Book of Mormon, D & C, Pearl of Great Price

Yesterday, I talked a little bit about the ways in which the Mayans first knew, and then corrupted the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, I'll talk about how this came about. It's a story of sacred records that starts in Jerusalem.

Lehi was a prophet living in Jerusalem at about 600 B.C. It was a time of wickedness for these people; the prophets who urged them to repent and return to righteous living were cast out or killed.

After trying his best to call the people to repentance the Lord sent Him a warning in a dream. He was warned that he must take his family and leave Jerusalem before those who sought his life could carry out their plans. He obeyed and put his life in the Lord's hands, not knowing what his path would be. He packed supplies, left behind all his non-essential worldly goods and journeyed into the wilderness.

It wasn't long, however, before the Lord reminded Lehi that he had forgotten something crucial. He had forgotten to bring the genealogy of his family and their record of the gospel. His sons were sent back to obtain them. Though it was not easy, it was necessary because the Lord had plans for Lehi's family. They would need a sacred record to guide them now and for generations to come. These records were carried across the ocean with Lehi and his family to a new and Promised Land. Nephi and the prophets after him continued to add to the record of the people. Other people came to the America's carrying their own sacred records and recording the workings of God among their people.

These records are what would eventually become known as the Book of Mormon in the Latter-days. In the meantime they served as a guideline for each generation in keeping the commandments of God, just as the Jews did on the other side of the world. After Christ came among their people, their scriptures changed to fit a higher gospel as outlined by Jesus Christ. How then, if they had these records did their beliefs become so confused? Like all people, they had periods of righteousness and unrighteousness, but they did not completely fall until their scriptures were lost and the priesthood was no longer among them.

When the plates came to Moroni for safe keeping, he faced a difficult task. He was alone, the last man of his people and hunted by his enemies because of his beliefs. He wandered this way for many years until he came to the place the Lord had led him: a tiny hill called Cumorah in upper state New York where he would hide the plates and one day give them to Joseph Smith with the commandment to send Christ's true gospel out among the people once again. Had he stayed, been found out, or killed by his enemies this record would have been lost or destroyed. Had he hidden it in places he knew, it likely would have been found by his enemies or the Spaniards who destroyed the Mayan's own religious records in order to instill their own beliefs of the gospel without interference from their own beliefs.

A sacred record was preserved from 600 B.C. until it was revealed in 1827 to be translated by the power of God and sent out among His people again. Our lives had been dark, without a pure record of His gospel. A new age of righteousness was able to begin because of the addition of the Book of Mormon to the word of God found in the Bible. We now have the records we need to live as He would have us.

The history books say that Christianity was introduced among the Mayans by the invading Spaniards. I do not think that this is necessarily true. If you look at their artwork and traditions, you can see that they knew Christ. They did not always understand Him, but he was present among them long before the Catholic priests came. In this blog I will share a few of the things I learned from my guide Helaman about their beliefs in Christ that many do not understand or choose to overlook. The Book of Mormon adds a great dimension to understanding who these people were, where they came from and how they knew of Christianity when Christ was born and lived on the other side of the world.

Let's start with their temples. They are fashioned after King Solomon's temple, and with the same layout as Moses' tabernacle in the wilderness. There was a progression of worthiness associated with the areas around the temple which itself consisted of two rooms: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies where the priest could go once a year to be in the presence of God, or Gods, depending on their level of righteous at the time. In the workmanship of the adorned temples are symbols of Christ and God. The most significant one is found over many doors. It is the image of a man descending from the sky. He has been identified as everything from a myth to an alien when in fact; this represents one of the most sacred experiences among these people. It represents a visit of Christ. Jesus Christ spoke of other sheep that he must attend to after leaving his disciples. The people of the Americas were among these other sheep. 3 Nephi 11 shares this sweet experience when Christ descended from the heavens to administer to these people. This also explains the red hand prints found on many of their buildings. They are not the signature of the builder; they represent the healing hands of Christ as they remember the miracles He performed among them.

They believe He will one day come again, this time from the east, because this is what He promised them. That belief in a beloved "White God" is what allowed the Spaniards to conquer them.

There are other representations of His gospel, of the Godhead, of a resurrection from the dead, and many other gospel principles adorning these once sacred buildings. The alters of the temple were first used for animal sacrifices, just as they were performed among the Jews on the other side of the world. Much later, when the gospel had been corrupted, the methods became twisted but the underlying tradition was still there. A human sacrifice offered up a slit beating heart, then the priest would drink the blood and eat a piece of the flesh. They remembered the instructions of the White God, to no more offer animal sacrifices because He had fulfilled the law. They remembered that instead, they were to offer Him a broken heart and a contrite spirit. They remembered they were supposed to partake of the sacrament in His remembrance, but they had lost His spirit, the presence of the Priesthood and the written records of how and why these things should be done. It was confused, but the White God was still honored.

They believed in resurrection. Their graves were made in the form of a cross, because they knew Christ had died on a cross in order to break the bands of death. They provided steps at the foot of the cross, facing east, for the loved one to rise up when Christ came again.

Their stories and legends contain a feathered serpent who is the bringer of all good and his fallen brother the serpent without wings, who brings evil. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ we understand the relationship between Jesus Christ and Satan.

They also tell of the earthly mother of Jesus Christ, who picked up the feathers of a dove and placed them by her heart, thus becoming pregnant with the Great God's child through His spirit.

Yes, when the Spaniards arrived, they were desperately lost to the true gospel of Jesus Christ, but it had been there, and still manifested itself in their traditions. The Mayans had known Jesus Christ, the Spaniards just reminded them.

We all have Weaknesses, or things that we don't like about ourselves. Throughout our lives we constantly seek to overcome these weaknesses. Yet, the more we focus on our weaknesses, the worse they seem to get in an ever downward spiral. No matter what we ourselves try to do, we can't seem to overcome these hated weaknesses.

In the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Moroni tells us of how he too agonized over his own weaknesses. When he turned to the Lord with his concerns over his weaknesses, the Lord revealed to him the key to overcoming them.

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

It is encouraging to know that we have already finished the first step in overcoming our weaknesses, by seeing them in the first place. Recognizing our weaknesses is a sign that we are coming closer to God

"It is not an easy thing … to be shown one's weaknesses. … Nevertheless, this is part of coming unto Christ, and it is a vital, if painful, part of God's plan of happiness." Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Nov. 1998, Neal A Maxwell

Next, we need to develop humility. This is partially accomplished in admitting to a weakness, to begin with. The other part of humility is in acknowledging where our strength lies. This means realizing that where we do not have the power to overcome our weakness that God does. With God we can do all things.

When we add to our humility unwavering faith in God, (Faith that He not only can overcome your weakness, but that He will), then we give Him access to do the seemingly impossible. Not just get rid of our weaknesses, but turn them into a strength.

This last part is the key. It is God is who has the power to make weak things become strong. Sometimes God takes away our weakness and in the process he strengthens our character. Other times He leaves our weakness and instead helps us to see and use our seeming weaknesses in a way that transforms it into a great strength. Yet still we know that it is only through God that either can occur.

"Sometimes, in spite of all we do to "make weak things become strong," the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, does not take away our weakness. The Apostle Paul struggled throughout his life with "a thorn in the flesh," which he said served to humble him "lest [he] should be exalted above measure" (2 Corinthians 12:7). Three times Paul asked the Lord to take away his weakness, and three times the Lord declined to do so. The Lord then explained that His grace was sufficient for Paul and that, in fact, His strength was actually "made perfect in weakness." Then Paul wrote, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

Like Paul, we can find positive meaning in weaknesses that are not taken away. Surely nothing is quite as humbling as having a weakness that we cannot overcome but must continue to struggle with throughout our life. Such a weakness teaches us, in a very personal way, that after all we can do we must rely on the grace of Christ to make up the difference.

As we humbly submit our will to the Lord's, we find that our weaknesses can indeed become sources of strength if we put our trust in Him." Making Weak Things Become Strong, Anne C. Pingree Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency

The Book of Mormon begins with the story of a prophet named Lehi, commanded by God to preach repentance to the people of Jerusalem. The people didn’t care for the message, even when warned the city would be destroyed if they chose not to listen. Instead, they wanted to kill the messenger. And so, God instructed Lehi to gather his family and whatever supplies were essential to their survival, and head into the wilderness, toward a promised land God would provide for them.

Lehi’s two oldest sons were rebellious. They resented giving up their comfortable live as the son of a wealthy planter. Throughout the course of their lives, they would whine and fuss about everything.

After the family had been traveling for some time, God instructed Lehi to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to obtain some important records. These records contained the scriptures and their genealogy. True to form, Laman and Lemuel didn’t want to go.

1 Nephi 3:1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.

2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.

3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.

4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

6 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

Let’s take a moment to look at how the brothers reacted. The two oldest complained, saying, “It’s too hard!” Throughout the journey, they would continue to find everything too hard, and would be too eager to give up each time they faced a challenge in the assignment.
Nephi, on the other hand, did not complain. He said, in essence, “If God wants me to do it, then He will make it possible.” Because of his attitude, he was the one who obtained the plates they sought, even though it was indeed very hard.

Later, when the boys have returned and the family has traveled a bit further, God again instructs Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem. Ahh, but this time Laman and Lemuel don’t complain. They have to travel even further than before, but there is not one recorded word about it being too hard. Why not? Because their father is sending them back to get wives to take with them. Apparently they liked this commandment, and a journey that had been too hard before was suddenly no trouble at all.

It’s so much easier to keep the commandments we like, that line up with our own desires, isn’t it? The secret, then, is to align our will with God’s. Heavenly Father isn’t going to change the commandments just because we find them inconvenient or too hard. Therefore, we’re the ones who need to change. When we decide that everything God wants us to do is also what we want to do, obedience becomes easy.

This comes down to faith. We have to trust God to know what is best for us, even when what He asks is difficult. If we knew that cleaning our kitchen would earn us a thousand dollars next Tuesday, we’d have that kitchen cleaned days in advance. The blessings God has promised us for obedience are of far greater value than one thousand dollars. Surely we can find in them motivation to make the very best choices for our lives.

When you’re feeling sluggish about obedience, revisit the lives of Nephi and his brothers. You’ll find the inspiration you need to “go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.”

One important aspect of faith is that Heavenly Father knows everything. It seems obvious, but sometimes, in our day to day lives, we forget to act on this knowledge.
“But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accompish all this works among the children on men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.” (1 Nephi 9:6)

We look at life from a very limited perspective. We see what is happening right now, and we often see it from a perspective of what we think would be best for us. Heavenly Father is looking at the world from an eternal perspective. Our little bit of time here on earth is important to Him because He loves us dearly, but He also has to see things from the larger perspective. He, like any good parent, knows that sometimes what we think would be best for us would not be best at all, perhaps not for us, and perhaps not best for others who would be affected by our request were it granted.

One of my favorite stories for understanding this is the story of Abinadi, in the Book of Mormon, the book of Mosiah, chapter 11. Abinadi was a prophet, sent by God to preach to the Nephites. They had come under the rule of a wicked king named Noah, who taught them to live a wicked life. Abinadi called them to repentance, instructing them to abandon the teachings of their wicked king. Needless to say, King Noah was not pleased with Abinadi’s message and wanted him captured and arrested.

Two years later, Abinadi returned and again preached repentance. He prophesied the destruction of the people and the king’s death if they didn’t repent. He was arrested and taken before the king. After listening to Abinadi’s preaching for a while, he commanded his priests to kill Abinadi, claiming Abinadi was mad. However, when these armed and powerful soldiers surrounded Abinadi, he said,

“Mosiah 13:3 Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time.

4 But I must fulfil the commandments wherewith God has commanded me; and because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me. And again, because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad.

5 Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these words that the people of king Noah durst not lay their hands on him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord.

6 And he spake with power and authority from God; and he continued his words, saying:

7 Ye see that ye have not power to slay me, therefore I finish my message. Yea, and I perceive that it cuts you to your hearts because I tell you the truth concerning your iniquities.

8 Yea, and my words fill you with wonder and amazement, and with anger.

9 But I finish my message; and then it matters not whither I go, if it so be that I am saved.”

Mosiah went on to deliver the message God sent him to deliver. The king and most of his followers were unmoved, but one man, a priest named Alma, felt the spirit and knew what Abinadi was teaching was true. He pleaded with the king to spare the prophet’s life, but instead, the king also ordered Alma’s death. Alma flees.

Over the years, I’ve taught this story to many children. Children are upset that Alma leaves. They want him to stay and rescue Abinadi. Abinadi, having delivered his message and converted Alma, is put to death.The children, looking at the story only from the perspective of their love for Abinadi, are upset that Abinadi is allowed to die and that Alma did nothing to help.

They are unable, at that moment, to see the eternal perspective. Abinadi himself had said that once he delivered his message, he could die. His purpose was to convert Alma, which he did. Alma would most likely not have been able to defend the prophet against an army, and would have been killed himself.

From an eternal perspective, this would have been a disaster. Alma went on to convert many people. From his lineage would come those who were present when the Savior appeared to the Nephites. Both he and Abinadi fulfilled their purposes in God’s plan.

In our own lives, we must always be aware that we may not understand God’s choices for our lives because we see through a limited perspective, but God, who sees all of eternity and knows the end from the beginning, can make wiser choices. We may not always understand, but we can have faith.

The Book of Mormon begins with Nephi. When the story he shares of his life begins, he is the teenaged son of a wealthy man, probably living a life of privilege. His father is a prophet in Jerusalem in 600 B.C. There were many prophets at that time, all preaching the same message: Repent or Jerusalem will be destroyed. The people chose not to hear the message and Lehi, Nephi’s father, found his life in danger by those who didn’t want to believe they were sinners. God instructed Lehi to take his family, and only those items essential for survival, and flee into the wilderness, where, like the people of Moses, they would one day be led to a land of promise.

Nephi’s life changed dramatically that day. He went from living a life of privilege to living in tents in a new place each night, having few possessions and leaving behind his former life and friends. Most teenagers would have been angry and sullen over such a dramatic change of lifestyle. In fact, Nephi’s older brother, Laman and Lemuel, were angry and never got over that anger. They whined, complained, and rebelled. Nephi, however, had great faith. He trusted his father and he trusted God. He listened as his father taught the gospel and went to God in prayer.

Nephi’s life was never easy. His brothers resented Nephi’s faith, and frequently tried to murder him. After Lehi’s death, when the family was settled in a new land across the ocean, the persecution became so bad Nephi was forced to take his family and followers and leave, setting up a new home once again, in order to stay alive.

And yet, despite the trials of leaving a comfortable life, of leaving everything behind, of constant and dangerous persecution, of repeated attempts on his life, Nephi chose not to become bitter. He didn’t ask why God didn’t reward him for his faithfulness. Instead, in the first verse of the Book of Mormon, written some thirty years after he left Jerusalem, he wrote, “I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days…” (I Nephi 1:1)

He was highly favored in all his days, including the ones where people tried to kill him. Nephi could have chosen to feel picked on and abused, but instead he chose to focus not on the attempted murders, but instead on the rescues that came each time. He focused not on leaving behind his wealth, but on receiving a land of promise.

One of the many lessons we can learn from Nephi is that our attitude can be a tool to help us retain our faith. His brothers lost whatever testimony they had because they chose to focus on the losses, not the blessings. Nephi went on to become a prophet and a man of faith and happiness because he focused on the blessings.