"And thus those dissenters of the Nephites, with the help of a numerous army of the Lamanites, had obtained all the possession of the Nephites which was in the land southward. And all this was done in the fifty and eighth and ninth years of the reign of the judges."
Helaman 4:8
It's interesting (and sad) to me that so many can be swayed to the wrong side... and by wrong, I mean away from God, not any other worldly grouping. Away from the prophet, away from the gospel, so much so that they join a group that has hated them for centuries, let alone the symbolic joining with Satan who also hates us and craves our destruction.
I imagine that if the Lamanites had written a record it would sound very convincing... how they have been wronged, why they deserve to rule, how their evil was lesser than the Nephites evil... and at times, to be sure, the Nephites *were* more evil. Truth mixed with lies and a general misunderstanding of God's will. Something we should all be wary of, since it is easy to be deceived.
So Moronihah gets in there with the sons of Helaman, and as people begin to repent, they start to prosper and regain their lands. The lesson seems to be that the struggle isn't necessarily between groups of people who call themselves good and evil, but rather a struggle with ourselves to grow closer to, or wander farther away from, God.
Today, let's make sure we aren't on the wrong side, opposing God and hating our neighbors. Let's ask ourselves if what we believe is consistent with God's will, and remember that God is about love and not contention. Let's love our enemies, bless those that seem to curse us, and do good to them that hate us. Let's find some humility and allow the Lord to teach us where we are wrong... for we all are in need of improvement and repentance.
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