3 Ne 6:11 there were many merchants…many lawyers, and many officers
Although it is not the main
focus of Mormon, the complexity of Nephite society can easily be seen in his
history. Those studying ancient Meso-America have also been able to determine
that the ancient American peoples had a well developed social and economical
system. Hugh Nibley compares the comments of these secular experts with the
Book of Mormon narrative.
Hugh Nibley
“…E. W.
Andrews, p.263: ‘As civilization becomes more complex, it becomes more
vulnerable—as we are discovering to our increasing horror in recent years. . .
. The problems of maintenance and unity increase geometrically.’
“3 Nephi
6:11-14: ‘Many merchants . . . and also many lawyers,
and many officers . . . and . . . people began to be distinguished by ranks. .
. . And thus there became a great inequality, . . . insomuch that the church
began to be broken up.’
“…General
summary (G. R. Willey and D. B. Shimkin), p. 459: ‘Late Classic society was
more sharply differentiated into elite and commoner strata than . . . Early
Classic times. As this process of an elite consolidation went on, [there was] .
. . a related development of a class of bureaucrats and craft specialists.’
“3 Nephi
6:12: ‘And the people began to be distinguished by
ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were
ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning
because of their riches.’
“…General
summary, p. 485: ‘The role of the elite must have become increasingly
exploitative as resource margins declined; . . . widening social distance [was]
an inevitable accompaniment of the evolution of ranked, and probably kin-based,
society to a class structured one. . . . In some areas . . . the numbers of
commoners were being maintained only by recruitment and capture from other
centers. Yet the upper class continued to grow, to expand its demands for
luxury . . . and to strive to compete with rival centers and aristocracies.’
‘The priestly leaders of these great centers, in their efforts to outdo each
other, to draw more wealth and prestige to themselves, . . . must have diverted
all possible labor and capital to their aggrandizement.’
“3 Nephi 6:27-28: ‘Those
judges had many friends and kindreds; and . . . almost all the lawyers and the
high priests, did gather . . together, and unite with the kindreds of those
judges. . . . And they did enter into a covenant one with another.’”
(The Prophetic Book of Mormon,
p. 372-6)
3 Ne 6:12 the people began to be distinguished by ranks
We live in a day in which
the opportunity to attain riches and the chances for
learning are unparalleled. Such a condition places us at risk to do what
the Nephites did in seeking to be distinguished by
ranks. Yet there is a simple custom in the Church which is designed to
thwart this tendency. When we refer to each other as “brothers and sisters” in
the Church, we are avoiding the tendency to distinguish based on position or
education. Thus the doctor, lawyer, professor, c. e. o., and executive
vice-president are all “brothers and sisters.” This is the way it should be. If
not, the resulting inequality might be enough to break up the Church as it did
among the Nephites (v. 14).
Joseph Smith had been
careful to avoid emphasis on rank among the members of the Church. Although he
was the greatest prophet of this dispensation and arguably the greatest prophet
ever, excepting Jesus Christ, he was known simply as “Brother Joseph.”
“Some
of us may mock our brother because he has a ‘lesser’ occupational, civic, or
ecclesiastical standing. King Benjamin got to the core of the matter when he
observed: ‘And I, even I, whom ye call your king, am
no better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust.’ (Mosiah 2:26.)
“If
King Benjamin were clear with respect to the occupational and civic areas, Joseph
Smith was crystal clear about ecclesiastical condescension: ‘If a high priest comes along, and goes to
snub either of them in their presidency, because they are Seventies, let them
knock the man’s teeth down his throat—I mean spiritually.’ (History of the
Church 5:368.)
“He
even applied the same standard to himself:
‘Many
persons think a prophet must be a great deal better than anybody else. Suppose
I would condescend—yes, I will call it condescend, to be a great deal better
than any of you, I would be raised up to the highest heaven; and who should I
have to accompany me? …
‘I
do not want you to think that I am very righteous, for I am not. God judges men
according to the use they make of the light which He gives them.’ (History
of the Church 5:401.)
“…Men
are not chosen for privilege but for their capacity to bless others. The Spirit
moved President John Taylor to write:
“Our Heavenly Father is desirous to promote the happiness and welfare of the whole of the human family; and if we, any of us, hold any Priesthood, it is simply for that same purpose, and not for our personal aggrandizement, or for our own honor, or pomp, or position; but we hold it in the interest of God and for the salvation of the people, that through it we may promote their happiness, blessing and prosperity, temporal and spiritual, both here and in the world to come.” (Journal of Discourses 22:230.)” (Gary L. Bunker, “Mocking Our Brother,” Ensign, Apr. 1975, 36)
Boyd K. Packer
“The
Lord does not, and the Church cannot, admit to favoritism toward those who are
able to obtain professional degrees as compared to those who seek training in a
practical field or those who have little or no schooling at all.” (Ensign,
Nov. 1992, p. 72 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon
compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 400-1)
3 Ne 6:13 Some were lifted up in pride
“Pride
gets no pleasure out of possessing something but, possessing more of it than
the next man…It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being
above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”
(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp. 109-110 as taken from Latter-day
Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 400)
Ezra Taft Benson
“The
two groups who seem to have the greatest difficulty with pride are the learned
and the rich.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1986, p. 6 as taken from
Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas
Bassett, p. 401)
3 Ne 6:13 others would receive railing and persecution…and would not
turn and revile again
The Law of Moses is famous
for retribution according to the rule, and eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth
(Ex 21:24). However, there are other elements of the Law of Moses which taught
a higher code of conduct. One example taught the people not to seek revenge, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart…Thou shalt
not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Lev. 19:17-18). This higher law
within the lower law was what some Nephites chose to follow. Their ability to
“turn the other cheek” showed that they understood the spirit of the higher law
even before it was given in its fullness by the Savior (3 Ne 12:39).
“Although
most of us don’t have to deal with persecution, we are often ‘provoked’ by
small things. Rudeness, nagging, disobedience, waiting, disagreements,
disappointment, and unfulfilled expectations can irritate us, particularly when
we are tired, sick, or in a hurry.
“At
such times, our first impulse may be to react with irritation, anger, or
contention. But we can choose to react instead with charity and not be ‘easily provoked.’ (Moro.
7:45.) We can turn the other cheek (see Matt. 5:38-39)
and respond with patience and kindness.
“How
do we develop a spirit of charity that keeps us from being provoked? One
approach is to concentrate on ways to control our anger or impatience. Taking a
deep breath and stopping to think for a moment before speaking sometimes helps.
Getting in the habit of…returning good for evil drains the heart of anger.
“By
learning to avoid contention and to control our anger, we stop evil from being
passed along and become more like the Savior, whose sacrifice of self made
eternal life possible for all who come unto him and emulate his example.” (Ensign, July
1988, p. 47)
3 Ne 6:15 Satan had great power
Ezra Taft Benson
“I
have been deeply impressed with the beauty and power of this scriptural account
in 3 Nephi, and with its great value for our time and our generation.
“The
record of the Nephite history just prior to the Savior’s visit reveals many
parallels to our own day as we anticipate the Savior’s second coming. The
Nephite civilization had reached great heights. They were prosperous and
industrious. They had built many cities with great highways connecting them.
They engaged in shipping and trade. They built temples and palaces.
“But,
as so often happens, the people rejected the Lord. Pride became commonplace.
Dishonesty and immorality were widespread. Secret combinations flourished
because, as Helaman tells us, the Gadianton robbers ‘had
seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in
their works and partake of their spoils’ (Hel. 6:38).
‘The people began to be distinguished by ranks,
according to their riches and their chances for learning’ (3 Ne. 6:12).
And ‘Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of
the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride,
tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things
of the world,’ even as today (3 Ne.
6:15).” (Ensign,
May 1987, p. 4)
3 Ne 6:17 the people
having been…carried about by the temptations of the devil
Neal A. Maxwell
“This
people actually lost both personal and social control, as these words vividly
portray: ‘And thus, in
the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for
the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil
whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever
iniquity he desired they should—and thus they were in a
state of awful wickedness.’ (3
Nephi 6:17. Italics added.)
“Surely it
should give us more pause than it does to think of how casually we sometimes
give to him who could not control his own ego in the premortal world such awful
control over our egos here. We often
let the adversary do indirectly now what we refused to let him do directly
then.
“Thus we
can expect no immunity from either trial or temptation, because these are the
common lot of mankind. Mortality
without the dimension of temptation or trial would not be full proving, it
would be a school with soft credits and no hard courses. These features of mortality were among the
very conditions we agreed to before we undertook this mortal experience. We cannot renege on that commitment now.” (We Will Prove Them Herewith, p. 45)
3 Ne 6:18 they did not
sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God
The Lord is merciful to the
innocent whether by age or through ignorance. However, those who exhibit
willful rebellion are in the shallow end of the mercy pool. They feel the
weight of the ruthless demands of divine justice more fully than any other
group. Abinadi taught that they would not be eligible for the first
resurrection (Mosiah 15:26). This is because they would not receive of the
power of Christ’s atonement. In other words, they
were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received (DC
88:32). Furthermore, “willful rebellion” more aptly describes the attitude of
Satan than any other phrase. It is the defining characteristic of those who
become the Sons of Perdition. The Lord says they are those
who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and yet deny the truth and defy my power (DC 76:31).
Elder ElRay L. Christiansen
“’Now,
they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for
it had been taught unto them therefore they did wilfully rebel against God.’
(3 Nephi 6:15-16, 18.) So it is with us today. We, too, are well-taught, but
many, too many of us, in the Church and out of the Church, are led away by
crafty men whom the Adversary uses as tools, from the standards and the ideals
the Lord has set for our happiness and our security.
“Will
history repeat itself? Shall we in this beloved land again lose our freedom
because of disobedience? No nation rises above its religion.” (Conference Report, Apr.
1961, p. 74)
3 Ne 6:23 those who testified…were taken and put to death secretly
by the judges
Nephite law proscribed
executions without the approval of the governor. Yet, where there is a wicked
will, there is a way. The wicked judges had to figure out a way to kill these
prophets because they did not have the power themselves to order the
executions.
Similarly, the chief priests
and elders, when faced with Jesus of Nazareth, did not have the power
themselves to legally consign him to death. Therefore, they needed the help of
Pilate who knew that for envy they had delivered him
(Matt 27:18). They also needed the help of the people, so they persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and
destroy Jesus (Matt 27:20). As the Nephites, who did not sin ignorantly, so the chief priests and elders did not sin ignorantly, for they were the keepers
of the law. Yet they chose to kill the lawgiver.
3 Ne 6:30 they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their
country
B. H. Roberts
“The
people of the western world, in brief, had entered upon that final stage of
their wickedness which was to terminate in those awful convulsions of nature
that should make their lands desolate, and well-nigh destroy the inhabitants
thereof. The government itself had become corrupt; so, too, had the priesthood,
save a few faithful ones--men of God, who testified that the Messiah had come,
and that the time of his passion and resurrection approached. These were
secretly haled before the judges, and both priests and lawyers leagued against
them for their destruction. When it was feared that the Chief Judge would not
sign their death warrants--a thing needful under the Nephite law to make
executions legal--they privily put them to death, and thus were guilty of
judicial murders. An attempt to overthrow the commonwealth, now perpetuated
through more than a hundred and twenty years, ended in anarchy.” (New
Witnesses For God, vol. 2, p. 237)