When reading through the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, two particular things seem to happen again and again. As the righteous people in the land, known as the Nephites, follow the Lord’s commandments they are blessed. Their lands produce bountiful harvests, they become rich in gold and silver and many precious things, all as a blessing for doing what is right. At times they are living so righteously there are no poor among them.
Usually when things are going this well two things invariably happen. First, there are those who begin to value the gold and silver, the fine silks and linens, far above helping those who may be in need. They would willingly rebuff those who might come to them for help. Second, there are those who begin to think too much of themselves, not due to their riches, but because of their wisdom. They are learned men who think they know better than everyone, even God.
It is this second group our next scripture mastery verses focus on in the Book of Mormon.
“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God” (2 Nephi 9:28-29).
To have a love of learning is a wonderful thing. Whether you find yourself focusing on one particular subject, like art or physics, or would rather learn about a variety of things, learning is a good thing. We must never forget, however, that this love to learn, and the ability to do so are granted to us by our Heavenly Father. The danger lies in when we begin to trust more in ourselves more than in God.
In these cycles I mentioned before individuals inevitably became certain that their own ideas trumped the silly ramblings of supposed prophets of God. Some claimed they knew better than the prophets and led many people away from the Lord’s Church. Others claimed there was no God at all, and eventually left the Nephites altogether to join those who opposed (the Lamanites).
When this pride, both of learning and of riches, turned good people toward wickedness, the Lord would begin a path of humbling the Nephites. It would happen through wars with the Lamanites, or famine, or in being brought into captivity. Regardless of the method it was meant to remind the people to whom they owed their vast knowledge and riches. Only after great suffering, repentance, and a sincere change of heart would the people find themselves being blessed once again.
You and I find ourselves in a time when the rich are getting richer while the poor become poorer. People value gold and silver more than their fellow men. Learned men and women expound about how there is no God, or are more concerned with expounding their own words and ideas rather than God’s. We can see the cycle happening even in our world today.
So what can we learn from those who have gone through this before? Keep the Lord’s commandments. Follow the words of His prophets, both those from the Bible and Book of Mormon, and those who reside with us in these latter-days. If you are fortunate enough to come from a family with money, don’t value it over those who are in need. If you have access to books and teachers, be watchful. Consult your Heavenly Father in what He would have you do with this knowledge.
Those who have learned to submit to the Father in all things are perhaps the wisest of us all.
