Lessons from Kings Zeniff and Noah - how to spend your time; learning as you grow

Reading Mosiah 7-11 this week. Here's some thoughts:

Mosiah 11:14   14 And it came to pass that he placed his heart upon his riches, and he spent his time in ^ariotous living with his wives and his concubines; and so did also his priests spend their time with harlots.

It's important to pay attention to where we spend our time. It says a lot about us.

Mosiah 9: 3 -   3 And yet, I being ^aover-zealous to inherit the land of our fathers, collected as many as were desirous to go up to possess the land, and started again on our ^bjourney into the wilderness to go up to the land; but we were smitten with famine and sore afflictions; for we were slow to remember the Lord our God.

It's easy to forget the Lord and it will make life more difficult. However, the most critical step is to change. Look at how Zeniff changed. 12 years after they moved next to the Lamanites, they went to battle with them. Here's how they approached the war:

  17 Yea, in the ^astrength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would ^bdeliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.

The one point I think is worth mentioning is that our actions early on can affect our children. We don't know why Noah was bad, and there's plenty of possible reasons, but it appears that Zeniff wasn't always righteous. It's possible that Zeniff didn't have the same influence over Noah when he was older and Zeniff was more righteous.

I'm very impressed that Zeniff paid attention to the stories/lessons taught by his ancestors. He was likely a scripture/history reader as it says they were "awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of their fathers." Critical for us to do the same, to learn from those who have come before us.

Also interesting to see that he told his people what the Lamanites thought of the Nephites and where their anger came from. He also emphasizes the Nephites' advantage over them is their trust in the Lord and that they follow God's commandments. Here's that section from Mosiah 10:

  10 And it came to pass that we did go up to battle against the Lamanites; and I, even I, in my old age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites. And it came to pass that we did go up in the ^astrength of the Lord to battle.

  11 Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. Yet they were a strong people, as to the ^astrength of men.

  12 They were a ^awild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the ^btradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were ^cwronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea;

  13 And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their ^afirst inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore ^bhe was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness.

  14 And his brethren were ^awroth with him because they ^bunderstood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord.

  15 And again, they were ^awroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ^bruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him.

  16 And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the ^arecords which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he ^brobbedthem.

  17 And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.

  18 For this very cause has king Laman, by his ^acunning, and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have brought this my people up into this land, that they may destroy them; yea, and we have suffered these many years in the land.

  19 And now I, Zeniff, after having told all these things unto my people concerning the Lamanites, I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord; therefore, we did contend with them, face to face.

Teaching history while also teaching what the Lord is involved in is important. How helpful it is to our children if we tell the story of our lives and include throughout the narrative examples of when the Lord helped us and was involved in the story.