them away they pursued their march towards the land of Nephihah. And it came to pass that when they had come to the city of Nephihah, they did pitch their tents in the plains of Nephihah, which is near the city of Nephihah. Now Moroni was desirous that the Lamanites should come out to battle against them, upon the plains; but the Lamanites, knowing of their exceedingly great courage, and beholding the greatness of their numbers, therefore they durst not come out against them; therefore they did not come to battle in that day. And when the night came, Moroni went forth in the darkness of the night, and came upon the top of the wall to spy out in what part of the city the Lamanites did camp with their army. And it came to pass that they were on the east, by the entrance; and they were all asleep. And now Moroni returned to his army, and caused that they should prepare in haste strong cords and ladders, to be let down from the top of the wall into the inner part of the wall. And it came to pass that Moroni caused that his men should march forth and come upon the top of the wall, and let themselves down into that part of the city, yea, even on the west, where the Lamanites did not camp with their armies. And it came to pass that they were all let down into the city by night, by the means of their strong cords and their ladders; thus when the morning came they were all within the walls of the city. And now, when the Lamanites awoke and saw that the armies of Moroni were within the walls, they were affrighted exceedingly, insomuch that they did flee out by the pass. And now when Moroni saw that they were fleeing before him, he did cause that his men should march forth against them, and slew many, and surrounded many others, and took them prisoners; and the remainder of them fled into the land of Moroni, which was in the borders by the seashore. Thus had Moroni and Pahoran obtained the possession of the city of Nephihah without the loss of one soul; and there were many of the Lamanites who were slain."
In the New Testament we read about how in the last days there will be a great earthquake, the moon will be turned red like blood, and the mountains and islands will be moved out of their place. The people, including the rich and powerful, will hide themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They hope the mountains will fall on them and hide them from the face of the Lord and keep them from the Lamb's wrath. Who will be able to stand when the great day of the wrath comes? It certainly won't be the wicked who have not repented. Revelation 6: 12-17 "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the sad tale of how the people of Judah forsook the Lord who had lead them out of Egypt and began worshiping useless idols. Why would people leave a God who had done so much for them? Do we sometimes abandon the old for the new, hoping for better? Sometimes we leave an old job only to find out that the new job fails to satisfy us the way we'd hoped. Or after years of miserable singleness we finally get married, only to realize that married life has difficulties too. We look forward to retirement only to find that idle hours aren't the best use of our time. Change is not always good. And it's especially bad when we change a life of devotion to God to allowing sin to take root in our hearts. That will never bring happiness. Maybe we don't worship idols the way the Israelites did, but when we allow anything (work, possessions, videos games, etc.) to become more important to us than the Lord, they become false "gods" to us in taking over our lives. Look today for the "broken cisterns" in your life and ask God to remove the novelties that keep you from seeing His glory. Jeremiah 2:1-13 "Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord. Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
In the New Testament we read about how in the last days there will be a great earthquake, the moon will be turned red like blood, and the mountains and islands will be moved out of their place. The people, including the rich and powerful, will hide themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They hope the mountains will fall on them and hide them from the face of the Lord and keep them from the Lamb's wrath. Who will be able to stand when the great day of the wrath comes? It certainly won't be the wicked who have not repented. Revelation 6: 12-17 "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the sad tale of how the people of Judah forsook the Lord who had lead them out of Egypt and began worshiping useless idols. Why would people leave a God who had done so much for them? Do we sometimes abandon the old for the new, hoping for better? Sometimes we leave an old job only to find out that the new job fails to satisfy us the way we'd hoped. Or after years of miserable singleness we finally get married, only to realize that married life has difficulties too. We look forward to retirement only to find that idle hours aren't the best use of our time. Change is not always good. And it's especially bad when we change a life of devotion to God to allowing sin to take root in our hearts. That will never bring happiness. Maybe we don't worship idols the way the Israelites did, but when we allow anything (work, possessions, videos games, etc.) to become more important to us than the Lord, they become false "gods" to us in taking over our lives. Look today for the "broken cisterns" in your life and ask God to remove the novelties that keep you from seeing His glory. Jeremiah 2:1-13 "Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord. Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
No comments:
Post a Comment