Get Stronger Without Weights

A wooden plank that bridges empty space can hold a certain amount of weight before it breaks. Let’s say 25 pounds. Would two planks, placed one on top of the other, break at 50 pounds? No, it actually requires more than 50 pounds to break them.

This is synergy. The sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts. It happens all over in nature -- a forest has stronger and healthier trees than a tree standing alone.

In the same way we are stronger as members of an organized religion than if we were not.

Alma articulates the benefits that members of organized religion receive:

• burdens lightened
• comfort from others
• encouragement to be strong
• learn the things of God
• know God’s words through his prophets
• unity with others
• access God’s power and authority
• share when you have, receive when you have not
• temporal well-being safety net

My friend who believes in God but thinks organized religion is too much work is missing out on many blessings and benefits – I hope he will reconsider.

- Mosiah 18:18-28

Who You Surround Yourself With Matters

People you choose to surround yourself with reflect your values. Be careful though because that can come back to bite you if you don’t choose wisely.

Take King Noah (124 B.C.). He almost turned around from his loser ways at a critical moment “for he feared the judgments of God would come upon him.”

When his priests saw this they applied to his vanity and said, “He [Abinadi] has reviled the king!” So the Noah was stirred up to anger, forgot his fear of God’s punishment, and had Abinadi killed.

The result? Noah was shortly after killed by fire at the hands of his disgusted people. If he had surrounded himself with better people the result would have been much different, and better.

- Mosiah 17:11-12

“A real man admits it when he is wrong”

“A real man admits it when he is wrong.” Those are the words my mother taught me many times while I was growing up.

Too bad King Noah’s mom didn’t teach him that, it would have spared him and his people a lot of pain and suffering.

If you follow my mom’s advice you will be spared a lot of pain and suffering in your life.

When Abinadi pointed out to Noah and his priests all the wrong they were doing their reaction was to get angry, justify their behavior, lie to themselves, and try to solve the problem by killing Abinadi.

It didn’t turn out to well for them, except for one of the priests named Alma who admitted he was wrong and straightened out. The rest of them paid a dear price for not admitting their mistakes – their life.

- Mosiah 12:9-16, 13:1

Avoiding Corrupt Leaders

When you recognize the pattern corrupt leaders use to get their people to follow them, you can avoid the subsequent suffering of being duped.

Using King Noah as an example:

• he taxed his people 20% of everything they had and used that money for his own benefit
• the tax was used to reward his minions for their loyalty
• vain and flattering words were said to the people by the king and his minions
• the people were lied to extensively
• the king wasn’t concerned about the safety of his people and did not adequately protect them
• the king thought he was above God

The result of King Noah’s corrupt leadership was that many of the people he duped were killed and enslaved. If they had only recognized the signs and avoided them…

We are wise to learn from them.

- Mosiah 11:3-4, 7, 16-17, 27

If You Don’t Like Your Life Then Make Wiser Decisions

It’s tough to look inward and admit that we were wrong. To admit a mistake, an error in judgment, or unwise decision means taking responsibility for the consequences and that can be very painful.

Zeniff made a series of unwise choices that resulted in thousands of people dying and thousands more becoming slaves. He blamed others and refused to recognize that what happened was actually the result of his decisions.

For example after leading his group of people right into the heart of their enemy’s territory he said “but it was the craftiness of king Laman, to bring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land that we might possess it.”

Zeniff out of his own ambition led his people into king Laman’s territory. Zeniff made a treaty with king Laman to live in the land the king offered. Zeniff judged king Laman to be honest and straight forward when in fact he wasn’t.

After all these mistakes Zeniff couldn’t look inward and realize king Laman wasn’t the problem, Zeniff was.

If we are unhappy with our life it is because of decisions we’ve made. Take responsibility, don’t blame other people, and be wise.

- Mosiah 9:5-6, 10

We Owe Everything to God – Having Pride is Ridiculous

Our dependency on others and particularly on God is undeniable. Ultimately we owe everything to God. We are dependent on him for each breath we take, the materials the earth provides, our bodies, our talents and abilities, and our intelligence.

Of course we need to take action to improve our talents, increase our wealth, and groom ourselves. But none of it would be possible without what God gives to us first.

Given that we owe everything to God it makes false pride especially ridiculous.

The athlete that thinks they are better than other people because of their athletic skills.

The popular actress because of her physical beauty.

The rich person because of all the money they have.

The politician because of their power and status.

None of us are better than another because we are all equally dependent on God for our existence.

I spent two years as a missionary in Brazil living among people who materially had very little. As I put off my false pride and understood we were all equal my love for the people grew exponentially and my ability to help them increased.

(Amazons, Brazil, 1986)

King Benjamin said “I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you.”

If there is something in your life that you have pride in, perhaps it’s worth re-evaluating. Acknowledge your dependence on God and you will have more peace.

- Mosiah 4:11

Don’t Surrender to Base Human Tendencies

In the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” the Mr. Potter character is petty, selfish, greedy, materialistic, and just plain mean. It’s a great sketch of how someone that indulges in natural or base human tendencies is miserable and unhappy.

We have the God given ability to decide what we do and choose how we feel. If someone offends us we can choose to hurt them or forgive them. If we see an opportunity in a business transaction to take advantage of someone for our own benefit we can choose to be greedy or honest.

In 124 B.C. King Benjamin said “the natural man is an enemy to God”. Be disciplined. Control our passions and appetites. Overcome our natural tendencies toward base behavior.

Overcoming the natural man leads to happiness and contentment.

- Mosiah 3:19

Learn From Those Who Have Gone Before

Learning from the experience of people who have already lived and died is smart.

Smart because it advances our own knowledge and wisdom much quicker than can be done if each new generation had to start from scratch learning what works and what doesn’t.

Imagine if heart surgeons were unable to learn from their predecessors. What if military commanders were not able to learn the strategies that succeeded and failed in the past? Innovation is dependent on our ability to learn from those who have gone before.

In 124 B.C. King Benjamin had three sons whom he taught the language of their ancestors so they “could be men of understanding”. Then he counseled them to “search them diligently that that ye may profit thereby”.

And profit they did. Benjamin’s son Mosiah instituted a representative form of government, something that was very rare up to that point in the history of the world but which he was able to envision because of the learning he had from those who had gone before.

I asked my class, “Who have you learned from and what have you learned from someone who has already lived and died?”

Gavin referred to Abraham Lincoln. He has studied many of his speeches and writings and found in them the importance of keeping a laser focus on staying true to our principles.

If you want to leap-frog your life experience, study and learn from those who have gone before.

- Mosiah 1:2, 7

Selfish and Satisfied Don’t Jive

An irony of life is that the less self-centered you are the more content and satisfied your life is.

Imagine going to an amusement park every day for years to ride the most awesome roller coaster. The thrill you get the first few times would quickly dissipate and you would have no lasting satisfaction. Years down the road you would look back and consider it a waste, nothing gained.

Now consider the opposite, helping and serving other people in ways that better their lives. While it may not be adrenaline inducing you feel a long lasting satisfaction. You can look back years later and still feel content about the good you’ve done.

Helping and serving other people brings lasting pleasure and satisfaction.

Enos spent his life teaching and encouraging people to stay close to God. At the end of his life he said he “rejoiced in it above that of the world.”

What are you doing today to help and serve others?

- Enos 1:26