A Study of the Book of Mormon

Mosiah 11: 1-19 This simple phrase that explains the deviation of King Noah from the truth is a double-edged accusation. A footnote in verse 2 compares King Noah to Jeraboam of the Old Testament who caused the children of Israel to sin. Noah's deviation is just that. Clearly, we must assume that King Noah is not ignorantly sinning. He was the son of Zeniff and grew up in his household. Beyond this, he took a people, who previous to this had learned to fear God and to recognize the strength of the Lord in protecting them from their enemies, and had altered the affairs of the kingdom to support his wickedness. Perhaps the most telling part of this account are the verses that relate their attitude towards the conflict with the Lamanites, when they came back victorious from fighting the Lamanites this time, they were boastful of their own strength, and blood thirsty. ( Verse 19 attributes this fully to the wickedness of the king and the priests.) Boasting and blood thirsty, both are ...

Mosiah 7:14-33 There have been just a few thoughts regarding bondage and spiritual slavery as I've reviewed these verses in English. It seems that in many cases spiritual bondage as a result of sin precedes physical bondage or limitation in one form or another. Other times, physical limitations or disabilities are not the direct result of sin, but to teach us the difference between the physical and the spiritual. Indeed, the physical can be severely handicapped, while the spiritual side of our beings is allowed to grow and flourish. The essence of a vibrant spirit is one that has complete trust in God and is completely, unconditionally filled with the love of God and love of our fellow man. This can be misunderstood as naivety or plain foolishness by our mortal capacities. But make no mistake, one who can freely forgive and love without condition is free from a host of spiritual limitations. In theses verses, king Limhi counsels his people to prepare to leave the land of Nephi. The...