"For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain."
Helaman 6:17
This is one of the sad patterns we see in the Book of Mormon, and it's a pattern that we should be careful of in ourselves as well. During this period the Nephites were doing really well, and actually so were the Lamanites. They weren't at war, but could visit one another freely, so there doesn't even seem to be resentment or underlying hatred. They really were finally one society. And yet the peace and prosperity seemingly brought them to ruin because they invented their own evils and forgot God who had helped them get to this point in the first place.
It's easier for us to see the pattern in a book where we can watch history from a wider perspective, but these are problems that are close to us as well. Today, let's be careful not to set our own hearts upon our riches or seek to be lifted up above others. Let's not take advantage of each other to get gain, but remember the Lord and turn to him for help in staying on his path. Let's set our hearts on the Lord.
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