The Lingering Effects of Past Curses - Part 2 : Abinadi

In the preceding paper it was noted Mormon attributed his contemporary conditions to prophecies spoken by Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite:

“. . . Because of the hardness of their hearts, the land was cursed. And the Gaddianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, raided the land, so much so the inhabitants began to hide their valuables in the earth; and they slipped away because the Lord had cursed the land, so they couldn’t hold onto them or recover them. There was sorcery, witchcraft, and dark magic; and the power of the Evil One spread throughout the land, as prophesied by Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite” (C of C Mormon 1:4; emphasis added).

The period between Abinadi’s prophecy and Mormon’s account of his people spanned 148 B.C. to 322 A.D., or 470 seventy years. In that time, the Nephites and Lamanites developed and populated the land to an extraordinary level.

“When I [Mormon] was 11 years old, I was taken by my father to the south land, all the way to Zarahemla [Nephite capital city]. The whole land was covered with buildings; and the people seemed to be as numerous as the sand of the sea” (C of C Mormon 1:2; emphasis added).

The passing of time over this period would have taken the minds of the Nephites far from Abinadi and his prophecies [1], but not from the mind of a sober child familiar with the scriptures [because of Ammoron] and his familiarity with the Lord.

“. . . When I was 15 years old, and because I was fairly serious-minded and mature, the Lord visited me, and I experienced and understood the goodness of Jesus. I tried to preach to the people, but my mouth was shut. I was forbidden to preach to them because they had willfully rebelled against God . . .” [2] (C of C Mormon 1:4; emphasis added).

Most of the people in Mormon’s day rejected the Lord’s commands. This was not done in ignorance but open rebellion against God and His servants.  The three disciples given power of death were withdrawn so they could not continue their work of salvation for mankind. The spiritual retreat from the Lord was not done ignorantly. People rejected the Lord’s Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. The three disciples were present from 34-35 A. D. to Mormon’s day, so they not only had the written word, but had living witnesses for nearly three hundred years who knew Christ. The people in Mormon’s day were in open rebellion against God and His servants.

Rejection of these witnesses and disobedience of the Lord’s commandments led to hard hearts, loss of knowledge, continuing in their carnal and devilish state. They were intentionally ignorant of spiritual matters. The Lord was justified in forbidding Mormon to preach after so great a multitude of witnesses. When people descend away from God rather than toward Him, it is a merciful act to take them from a sinful life.

Before Abinadi pronounced prophetic curses on king Noah and his apostate priests, he taught them of the coming Son of God who would condescend from Heaven to redeem and save His people. His teachings proclaim prophetic outcomes for future generations as well as in their time. This paper will not address those teachings. This paper focuses on curses pronounced by these prophets relevant to our day and past generations.

The Lord’s Curses Pronounced by Abinadi

King Noah reluctantly pronounced a sentence of death on Abinadi at the urging of his wicked priests.

“They then took him, tied him up, set him atop firewood, and burned him to death. And when the flames began to burn him, he yelled to them, saying: Just as you’ve done to me, your descendants will also do to many others who will suffer the same pain that I suffer — painful death by fire — because they believe in the salvation of the Lord who is God. You’ll be infected by many diseases because of your iniquities. [3] You’ll be attacked on all sides and driven and scattered, just like a wild flock driven by hungry predators. At that time you’ll be hunted and taken by your enemies. Then you will, like me, feel the pain of being executed by burning. This is how God repays those who destroy His people [Karma, we receive what we have given. We decidedly suffer what we impose on others and that defines God’s justice].  O God, receive my spirit! Now when Abinadi had said this, he collapsed, dying in the fire, having been executed because he wouldn’t deny God’s commandments, having sealed the truth of his words through his death” (C of C Mosiah 9:5; emphasis added).

Abinadi’s prophecy foretells what happens to his executioners and those who consent to their wicked conduct. They and their descendants begin a chain of events as predictable in outcome as the sun rises from the East. Not the timing, nor how it will occur, but the outcome will be exactly what they inflicted upon their victims.

On the path to their self-determined outcome, they suffer afflictions from disease and captivity at the hands of their enemies. When, who, and what, circumstances deliver divine justice upon them is directed by the Lord. Vengeance is always His to administer. [4]

Approximately twenty-seven years after Abinadi suffered death by fire, the Lord began to avenge his death on king Noah, his high priests and those who sustained them.

The Lamanites came upon king Noah and some of his people were commanded by him to abandon their families and flee into the wilderness. Those who left their families behind became angry with Noah and executed him as he executed Abinadi.

“Gideon secretly sent men into the wilderness to search for the king and those with him. They located the missing people, all except for the king and his priests. Now these people had vowed they would return to the land of Nephi; and if their wives, children, and those who remained with them had been killed, then they would take revenge and die with them. But the king ordered them not to return, and they became so angry with the king they executed him by burning him to death. They were about to execute the priests too, but they escaped.

They were returning to the land of Nephi when they met Gideon’s soldiers, who told them everything that had happened to their wives and children. They learned the Lamanites allowed them to live on the land as long as they paid them a tax of half of all they owned. They informed Gideon’s soldiers that they had killed the king and that his priests ran into the wilderness. After they finished the discussion, they returned to the land of Nephi, rejoicing because their wives and children hadn’t been killed; and they told Gideon they executed the king” (C of C Mosiah 9:17-18; emphasis added).

King Noah was executed in the same manner he murdered Abinadi, precisely as Abinadi foretold. The priests of Noah fled but their escape would not deliver them from fulfilling Abinadi’s prophecy.

The people of Noah became Lamanite captives when defeated in battle. The initial battle and subsequent attempts to deliver themselves resulted in many widows who lost husbands in battles against the Lamanites.

Noah’s son, Limhi, a righteous man, was appointed king and the people’s afflictions led them to humility, repentance, and a return to God. [5]

After suffering great afflictions according to the captivity foretold by Abinadi, the Lord began to acknowledge their humility and repentance by methodically easing their burdens and afflictions in preparation for their deliverance.

“Now the Lord was slow to answer their prayers because of their iniquities. Nevertheless, the Lord answered their prayers and began to soften the Lamanites’ hearts, and they began to ease their burdens. But the Lord didn’t see fit to free them from slavery.

Gradually they began to make progress in the land raising grain, flocks, and herds more successfully, so they didn’t suffer hunger. Now there were many more women than men. Therefore king Limhi ordered the men to help support the widows and their children, to prevent starvation [purest form of religion]. [6] This was because so many had been killed. Now Limhi’s people stayed close together when possible to protect their grain and flocks. And the king himself didn’t feel safe outside the city walls unless he had his guards with him. He feared being captured by the Lamanites. He had his people watch the surrounding land, hoping to capture those priests who had fled into the wilderness and kidnapped the Lamanite young women, causing them such great destruction. They wanted to capture them to punish them. They came into the land of Nephi at night and stole their grain and valuable property. Therefore they set an ambush for them.

There had been no more unrest between the Lamanites and Limhi’s people, up to the time that Ammon and his men came into the land. And the king, while outside the city gates with his guard, encountered Ammon and his men. Thinking them to be Noah’s priests, he had them arrested, tied up, and thrown in prison. Had they been Noah’s priests, he would have had them executed. But when he found they were not, and they were fellow Nephites who had come from Zarahemla, he was delighted.

Now king Limhi, before Ammon’s coming, had sent a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla, but they couldn’t find it. They got lost in the wilderness. Despite that, they found a place that had been inhabited and was now covered with dry bones. It obviously had been occupied by people who were destroyed. They assumed it was Zarahemla, so they returned to the land of Nephi, arriving at the outskirts of the land only a few days before Ammon’s arrival. And they carried with them a record engraved on metal plates of the people whose bones they had found. Now Limhi was again very pleased upon learning from Ammon that king Benjamin had a gift from God that let him interpret such engravings. Ammon was also pleased. But Ammon and his men grieved because so many of Limhi’s people had been killed and that king Noah and his priests had led the people to commit so many sins and iniquities against God. They also mourned Abinadi’s death and the departure of Alma and the people who went with him, who had formed a congregation of God through God’s strength and power and through faith in the words spoken by Abinadi. Indeed, they missed them because they didn’t know where they could be found. If they knew how to locate them, they would have gladly joined them, since they too had made a covenant with God to serve Him and keep His commandments. Since Ammon’s arrival, king Limhi and many of his people had also made a covenant with God to serve Him and keep His commandments.

And king Limhi and many of his people wanted to be baptized, but there was no one available who had authority from God. Ammon declined to do it because he considered himself an unworthy servant. Therefore they didn’t form themselves into a congregation at that time, waiting on the Spirit of the Lord. Now they wanted to become just like Alma and his people who had fled into the wilderness. They wanted to be baptized as a witness and testimony they were willing to serve God with all their hearts. Nevertheless, they waited, and an account of their baptism will be included later. Now the entire focus and planning of Ammon, king Limhi, and his people was to escape from the Lamanites and get free from slavery” (C of C Mosiah 9:29; emphasis added).

If taken strictly as an account of the history of these people, there is an abundance of instruction overlooked. In addition to documenting the fulfillment of Abinadi’s prophecy, we see how the Lord deals with His rebellious children. Through sad experience, learning humility, repentance, turning to Christ and eventual deliverance when they realize only He can deliver them from the consequences of their wickedness.

Rebelling against, afflicting, rejecting, and executing a servant sent by God carries grave consequences. The Savior said when He sends a servant to deliver His message, it is as if He delivers the message Himself:

“Search these commandments for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I, the Lord, have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself. And though the heaven and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants it is the same. For behold and lo, the Lord is God and the spirit bears record, and the record is true, and the truth abides for ever and ever. Amen” (RE T&C 54:7; emphasis added).

If the Lord’s servant is sent to deliver His message, it is as if He delivered it personally. If His servant is executed for representing the Lord as His agent, the death of the servant is as if the Savior had been rejected and murdered Himself. In effect, those to whom the warning is delivered are guilty of accenting to the execution of the Son of God. In the economy of God there is no separation between the Lord and His servants.

Being actively or casually complicit with the death of God’s servant invokes divine justice upon perpetrators of the crime. Rejection of the Lord’s warning is a choice to suffer divine wrath for rejecting His words through His servant.

Perpetrators of Abinadi’s execution were king Noah and his wicked priests. They suffer the greatest consequences but because they did so with the support of the people, the subjects of Noah and his priests who sustain their actions openly or silently, suffer consequences for not receiving the message from the messenger. Actively or passively supporting the execution or excommunication of the Lord’s messenger brings condemnation at varying levels of complicity. [7] 

The role of both civic and ecclesiastical leaders led their people into trouble when the civic and religious leaders sought to preserve their authority and standing above the Lord’s servant and His commandments. The same is true when modern Gentiles are confronted with similar circumstances of corrupt leadership. [8] 

Noah and his priests lived in prosperous circumstances leading them to pride, self-indulgence, and sin. Their prosperity caused them and their people to forget God and His mercy and goodness. [9] Their complacency and failure to acknowledge the hand of God in their blessings offended God and invoked divine justice on the king, priests, and people. The same circumstances are true in the fall of the Gentiles in the last days. [10]

The pattern for fulfillment of Abinadi’s prophecy not only explains how the prophecy is fulfilled, but it explains how the Lord uses “sad experience” to humble mankind, leading them back to Him. [11]

Contrasting Limhi and His People with Alma the Elder and His People

The people of Limhi and Alma are contrasting examples of how the Lord deals with His people in executing divine justice. Alma and his followers were led away from king Noah and the corrupt administration of his priests. This was prior to the Lamanite invasion and destruction of Noah and his wicked priests.

Alma and His People

Alma acknowledged the truth of Abinadi’s testimony and admonished the king to let Abinadi leave in peace. In response to Alma’s admonition the king sent his soldiers to chase and kill Alma. Alma hid from the king and his soldiers, eventually writing down Abinadi’s words and forming a congregation at the waters of Mormon. The congregation of Alma gradually grew as people sought Alma and accepted the teachings of Abinadi through Alma.

“Now Alma, who escaped from king Noah’s servants, repented of his sins and iniquities and began secretly teaching Abinadi’s words to others: about what was coming, the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of mankind, which was accomplished through Christ’s power, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. He taught all those who would listen to him, teaching them privately so it wouldn’t become known to the king. And many believed what he taught. Those who believed him went to a place called Mormon, which was in the frontier of the land. It had received its name from the king and was sometimes overrun by wild animals. There was a spring of pure water in Mormon, and Alma hid there during the day in a thicket of small trees near the water, to avoid the king’s pursuit. And all those who believed him went there to hear him teach. After many days, a large group who believed gathered at Mormon to hear Alma’s teaching. He instructed them about repentance, redemption, and faith in the Lord.

He told them: Here are the waters of Mormon (referring to what they were called). Do you have a desire to enter God’s fold and be called His people? Are you willing to help carry each other’s burdens, to lighten them for one another? Are you willing to mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who need comforting? Will you stand and testify as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, wherever you go, for the rest of your lives? Do you want to qualify for redemption by God and be included with those of the first resurrection, receiving eternal life? If this is the desire of your hearts, are you now willing to be baptized in the Lord’s name, as a witness before Him that you’ve made a covenant with Him? Are you willing to commit to serve Him and keep His commandments, so He can pour out His Spirit more abundantly upon you? Now when the people heard this, they applauded and shouted: This is our heart’s desire!

Then Alma took Helam — one of the first — and went and stood in the water and prayed: O Lord, pour out Your Spirit upon Your servant, so he can do this work with holiness of heart. And when he had prayed these words, the Spirit of the Lord filled him and he said: Helam, I baptize you, having authority from Almighty God, as a demonstration that you’ve made a covenant to serve Him for the remainder of your mortal life. And may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you, and may He grant you eternal life through Christ’s redemption, which He prepared from the beginning of creation. After Alma said these words, both Alma and Helam submerged in the water. And they resurfaced rejoicing, filled with the Spirit. Then Alma took another and went into the water again and baptized him in the same way as the first, only he didn’t submerge himself again. He baptized every one in this way — about 204 people — who gathered at the place of Mormon. And they were baptized in the waters of Mormon and were filled with God’s grace. They were called the congregation of God, or the congregation of Christ, from that time forward. And whoever was baptized by God’s power and authority was added to His congregation.

And Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests, one priest for every 50. He ordained them to preach and teach concerning God’s kingdom. And he commanded them to only teach the things he and the holy prophets had taught. To be clear, he commanded them to preach nothing but repentance and faith in the Lord, who had redeemed His people. And he commanded them not to have any heated arguments with each other, but to look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts bound together in unity and love toward each other. This is how he commanded them to preach. And so they became God’s children” (C of C Mosiah 9:7-9; emphasis added). 

There was a sizeable contingent of believers gathering to Alma, repenting of their sins, baptized, and by God’s grace became His sons and daughters by covenant. The account of Alma and his people is best summarized by the sentence: “. . . And they obeyed God, giving to each other both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and circumstances” [see C of C Mosiah 9:11]

As the number of people grew, the king noticed their behavior and their withdrawal to meet with Alma. He sent men to follow them and discovered Alma’s hiding place. Accusing them of insurrection, King Noah sent his soldiers to capture Alma and his people. Alma was warned of the approaching army and fled with 450 people.

After Alma and his people fled the land, insurrection ensued against Noah and his priests. Gideon, an enemy of the king who was a mighty man attempted to kill him. These events are not an isolated incident but a repetitious pattern. After Nephi left the land of Nephi the Lamanites overran the city, killing and taking captive its citizens. It is an established, repetitive pattern in human nature.

“And the king’s army was unable to locate them and therefore returned. Now the king’s soldiers were reduced to only a few. A disagreement arose involving the rest of the people [LDS version: “. . . there began to be a division among the people]. [12] The minority started making threats against the king and a great struggle began. Then a man named Gideon — a strong man who was an enemy of the king — drew his sword and swore in anger he would kill the king. And he fought with the king. When the king saw Gideon was going to overpower him, he fled, running up the tower near the temple. But Gideon chased him and was getting ready to climb the tower to kill the king when the king noticed a Lamanite army was invading from the land of Shemlon. Now the king pleaded pitifully: Gideon, spare me! The Lamanites are about to attack us and they’ll kill my people. Now the king wasn’t really concerned about his people but valued his own life. Nevertheless, Gideon spared his life” (C of C Mosiah 9:14, emphasis added).

Alma and his people were delivered from initial consequences of divine provocation by their departure from the people of Noah. Alma’s departure was not random. The Lord warned him of the approach of Noah’s army in advance of their arrival. [13] They were led to a land of pure water that was beautiful and pleasant.

The outcome for Alma and those who repent and turn to the Lord was a great blessing but did not negate curses pronounced by Abinadi. The Lord eventually used the wicked priests of Noah as instruments of retribution against Alma and his people. They suffer from covenant curses like Limhi and his people. The difference between the two groups is in their response when affliction and is imposed upon them.

The priests of Noah who fled when the Lamanites invaded their city escaped into the wilderness. Having left all behind, the priests came upon a group of young Lamanite women and kidnapped them. When the young women disappeared and could not be found, the Lamanites assumed people of Limhi had taken them captive.

The Lamanites attacked the Nephites who were their captives. The Nephites successfully defended themselves against the Lamanites until they were able to capture the Lamanite king. The wounded Lamanite king was brought to Limhi, and he asked the king why they attacked Limhi’s people. In response, the Lamanite king said their daughters disappeared, and they believed Limhi’s people had taken them captive.

Limhi made an oath with the Lamanite king and assured him his people had not broken their oath. As Limhi was about to search among their people for the missing Lamanite daughters, Gideon, the same man who sought to kill Noah, stepped forward and admonished Limhi not to search for the daughters among their people. Gideon correctly deduced the priests of Noah were the likely perpetrators who had taken the Lamanite daughters captive.

Gideon implored Limhi to explain to the Lamanite king the priests of Noah had perpetrated the crime against the Lamanite daughters and held them captive. The Lamanites were more numerous than the Nephites and were preparing to attack and overrun the small numbers of Limhi’s people.

Gideon attributed their perilous condition to the words of Abinadi as he suffered in the fire:

“Now when Gideon, the king’s captain, heard about this, he came and said to the king: Please don’t bother investigating our people; don’t accuse them of this. Don’t you remember your father’s priests we tried to kill? Aren’t they hiding in the wilderness? Isn’t it apparent they’ve kidnapped the Lamanite young women? Think about it and go tell the king about them, so that he can explain it to his people and they can be reassured about us. They’re already getting ready to attack again and we have only a few able to fight. Their large army outnumbers us and we will be killed unless their king explains we are innocent. It’s clear that Abinadi’s prophesy against us is happening — all because we refused to listen to the Lord’s word and turn from our iniquities. So let’s satisfy the king and fulfill the agreement we have made with him. Slavery is better than death. Therefore let’s put a stop to all this killing. Then Limhi told the king all about his father and the priests who had fled into the wilderness, attributing their daughters’ kidnapping to them.

So the king of the Lamanites was satisfied with Limhi’s people, and he said to them: Let’s go out unarmed to meet my people; and I give you my solemn oath that my people won’t kill your people. They followed the king, going out unarmed to meet the Lamanites. When they met the Lamanites, the king of the Lamanites bowed before them and pled on behalf of Limhi’s people. When the Lamanites saw Limhi’s people were unarmed, they felt sympathy for them and were satisfied, and returned peacefully with their king to their own land” (C of C Mosiah 9:25-26; emphasis added).

“It’s clear that Abinadi’s prophesy against us is happening — all because we refused to listen to the Lord’s word and turn from our iniquities” (Ibid).

Gideon correctly assessed the reason for their affliction and captivity. His acknowledgment of their circumstances would not nullify their consequences, but their actions could shorten their period of suffering. After “many days” the Lamanites began to grow angrier towards the people of Limhi. They dared not violate the king's oath but they exploited every opportunity to increase the suffering and discomfort of Limhi and his people.

“Then Limhi and his people returned to the city of Nephi, living again in peace. As time passed, however, the Lamanites once more became angry with the Nephites, and they began to cross the borders of the surrounding land. Now they didn’t dare kill them because of their king’s commitment to Limhi, but they would hit them in the face, exercise authority over them, lay heavy loads on their backs, and drive them like pack mules. This was all done to fulfill the Lord’s word. The Nephites were tormented. But there was no way for them to free themselves, since the Lamanites surrounded them on all sides.

The people began to complain to the king because of their afflictions, wishing to retaliate. They greatly troubled the king with their complaints, so that he let them do as they wanted. They gathered again, put on their armor, and went out against the Lamanites to push them off their land. But the Lamanites beat them, drove them back, and killed many of them. That resulted in great mourning and lamentation among Limhi’s people, the widow mourning her husband, the son and daughter mourning their father, and brothers mourning brothers.

Now there were many widows in the land, and they complained continually every day, because a great fear of the Lamanites terrorized them. Their continual complaining stirred up the rest of Limhi’s people to be angry at the Lamanites, so they went once more to battle. But they were defeated again, and many were killed. But they tried again a third time and suffered similarly, and those who survived returned to the city of Nephi. Then they humbled themselves to the dust, submitting themselves to the burdens of slavery, letting themselves be beaten, herded here and there, and treated like pack mules, according to their enemies’ whims. They humbled themselves in the depths of humility, praying humbly to God — indeed, they prayed to God all day long, asking Him to end their suffering.

Now the Lord was slow to answer their prayers because of their iniquities. Nevertheless, the Lord answered their prayers and began to soften the Lamanites’ hearts, and they began to ease their burdens. But the Lord didn’t see fit to free them from slavery” (C of C Mosiah 9:27-30; emphasis added).

Sad experience and suffering led the people of Limhi to the point of spiritual maturity they needed to reach before the Lord began introducing principles of divine intervention to gradual ease their burden in preparation for their deliverance.

“Because the Lord God saw that His people were stubborn, He gave them the Law of Moses. Many signs, wonders, types, and symbols foreshadowed His coming. Additionally, holy prophets also spoke to them about His coming. However, the people hardened their hearts and failed to understand that the Law of Moses alone couldn’t provide forgiveness. Forgiveness comes exclusively through the atonement of Jesus Christ’s blood. Even if it were possible for children to sin, they couldn’t be saved. However, I tell you that they’re blessed. Even though by Adam or by nature they fall, Christ’s blood is sufficient to atone for their sins. I want to share with you that there’s no other way for mankind to attain salvation except through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. He’ll be the righteous judge. While infants who pass away won’t be lost, mankind must humble themselves and believe in the atoning blood of Christ to avoid damnation. This belief is necessary for salvation and must be held steadfastly. Men and women, in their natural state, are out of harmony with God and have been since the Fall of Adam. This disharmony will continue from eternity to eternity, unless they yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, abandon their fallen nature, and become holy through the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. They should strive to become like a child, humble, meek, patient, and full of love, willing to accept everything that the Lord deems appropriate for them, as a child obeys their parents” (C of C Mosiah 1:16; emphasis added).

Humility and submissiveness are key attributes to connecting with God, gaining salvation and obtaining mercy and deliverance from His curses. No parent likes imposing punishment on their children. However, at times it’s necessary to allow them to suffer the consequences for poor decisions, so they learn obedience through suffering.

“ . . . You are a priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedek — who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared, though he was a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. (This alludes to Melchizedek and not to Christ.)” (RE Hebrews 1:12; emphasis added).

The people of Limhi were slow to hearken to the Lord and His servants, so the Lord was slow in responding to them if you defined responding solely as deliverance. When the people humbled themselves and began to be submissive, the Lord began to implement principles of Divine intervention. These principles are in a descending order from “most likely response” to “least likely response.” In delivering both Limhi’s and Alma’s peoples, the principles of divine intervention are present. Those principles are:

1.    Soften the hearts of those who afflict you. (C of C Mosiah 9:30).

2.    Strengthen you to better bear your afflictions. (C of C Mosiah 9:30).

3.    Provide a “deliverer.” (C of C Mosiah 22:4).

4.    Remove the problem. (C of C Mosiah 22:7-11).

The suffering of Limhi and his people exceeded that of Alma and his people because Alma and his people reached humility and submissiveness before their captivity and affliction began. Rather than fight the consequences of covenant curses, Alma and his people submitted to the Lord’s will. Their submission and early humility applied principles of divine intervention more swiftly and mercifully because Alma and his people accepted their sad experience with patience, humility and submission. Because they responded to the Lord and His servant quickly, the Lord responded quickly.

“Now Alma, their congregation’s founder, was their high priest. And no one received authority to preach or teach unless it was from God and through Alma. He alone ordained all their priests and teachers, and no one was ordained unless they were ethical men. So they cared for their people and taught them things required for righteousness. And they began to thrive in the land, which they called Helam. They increased in numbers and produced more than they needed in the land of Helam. They built a city that they called the city of Helam. However, the Lord disciplines His people; He requires them to be patient and faithful. Nevertheless, whoever trusts Him will be rewarded on the last day; and this is how it was with Alma’s people. I’ll show you that they were subjected to slavery, and no one could have freed them other than the Lord who is God: the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. He freed them and demonstrated His mighty power to them, making them rejoice” (C of C Mosiah 11:3; emphasis added).

1.    Soften the hearts of those afflicting them. (C of C Mosiah 11:4).

2.    Strengthen them to bear their burdens. (C of C Mosiah 11:9).

3.    & 4. The Lord delivers them and removes the problem. (C of C Mosiah 11:15-18.)

The latter-day Gentiles are destined by human nature to repeat the same mistakes as these people. The Lord has warned us our failure to learn by precept these past 12 to 15 years has led us to a new name, “Covenant Christians.” The new covenant and new name have provisions unlike that of any Christians on this earth. In addition to divine protection, latter-day Covenant Christians can expect divine correction by “sad experience.”

“Alternatively, we can choose to fail by not heeding the Lord’s precepts, instead enduring sad experiences that remind us of our own lowliness. None of us should be proud, thinking ourselves better than our fellow man. We aren’t. We are not even as much as the dust of the earth, because the dust we occupy belongs to God. Therefore, we should be grateful for every sad experience and recognize that it is for our good. It is necessary because, for whatever reason, we did not learn by precept. God’s plan expects we will learn from both. Learning by precept is not better than learning by sad experience. They are both essential teachers. The important part is how we learn by sad experience: Do we blame, judge, avoid, react, offend, ignore, resist, refuse? Or do we take accountability, reason, observe, engage, submit, ask, share, listen, pray, and fast? After being corrected by the Lord, my pessimism about our condition has been replaced. The Lord does intend to make use of some of us to fulfill His will. However, that will not only include blessing and encouraging us but also disciplining and correcting us. I have no idea how joyful or painful the coming journey will be for any of us. I also do not know how many (or how few) will be there when the journey is completed and the promises are fulfilled. I do have an idea that there has been and will continue to be watchful care taken by the Lord to help a few of us along the remaining journey” (God’s Covenant People, Denver Snuffer Jr., pp.22-23; emphasis added).

We, like Melchizedek, will learn obedience by suffering through sad experiences if we don’t learn by precept. Suffering ends when the Lord’s people learn humility and submission to His will. Currently we struggle because our lack of humility causes us to value our own opinions rather than seeking the Lord’s will.

Disputes over process as well as worthiness of others among Covenant Christians causes us to judge others harshly because we feel what we believe is righteous. It would be more beneficial to ask ourselves two questions. Are we comfortable believing we will receive the same mercy we offer others? Secondly, can we visualize standing before the Lord pleading our case against those for whom we seek justice while expecting the Lord to show mercy to us? Which way on the scale will the Lord tip for you? Hopefully we receive an abundance of mercy rather than justice.

[1] “This is an example of how false and unsteady mankind’s hearts are and shows that the Lord in His great infinite goodness blesses and prospers those who trust in Him. It shows how, at the very time He blesses His people with expanding crops, flocks, herds, gold, silver, and every kind of valuable, sparing their lives and rescuing them from the power of their enemies, softening the hearts of their enemies, so they don’t start wars against them, and in short, doing everything for His people’s well-being and happiness, that’s when they harden their hearts, forget the Lord their God, and turn their backs on the Holy One. They do this because their lives are easy, comfortable, and prosperous. It shows us that unless the Lord disciplines His people using hardships, including the threats of death, terror, famine, and diseases, they forget Him. How foolish, vain, evil, and devilish are mankind; how quick to commit iniquity and slow to do good; how quick to follow the words of the Evil One and to set their hearts on the worthless things of the world; how quick to be prideful; how quick to brag and become evil; and how slow they are to remember the Lord who is God and to follow His counsel; indeed, how slow they are to let Wisdom guide them. They don’t allow the Lord who is God, who created them, to rule and reign over them. Despite His great goodness and His mercy toward them, they treat His advice as worthless and they refuse to let Him guide them” (C of C Helaman 4:9; emphasis added). 

“Hearken, O you people of my church, says the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you, the Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple, the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment, yea, upon all the nations that forget God and upon all the ungodly among you, for he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Wherefore, prepare yourselves, prepare yourselves, O you my people, sanctify yourselves, gather yourselves together, O you people of my church upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry. Go out from Babylon, be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Call your solemn assemblies and speak often one to another, and let every man call upon the name of the Lord” (RE T&C 58:1; emphasis added).

[2] “However, beware and be fearful of God’s judgment of you — as you should — because the Lord doesn’t redeem anyone who rebels against Him and dies in their sins. Understand that everyone, from the beginning, who deliberately refuses to follow God while knowing His commandments, won’t be redeemed by Him. These people don’t have any part in the first resurrection. Therefore shouldn’t you be afraid? Because the Lord hasn’t redeemed anyone like that, and salvation doesn’t come to anyone like that. And He can’t redeem them either, for He can’t go back on His word or deny justice when it applies” (C of C Mosiah 8:11; emphasis added).

[3] “And when that day shall come shall a remnant [Israel] be scattered among all nations; but they shall be gathered again, but they shall remain until the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion. And men’s hearts shall fail them and shall say that Christ delays his coming until the end of the world, and the love of men shall wax cold and iniquity shall abound. And when the times of the gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel, but they receive it not, for they perceive not the light and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.

And in that generation shall the times of the gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices, and curse God, and die. And there shall be earthquakes also in diverse places and many desolations. Yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword one against another and they will kill one another” (RE T&C 31:6-7; emphasis added).

[4] “Blood “crying from the ground” is not the same thing as a person crying out for vengeance. Keep the context in mind. It is the blood that was shed upon the earth which cries out for vengeance, fairness, or retribution. Something unfair has occurred, and the cry of the blood “upon the ground” is a reminder of the injustice of it all. The ground is a reference to the earth, which has a spirit, intelligence, and is able to communicate (if a person were capable of listening). The earth is a female spirit, and she regards herself as “the mother of men.” This earth is offended when the men who are upon her kill one another or engage in any form of wickedness upon her surface. As she beheld the disorder and murder caused by that generation upon whom the flood was unleashed, she lamented: Woe, woe is me, the mother of men. I am pained; I am weary because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (Genesis 4:20). Even if the person whose blood was shed departed this earth forgiving those who made offense against him, yet would “the ground” cry out for vengeance because the earth has become filthy by reason of the killing that took place upon her. She, as the “mother of men,” regards the killing of men upon her as an abomination. She cries out. She is offended. She wants righteousness to appear on her, as has happened before. She longs that it be brought about again. When, instead of Zion, she has the murder of men upon her face, it is so great a lamentation by her spirit that “the ground cries out for vengeance” because of the atrocity” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, Blood Crying for Vengeance, second edition, pp. 39-40; emphasis added).

“. . . To me belongs vengeance and recompense. Their foot shall slide in due time, for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants when he sees that their power is gone, and there is none bond or free. And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, which did eat the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal. Neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to Heaven and say, I live for ever. If I sharpen my glittering sword and my hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to my enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh, and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy” (RE Deuteronomy 9:18; emphasis added).

[5] “Now there were many widows in the land, and they complained continually every day, because a great fear of the Lamanites terrorized them. Their continual complaining stirred up the rest of Limhi’s people to be angry at the Lamanites, so they went once more to battle. But they were defeated again, and many were killed. But they tried again a third time and suffered similarly, and those who survived returned to the city of Nephi. Then they humbled themselves to the dust, submitting themselves to the burdens of slavery, letting themselves be beaten, herded here and there, and treated like pack mules, according to their enemies’ whims. They humbled themselves in the depths of humility, praying humbly to God — indeed, they prayed to God all day long, asking Him to end their suffering” (C of C Mosiah 9:29; emphasis added).

[6] “. . . Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the vices of the world” (RE Epistle of Jacob (James) 1:7; emphasis added).

[7] “On the evening of May 1, 2014, the Lord gave me further light and knowledge about His work in His vineyard. The Lord is in control over the church, men, and all things. When he undertakes to accomplish something, there is nothing that the Lord God shall take in His heart to do, but what he will do it. (Abr. 5:4) Often the means used by the Lord to accomplish His strange act, and to perform His strange work (T&C 101:20), are very small indeed. Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold, I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls. (Alma 17:8) The LDS Church has Doctrine and Covenants 121, verses 36 to 40 (T&C 139:5) to warn it about abusing His authority. There is an “amen” or end to authority when control, compulsion, and dominion are exercised in any degree of unrighteousness. Therefore, when using authority, great care must be taken. In any case, the Church was careless. Therefore, those involved are now left to kick against the pricks, to persecute the Saints, and to fight against God.

D&C Section 121 (T&C 139) is a warning to church leaders. It is addressing the powerful, not the powerless. It is addressing those who occupy the seats of authority over others. Only those who claim the right to control, compel, and exercise dominion, are warned against persecuting the saints who believe the religion and practice it as I did from the time of my conversion. My excommunication was an abuse of authority. Therefore, as soon as the decision was made, the Lord terminated the priesthood authority of the Stake Presidency and every member of the High Council who sustained this decision, which was unanimous. Thereafter, I appealed to the First Presidency, outlining the involvement of the Twelve and the Seventy. The appeal gave notice to them all. The appeal was summarily denied.

Last general conference [April 5, 2014] the entire First Presidency, the Twelve, the Seventy, and all other general authorities and auxiliaries voted to sustain those who abused their authority in casting me out of the Church. At that moment, the Lord ended all claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to claim it is led by the priesthood. They have not practiced what he requires. The Lord has brought about His purposes. This has been in His heart all along. He has chosen to use small means to accomplish it, but he always uses the smallest of means to fulfill His purposes.

None of this was my doing. The Lord’s strange act was not, could not, be planned by me; was not, could not, have been controlled by me. It was not anticipated by me, or even understood by me, until after the Lord had accomplished His will, and made it apparent to me on the evening of May 1, 2014. He alone has done this. He is the author of all of this” (RE T&C 166:1-4; emphasis added).

[8] “When the Angel had said this, He asked me: Do you remember the Father’s covenants to the house of Israel? I replied: Yes. Then He told me: Look and observe that utterly wicked church, which is the mother of abominations, whose foundation is the accuser. Then He told me: There are only two churches: one is the congregation of the Lamb of God and the other is the church of the accuser. Therefore anyone who doesn’t belong to the congregation of the Lamb of God belongs to the other wealthy and corrupt church that is the mother of abominations, and she is the whore of the whole earth.

Then I looked and saw the whore of the whole earth. She was spread everywhere across the seas, ruling over the whole earth, among all people of every nation, tribe, and language . . .” (C of C 1 Nephi 3:27-28; emphasis added).

[9] “And in nothing does man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments. Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets. Wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter, but learn that he who does the works of righteousness, shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come. I the Lord have spoken it, and the spirit bears record. Amen” (RE T&C 46:5; emphasis added).

[10] “ . . . Those who, in great anger, fight against the Lord’s work and against the Lord’s covenant people, who are the house of Israel, and say: We will destroy the Lord’s work, and the Lord won’t remember the covenant He’s made to the house of Israel — they’re in danger of being cut down and thrown into the fire. Because the Lord’s eternal purposes will roll on until all His promises are fulfilled.

Though I can’t write them, study Isaiah’s prophecies. Indeed, I tell you that those holy ones who have come before me and inhabited this land will cry out to the Lord, even from the dust. As the Lord lives, He will remember the covenant He made with them. He knows their prayers on behalf of their fellow brothers and sisters. He knows their faith, because in His name they could remove mountains, and in His name they could make the earth shake; and by the power of His word they made prisons fall to the ground. Not even hot furnaces, wild animals, or venomous snakes could harm them, because of the power of His word [Spirit of Elijah, sealing power, see RE Genesis 7:17-20]. Their prayers were also on behalf of him whom the Lord will allow to bring this record to light. No one should say that it won’t come forth because it surely will, since the Lord has spoken it. It will come out of the earth by the Lord’s power, and no one can prevent it. It will appear at a time when people will say miracles are over. It will come just as if one had spoken from the dead. It will come at a time when the blood of holy ones will cry out to the Lord because of secret conspiracies and works of darkness; indeed, at a time when God’s power will be denied and churches will have become polluted and consumed with pride to their very center, when church leaders and teachers will be filled with pride to their very center, to the point of being envied by those who belong to their churches. It will come at a time when people will hear of fires, storms, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands. And people will hear of wars, reports of wars, and earthquakes in various places. It will come at a time when there will be great pollutions on the earth: there will be murders, robbing, lying, deceiving, whoredoms, and all kinds of abominations; when there will be many who will say: Do this or do that, it doesn’t matter; the Lord will defend you on the last day. But woe to such people: they’re bitterly corrupted by sin. It will come at a time when there will be churches built up that will say: Come to me, and for your money you’ll be forgiven of your sins.

O you wicked, perverse, and stubborn people, why have you built up churches to yourselves to get money? Why have you altered God’s holy word so as to bring condemnation on your souls? Look to God’s revelations, because the time is coming when all these things will certainly be fulfilled. The Lord has shown me great and awe-inspiring things about what’s going to take place soon after these words appear among you. Now, I speak to you as though you were present, yet you are not. But Jesus Christ has shown you to me, and I know the things you do. I know you live pridefully. There are none, except for a few, who aren’t lifted up in pride to their very center, to the point of wearing very fine clothing, and to the point of envying and strife, malice, persecution, and all kinds of iniquity. Your congregations and churches — every single one of them — have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. You love money and your material possessions and your fine clothing and decorating your houses of worship more than you love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. You pollutions, hypocrites, and you teachers who sell yourselves for things that will corrode and decay, why have you polluted God’s holy congregation? Why are you ashamed to take upon yourselves the name of Christ? Why don’t you consider that the value of an endless happiness is greater than misery that never dies? Isn’t it because of the world’s praise? Why do you adorn yourselves with things that have no life, and yet allow the hungry, the needy, the naked, the sick, and the afflicted to pass you by and not notice them? Why do you build up your secret abominations for the purpose of getting rich and cause widows and orphans to mourn before the Lord, and make the blood of their fathers and husbands cry to the Lord from the ground for vengeance on your heads? The sword of vengeance hangs over you; and the time is soon coming when He’ll avenge the blood of the holy ones upon you, since He won’t endure their cries any longer” (C of C Mormon 4:3-5; emphasis added).

[11] ”Alternatively, we can choose to fail by not heeding the Lord’s precepts, instead enduring sad experiences that remind us of our own lowliness. None of us should be proud, thinking ourselves better than our fellow man. We aren’t. We are not even as much as the dust of the earth because the dust we occupy belongs to God. Therefore, we should be grateful for every sad experience and recognize that it is for our good. It is necessary because, for whatever reason, we did not learn by precept. God’s plan expects we will learn from both. Learning by precept is not better than learning by sad experience. They are both essential teachers. The important part is how we learn by sad experience: Do we blame, judge, avoid, react, offend, ignore, resist, refuse? Or do we take accountability, reason, observe, engage, submit, ask, share, listen, pray, fast? After being corrected by the Lord, my pessimism about our condition has been replaced. The Lord does intend to make use of some of us to fulfill His will. However, that will not only include blessing and encouraging us but also disciplining and correcting us. I have no idea how joyful or painful the coming journey will be for any of us. I also do not know how many (or how few) will be there when the journey is completed and the promises are fulfilled. I do have an idea that there has been and will continue to be watchful care taken by the Lord to help a few of us along the remaining journey. In the months and weeks before this conference, there were jarrings, contentions, envyings, strifes, lustful and covetous desires among us. Are we polluting our inheritance? Women have demonstrated that they “lack the ability to respectfully disagree among one another” (T&C 157:3). Ability refers to the quality of being able to do something, specifically the physical, mental, financial, or legal power to accomplish it, as well as a skill, talent, or capacity. That inability in us was identified in the Answer to the Prayer for Covenant, given eight years ago. At that same time, we were told, “there have been sharp disputes between you that should have been avoided. I speak these words to reprove you that you may learn, not to upbraid you so that you mourn.” (Id. ¶5.) We have been given the precepts to guide us and are now witnessing and experiencing the natural consequences that follow from our rejection of Divine guidance. We MUST, but have not, learned to disagree respectfully. We take sides, prejudge, run away from conflict, and prefer being right with man over being right with God. We need to counsel with one another patiently and listen attentively. Some disagreements and differences may take years to work out. We have an “us vs. them” mentality that permeates this movement. It has been on display for years, and is particularly obvious in the weeks leading up to this conference and the women’s conference held yesterday. This is the work, and many of you can’t tolerate or won’t even entertain the idea that God cares about how we work on our relationships as much or more than He cares about our projects... We are failing again. We are so fixated on achieving a result that we fail to realize that the results do not matter; only the process matters. Results should be a byproduct of the process. We hurry through the process to reach the result, never realizing we’ve discarded the very tool intended to produce people of one heart and one mind, who can live together in peace. How we proceed is critical to succeeding as a people. Results, accomplished through compulsory means, which include peer pressure, refusing to engage, and shaming someone for a desire to stay in the process, cannot and will not bring people of peace together. Zion is also a byproduct of the process and will never be the result of an achieved goal. Differences and disagreements should not make us enemies or evil. The Lord expects us to learn and grow our ability to respectfully disagree with one another. If we can acknowledge our differences and talk through our disagreements as beloved brothers and sisters who respect each other, we might just experience a remarkable byproduct. But until we are willing to engage in the process, we are only left to endure sad experiences. No matter how patiently the Lord deals with us, we should not be fooled. When we do not learn one way, we will be disciplined in another way. Past events involving God’s people illustrate that when Divine discipline is imposed, many of the people do not survive, and those who do are often humbled by impoverishment, wounded by the violence, and made meek by their hunger and poverty . . . First, I would propose that the following language be approved by your vote to be added as a section to the Teachings and Commandments: This is what you shall say to the people: “I give to you a name to distinguish you from others, and you shall call one another by this name: ‘Covenant Christians’ because you have and hold a covenant with me that make you my followers deserving of my protection. But my protection does not only defend, but also corrects, reproves, disciplines and guides you along that you may be mine indeed” (God’s Covenant People, Denver Snuffer Jr., pp.29-33; emphasis added).

[12] When Nephi fled the land of Nephi, the Lord no longer preserved the remaining residents and overthrew the remaining inhabitants. The difference of verbiage is noted to convey a subtle difference linking these events as a repetitive type for future events in the last days. As in the days of Nephi and Alma, once the Lord’s people withdrew, the Lord’s blessings of preservation were revoked:

“Then the Angel told me: You’ve seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will turn out well for them [similar to the people of Alma]. You also know about the Lord’s covenants with the house of Israel. And you’ve also heard that whoever doesn’t repent must perish. As a result, if the Gentiles harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, I will afflict them [Noah’s people]. Because the time will come, says the Lamb of God, when I’ll bring about a great and awe-inspiring work [division] among mankind, one that will be everlasting — one way or the other — either to convince them, resulting in peace and life eternal; or to give them up to their hard hearts and blind minds, bringing about their slavery and temporal and spiritual destruction, under the accuser’s enslavement which I’ve spoken about” (C of C 1 Nephi 3:26; emphasis added).

[13] ” The Lord warned Alma that king Noah’s armies were coming to attack them, and Alma told his people. So they gathered their flocks, took their grain, and went into the wilderness ahead of king Noah’s armies. The Lord gave them strength, so they stayed ahead of king Noah’s people coming to kill them. They fled into the wilderness for eight days, arriving at a very beautiful and pleasant land with fresh water. They pitched their tents there and began to farm the ground and construct buildings, etc. - you see, they were productive and hard working” (C of C Mosiah 11:1; emphasis added).

Scott Roderick

11/23/25

The Lingering Effects of Past Curses - Part 2.pdf

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