THE THIEVES OF PEACE

There existed in ancient America a secret society which proved to be the cause of affliction to the Nephites and Lamanites alike. The founder of this society was a man called Gadianton but the principles that upheld his society were of a far more ancient date (3 Nephi 3:9, Moses 5:29-31). Indeed the mastermind behind the whole operation was far more clever, apt and evil than Gadianton could ever hope to be. He was and is a thief in the night who comes to 'steal, kill and destroy' (John 10:10) and uses mortal men as his puppets to wreak destruction upon individuals, societies and nations. We know this personage as Lucifer, Satan and the Devil. We see him in the obviously destructive paths such as drugs, sexual depravities and murderous dispositions among individuals and leaders of nations and terrorists. However, his methods of destruction are subtle more often than not for he also moves in respectable circles and hides behind deceptive and seemingly good elements that form the fabric of a society.

Just eight years prior to Christ's visit to the ancient America this band of Gadianton robbers, under the leadership of Giddianhi sought to annihilate the Nephite nation. Under the guise of politeness and goodwill, and using flattery, feigning concern and making false promises, he wrote to Lachoneus, the governor of the land and demanded the surrender of the Nephites and their lands. Lachoneus refused and proceeded to prepare his people for impending battle. Lachoneus was a man of God so even though he prepared his people physically, his wisest move was to prepare them spiritually (3 Nephi 3:15,16). The people obeyed and when Giddianhi descended upon them with his armies, their immediate reaction was to 'lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies' (3 Nephi 4:8). When the battles were won and deliverance assured, Nephites' cries once again ascended to the heavens but this time in praise and gratitude knowing 'it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction' (3 Nephi 4:33).

Why was this particular portion of Nephite history important enough to be included in the pages of The Book of Mormon? Because it provides us with the perfect formula for deliverance from the thieves of peace. This formula runs in this sequence: humility - repentance - supplication - deliverance - gratitude. Contrast this story of Nephites' victory with the story of ancient Israel. When the Lord issued commandments and instructions for their conduct at the start of their deliverance from Egypt, He assured them that He will be 'their God' (Exodus 29:45). And He wanted to be, desperately, but Israel was far from being humble and obedient and as a result they landed themselves in bondage over and over again. Their history is a monument to stupidity and obstinence. When they cried for a king to rule them despite all the battles the Lord won for them, Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth, who has all power to deliver both spiritually and physically, out of His infinite mercy acquiesced saying to the bewildered Samuel: "Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them" (1 Samuel 8:7). One cannot even imagine with what heaviness of heart the Saviour would have uttered these words. Those who are His true disciples would understand this because they believe Nephi's declaration that "...He loveth those who would have Him be their God" (1 Nephi 17:40).

We, who live in the modern world, still live with the Gadianton robbers. They infiltrate our society in many ways and seek to destroy our peace. Their labours affect all aspects of human life. They are 'conspiring men in the last days' (D&C 89:4) who harbour evil designs in their hearts for the purpose of getting gain. They do Satan's bidding and seek to "steal, kill and destroy". Their works are secret and the fruits of their labours become the silent thieves of peace resulting in suffering of the populace at large, which suffering comes to us by way of stress, worry, anxiety, depression, financial burdens, grief, sorrow, poor health, bondage of addiction, fear, to name a few. Like Nephites of old, we should know that there is only one sure place where we can find salvation from such destructing forces. The deliverance assured, the formula the same: humility - repentance - supplication - deliverance - gratitude. The recognition of the Lord's power to deliver and our dependence on Him should be the precursor of putting our lives into order sufficiently enough to qualify for the powers of heaven to be released on our behalf. Sometimes we may wonder how we can repent of the very thing that is beyond our capability and that we are supplicating the Lord for. Repentance might not always mean discontinuance of the wrong things we are doing but the right things we are omitting to do, such as more regular and fervent prayer, seeking the spirit, having faith, regular scripture study, or more committed Church attendance. In other words, we must be found doing what we can to qualify for heavenly help. There has to be effort and exertion towards righteousness.

When your moment of retribution came in the garden of Gethsemane, the Saviour saw and felt your life; your pains, your tears, your struggles, your stresses. He knows the thieves of your peace and He has power over them but you must believe and acknowledge that belief on bended knee. In fervor of hope He calls: "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28). We who answer that call know Him as -

The Great Deliverer
The Son of God
The Lord of Hosts

The Lord of Glory

The Son of Righteousness

The Stone of Israel

The Holy Messiah

The King of Glory
The Everlasting Father

The Prince of Peace

The Holy One

The Eternal God

The Saviour

The Mighty One

The Great I am

"for I am the Lord that healeth thee"

- Exodus 15: 26

A CALL TO FAITHFULNESS

"And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim....." (Hosea 1:2)

"John was a thoughtful, kind young man, affectionate, with a frank and open manner. He sincerely tried to obey the Lord's commandments and found honest contentment in the joys of family life. Gayle, his wife, was young, attractive, high-spirited, but inclined toward more worldly interests and activities. The society in which they lived was, in general, one of affluence and materialism. People seemed preoccupied with temporal gain, social status, entertainment, and self-gratification. Religious leaders were concerned about the apparent breakdown in family life and moral standards.

In the early years of their marriage, John and Gayle were blessed with children, first a boy and then a girl; but Gayle seemed uninterested in her domestic responsibilities. She longed for glamour and excitement in her life and was frequently away from home at parties and entertainments, not always with her husband. In her vanity, Gayle encouraged and responded to the attentions of other men until eventually she was unfaithful to her marriage vows.

Throughout, John encouraged Gayle to appreciate the joys of family life and experience the rewards of observing the laws of God. He was patient and kind, but to no avail. Shortly after the birth of a third child, a son, Gayle deserted her husband and children and joined her worldly friends in a life of self-indulgence and immorality. John, thus rejected, was humiliated and brokenhearted.

Soon, however, the glamour and excitement that had attracted Gayle turned to ashes. Her so-called friends tired of her and abandoned her. Then each successive step was downward, her life becoming more and more degraded. Eventually she recognized her mistakes and realized what she had lost, but could see no way back. Certainly John could not possibly love her still. She felt completely unworthy of his love and undeserving of her home and family.

Then one day, passing through the streets, John recognized Gayle. Surely he would have been justified in turning away, but he didn't. As he observed the effect of her recent life, all too evident, a feeling of compassion came over him - a desire to reach out to her. Learning that Gayle had incurred substantial debts, John repaid them and then took her home.

Soon John realized, at first with amazement, that he still loved Gayle. Out of his love for her and her willingness to change and begin anew, there grew in John's heart a feeling of merciful forgiveness, a desire to help Gayle overcome her past and to accept her again fully as his wife.

Through his personal experience there arose in John another profound awareness, a realization of the nature of God's love for us, his children. Though we disregard his counsel, break his commandments, and reject him, when we recognize our mistakes and desire to repent, he wants us to seek him out and he will accept us. (Elder Ronald E. Poelman, "God's Love For Us Transcends Our Transgressions", Ensign May 1982, pp 27-28)


John and Gayle's story is a modern day version of the story of Hosea and his wife Gomer. It is a story of betrayal but the greatest love story found in all the scriptures. There is great debate amongst scholars as to whether this story is a pure metaphor or whether it was in fact true. Whether Hosea was in reality commanded of the Lord to marry a harlot is of lesser importance than the message of his story. The story might appear problematic but the message is one of simplicity and great importance to us as God's children.

 
The story of Hosea and his wife is symbolic of God's great love, mercy and forgiveness. The story is set during Hosea's ministry from about 755 B.C. to 725 B.C., at the height of Israel's idolatry. Through the story of Hosea and Gomer, his wife, the Lord uses the medium of marriage as a symbolism of covenant of love and faithfulness between him and the nation of Israel that has spiritually destroyed itself and is without doubt to be scattered. Israel, represented by Gomer, the bride, who has forsaken the covenant of her marriage, has turned to other gods. Hosea, the faithful husband, represents the God of Israel, who through his loving kindness seeks to entice his wife back to the safety of the covenant. Pained by the betrayal of his bride, Israel, whom he has loved and nurtured and protected, the Lord laments: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help" (Hosea 13:9). It is hard to imagine with what heaviness of heart the Lord uttered these words. It is just as difficult to imagine his unfailing willingness to extend mercy through forgiveness. Some form of the word mercy in the book of Hosea appears 12 times. The word justice does not appear once. The Lord would have us know always that his mercy can meet the demands of justice when we have strayed from his loving kindness and that in the last days He will gather the scattered Israel to once again be her God: "And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy....." (Hosea 2:23) and "...I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord" (Hosea 2:19-20)

Gomer, the unfaithful wife, is an exact portrayal of both ancient and modern Israel. After she has entered into the marriage covenant, she leaves her husband and 'turns back to her adulteries because of the two governing sins she refuses to forsake: lust for riches and sexual immorality' (Breck England, Old Testament Lesson 34, "I Will Betroth Thee Unto Me in Righteousness", Meridian Magazine). These two sins are the prevalent, corroding forces of the moral fibre of our society. Consider the demoralizing practice of prostitution that encompasses both sex and money. The pursuit of both riches and sexual immorality presents itself as a cankering threat to the institution and covenant of marriage, as it more often than not results in crime, addiction, disease, infidelity, homosexuality, divorce, abuse, pride, adultery, fraud, and the list goes on. I have just recently finished reading a book which represented with shocking accuracy the society of this 21st century that we live in. Within one family of five could be seen effects of sexual abuse, lesbianism, alcoholism, divorce, sexual promiscuity and murder. It sounds over the top but the story of this modern day family makes it absolutely plausible and leaves the reader wondering if things could get any worse. In our attempt to emancipate ourselves from God and his laws we have shot ourselves in the foot. We have become a society who has no desire to know God and is instead investing all its energy in self-gratification which is corroding the spiritual nature of our existence and our purpose here as children of God.

Yet the God of Israel will not forsake us and leave us to utter destruction. He has provided the way, He has given hope. The steps have been taken, the Gospel restored, the instructions given and the law of the harvest begun: "If you sow seeds of righteousness, you will harvest righteousness. If you sow thorns and corruption, you will reap thorns and corruption. A prophet of the Lord said, 'For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind' (Hosea 8:7). If you sow seeds of purity, you will harvest purity. If you sow seeds of petting, immorality, and promiscuity, you will harvest destruction to your godlike attributes. If you sow seeds of pure love, you will receive pure love. If you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, you will reap God's love. If you would obtain celestial glory, you must plant into your heart and character God's heavenly ways. Jesus admonished in these words: 'For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you' (D&C 78:7). If you want a celestial life, you will have to plant celestial seeds. Pure religion comes from God. If you want pure religion in your life, you must plant the gospel of Jesus Christ in your heart. Remember, 'As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he'. If you think as a celestial being, you will be a celestial being. If you think as a child of God should think, you will be a member of his celestial family." (Elder Bernard P. Brockbank, "Be Worthy of Celestial Exaltation", BYU Speeches of the Year, 1974, pp 386-87)

We are modern day Israel the Lord is continually enticing back into His arms. He seeks us from all corners of the world, desiring to bring us back to the safety of the fold. We are the lost sheep and He the ever loving Shepherd. To those who hear his voice and repent, the Lord guarantees mercy and the exalting blessings of Abraham. In the day of gathering, Israel shall become the sons of the living God for the promise is this: "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10)