Read: Mosiah 15-17
Mark: Mosiah 17:11-12
"You don't need to compromise your standards to be accepted by good friends. The more obedient you are...the more the Lord can help you overcome temptation. You can also help others because they will feel your strength. Let them know about your standards by consistently living them...No one intends to make serious mistakes. They come when you compromise your standards to be more accepted by others. You be the strong one. You be the leader. Choose good friends and resist peer pressure together." --Elder Richard G. Scott
To ponder:
Why did King Noah not resist the pressure from the evil priests? What helps you to resist peer pressure?
I admire the faith Abinadi had in God. Like many men before and after, their faith was unshakable. I feel my faith growing. I also want to have way more faith in my faith. I get scared when things start to get rough. I forget God always has my back. I'm so used to doing things myself and taking care of myself I have to remind myself that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us. I must have faith in that plan. Ever since I accepted that I have been much happier. Abinadi knew he would die. He had nothing to fear! He would be with Heavenly Father because of his faith and obedience.
ReplyDeleteKing Noah couldn't resist the pressure because he had been living in such darkness he couldn't see the light. He didn't want to do anything differently. He enjoyed the life he was leading. It's much easier to do the wrong thing. Doing the right thing takes hard work and much effort.
I have learned my happiness within myself and my family far outweigh those around me. By living as God commands, I am able to be an example of a more peaceful way of life than one full of strife and drama. I don't think my life is all that. I remember seeing people who seemed to be at such peace and wondered how? Now I know.
Angela, I so agree with your words! We find peace and happiness within ourselves (these come from within!) and we find this by keeping the commandments of a loving Father in Heaven!
ReplyDeleteSo much 'meat' in these scriptures! First, I learned about the symbolism of 'feet'--the feet, in scriptural symbolism, are the part of the body that carry God's message to the world (i.e., our missionaries!). And thus we have: "O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!" Love this!
ReplyDeleteA side note: Has anyone else noticed lately that it is said several times that the wicked will 'wail, howl, weep, and gnash their teeth"? What comes to mind to me are werewolves!!! (Maybe too many Twilight movies for me!)
Once again, I love Abinadi's courage. He tells it the way it is (the way Heavenly Father has commanded him to do) and then he has the courage not to back down, even when his life is at stake, "having sealed the truth of his words by his death."
Why didn't King Noah resist peer pressure? He definitely was not such a smart man; he was totally influenced by his peers just as we can so easily be as well. We resist peer pressure by surrounding ourselves with those who believe as we do, who respect our beliefs and honor them.
I love today's quote by Elder Scott! I especially love: "The more obedient you are...the more the Lord can help you overcome temptation." What a great promise!
LOL, Patti! Werewolves?! That's hilarious! I love it. I guess lycans have to originate somewhere, right?
ReplyDeleteI also love Elder Scott's quote today and I really, truly appreciate that promise to have help overcoming temptation as I am obedient. Being obedient isn't always easy, but just like with anything else, the more you are obedient the easier it becomes to be obedient! It's the same with sin. The more you sin the easier it is. I think it takes 6 solid weeks to form a good habit. That's 6 solid weeks without deviation. So, basically, if you can do any one task consistently for 6 weeks you're golden. The problem is that it's really hard to do! But it's easier to finish by week 5 than on week 1.
Anyways, I guess what I'm getting at is that King Noah was so used to being evil that the thought of doing anything merciful, even if due to cowardice to protect his own life, was just too foreign. He was prideful, and he let his pride literally become his fall. He could have changed. He could have listened to Alma. He was the king! Ultimately the fates of his people, himself, and Abinadi were in his own hands. But once the priests began to influence him he was done for. Peer pressure is so intense, and it matters most to those who are insecure with themselves. I've often thought, now that I'm an adult, how grateful I am to not be a teenager anymore! I was always so self-conscious about EVERYTHING! Now I don't even think about HALF of the thousand over-analyzing thoughts I used to have before when I was in high school. Thank goodness! I'm so happy to be out of that phase! But King Noah never got out of it.
It kind of makes me think of Back to the Future II where Marty goes into the future and ultimately has to decide to control his anger and control his impulse to give into being called a "chicken" by acting out in anger afterwards. This is basically what the priests did to Kind Noah! Only he didn't make the right choice like Marty McFly. He also didn't have the DeLorean. Maybe there's a connection there. ;)
I think what helps me to resist peer pressure is to remember what really matters and to remember that there are people who respect and look up to me and that being a good role model is even more crucial since there are so few out there, especially for little girls. I want to be strong and faithful. And I know that as I come closer to God that he will grant me that strength to withstand the pressure of the world.
God is merciful - those who cannot fully comprehend the knowledge before then are granted the best results as though the best choices were made (if their intentions are righteous). Good is just - those who can choose and have a knowledge have the right to make their own choices and God will not steak the results of those choices... Good or bad.
ReplyDeleteWe can be saved if we turn from our sin. But if we choose not to turn away from our sin then we effectively choose not to accept Christ's sacrifice.
Bad things happen to good people (Abinadi). It is not because we have a cruel God. Everyone has free agency and just reap the consequences. And the good must overcome ALL and still choose Him. What right so we have of eternal happiness if life was only easy?
King Noah saw only what was in front of him and he feared what he saw. All of it. He has no eternal perspective. Others may have good ideas (or maybe sound good when opining) but none have to stand before God because if something I did based on their persuasion. Me saying "my friends thought it was cool or I was afraid of what others would say" (like when sharing the gospel) is poor excuse for lack of faith or disobedience. I have to remember who faces God with me in the end.... Me and my Savior.
I know we have mentioned this before, but I really wish this blog site had a 'like' button! I so appreciate getting up each morning and reading each one of your thoughts and hearing your insights. It sets such a sweet pattern for my day! I love you guys!!!
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