The Work of Miracles Did Cease

 

When I first began this Book of Mormon blog, I discussed the fact that Lehi was told he would be led to a land “choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2: 20). Like many of God’s promises, this one has an implicit covenant.  In fact, it is part of the Abrahamic Covenant*: land, posterity, and being God’s people.  Lehi, as a descendant of Abraham through Jacob and Joseph, was promised a specific land. Lehi and his family were to be God’s people – to have His commandments and His priesthood.  If they kept God’s commandments and honored and worshipped Him as their God, they would prosper in the land, both they and their posterity.  If they did not, then God would withdraw His protection and leave them to experience the consequences of their own choices. 

 

It isn’t that God delighted in punishing them; He loved them and wanted to bless them.  But through disobedience, they tied His hands. He cannot bless His children in their sins anymore than any parent could reward a child for deliberate disobedience lest the child think that wickedness brings happiness and it doesn’t. The Law of the Harvest says we reap what we sow.  As they become more disobedient and wicked, God withdraws His blessings and protection.  They are left to experience the natural consequences of their own arrogant and wicked choices – consequences that are often very painful!  This is exactly what happened to the Nephites. 

In the war, the Nephites prevailed against the Lamanites and there was an uneasy peace in the land.  But it was not that "peace which passeth all understanding" (see Philippians 4:7) for the people continued to move farther away from God.  So distant had they become that God saw fit to take the Three Nephites out of their midst as He took John the Beloved from the apostate church in the Old World.  Of these conditions, Mormon later wrote:

 

But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.  And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

 

And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus. And I did endeavor to preach unto this people, but my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them; for behold they had willfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of the land, because of their iniquity.

 

But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land was cursed for their sake. (Mormon 1: 13-17)

 

God withdrew His hand from the Nephites and the Lamanites.  He withdrew His disciples from among them.  He called a boy to be His prophet (as He has done in other dispensations) because Mormon had not yet been corrupted by the wickedness around him.  God visited and protected His young prophet, but forbade him to preach in order to preserve his life for an even greater mission among an apostate people.

 

* I will discuss the Abrahamic Covenant at a later date when I blog my Old Testament studies this year.

 

Text copyright January 2014, Gebara Education

 

Pictures:

Abraham from www.lds.org

Young Mormon from www.hunterscastle.com