Read: Mormon 2-4
Mark: Mormon 2:12-13
"Full repentance involves a 180-degree turn, and without looking back! In ritual regret, we mourn our mistakes but without mending them. There can be no real repentance without personal suffering and the passage of sufficient time for the needed cleansing and turning...Chastening is often needed until the turning is really under way!" --Elder Neal A. Maxwell
To ponder:
We can be sorry for the wrong reasons (like when we are caught or punished). What can help you be sorry for the right reason?
In answer to today's question, I think we learn to be sorry for the right reason when we truly understand the commandments and we want to be right with the Lord, not with the world. We know within ourselves when we have done something wrong or had bad thoughts; we can feel sorry and repent of these thoughts and actions, and ask for forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteAs I read through these chapters this evening, I again wondered what I was supposed to learn from reading about so many wars and so much destruction. I think these scriptures remind of us the importance of staying close to the Lord and to listening to the Spirit no matter the situation. We must remain humble and teachable. And, again we must beware of pride--and realize that all things come from God.
One other thought stood out to me: In Chapter 4:5, we are reminded that it is the "wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed." This seems quite obvious, but for some reason this really stood out to me this evening as this is the way it is in the world today: It is those who are going again the teachings of our Savior, who stir up our hearts so that we have doubts as to what is true and right. I think awareness is a huge step in avoiding these pitfalls!
Chapter 2: Being sad, depressed, ashamed etc is no virtue. Sorrow must be a Godly sorrow. In this type of sorrow you are not mourning what you've had to go through or deal with. You mourn for what you've done and the sorrow it caused others & the hindrance it was to God's work. This type of sorrow does not cause you to wallow in self-pity - it MOVES you to do the right thing NOW. You forget yourself in the best way possible.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3: Even when Mormon knew spiritual strength had been withdrawn he served and led the people through several battles. He continued to love and serve them. At some point, he had to draw a line. The line will never be before the line the Lord draws. I am not a better judge than God - I will love and serve those who have lost His presence, but will draw my line when that service becomes dangerous or sinful - not before, I have no right.
Mormon 4: We will be punished for our wickedness. Do you prefer your judge to be God who is perfect or some other wicked person who has no love for you?
Is there any thing I'm holding onto that I know should be let go? Something not right (maybe it's not horrible, but not right)? What will it take for me to let it go? I need to evaluate myself and make sure I don't require bigger trials than are already my due because I refuse to obey God.
You know, sorrow means nothing unless it's part of repentance. The sorrowing of the damned gets no pity from anyone. These people were so bad. When I read Mormon 2:10 I couldn't even imagine how horrible it'd be to live in that time. It was so bad that "no man could keep that which was his own." Really? NO one? Not ONE person could avoid being a victim of some crime? THAT is a pretty bad crime rate, there.
ReplyDeleteAnd forgive me if this sounds judgmental, but when I read verse 13 I just think, REALLY? You're sad because you can always be happy when you sin? Like, I think sometimes about how people wonder why they can't find happiness when they've got like 2-3 kids out of wedlock with at least 2 different men and spend most of their down-time in bars looking for a new hook-up. Hmmm... that's... happiness? No. And it never will be. Anyways...
You know it's pretty bad when Mormon flat-out REFUSES to lead them in Mormon 3:11. But who can blame him? We see in chapter 4 verse 11 that all the people actually LOVED killing. They delighted in it! In verse 12, he tells us that this is THE most wicked group of people to ever live, at least among the house of Israel (which we know is pretty much most of the earth).
And human sacrifices? Yeesh! No thanks. I honestly don't understand how anyone could ever practice that. I mean, even without belief in God, isn't life still precious? But, then again, they delighted in bloodshed, so the "sacrifice" to "gods" was probably just an excuse to justify their murders. It's so very very very sad to me.