Mosiah 12:15

And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper.

We mistake prosperity for righteousness. Prosperity may follow righteousness, but prosperity is not the exclusive result of righteousness. Many wicked people prosper in this world, and many righteous are poor. Life is not about getting stuff but about becoming and overcoming. Some of us have to overcome poverty, and others have to overcome prosperity. In the end, we take with us only who we are and not what we have.

Mosiah 12:1

And it came to pass that after the space of two years that Abinadi came among them in disguise, that they knew him not, and began to prophesy among them, saying: Thus has the Lord commanded me, saying—Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people, for they have hardened their hearts against my words; they have repented not of their evil doings; therefore, I will visit them in my anger, yea, in my fierce anger will I visit them in their iniquities and abominations.

The prophet Abinadi prophesies severe trials ahead for the people of King Noah. Is God going to punish these people out of spite? No, he is going to get their attention with a disaster because they refuse to listen to the call of a prophet to repent. If preaching will not induce repentance, perhaps captivity and destruction will humble them. Many will die, it is true. That only moves the stage of their repentance from mortality to spirit prison. They are still in the second estate until the resurrection. Hopefully what they refused to believe in life they may more readily open their hearts to in the spirit world. Many of the survivors will be humbled and turn to the Lord. God's purpose is to save his children.  On which side of the veil they are is of little consequence. What we perceive as angry punishment is just a form of tough love.

Mosiah 11:29

Now the eyes of the people were blinded; therefore they hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi, and they sought from that time forward to take him. And king Noah hardened his heart against the word of the Lord, and he did not repent of his evil doings.

Wicked King Noah's hard heart was a conscious decision on his part. He was raised by a good father, and he knew right from wrong. Nevertheless, he chose to ignore God and please himself. God is merciful to those who try to do right but stumble. He does not brook direct insubordination, however. The condition of our heart is more critical than the condition of our bank account, our earthly titles, or even our good works.

Mosiah 11:23

And it shall come to pass that except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God.

The allegory of the deliverance of Limhi's people is driven home in this verse. Only Christ can redeem us from our sins. We can never rescue ourselves.

Mosiah 11:21

And except they repent and turn to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; yea, and they shall be brought into bondage; and they shall be afflicted by the hand of their enemies.

The entire episode of Zeniff, Noah, Limhi, and Alma is not just a recounting of events in the lives of these people, their bondage, and their conversion, but it is also a magnificent extended metaphor for what happens in our individual lives. For example, in this verse we learn that if we do not repent of our sins, the Lord will let us feel the full weight of our sins, and we will find ourselves captives of our appetites and passions and addictions. Yet he does not abandon us. Just as Limhi and Alma were delivered, each in his own way, we can each be delivered from what binds us down and threatens to destroy us if we turn to Christ.

Mosiah 10:12

They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea;

Not every message in the scriptures is hopeful, although they are all instructive. For example, this hatred of the Lamanites for the Nephites is a nearly five hundred year old grudge. Two brothers turned their backs on the commandments and the prophet of God, and five hundred years later a whole nation is in a lost and fallen state. The decisions we make today can affect many generations and thousands of people.

Mosiah 9:18

And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might; yea, we did go forth against the Lamanites, and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand and forty-three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of our land.

God will answer our proximate faith with proximate blessings. He helped Zeniff's people in the hope that they would continue to call upon him after the emergency was over so he could give them more excellent direction and deliver them sooner rather than later. Unfortunately they remained stubborn in their intentions to stay in the land against the Lord's will. Eventually the Lord withdrew his help and left them on their own. When we exercise faith to good result, we should follow up the blessing with immediate gratitude, humility, obedience and increased faith.

Mosiah 9:17

Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.

The history of the Lord's people is recorded in the scriptures so we can see how God has worked in people's lives in the past. The implication is that what he has done for others, he will do for us. This is why the Mormon pioneer stories are so important. The same God who strengthened the Nephites and the pioneers will strengthen us today.

Mosiah 9:3

And yet, I being over-zealous to inherit the land of our fathers, collected as many as were desirous to go up to possess the land, and started again on our journey into the wilderness to go up to the land; but we were smitten with famine and sore afflictions; for we were slow to remember the Lord our God.

Zeniff was stubborn. He wanted what he wanted without regard for the Lord's will. God was eventually able to bring about good from Zeniff's folly, including the conversion of Alma, one of the greatest prophets of all time, but the good came at a very high price, including the death of another prophet and of many other people. God would not strip Zeniff and his foolish followers of their agency, but he put all the obstacles in their way that he could. We may get our way for a while, but if we are working in opposition to God's will, we will not prosper. It is good to be zealous for God. It is not good to be over-zealous for our own agenda.

Mosiah 8:17

But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

Through all time, God has had prophets, seers, and revelators on the earth to help his children learn from the past, cope with the present, and prepare for the future. As long as there is a man or woman with faith to hear, God has spoken. He who never changes works the same today as in the past--he has prophets, seers, and revelators among us today who encourage us to look to God, have faith, protect our families, keep the commandments, and be of good cheer. If we want to be happy, who knows better than God how to be happy?

Mosiah 8:16

And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

God does not grant to men all of his power. Some powers are simply not meant for mortals. The power of resurrection, for example, is not given to man. The Lord holds that power for himself. Yet man can be granted power through the priesthood to raise the dead and call them forth from death to return to mortality. Those so raised,  however, are still mortal and will again have their spirits separated from their bodies, to await like all mortals the permanent reuniting of body and spirit that is the God-given gift of resurrection. We as mortals can receive great power over earthly things, but God reserves power over heavenly things.

Mosiah 7:33

But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

Repentance results in deliverance from bondage. That is the entire theme of this episode with Limhi's people. The wickedness of a group of people made them vulnerable to their enemies, who enslaved them. They could not muster the strength on their own to free themselves. God, however, had the power to release them from their mortal bondage if they would stop relying on their own strength and start relying on his. The same is true of our individual spiritual bondage. We do not have the capability to rescue ourselves, but Christ has the strength to release us if we rely on him.

Mosiah 7:19

Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

Trusting in God brings joy and peace. He saved the Israelites from temporal destruction, and he can save us from spiritual destruction. He has the power.

Mosiah 7:18

And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.

This is the glad message of Christ and the atonement to all people. We should all lift up our heads and rejoice, for Christ's deliverance is near. Through the atonement he will free us from our sins and the enemy of our souls. Yet we still have an effectual struggle before us, for we must repent and resist temptation. But if we make the effort, we will not lose.

Mosiah 5:15

Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

Steadfast and immovable--powerful concepts about faith. We can develop an unshakable testimony when we are determined to follow Christ. "To abound" is to exist in large amounts. So as our faith becomes steadfast, we should do many good works, which means lots of service. When we do these things, Christ will seal us to him. Remember, when we take his name upon us, it is like being in Christ's family. We become his children. Christ will seal us to him when we are faithful to him. Nevertheless, despite all our good works, which Christ appreciates, he brings us to heaven; we don't take ourselves there. We cannot get there without him. But when we join his family and are sealed to him, he will take us to his home to be with his Father and our Father. Only he can do that for us.

Mosiah 5:13

For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

The way we come unto Christ and get to know him is to serve him. When we serve him, we become like him. We learn what he is like because we begin to see a little of him in ourselves. The intent of our hearts start to match his intents.

Mosiah 5:4

And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.

What are the prerequisites to the mighty change of heart like the people of King Benjamin experienced? Faith (faithfulness) and covenants (promises) to do God's will and to obey his commandments. We demonstrate our faith and make such a covenant at baptism. The weekly sacrament is an opportunity to renew our covenant with God. If we truly desire it, we can have a mighty change come to us every week when we partake of the sacrament.

Mosiah 5:2

And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

One form of a testimony is a mighty (powerful) change of heart that makes evil unattractive and creates in us a desire to do only good. The natural man, the enemy to God, loses his grip on us, and the Spirit of God gets a firmer hold upon our hearts and our desires. Remember that king Benjamin's people were already believers. So this mighty change can happen to us throughout our lives in the Church. It can happen many times and any time that we try to get closer to the Lord.

Mosiah 4:29

And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

Ultimately we must be guided by personal revelation through the Holy Ghost in our lives and in our repentance. This is why it is important that we feast on the words of Christ, not just in the scriptures, but the living words of the living Christ. For the Holy Ghost will tell us all things which we should do.

Mosiah 4:27

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

The Lord's plan for caring for the poor is organized. He is not talking about giving to every panhandler, but to give in an organized and sustainable way. The "fast offering" is the order by which the Latter-day Saints keep this commandment. Once a month we fast for two meals and give the equivalent, or more, to the church to use to help the poor. When I was in high school and my dad was laid up in the VA hospital for a year, we needed help from the church, and it came through the fast offerings. I know this program works.

Mosiah 4:26

And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

Works and faith are tied together. If we want peace from God, we must serve his children, and especially the poor. We don't have to give everything, just what we can afford. But we are expected to be generous, because we expect God to be generous with us.

Mosiah 4:22

And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

If God has blessed me with resources, it is not to make me comfortable and complacent. Rather, it is for me to use those gifts to bless others. If we see clearly, we recognize that nothing we have is really ours. We may have stewardship, but we do not have ownership. We are to use our resources and not horde them and make ourselves comfortable with them. This is the meaning of the parable of the rich man who had a bountiful harvest. Rather than use his excess to help others, he simply built a bigger barn in which to store his harvest so he could retire early and live comfortably the rest of his life. Unfortunately for him, the rest of his life ended that night. What good was it to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

Mosiah 4:20

And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

God answers our sincere prayers for forgiveness readily and instantly. He does not leave us dangling endlessly on the hook, wondering if he hears, wondering if he cares, wondering if he even knows who we are. When we are humble, and approach him in lowliness of heart, he answers surely and quickly with peace. That does not mean that all mortal consequences are extinguished in that moment, but mortal guilt and anguish can be swept away, and our hearts can be filled with hope and peace.

Mosiah 4:16

And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

Helping the poor is a commandment, and to ignore it is to open the door to great sin. God prospers us so we can help others. If we fail to use what he gives us according to his will, we are guilty of gross selfishness. Opportunity to help others is never lacking.

Mosiah 4:9-10

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

If we want to be converted, we must choose to believe, and then we must align our lives with our beliefs. If we are waiting for God to force us to believe or to provide incontrovertible proof on which to base our faith, we will wait in vain. He wants us to choose him, and when we do so, then come the blessings.