You
can read the entire chapter here: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/28?lang=eng
One
of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to put an end to contention. Verse 2
of this chapter tells us that the book’s writings shall be “of great worth unto
the children of men.” Nephi foresees that a number of churches will claim,
“Behold, I, I am the Lord’s,” and will take issue with one another. Verse 4
says that these churches will “teach with their learning, and deny the Holy
Ghost.” This tracks with what Nephi wrote in the previous chapter, and what
Jesus told Joseph Smith face-to-face during their first encounter in the grove
in 1820, about men drawing near the Lord with their lips, but having their hearts
far from Him. By the accuracy of its translation and its teaching of the pure
doctrine of Christ, the Book of Mormon clarifies those teachings of the Bible
that have been unclear and therefore subject to multiple interpretations. It
does not replace the Bible, but actually complements and strengthens its
message through the clarifications it provides.
But
more than that, by its coming forth, the Book of Mormon teaches us that the
Lord does not limit Himself to revealing his inspired words or scripture only to
a certain group of people in a certain period of time. No, the Book of Mormon
is part of a pattern where those who really “receive” the scripture already
given to them and “lend an ear” to the Lord’s counsel are able to gain greater
knowledge, wisdom and insight from the Lord. The idea that the heavens are
closed is a fallacy. Those who claim that God’s work on earth is done, or that
miracles don’t happen, or that we have enough scripture (verses 5-6, 29-30)
reveal far more about their own willfulness or lack of faith than they do about
God’s nature. The true principle is that the Lord wants to share his mysteries
with us. As we seek and knock, he gives to us “line upon line, precept upon
precept, here a little and there a little” (verse 30).
And
we learn only too well in this chapter why it is so important to seek out God’s
truth, that we may avoid being deceived by the many ways evil tries to come
upon us in the world. Darkness by definition is banished once light is thrown
upon it. Nephi recognizes this, and does everything he can to expose the
pernicious ways that the devil and the other spirits who follow him seek to
weaken us and lead us toward misery. Nephi reckons that if we can understand
how Satan operates, we’ll be better equipped to work with the Lord to prevent
ourselves from falling into the many traps that are out there. Here are some of
the traps he identifies for us, 2,500 years before C.S. Lewis wrote The Screwtape Letters:
1.
Falling for the lie that life is consequence-free (“Eat, drink, and be merry,
for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” – verse 7.).
Responding
to our earthly desires is not wrong, but the earthly desires should never take
precedence over the spiritual priority of our salvation and our ability to
access the Holy Ghost.
2.
A little sin is OK. God will understand and will excuse us (verse 8).
This
sounds merciful, but it is a counterfeit of God’s true mercy. God may
understand when we commit sin (after all, Jesus felt the pain of all sinners
when he atoned for us), but He cannot excuse sin. He cannot save us unless we
repent and make choices to follow him. And the idea that we can plan ahead of
time to “sin a little” and then repent afterwards is completely deceptive
nonsense. That is because we can choose our actions, but not the consequences.
So if we sin, we lose the companionship of the Holy Ghost. How then can we have
any degree of confidence that the choices we will make will be the right ones?
Maybe, just maybe, we’ll have the sense of godly sorrow that leads us to seek divine
forgiveness. And when that takes place, you’d better believe that the power of
Christ’s atonement can work miracles and heal us. But it’s utter foolishness to
take that chance in a calculating way before-the-fact. George Albert Smith,
president of our Church from 1945 to 1951, provided this wise caution,
“If you cross to the devil’s side of the line one inch, you are in the
tempter’s power, and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even
reason properly, because you will have lost the spirit of the Lord.”
3.
Getting stirred up to anger against things that are good (verse 20).
First
things first. Christ has already won the victory over evil. It is done. That
means if we choose evil over good, we are choosing the losing side. We are also
choosing misery. But the devil wants to take as many down with him as possible,
so he seeks to get us to act against our own interests through feelings of
pride or envy or fear, manifesting itself in anger and rage against things and
people that are good. Sometimes we need to be patient in response to a kind
word of concern or correction from a family member or friend. Instead of
reacting in a knee-jerk way, consider for a moment whether what this loved one
has said has merit. Be honest. Often we need to be open to learn from others
and to change some things in our lives. Those who are able to do this gain power
over Satan, because their self-discipline is such that they’re less vulnerable
to being baited into a self-defeating situation where they lose control of
their emotions and actions.
4.
Being lulled into “carnal security” with material possessions and comforts
(verse 21).
This
is the situation where being too focused on the comforts and cares of this
world distracts from our eternal perspective. We lose our “edge.” We forget
that there’s something beyond our senses that is a much more important reality,
and we therefore lose our sense of urgency and our need to look out for others.
5.
Being tricked into thinking “there is no hell” or devil (verse 22).
The
truth that there is good and evil forces us to choose a side. It’s challenging
work, because we must be vigilant to ward off temptation. If we no longer
believe that truth, in most cases we’re not going to be willing to engage in
the daily practices—sincere prayer, applying the scriptures to our lives and
acting on spiritual impressions—so vital not to just staving off evil
influences in our lives, but actually overcoming them. And if we don’t do these
things, Nephi’s dire prophecy of our being brought into chains—ironically, by
the very being whose existence we denied—will be fulfilled (verses 22-23).
Perhaps
the most telling line in the chapter is this: “Wo unto all those who tremble,
and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon
the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy
foundation trembleth lest he shall fall” (verse 28).
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