November was a busy month. We participated in an election. I ran a marathon. We hosted the Light the World Giving Machines in Charlotte. We celebrated Thanksgiving. Here are some of the principles which I learned and relearned as I studied the Book of Mormon during this busy time.
1. The gospel of Jesus Christ rewards engagement.
Mormon says he “tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus” (Mormon 1:15). With our other senses, we detect things outside of ourselves, but taste relates to something inside of us, something we are internalizing.
Mormon tells us that his people “delighted in everything save that which is good” (Moroni 9:19). When we delight in something, we immerse ourselves in it and savor it. Which raises the question: What do you delight in, and how can you adjust your thoughts and actions to be more delighted by good things?
No wonder Mormon ends his record with a list of things he wants us to know, followed by an invitation to act upon that knowledge: “Therefore repent” (Mormon 5:23-24, Mormon 7:8).
2. We need to participate in politics and influence our leaders.
Seventeen years after resigning as commander of the Nephite army, Mormon came back. His people were still unrepentant, and he knew that they would be destroyed. Why did he come back? Because he loved them. They were still his people.
It might be tempting to disengage, particularly when we disagree with the views of the people around us. But we can follow the example of Mormon: loving, serving and praying for our fellow-citizens, even when we don’t see eye to eye.
Here are a few principles to keep in mind as we choose leaders and hold them accountable:
- Vengeance belongs to God, not to us.
- The character of our leaders is important.
- Hiding or rationalizing wrongdoing erodes trust.
- Power obtained by treachery is not sustainable.
3. Faith is a choice.
If there was ever a person who had reason to despair, it was Moroni. Yet he wrote with conviction about the impact his words would have on readers thousands of years in the future.
He explained to us that faith comes first: “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Why? Because there’s nothing remarkable or admirable about believing something that everybody already knows. Faith exists in an environment of uncertainty. It is faith because you’re not 100% sure, and because other people don’t believe it at all. That’s what makes it a choice: something you do instead of something that simply happens to you.
We strengthen our foundation of faith by having more experiences with God and by doing things that require more faith.
4. An awareness of our weaknesses and a concern for the welfare of others help us to walk more humbly.
Moroni called us pollutions. (See Mormon 8:35-36, 38.) One interpretation is that our shortcomings negatively impact the people around us, particularly when we are self-righteous and are unaware of our own weaknesses.
But God can teach us how to walk more humbly with Him if we are willing to listen.
Moroni demonstrates humility when he acknowledges his imperfections and wishes for his critics to become “more wise” than he or his father. (See Mormon 9:31.)
5. Do justice to yourself, not just to others.
The Jaredite king Morianton “did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself” (Ether 10:11). There are many ways we can do justice to others but not to ourselves, including neglecting our health and failing to forgive ourselves.
One way to do justice to ourselves is to heed warnings early. As Coriantumr discovered, the longer we wait to respond to warnings, the more likely that the negative consequence has become unavoidable.
Another way to do justice to ourselves is to be more thankful. Gratitude helps us make wiser decisions and feel more confidence.
6. Study the Bible.
A major theme in the Book of Mormon is the importance of studying the Bible. The book of Ether emphasizes this theme by making direct reference to the first and last books of the Bible.
- The book opens with the story of a family at the tower of Babel, an event which is described in Genesis 11:1-9.
- After describing a vision seen by the brother of Jared, Moroni promises that we can all see what the brother of Jared saw if we will overcome our unbelief. He goes on to say that the visions of John the Revelator will be “unfolded in the eyes of all the people” (Ether 4:16).
We are expected to familiarize ourselves with the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and Moroni underscores that point by referencing both the beginning and the end of the Bible in his account of the Jaredites.
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