5 But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.
The Nephites had become so hardened by this time that Mormon describes them in a letter to his son as “without order and without mercy.” He calls them “strong in their perversion” and “brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young” (Moroni 9:18-19). Mormon’s prayer at this point was,”Come out in judgment, O God, and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations from before thy face” (Moroni 9:15)!
- The Lamanites’ behavior was contrary not only to God’s commandments but to basic standards of human decency, even in wartime. Mormon describes their depravity as second only to that of the Nephites (Moroni 9:7-10). Their actions were horrific and inexcusable. They were clearly not doing God’s will.
- However, their unrighteous actions fulfilled a very important purpose in the lives of the Nephites. As Nephi had prophesied more than 1,000 years earlier, the descendants of Laman and Lemuel ultimately overpowered his own descendants “because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil” (1 Nephi 12:19). The Lord later explained to Nephi that the threat of violence from the Lamanites would provide a motivation for his people to repent and turn to the Lord. But if they failed to heed the warning, then the Lamanites would eventually overpower his people and destroy them (2 Nephi 5:25).
Above the roar of cannon and airplane, the maneuvers and plans of men, the Lord always determines the tide of battle. So far and no farther does He permit the evil one to go in his career to create human misery. The Lord is ever victorious; He is the Master to whose will Satan is subject. Though all hell may rage, and men may follow evil, the purposes of the Lord will not fail (Conference Report, April 1942, quoted in Howard W. Hunter, “An Anchor to the Souls of Men,” BYU Speeches, 7 Feb 1993).
Today, I will think about my own decisions, and the decisions of the people around me, on both of these levels. I will strive to live righteously, to follow the guidance of the Spirit, and to repent when I fall short, knowing that I am accountable for my actions. At the same time, I will remember that Heavenly Father’s plan is perfectly reliable, and that He can and does move His work forward, using both our wise decisions and our unwise ones to fulfill His purposes on the earth.
I have come to understand the the wicked being punished by the wicked is a natural consequence of being/choosing wicked. It’s a matter of agency. Compare Isaiah 50:1 … For your iniquities have ye sold yourselves… When we choose wicked we push God away. Eventually, to get the “freedom” we feel is necessary to our happiness, we work to shut up the voices that suggest humility, repentance, sacrifice, and restitution are necessary. As those prophetic (testifying of Christ) voices are quieted we are removing others’ ability to receive the word or to act in faith. Our choices are effecting their right and ability to learn and to choose good. Righteousness is a choice and it acts as a literal shield. It allows God’s grace to intervene on our behalf in both natural and man made interactions. When we push God far enough and work to actively stomp out his influence in our society we are removing that shield of divine intervention. We have insisted it be removed. Thus we find ourselves subjected to the realities of a physical, natural, and social world without God. It’s not a fun or safe place to be. Those who will listen to God are either warned to remove themselves or are taken straight to their heavenly home when their work is done. The consequences and burden of the righteous loss is born by those who encouraged it. They have condemned themselves. They cut themselves off from the Source of help and protection that is available to us all. Truly wickedness never was happiness and the wicked are punished by the wicked. We sell ourselves.
Thanks for the sobering reminder that our decisions influence the people around us. On a positive note, every choice we make to draw closer to God can have an uplifting influence on others, and the very people we bless through our righteousness may provide the strength we need in difficult times.
Happy Sunday!