Post by Helem – This is probably the most interesting few days of my life. It looks like we are going to do a Moses tomorrow. What I mean by that is, we are going to be instruments in God’s hands to deliver his people. That’s the way King Lemhi puts it. Following our few days in prison, Lemhi got his people together and gave what for me and my brethren, was an incredibly heart wrenching speech about bondage, suffering, struggles, destruction and hope for deliverance. I can’t include it all here but let me share what I can in as close to his own words as possible.
“Oh my people, we can lift up our heads and be comforted, because the time is coming when we won’t be subject to our enemies any longer. Even though all our struggles so far have been in vain, I feel this next struggle will be successful. We will put our trust in God, the very God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that God that brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt and made it so they could walk through the Red Sea on dry ground and fed them with manna so they wouldn’t starve in the wilderness. That same God brought our fathers out of Jerusalem and has preserved this people even until now, despite our iniquities and our abominations which has brought us into bondage.”
Lemhi went on to remind the people how they ended up in bondage. Zeniff, the man who was made king over the people after leading them to this land from Zarahemla, was over-zealous to inherit this land and therefore he was deceived by the cunning and craftiness of King Laman. King Laman made a treaty with Zeniff and gave Zeniff and his people possession of this land, including the city of Lehi-Nephi and the city of Shilom and the land round about. The only reason King Laman did this was to bring this people into bondage. And it worked. Lemhi’s people are now paying one half of their corn and their barley. Actually they are paying half of all their grains and half of the increase of their flocks and herds, even half of everything they possess or the king of the Lamanites will take their lives. You can easily see how the hope of deliverance which we bring is very welcome. It’s not just the current bondage and the cost of giving half of everything as tribute to the Lamanites, there has been plenty of blood spilled and as King Lemhi puts it, “in vain, all because of iniquity.” In other words, all of this could have been avoided had the people not fallen into transgression. Had it not been for the gross iniquity, the Lord would not have suffered this great evil to come upon them. Lemhi reminded the people that because they would not hearken to the Lord, there were even contentions and blood shed among themselves. There was even a prophet sent from the Lord that they killed. God had sent a chosen prophet to tell them of their wickedness and abominations and had prophesied of many things to come, he even prophesied of the coming of Christ. He taught that Christ was the creator of all things and that he would take upon Himself the image of man. In other words that man was created in the image of God and that Christ would come down among the children of men and take upon Himself flesh and blood. Because this prophet said all this and taught of Christ, they put him to death. Because they did not head his warnings and repent of their sins, they brought upon themselves the wrath of God. Lemhi basically said “No wonder we are in bondage and are smitten with so many afflictions. Lemhi quoted the Lord;
“I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them. If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison. If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.”
Lemhi then really put it into perspective saying,
“Behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and we are smitten and afflicted, and only if we will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put our trust in Him, and serve Him with all diligence of mind, if we do this, He will, according to His own will and pleasure, deliver us out of bondage.”
(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 7:17 – 33)
