They Depended Upon Their Own Strength.

I have always been amazed at how the Holy Ghost utilizes simple phrases, and sometimes only an ordinary word, to enlighten my understanding about a certain scripture.  His ability to guide me in such an unelaborated manner, yet with such penetrating depth, has intensified my testimony of Him, and has solidified my convictions regarding His wondrous role.

I am becoming more cognizant of the way He teaches me, and can discern the distinctive beat of my heart when I come across something during my scripture study that has a deeper meaning for me.  It has taken me some time to recognize what I am to do when I feel His voice, for I feel Him much more frequently than I hear Him.  I have learned to straightaway stop, provide all my attentions, and allow Him to teach me.  It doesn’t matter if it is a word, or a page, each time I permit Him to be my instructor, my comprehension seems to blaze with heightened illumination, which can only come from a divine source of light. 

I encountered such an opportunity the other day, and the experience has not left my memory.  It was especially tender, and although plain, proved to be quite profound to me, as I sought to liken it to current day circumstances, both personally, as well as extensively.  I discovered this teaching in the tenth chapter of Mosiah, specifically verses eleven through seventeen. 

This chapter describes Zeniff and his people.  Zeniff was the Nephite leader, who originally acting as a spy, found the land of his fathers, Lehi and Nephi, and desired to live within it.  With a group of others who had identical yearnings, he traveled to this land, and was given access to portions of it by the devious Lamanite king.  Ultimately, the king’s true objectives were revealed, and Zeniff and his people were in bondage to the Lamanites.  This chapter discusses one battle that took place between Zeniff, his people, and the Lamanites. 

I have read this chapter before, and originally my markings, which in my study suggest that I had found a unique teaching in a prior session, were sparse.  However, as I came upon verse eleven, I felt that distinct beat signaling the opportunity to dig deeper.  This specific portion of the verse was kept in my memory throughout the rest of the study, and has been a recurring phrase that as echoed in my mind:

Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. Mosiah 10:11

The chapter goes on to explain that the Lamanites knew nothing of the Lord because they were taught by, and believed in, the tradition of their fathers.

It details throughout the following verses all of the corrupt ideas that the Lamanites had regarding the Nephites, which stem directly to the dishonest accounts of Laman and Lemuel regarding Nephi. 

Can you believe that!  Nearly four hundred years later, two men, which seems to be an unbelievably insignificant number compared to the, no doubt, thousands of descendants which have emerged since their time, had the ability to affect, alter, and modify the attitudes and beliefs of an entire people.  That is truly incredible to me.

This example is an extremely accurate illustration of the power of our decisions, choices, and especially, of our testimony, but also as equally forceful, the power of our sins.  If understood and accepted, it can motivate and empower us to choose the right, and to ensure that we are living a life that emulates goodness and encourages others, especially our future generations, towards Christ.

My Sins Are “Mine”

I am intrigued by one of Satan’s tactics, which I like to refer to as the “mine” strategy.  I am fascinated about it because it mimics a childlike behavior, which as adults we normally seek to train the child out of.  However, what seems to happen in the world today, is that we return to this “mine” mentality.

Now, I am an unlearned woman, one who holds little advanced education.  I am sure there is a study on this concept which seeks to explain this happening.  However, regardless of the temporal explanations, it is still one of Satan’s snares. 

We see this tactic used frequently to justify, or rationalize, the reasons why we make the decisions we do.  Here is a common example I seem to hear ever constantly: It is my body.  It doesn’t matter what I do to it, what I place in it, or how I treat it.  It is mine. 

It is a very common expression, but could be no further from the truth.  Our bodies are not ours.  They were created and presented to us by a loving Father in Heaven.  He provided them as a blessed gift, one which we hungered after, upon entering this mortal sphere.  Although He has counseled us how to care for it, He does not force us to do anything, and that includes not compelling us to protect the gift of our bodies.  This agency does not denote that this creation is our own.  It is still His.  It will forever be His.  The way we decide what goes on it, what we determine goes in it, is simply our opportunity to show gratitude to a merciful Creator.

Utilizing this concept, in conjunction with the scripture,  I have pondered continuously on how Satan utilizes this technique relating to our sins.  I do believe that there are some sins that we make ignorantly, however, I feel, from my own experience, that most of the time we have a firm understanding when we engage in something we should not do.  In fact, most of the serious sins are banned, or restricted, even within our mortal setting.  Enticements to these sins are led by Satan, but perhaps, the part we overlook most frequently is the constant whisperings which encourage the “mine” attitude: Don’t worry, these are your sins.  The effects will only come upon yourself. You are free to make your own choices, and no one should be worried about what you decide to do or not to do. 

Do you see what Satan is doing here?  He is finding every way possible to attack the portion of this mortal life that he detested the most: agency.  Can you recall how terribly against agency he was in the premortal sphere?  He absolutely opposed it, and was so passionate about canceling the idea, that he impudently brought forth a plan that was contrary to the Father’s.  Do not be deceived, he still hates agency.  That is why our agency is depleted and destroyed when we follow after him through sinning.  He continually utilizes any and every opportunity to defile it.  It is, and always has been, apart of his main objectives.  Here he is displaying the eat, drink, and be merry philosophy.  Use your agency, he declares, your choices will only affect you.  He is desecrating a divine gift from the Father. 

Satan first works to have us commit sin.  Next, he seeks to persuade us to excuse that sin in whatever way we can find.  He strives to keep us from repentance, for the Atonement allows us to recognize the seriousness of our errors and motivates us to avoid it in the future.

In opposite fashion, Satan wants us to accept the sin, and apply it as a customary habit.  Once the sin is adjusted to life, our vision will be distorted in two ways.  One: we no longer see the severity of the sin and begin to defend it, or two: we recognize that the sin carries consequences, but what we “get” from the sin is worth the repercussion.  We adopt the “mine” perspective, feeling that our sins are our own, and that others should have no part, for we will be the only one who will experience the effects of our choices. 

Make no mistake, this is where he is deceiving you the greatest.  For our actions, and the consequences for those decisions, are never delivered to ourselves alone.  We are naïve to believe that any decision we make will only have to ability to benefit or hinder ourselves.  Choices, especially those in regards to sin, always involve a set of consequences for others. 

If you view the plan of our Father, it is made to be as such, although He desires that our choices are always for the betterment of those around us.  Our purpose on this mortal sphere is individual, however, it is also deeply-rooted with the emotional and spiritual connections to a multitude of God’s children.  These attachments are found in every aspect of life, within every sort of relationship we acquire.  We need each other, and are dependent upon each other for everything, even, and especially, for our salvation.  This patterns much of our life on earth.  We necessitate others, and they require us. 

The Effects of Sin

Sinful, unrighteous, unvirtuous decisions and actions deliver consequences.  These ill effects are not only administered to ourselves, but instead, are trickled down into the lives of others that surround us.  I do not believe that there is any sin which has the ability to only inflict sorrow upon ourselves alone.  Sins always have repercussions for others, and I would be bold enough to declare, that in a majority of cases it is the innocent that become wounded. 

From personalized experience I can only describe the anguish that accompanies these consequences as suffocating.  It can make life seem unendurable to manage the oppressive weight that partners another’s bad decision.  Truly, it has the ability to completely obliterate a heart.  It has the capability of disorganizing and demolishing another’s life as they know it.  If it occurs in a child’s beginning years, it may have the potential to alter their entire existence.  I know I am not alone when I recount these specific effects, for I would say that each one of us, at some time, has encountered this type of heartache. 

Additionally, from personalized experience, I can describe the regret and despair that occurs on the other end, watching another suffer because of a wrong decision that I have made.  It is a deep form of agony to observe someone you hold dear suffer because you have engaged in a sin that has broken their heart.  No matter how you seek to rectify it, the deed is done. 

When you view both sides, it is made evident that sin, and its disastrous consequences, are nothing to trifle with.  Satan makes them look intriguing, and may even convince us that the ramifications are worth the sin, but in the end we are left alone, gasping for breath, for he never stands by his followers.  He has been an abandoner from the beginning. 

I learned from a wise mentor that one should never talk about sin, without also discussing the healing power of the Atonement.  I have never forgotten that counsel, nor have I misplaced the way it saved a sinner such as I.  It is essential that we recognize that when we have sinned, or when another’s sin has caused a burden to fall upon us, we are not left to withstand the sorrow alone.  Our Savior can mend all things.  And not only mend, but can completely restore.  He is the only one who can rebuild what we have destroyed.  He is the only one who can heal even the deepest torture.  We have faith in Him and know that because of His Atonement we can be rescued, whether we are the offended or the offender. 

However, it must also be acknowledged that the Atonement cannot relieve us from all earthly consequences.  There are effects that come from our sins that may completely transform parts of our lives.  We may lose relationships, we may battle with an inescapable addiction, or we may have destroyed something, or someone, that can never be replaced in mortality.  Our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ have entrusted us with agency, and they have the ability to heal our wounds, but they cannot reverse outcomes, because it may impede on another’s agency.  The best way to avoid these regretful occurrences is to avoid sin with all seriousness, and utilize the Atonement daily, because we are all currently imperfect.    

Perhaps, the greatest effect of sin is clarified through the scripture found in Mosiah.  Laman and Lemuel’s evil and wicked decisions created an entire group of people whose main objective was to destroy the Nephites.  They did not seek to kill them because they had been personally offended, but instead held firm to the traditions of their fathers, which was based on a corrupted version of the truth. 

The consequence that Laman and Lemuel received for their actions was a separation from God.  The consequence their posterity received was distance from God for they knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord.  They knew nothing because they had been taught nothing.  And the next seven words explain in detail how severe the consequence was upon them: Therefore, they depended upon their own strength.

That sentence makes me shudder.  Can you imagine not having the strength of the Lord with you, and all that you had to buoy you up during good or bad, thick or thin, was your own strength? 

I can perfectly visualize such an existence, for I remember a time in my life, not too long ago, when I, too, had distanced myself from God and all I depended on was myself.  It was horrific.  Life was overwhelming in every aspect.  I had a great outward display of confidence, but inside all that filled me was panic.  Sheer panic.    The meaning of life was chaotic and jumbled and peace was a feeling that I rarely ever encountered.  Relying on your own strength in place of God’s is like trying to row a steamboat with a paddleboat oar.  You don’t go far. 

This recorded result illustrates how deeply our unrighteous decisions can affect our posterity.  When we fail to follow the Lord, His ways become strange to us.  Seeking to provide explanation for His puzzling methods, we may create artificial beliefs or ideologies which begin to be carried down throughout our generations.  Our fabricated ideas, become our posterity’s reality. 

Our choices do, and will, have an effect on our posterity.  Never allow Satan to persuade you otherwise.  This scripture is proof of how extensive our consequences can run.

Lastly, by recognizing that our decisions affect our future generations, I am absolutely not declaring that our choices limit our posterity’s agency.  Never.  Indeed, we all have our own agency to decide what is right and wrong.  Just because we come from a line of people who have made unrighteous decisions, does not denote that we, too, will follow after.  There are examples in the scriptures, and in everyday life, of individuals who utilize their agency for good, even when surrounded by evil or falsified ways. 

Similarly, there are many examples of unrighteous seed who have sprung from righteous progenitors.  This scripture story houses a perfect example, for the righteous King Zeniff fathered King Noah who was a wicked and vile leader that corrupted the Nephite people. 

We all have the gift of agency and it is not restricted nor controlled by another’s decisions.  However, our choices do have the ability to produce undesired effects that can add difficulty, and heartache, to another’s existence.    

The Affects of Righteousness

Additionally, and identically, when we make righteous, virtuous, steadfast decisions we benefit others, especially, but not limited to, our own posterity.  Although we may not see the results of our righteousness, goodness and virtue always have a tumbling effect. 

Zeniff and his people, which are on the opposite side of this story, are a great example.  Zeniff made poor decisions in acquiring the land of Lehi-Nephi because of his overzealousness to exist there.  His consequences were the bondage that the Lamanites placed not only on himself, but on all of his people.  However, the Nephites had been taught of the Lord.  They knew His ways, they understood what they must do to be released from their bondage, and they knew of, and trusted in, His strength. 

Their knowledge and ability to have access to the Atonement and to the strength of the Lord came from the righteous decisions of Nephi, and was continued forward by their own virtuous actions.  Nephi’s good choices, as well as the continued obedience of the Nephites, enabled his posterity four hundred years later, to be forgiven of their sins and to have power over their oppressors. 

We may never know what the affect of our righteous decisions will be.  Although we may not witness anything during mortality, it does not suggest that we have not created an influence.  The tumbling affect of our righteousness will occur, whether we inhabit this mortal sphere, or are in the heavens.  We must never be disheartened.

Knowing that righteousness will undoubtedly add influence, we must be careful with how we define failure.  Perhaps, we feel we have failed because of the current status of our present posterity.  There may be some who have made decisions that have taken them away from the Lord.  However, as we continue on a path of righteousness we are setting an example that they may look towards when they seek to come back to His arms. 

The Lord’s timing is unmatched and is perfected.  Our success cannot be determined based on our own timetables.  Never lose hope.  Not in yourself, nor in the Lord.  Continue forward with fervent dedication to what you know is true. 

I have a very strong testimony of the truthfulness of this, for I was once the one who had made decisions that had taken myself away from the Lord.  However, I was blessed to utilize the stalwart example of my Grandmother, who never waivers in righteousness, nor in her love for me.  When I finally decided to embark on the pathway home again, her faithful example helped me to understand what I must do to gain access to the Spirit of the Lord.  My journey was individual, but was continuously inspired by her goodness, by her virtue. 

Additionally, we must not feel overwhelmed by understanding that what we do has an influence on others.  We know our flaws so well, that we may worry that our imperfection may cause unintended consequences to fall on those we love, or onto those that follow after us. 

This should not burden us.  Following the Lord’s ways will never add weight. As we seek to walk with the Lord, all things will be made right.  We do not have to be perfect to have a righteous affect.  In fact, the moments where we are not perfect, but humbly utilized the Atonement, may be the spark that teaches another who is struggling and desperately wants to find their way home again.  The gospel is not for a perfected people, it is a sanctuary and refiner for the currently incomplete. 

Depend Upon the Strength of the Lord

Our decisions and choices are truly not our own.  What we decide to do upon this earth has a lasting affect, whether for good or bad.  The lie that Satan seeks to convince you, the one that labels sins and their consequences as “mine”, is a deception.  It is one that is abusing and defiling your divine gift of agency.  Do not allow him to manipulate you in such a manner.

We have been taught of the Lord.  We know of Him, of His ways, and of His strength.  Because of this we have been blessed with the ability to overpower the temptations of the destroyer.  When we call upon the Lord, He will add His strength unto us and we will be victorious, every single time.  Because we have been blessed with access to such divine light and knowledge, our responsibility is to emulate what we know to be true.  As we do so, others around us will be motivated and encouraged towards good.  

We cannot lose the understanding that we need each other.  We are sent to this earth in family units, and are continuously surrounded by others, that we may all come together in our journey back home.  We have the ability to righteously affect everyone we come into contact with. 

Most importantly, we have been given a divine and serious responsibility to teach and prepare our posterity to walk in the ways of the Lord.  It is true that this is accomplished by our words, but it is our behaviors and decisions that are most significant.  Words, no matter how eloquently delivered, are only muffled phrases released by a overtaxed tongue, if our actions are not parallel.   

Our righteous decisions will have the ability to influence, steady, stimulate, and enliven our future generations.  Our agency has been provided, and it is a divine gift from a trusting Father in Heaven.  One who has confidence that our life, and the choices we decide to make, will allow our posterity to have knowledge of Him, and above all, that they will know how to depend upon the strength of the Lord.