Lessons on the Book of Mormon 2020
Lesson No. Three
They Pointed the Finger of Scorn But We Heeded Them Not - 1 Nephi 8:33
Lehi’s vision of the tree of life - Lehi’s vision has to do with how four types of people receive the gospel. All people fit into one of these four categories:
These people have good desires, but they get lost in the mist of darkness and the devil deceives them with false tradition and popular philosophies. (See D&C 123:12).
These people are or were members of the Church. After they obtained the tree and ate of the fruit they were overwhelmed by the ways and things of the world. They leave the Church because they are more comfortable in the world.
These are worldly people who are already occupants of the great and spacious building or they are trying to get into it. The great and spacious building represents the world. This group includes the critics and cynics who ridicule and mock righteousness and sacred things.
These are the members of the Church who remain true and faithful and endure to the end. When the world points “the finger of scorn” they heed it not. (See 1 Nephi 8:33).
Pointing the finger of scorn – Lehi saw “a great and spacious building….And it was filled with people, both old and young both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit” (1 Nephi 8:27-28). Today religion is under attack throughout the world:
President Boyd K. Packer’s observation 10 years ago has proven prophetic. He said: “Atheists and agnostics make non-belief their religion and today organize in unprecedented ways to attack faith and belief. They are now organized and they pursue political power. You will be hearing much about them and from them” (Ensign, August 2010, p. 20-25).
The threat to religious freedom is increasing. Communists, socialists, and authoritarian regimes have always been a threat, but now secular forces in the United States and other democratic countries believe that religious practice and belief have no place in the public square.
People of faith are often scorned and thought to be naive and foolish. It is like Korihor who said: “Ye look forward and say the ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds come because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of thing which are not so” (Alma 30:16).
Today we both heeded them and heed them not – What Lehi meant when he said “we heeded them not” was that the scorn and ridicule of the world did not affect their testimony and commitment to the Lord and His work. That should be the same with us. But today there are considerations that were not issues anciently. Now, for example, communication is instantaneous and worldwide, and modern apostles and prophets have asked us to engage publicly in positive ways to defend our rights.
We do not need to give heed to our opponents because they are a threat to our testimony, but we heed them because they are a threat to our right to exercise our religious freedom.
The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (Joseph Smith, Wentworth Letter, 1842).
The Standard of Truth is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Prophet Joseph Smith foresaw the persecution that would be heaped on the Lord’s Church and its members, and he also foresaw that the Church would continue to grow worldwide until the purposes of God are accomplished and the work is completed.
Confidence in the future – The purposes of God will certainly be accomplished and His work will certainly be completed. This knowledge gives us confidence in the future despite whatever else may happen. This certainty gives good reason to keep the commandments, go on a mission, obtain an education, get married, raise a family, contribute to society, and build the kingdom of God. Doing these thing will bring us success and happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.