Gospel Message Day 107

Obedience, Part 4

Book of Mormon obedience scriptures! Well, just one for today because the story is a good one.

1 Nephi 4:18
Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.

Wow, this verse out of context to one who does not know the story might be a bit startling! Laban was a very wicked man. Nephi and his brothers wanted the scriptures to take with their family, so that they could have the word of God. Laban didn't want them for their spiritual value. And he robbed the brothers of their belongings and threatened to kill them. Nephi prayed for help on the 3rd attempt, and upon entering the city, he found a drunk Laban and received a command from God to kill him. Previous verses (12-17) give a little reasoning behind that:

And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;

Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.

We have seen in our history how one man can cause so much evil and harm (e.g., Hitler, Osama, Hussein, Kaiser Wilhelm, particular leaders of my own country whom I shall not name right now). I'm not saying that this would have been an easy commandment for me to follow. Probably one of the hardest for me. You should have seen me in our debate in my junior history class, on the side against  the death penalty. Human life is precious, no matter what that human has chosen to do with theirs. I don't feel it is our part to play God and decide who lives or doesn't. And even if He were to command me to take a life to save millions in a nation, it would still be one of the most difficult things of my life. I hope I am never faced with a command like that.

But I am faced with other commandments that are hard for me. Perhaps not as equally hard. But they are tough enough for me to follow. Yet I know it will be worth it for me to obey them, and that I will be greatly blessed in the end if at least for being obedient.