Escaping Bondage

But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.  (Mosiah 7:33)

I do know those who have overcome the bondage of sin and/or addictions and in every case it was with a full turning of the heart to God and keeping an eye single to the Lord (serving Him with all diligence of mind.)  We are duel beings not only of spirit and body but also of heart and mind.  The Lord works through both of these faculties and in order to receive deliverance we must give God both.  Often we are bound by addictions because of commandment breaking either from ignorance or of our own free will and choice.  But once we are trapped, that ability to choose becomes compromised and we need a deliverer outside of ourselves. As a loving Father, he will not free us until we have truly learned the lessons involved. It will take time and constant refocusing but deliverance will come in the wisdom of God.   

...And All This

 ...and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness.   (Mosiah 10:13)

In our day and age of not wanting to offend anyone and wanting everyone to feel accepted we sometimes dumb down the importance of keeping the commandments in relationship to the Lord's favor.  We do have infinite and eternal love from God but God's dealings with us have a lot to do with our dealings with Him.  Our commandment keeping does increase responses from God because of our increased faith and the natural consequences of eternal law. Do not our own mortal children gain increased privileges and favor from their parents when they are obedient and are making decisions that lead to more productive lives?  Yes, that is an imperfect comparison but the guiding principle is still in play.  

Exceedingly Many Prophets

Frieze of the Prophets by John Singer Sargent Boston Public Library

The Lord's pattern is to call multiple prophets.  This is true in the Old Testament and also in the Book of Mormon.   We are so used to thinking of the prophets in a linear manner that we sometimes overlook the significance of multiple prophets who give multiple witnesses.  

Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.  The prophet Isaiah spanned the ministries of Hosea, Amos, Johan and Micah.  Jeremiah was a contemporary of Lehi, Joel, Ezekiel, Daniel, Nahum, Zephaniah and Habbukuk.  Obadiah and Malachi served simultaneously.  And, these are only the prophets we have scriptural records for.   The Book of Mormon mentions several OT prophets whose writings we do not have.  

In the Book of Mormon, Samuel the Lamanite, is sent by God to warn the Nephites, though Nephi is the prophet and leader of the church at that time in the land of Zarahemla.  Those who listened and were converted, went to Nephi for baptism as he was the ecclesiastical leader in the church.  

If righteous people are available, God calls upon a representative group to be His prophets.  Here are other verses in the Book of Mormon indicating multiple prophets.

22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.  (Enos 1:22)

10 And it came to pass that the prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land.  (Jarom 1:10)

11 Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence;  (Jarom 1:11)

16 And after there had been false prophets, and false preachers and teachers among the people, and all these having been punished according to their crimes; and after there having been much contention and many dissensions away unto the Lamanites, behold, it came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people— (Words of Mormon 1:16)

18 Wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.  (Words of Mormon 1:18)

Note also the attempt the adversary makes to insert false prophets and teachers among the people. 

"I Will Pass Over You"

"Do we see it (our weekly sacramental service) as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?"

"With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is."

Elder Jeffry R. Holland, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 68

I have thought about this quote from Elder Holland every day this past week.  Of course!  The sacrament is our own individual passover!  As we partake of the bread and water and take upon us the name of Jesus Christ we are in effect putting the blood of the passover lamb on our doorposts as did the ancient Israelites.   All of our covenants (baptism, weekly sacrament, temple) play a protective role in the angel of death spiritually passing over us.  When we are finally in a position to "see" I think we will be amazed at the Lord's care for us through our covenant keeping.