Without Disclosing My True Identity
[23] Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they
returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had
assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks
after their manner. [For the other six days of the week, LDS people pursue money,
education, and the world’s glories unlike any other organized people upon earth.][24] Now when Alma saw this his heart was grieved; for he saw that they
were a wicked and a perverse people; yea, he saw that their hearts were set
upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of fine goods [Ex: temples to
dot the earth; City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, Utah].[25] Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting,
in their pride.[26] And he lifted up his voice to heaven, and cried, saying: O, how long, O
Lord, wilt thou suffer that thy servants shall dwell here below in the flesh, to
behold such gross wickedness among the children of men?^23Lesson 3: One’s Conviction of Their Own Reality Makes Others Suffer
Lehi’s dreams caused his family to suffer, as do all the dreams of those people
modernly who are religiously induced to follow what they dream. The next parabolic moral
taught in the Book of Mormon narrative is just how far a man will go to accomplish the
mandates of his dream. In this case, Lehi again “dreamed a dream in the which the
Lord...commanded” him to send his sons back to Jerusalem to get “the record of the Jews.”^24
“The record of the Jews” was their religious history and their laws and traditions,
modernly called the Old Testament of the Bible. When a man has convinced others that his
dreams are “from God,” then those thus convinced become willing to do anything—even
murder, rob, defraud, and deceive—to do what they are commanded. Nephi committed all
of these crimes in an effort to fulfill what his father said was a command from God; and
when Nephi doubted himself, he claimed that “the Spirit”^25 told him to commit the crimes
for the greater good.^26 All “inspired” men think they are doing a greater good, even when
they violate the very code of humanity that regulates human nature.
If Lehi had listened carefully to Zenos and Zenock, and pondered on the message
of the “One descending out of the midst of heaven...and...twelve others following
him,”^27 he would never have wanted any part of the Jewish religion, especially not the
Law of Moses. Lehi’s desire to save himself and his family was not farfetched as a
normal reaction to Zenos’ prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem. However, sending
his sons back to get the very religious document that made the people “wicked and
abominable” in the first place—now, that was ludicrous; but it is exactly the narrative
that the Book of Mormon authors intended for the story.
Lesson 4: Religious Principles Always Lead to Corruption
The Book of Mormon goes on to show how that even in a brand new land, when
religious principles are incorporated into human culture, they always, always, always