SPIRITUAL WARRIORS

 

 

Just as you finish the war chapters of the Book of Mormon, you wonder if anyone thereafter will be able to match the war heroes that have found their way into your heart. But then the spiritual warriors begin to emerge. Such were two brothers who hailed from a rich heritage: from Alma came his unconquerable great-grandsons, Nephi and Lehi, the valiant sons of their father Helaman who gave them names of their forefathers in remembrance of their good works. Helaman was big on remembering and in his discourse to his sons, he used the word ‘remember’ 12 times (Helaman 5:5-12). Nephi and Lehi certainly did remember and they kept the commandments to a tee (v 14).

30 B.C. became the defining year of the good works of these valiant brothers. Things were not good on the home front. Nephi became so weary of the iniquity of his people that he ‘delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram’ and chose instead ‘to preach the word of God’ with his brother Lehi….and not just to preach until they had some converts but ‘all the remainder of their days’ (v 1, 4). Their missionary work was legendary, taking them through all the Nephite cities and culminating in their labours amongst the Lamanites (v 16). Have you noticed how the greatest missionaries of the Book of Mormon never omitted to wade into dangerous waters to also  preach to their enemies, the Lamanites? That my friends, is real missionary work….

The brothers had amazing success in the land of Zarahemla where they baptized 8,000 Lamanites (v 18, 19). But the Lamanite territory of the land of Nephi found them imprisoned where they languished for many days without food (v 22) until a spectacular spiritual experience granted them their freedom. As the threat of death approached, the heavens intervened and encircled the brothers by fire, the Father’s voice broke the spell of darkness that overshadowed the witnesses ‘and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them’ (v 43, 48). The witnesses numbered no less than 300 souls who took the power of their testimonies throughout all the regions converting many (v 50).

The missionary labours of these two brothers didn’t stop there, the effects of which were far more reaching: the majority of the Lamanites became more righteous than the Nephites (Helaman 6:1); the Lamanites began to preach the gospel to the Nephites (6:4); there was peace in all the land (6:7); the Lamanites and Nephites had open travel and free trade with one another (6:8).

Not many years hence, however, the Nephite nation rejected the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying among them fell on deaf ears leading the nation into spiritual decay (Helaman 6:2).  By year 23 B.C., their extreme greed for riches made way to secret combinations allowing the Gadianton secret society to become the governing body of the day (v 17-19). The spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites and began to be poured out upon the Lamanites (v 35,36). The Nephites were ripening for destruction (v 40).

When Nephi returned to the land of Zarahemla from his mission in the north, and saw the great iniquity that had come upon his people ‘in the space of not many years’, ‘his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast and he wept in the agony of his soul wondering why he was consigned to live among ‘the wickedness of his brethren’ (7:1,6-9). It made me reflect on the condition of the world we live in. I came to understand that God sends His most valiant spirits to earth at the time of gross wickedness to give balance to the world in the hope that their righteousness will reverse the tide. Such was the calling of the spiritual warrior called Nephi, the son of Helaman, and his brother Lehi.

Nephi’s greatest accomplishment was to remember his father’s admonition to build his foundation ‘upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ’ (Helaman 5:12). This admonition he passed on to his son, Third Nephi, whose faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was so great ‘that angels ministered unto him daily’, who, in the name of Jesus, cast out devils and unclean spirits ‘and even his brother did he raise from the dead….’ (3 Nephi 7:18,19)…..and who witnessed the greatest event of the American history, the coming of the resurrected Christ. It sends shivers up your spine, does it not?

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Clouds of Glory by Greg Sargent)