ON HIGHER GROUND

Among the war chapters in the Book of Mormon is a highly educational story of a man called Amalickiah, a dissenter from the Church of God, who sought to be king and thereby caused a division among the Nephites, leading away many of them to destroy the foundation of liberty (Alma 46:10). By his cunning and deviousness, Amalickiah fled the land of Zarahemla with his many converts and gained the favour of the king of the Lamanites planning to dethrone him and make himself king (Alma 47:4).  Having convinced the king to go to battle against the Nephites, he again caused a division amongst the people. Those who would not consent to fight fled to the place called Onidah with a leader called Lehonti gathering themselves upon the top of the mountain Antipas. Here comes into play one of the most interesting stories in the Book of Mormon.

Amalickiah, being a 'subtle man to do evil' (Alma 47:4) devised the most clever plan to obtain the kingdom through Lehonti, who originally opposed him in every way. Causing his army to pitch their tents in the valley near the mount Antipas, Amalickiah proceeded to coax Lehonti to come down the mountain to speak with him. The record states that Lehonti at first would not dare to do so but Amalickiah was patient and persistent. After sending the third message to Lehonti, Amalickiah decided to get closer and ascended half way up the mountain enticing Lehonti to come to down to him with his guards to speak with him. On the fourth message Lehonti relented and came half way down the mountain. There Amalickiah lay open his plan before him as to how he could assist him in obtaining command of the whole army if he would place him, Amalickiah, as second in charge. Lehonti could not resist this temptation of power and came all the way down the mountain, took possession of the whole army through Amalickiah's assistance and became the leader he desired to be. There was only one problem. He had a dangerous man as his 'second in charge' who according to Lamanite custom stood to become chief leader if the chief was killed (Alma 47:17); a man who had plotted this very thing right from the beginning. The plan worked beautifully for Amalickiah instructed one of his servants to administer poison 'by degrees' to Lehonti and Lehonti died (Alma 47:18) leaving Amalickiah in charge of the entire army of the Lamanites. With such power under his belt, the whole kingdom fell into his hands as he proceeded with his evil plan and caused the death of the king by the hands of his servants. Thus by secret works, manipulating others to do his dirty work, did Amalickiah obtain the whole kingdom of the Lamanites.

The story of Lehonti, who took his army to the top of the mountain for physical safety has many parallels with us today. As the covenant people of God we have been invited to perserve our spiritual safety on top of another mountain, the mountain of the Lord's house, the temple (2 Nephi 12:2). Anciently mountains were always synonymous with temples or any form of higher worship. High places were also where prophets of old received instructions by the Lord, as in Moses' case when he received the Ten Commandments upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19,20). Today, LDS temples are always built on the highest vantage point in the designated community suggesting that once we have entered into sacred covenants with God, we stand on higher ground. It also suggests that higher knowledge regarding man's salvation and ultimate exaltation is received in the temples of God. Those who adhere to their temple covenants and make their abode with God within its sacred walls, receive spiritual protection and power against the enemy of all righteousness. This, however, does not mean that this enemy sleeps or has no interest in those who have made temple covenants and enjoy the safety of such. On the contrary, the adversary takes no sabbaticals and has more interest in those who are endowed with temple covenants than those who are not and he will use all his skills to bring them down the mountain.

Viewing Amalickiah as a prototype of the adversary we can learn that our enemy is three things - he is subtle, he is persistent and he is cunning. He watches patiently and plots with dedication to bring about our demise. He knows which buttons to push and he will do so repeatedly until cracks in our resolve begin to appear. Using subtle means he will make his enticements appear appealing and even of good value. Like Amalickiah, he will meet us half way up the mountain and make his propositions difficult to resist appealing to our egos and "what's in it for me" attitude. Once we succumb, he will 'poison' us 'by degrees' until he succeeds in bringing about our spiritual death. Compromising ourselves in such a way where our obedience to the commandments suffers can only lead us down the slippery slope to the valley of shadow and death where we are eventually cut off from the presence of the Lord (Alma 50:20). This is what our enemy hopes for, works for and lives for.

When Amalickiah left the Nephites, he fled before the armies of Captain Moroni. There would have to be no two people in the scriptures more unlike than Amalickiah and Captain Moroni. Whereas one sought to destroy, the other sought to preserve; whereas one sought self-interest, the other sought the welfare of his people; whereas one rejected God, the other accepted Him with all his heart. Amalickiah, 'a subtle man to do evil' (Alma 47:4), had one goal only: to subject others to the yoke of bondage. When that desire slipped from his grasp, he cursed God (Alma 49:27). Moroni's one goal was to perserve the welfare and safety of his people (Alma 48:12). This he did by not relying on his sword alone but on God's goodness by preparing his people to be faithful to Him (Alma 48:7). Moroni, a captain of the Nephite armies was a 'strong and mighty man', 'a man whose heart swelled with thanksgiving to his God', 'a man who was firm in the faith of Christ' (Alma 48:11-3). And here is the clincher, Mormon's appraisal of this man reads like a plaque in the hall of fame: "Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men" (Alma 48:17).

Like Amalickiah, the adversary has only one goal: to put us in bondage. To achieve this he marches with his armies, like a thief in the night, seeking to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). He seeks to destroy us in the flesh and he seeks to destroy us in spirit. He is a collector of ruined lives, corrupted faith and lost spiritual destinies. Immediately preceding Christ's appearance to the ancient Americas, before He said anything else, the Saviour's voice was heard in the darkness as an explanation and a warning: "Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen" (3 Nephi 9:2). Like Nephites of old, we are at war. The battle is raging and many are falling by the way. People's hearts are failing and the love of many is waxing cold (D&C 45:26,27). There is only one place of refuge, one place of safety, one place of power that will help us stand to the end. Stand firm. Don't come down the mountain.

THE ROCKCLIMBER

"Brenda was a young woman that wanted to learn to rock climb. Although she was terribly afraid, she went with a group and they faced this tremendous cliff of rock that was practically perpendicular. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear and took hold of the rope and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, whoever was holding the rope up at the top of the cliff made a mistake and snapped the rope against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens. You know how tiny contact lenses are and how almost impossible to find. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with who knows how many hundreds of feet behind and hundreds of feet above her.

Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping that she would be able to find that contact lens. Here she was, very far from home. Her sight was now blurry. She was very upset by the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near a place where she could get a new contact lens. And she prayed that the Lord would help her to find it. Well, her last hope was that perhaps when she got to the top of the cliff, one of the girls that was up there on the top might be able to find her contact lens in the corner of her eye. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye. There was no contact lens to be found. She sat down with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to come up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth". She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every single stone and leaf that's on those mountains and You know exactly where my contact lens is".

Finally the time came when it was time to go down. They walked down the trail to the bottom. Just as they got there, there was a new party of rock climbers coming along. As one of them started up the face of the cliff, she shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, wouldn't it? She had found the contact lens! But you know why she saw it? An ant was carrying that contact lens so that it was moving slowly across the face of the rock. What does that tell you about the God of the universe? Is he in charge of the tiniest things? Do ants matter to Him? Of course they do. He made them. He designed them. Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him this incredible story, he drew a picture of that ant lugging that contact lens with the words: "Lord, I don't know why you want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do, I'll carry it for you". If God is in charge of the ants, don't you think He cares about you and me? One could learn a valuable lesson from that ant: TRUST IN GOD! We could probably all say a little more often, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. Still, if you want me to, I'll carry it for you".

-  Author unknown


What can we learn from this story? Several things as a matter of fact:

1. God answers prayer.
2. He uses others to meet our needs.
3. No request of Him is too small or too great.
4. Good sees and knows all things. What is important to us is likewise important to Him: "And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand" (D&C 29:25)
5. When we feel inspired to do something we should do it, even if we don't understand why for God is working through us to bring about His purposes. Like Nephi of old who was commanded to abridge two sets of plates because 116 pages of the Book of Mormon translation would one day be lost, we should say: "....the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men.......for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey" (1 Nephi 9:6, 2 Nephi 33:15)
6. We should trust in God to bail us out of situations we have no power to resolve. He stands ready to help in all things. Like any father, He is devastated when we do not turn to Him in times of need. 
7. While we are climbing our mountains, we should remember that without God we can do nothing and that with Him, we can do everything.
8. All things and all creations on this earth God has created have a purpose. Remember that next time you are about to step on an ant. Be careful how you treat others for God might need to use them one day for your saving grace.
9. When your vision is blurry and you cannot see, God will provide the perspective and the lens you need to see your path clearly: "Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward...I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts....(D&C 49:27, 84:88). When we walk in darkness, we are not alone, God is on our left, and on our right, and before us and behind us. We are not alone.
10. God is a god of love. He cares for all his creations and we, His sons and His daughters, matter to Him the most. We are at the forefront of all His doings and all His concerns. When God showed Moses all the worlds He had created, Moses was astonished and exclaimed that man is nothing in comparison but God replied, 'No, you are wrong Moses, 'man is the underlying and over-riding purpose of all my work. Man's success constitutes my glory. Man is everything' (Ted Gibbons, OT Lesson 1, "This is My Work and My Glory") 

THE HEIGHTS OF DISCIPLESHIP

Beside the city of Capernaum there is a mount where Jesus delivered the lengthiest discourse recorded in the entire Bible and which covers chapters 5-7 of Matthew. As great multitudes of people followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and even beyond Jordan, Jesus ascended the mount leaving the ease of valley travel and leaving behind those who followed Him for cures only, ensuring that only the most loyal of his disciples would follow. And so it came to be that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus did not deliver his most famous sermon to multitudes but only to his disciples (Matthew 5:1) who were no doubt already baptised and had taken upon themselves His name .Taking the disciples to the heights of the mount symbolised higher expectations and committment of the truly converted.  Those who made the upward journey were willing and prepared to live the higher law leading to exaltation.

The Beatitudes which constitute the Sermon on the Mount have been referred to by Bible commentators as 'the preparation necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven' (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Student Manual, p 60). They embody the constitution for a perfect life and become steps of perfection that enable us to obey the two great commandments, to love God and to love our fellowman. Obedience to the first four Beatitudes lead us to the love of God: the poor in spirit who recognise their dependence on God for all they have and all they are, are led to thirst and hunger after righteousness and to mourn for their sins which leads them to repentence and acceptance of the need to enter the waters of baptism, being the gateway to His kingdom. The Beatitudes which include the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the merciful and those which are persecuted are those which are learning to love their fellowman. (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, Student Manual, p. 60-61)

Whilst on the Mount, the Saviour assured his disciples that He did not come to 'destroy the law or the prophets but only to fulfill' (Mat 5:17). Immediately following this statement He elaborated by adding antitheses to six laws, each beginning with the statement "Ye have heard it said". It was clear by these antitheses which reflected various codes of conduct found in the Law of Moses, that the Lord intended His listeners to live these laws at a higher level (The Sermon on the Mount: "A More Excellent Way" by Bruce Satterfield,).  It is by no coincidence that the Saviour delivered the admonition to live at a higher level on a mountain. The Mosaic law given to Israel was delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai where the Lord told Moses he wanted Israel to serve Him. It was to this mountain that the Lord invited all Israel to come and commune with Him and to become 'a kingdom of priests and a holy nation' (Exodus 19:5-6). Israel, however, refused to be sanctified and to receive the higher priesthood which would lead them to exaltation. Ancient societies believed their gods lived in mountains. When temples were built to house deity, they were considered to be 'mountains'. If possible they were built on mountains or high places and if not, the structure of the building was designed to represent a mountain (The Sermon on the Mount: "A More Excellent Way" by Bruce Satterfield,)

The Saviour delivered the higher law on the heights of a mountain symbolising the higher way of living through covenants we make in the temple, the covenants which lead to exaltation and the heights of godhood. The proof of this intent can be found in the fact that He delivered this significant sermon to the Nephites in the Bountiful Temple (3 Nephi 11:1). Immediately following the sermon He issued an invitation and a challenge to the Nephites 'to be the salt of the earth' (3 Nephi 12:13). Why salt? Because salt symbolises indestructibility. Salt was used anciently in a variety of sacrifices of the Mosaic Law (Lev 2:13). "The Lord also referred to a series of obligations as a 'covenant of salt' to demonstrate the eternal nature of the covenant that had just been made between Him and Israel (Num 18:19, 2 Chron 13:5). With this understanding in mind, the invitation to become the salt of the earth was a challenge to enter into the higher law of the gospel with an everlasting covenant. This is stated clearly in modern revelation: 'When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men' (D&C 101:39)  (The Sermon on the Mount: "A More Excellent Way" by Bruce Satterfield,). As a preservative, salt was also used in the Mosaic sacrificial ritual as a reminder that we should remember and preserve our covenants with God (Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).


True disciples of Christ belong on the mountain and not in the valley. They are meant for better and higher things than this world can offer. The heights of discipleship can lead them to eternal life and exaltation that only the Master can give. He is the light, the truth and the way. For us who have been baptised and taken upon ourselves His name, the road is simple and straight and there are no obstacles there, save the ones we place ourselves. And even then He has prepared the way . He will fill in the holes, patch up the cracks, smooth out the way, over and over and over again. We are meant to live on the mountain, far above the cares of this world. To reach higher, to look upward, to be a light to the world. We are the salt of the earth bound by the temple covenants to be His. He calls us to the mountain just like Israel of old, the mountain where He can bless us with the highest of blessings matching the heights of our discipleship. Leaving the world behind, we are admonished to think, feel and act like truly converted disciples of Christ. Only then can we become crowned with blessings of eternal life which He so anxiously awaits to give us.