22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.
23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.
A good risk management framework for an organization consists of multiple layers of protection. For instance, the Institute of Internal Auditors recommends that companies establish three “lines of defense.”
- Internal Controls – The first line is basically self-regulation. The individual or team understands the policies and proactively chooses to make wise decisions which are in harmony with those policies.
- Risk Management and Compliance – An independent organization monitors your activities and warns you when you are about to take an imprudent action.
- Internal Audit – Through periodic exams, auditors identify and highlight chronic issues that need to be addressed. (Source: IIA Position Paper, “The Three Lines of Defense in Effective Risk Management and Control,” January 2013).
Our Heavenly Father has also given us multiple lines of defense. We are often able to make wise decisions because we have been taught true principles which we can apply to the challenges we face. When our own judgment fails, we can rely on the guidance of the Holy Ghost, who will warn us of danger and will prompt us to act in righteousness.
However, none of us is perfect, and we don’t always detect or heed the messages that come into our mind and heart through the “still small voice” (1 Nephi 17:45). Prophets represent another line of defense for us. It can be harder to ignore the words of another human being whom we see with our eyes and hear with our ears than it is to ignore a prompting from the Spirit. So God sends prophets to deliver messages that we may have been unwilling or unable to receive on our own.
For the people in Enos’s day, the first two lines of defense weren’t working so well, so they were totally dependent on the prophets to keep them in line. That’s like an organization which relies entirely on audit to keep it from making self-destructive decisions. Not a great place to be, and Enos is obviously not impressed with the lack of self-discipline demonstrated by his people. Nevertheless, what a blessing to them that the Lord sent prophets, and that those prophets were willing to labor so diligently, “continually reminding them” of the things they should do. Perhaps, over time, if they were willing to follow the words of the prophets, the people could become more spiritually self-sufficient, and could lessen their own need to be constantly reined in by the warnings of the prophets.
However, none of us is perfect, and we don’t always detect or heed the messages that come into our mind and heart through the “still small voice” (1 Nephi 17:45). Prophets represent another line of defense for us. It can be harder to ignore the words of another human being whom we see with our eyes and hear with our ears than it is to ignore a prompting from the Spirit. So God sends prophets to deliver messages that we may have been unwilling or unable to receive on our own.
For the people in Enos’s day, the first two lines of defense weren’t working so well, so they were totally dependent on the prophets to keep them in line. That’s like an organization which relies entirely on audit to keep it from making self-destructive decisions. Not a great place to be, and Enos is obviously not impressed with the lack of self-discipline demonstrated by his people. Nevertheless, what a blessing to them that the Lord sent prophets, and that those prophets were willing to labor so diligently, “continually reminding them” of the things they should do. Perhaps, over time, if they were willing to follow the words of the prophets, the people could become more spiritually self-sufficient, and could lessen their own need to be constantly reined in by the warnings of the prophets.
I’m grateful for the lines of defense in my life which help me stay on the narrow path toward eternal life. I’m grateful for the ability to apply true principles to the challenges I face. I’m grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help me when my own knowledge or judgment is insufficient. And I’m grateful for the words of prophets which reinforce the other two lines of defense, and which serve as an additional protection for me, to help me ensure that my life and my decisions are aligned with the will of God.
Leave a Reply