Sunday School 35 - Helaman 7-12

Brothers and sisters, 

These are our days. The level of diverse ways of entrapment to sin and debt is vastly abundant, and the Gadianton Robbers live among us, and the Book of Mormon was written for us. The Robbers seek to hold things as valuable and people expendable. They say within themselves, "Let us rob them daily, nevertheless don't tell them of our wickedness but call it a service and a necessary evil, and when they have lost their purpose and value, throw them away". 

The thief will rob slowly and kill softly. How else could their lifestyle be paid for? Compliance and acceptance is a drug that tells us that we should not resist; our handlers will take care of us. The Nephites accepted this because of the kickbacks (Helaman 7:21) and "allowance" of the practice of free assembly, religion, and free speech, not seeing how freedom was being choked. Those aware thought war and violence would solve it but Helaman 6:37 showed that the darkness of Gadianton was weeded out by the Lamanites because they saw the signs and were true to their faith and made a love of God and his commandments a hard line. 

In our lives, God doesn't give a problem without a solution. Helaman is that solution. We have so much against us, fighting our faith and freedom every day and those wicked people hide their assault and have others back them. 

People who act like the Gadianton Robbers want control of society's life by secret traps and snares, change God-given laws and covenants, and slavery through constant taxation. Misery and fear are their tools. They seek to divide and conquer. 

The Jews have the word qadash (Hebrew), which means "set apart" or "saint". We are set apart to gather Israel through charity and the Book of Mormon. The scriptures are meant to bind us together and be of one mind and purpose. Nephi and Lehi spent all of their lives trying to unite people to Christ. Nephi was frustrated by saying he was in the right place, at the right time (Helaman 7:11), and we were, too. I know at times we feel that there is no place to run and hide. Those times we should stand tall and be a light on a hill. Share your heart and soul with those who are ready.

What would you do with cosmic power? In Helaman 10:4, Nephi was given the power to change things. God knew that Nephi knew the responsibility that would match the power he was being given. Like the movies Spider-Man and Aladdin, we learn that there are great consequences when we want it all. Jafar learned that there were boundaries with the power given. Peter Parker learned to stand for something with the power he was given. Nephi didn't want to mess up the world with his choices and warned the people for years before the famine. He wanted to do what God would do. In 1919, we had something similar: a terrible war (WW1) that was not quitting. It seemed that in 1918, the war was just slowing to a close, and the leaders wanted to continue. God had to stop what mankind refused to do; thousands had to die. To see what was coming asked us to exercise prayer and fasting to change the result. 

God always teaches responsibility before power. He wants us to make righteous decisions. When we have turned to Him, he has answered prayers and guided us through our decisions, not make our decisions. We have been admonish to follow the voice of the Savior not forced. Law is given to make good decisions and warn us of harmful ones. 

Is our prosperity leading us to humility and gratitude or pride and pain? Are we turning inward in thanksgiving and outward in sharing or the opposite, outward screaming, me, me, me, I made this and you shall have none! Better yet! Give me your stuff! Then, fearing we will lose it all, we build walls around us and our horde, crying ourselves to sleep because others do not understand the fear.


There is a correlation between debt and sin to the prosecutor (Satan). The great serpent wants us to know that the law will get us and then encourages us to break it so that in the final judgment, he can say, "I told you so." Then he will laugh because you will appear to be in the same predicament as he is right now. The law awaits to have him and he refuses to turn to the one who would save him because he believes he is better. Are we making that same mistake? Do we hide from God because we are naked in our sin, or do we want to be good? Do we want to correct our course? The hearts of the Lamanites were not converted overnight. It came line upon line, a correction to the course they wanted. Remember, we're here because this is our time and our place. We have access to the Atonement and the gospel. We have loving leaders who see ahead and can warn us of what's ahead. God loves you and me. Remember that is my prayer, in Jesus' name, amen.

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