From my journal back on 8/14/2015, that I had sent to my Family Gospel Study Group.
As I was listening to Mosiah 18-22 while running this morning, I was shown how the record of the people of Zeniff foreshadows and is a type of the United States in these last days. I will try and lay it all out in a simple format.
Inception
Zeniff broke away from Zarahemla in order to get back to his roots, “he being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers” Mosiah 7:21.
* The United States broke away from Britain in order to get back to their religious roots and obtain religious freedom.
Cunning Plan Set To Bring Into Captivity
The king of the Laminate gave up some of their land for Zeniff and his people. Zeniff was “deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman…And all this [the king]my did, for the sole purpose of bringing this people into subjection or into bondage.” Mosiah 7:21-22
* We are told that there is a plan of captivity in play by the secret combinations and robbers of Gadianton that if we are not careful, it will be carried out. “Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe. Alma 37:31
High Taxes cloak of bondage
Wicked King Noah caused great taxes to be extracted from the people, “And all this did he take to support himself, and his wives and his concubines; and also his priests, and their wives and their concubines.” Mosiah 11:4
* We have a great burden of taxes that are not always used as conveyed.
Wicked Rulers Cause the People to Commit Sin
King Noah “did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness.” Mosiah 11:2
* Obama and others like him have followed after their own desires and have caused the people to commit many great sins.
Laws of the Land Changed for Wickedness
King Noah “had changed the affairs of the kingdom.
For he put down all the priests that had been consecrated by his father, and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were lifted up in the pride of their hearts. Mosiah 11:4-5
* This has been done at all fronts. But the most recent is how Obama appointed 3 members of the Supreme Court, thus he gained the majority of the Supreme Court whose views and goals were aligned perfectly with his. Due to this majority, they have effectively legalized gay marriage. We will answer as a whole people for this decision as well as others like the legalizing and total support of abortion.
The First Callout
After Alma was driven out of the city because he believed in the word of Abinadi, he secretly came into the city and taught the people and formed a church. When King Noah found out about this church, he sent his army to destroy Alma and his people. Alma and his people fled into the wilderness. “And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God.” Alma 5:4
* The Lord will call out his people and lead them to cities of refuge. Those who harken and heed the call will be delivered and saved from destruction.
The Second Callout
After much suffering and the loss of many lives, the people repented and humbled themselves before God. Only then, did the Lord call them out to the wilderness and deliver them. “Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord. Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, who had fled into the wilderness” Mosiah 21:34. They now wished they had heeded the first call out and joined themselves unto God. Alma and his people had the authority to form themselves into a church. They had the priesthood of God and the blessing that flow from it.
* There will be those who will come to the cities of refuge, but not without great suffering and much loss. They too will wish that they had heeded the call of the first call out. They will yearn for the protection and blessing that flow from God and his priesthood. They will have to repent and humble themselves before God before they will be led by God to the cities of refuge.
Greater Trials and Hardships for Those Who Stayed Behind
Alma and his people we’re not free from hardships and trials after heeding the call to go into the wilderness. They fell into bondage but there was great protection given by God himself in preserving their lives and lightening their burdens. “I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.
17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage” Mosiah 24:14,16-17
Their lives were preserved and the Lord guided them to safety by his mighty arm. On the other hand those who tarried suffered bondage of half of all their increase and at least 5 bloody wars where they suffered great loss. “The Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities” Mosiah 21:15.
* This same pattern will become a reality in the near future.
Deliverance Comes from God and God Only
As seen for both the first and second call outs the people were delivered from their enemies only when they humbled themselves before God and were obedient to heed the call of the Lord. Also, it is clear that the Lord works on His timeframe and based upon the faith and patience of the people will dictate the speed of their delivery. Lastly, the faith and obedience of the people will dictate the degree of divine protection through their trials.
* These same principles will apply to us in the near future.
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