11 And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord.
It is tragic when an otherwise accomplished, disciplined, and hard-working individual makes short-sighted and self-defeating decisions in their personal life. For example, Morianton was an effective king of the Jaredites but harmed himself by breaking the law of chastity. We learn from the book of Proverbs that a person who commits adultery doesn’t realize what they are really doing: “He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” (Proverbs 6:32). How sad it is when a person chooses to injure not only their relationships with the people they love but also their own capacity to engage in healthy and uplifting relationships.
Today, I will apply the same level of discipline and wisdom to my personal decisions that I bring to my professional decisions. I will hold myself to the same standard of excellence in my private conduct that I do in public. I will do justice, not only to the people I am responsible to serve, but also to myself.
Today, I will apply the same level of discipline and wisdom to my personal decisions that I bring to my professional decisions. I will hold myself to the same standard of excellence in my private conduct that I do in public. I will do justice, not only to the people I am responsible to serve, but also to myself.
We are seeing this played out today.
We have the tremendous blessing of having someone who is at worst a Morianton and who is actually doing justice for his people here in the US, regardless of his personal foibles. As Morianton was to the Jaredites, so too our president today is a welcome change. Far better to have a Jaredite Morianton in power than a Gadianton.
Thank you for your comment.
I saw this scripture as a warning to me, that even if my sins aren’t harming other people, they are harming me.
I’m not sure about the comparison with the current President of the United States. The Lord told Joseph Smith that “honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good and wise men ye should observe to uphold.” It seems to me that Morianton is an exception to the rule, but we have a responsibility to look for and uphold leaders like King Benjamin, who maintain a high standard of integrity in their public and private behavior.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Have a great day!
Let me ask a difficult question. How do you know this didn’t apply to Joseph Smith? Honest question… I would like to know your personal opinion
It sounds like you’ve given this question a lot of thought. I assume you’ve read Richard Bushman’s discussion of plural marriage in the book Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, which is the best biography of Joseph Smith I’ve read. I think Dr. Bushman did a good job of laying out the facts as we know them in all of their complexity. Truthfully, the doctrine of plural marriage doesn’t affect me at all, since church members don’t practice it today. What does affect me every day is the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith translated by the power of God, and the Church of Jesus Christ, which Joseph was instrumental in establishing. I’m grateful to him for those two meaningful contributions to my life. I hope that’s helpful.