Sometimes, I read scriptures and don't learn a thing. For years I was “out to lunch” in Sunday School; granted I have been a “hallway listener” for the good part of 20 years. Sometimes it’s a hit and miss with my personal scripture study and prayers can be like brushing my toddler's teeth; not often enough, and a pain to hold still long enough to get it done.
I am married to a man who has scripture passages, quotes, lessons, and sermons memorized! He can, and often does, captivate groups of people in casual scriptural conversation. He will pull out brilliant insights, while I am trying to decode “Bible talk.”
For whatever reason, today, my eyes were opened and the Spirit turned the scriptures into reality. I am a visual learner, so I appreciate this approach. I was down a rabbit hole, clicking hyperlinks, and landed on a word “Err.”(2 Nephi 28:14) I deduce it means “error,” but I’m curious because the sentence is directed at the “humble followers of Christ.” I like to think of myself as a "humble follower of Christ” (ugh! I guess a “humble” person wouldn’t say they are humble. Anyway…)
I need to know what tripped up the humble people!?
The Spirit brought it down to my level and showed me how it applies TODAY.
Read it like a newspaper.
Look around! What are people wearing? What are people doing? What are they believing?
We have all gone astray.(2 Nephi 28:14)
We have "stiff necks?"
We are stubborn. We want to live by the principles we want. No one is going to govern us on how we should live or love. (Mormon 8:31)
We have “high heads?”
Who isn’t self absorbed? We want to be seen, famous, viral, and influencers. Who isn’t updating status every day(sometimes multiple times) or repetitively look at ourselves in mirrors, pictures, videos, and selfies? Who doesn’t care about how many likes or followers we can get? Who isn’t obsessed over trendy fashion, or the latest beauty hack? (Mormon 8:36 37)
“Errrrrrr" This sums up a day in the HobiHome!
“They have all gone astray save but a few because of Pride, Wickedness, Abominations, and Whoredoms.” (2 Nephi 28:14, Mormon 8:36)
Pride? LGBQ+, Black Lives Matter, Body Dismorphia, etc.(Mormon 8:28, 36)
Wickedness?Murders, Violence, Dishonesty, Secret Combinations, scams etc.(Mormon 8:31, 39-40)
Abominations? Hate toward others, Predjusts, Wars, Cancel Culture, Hate Speech, Riots(Mormon 8:29-31
Whoredoms? Immorality, Affairs, Pornography, Cohabitation, Prostitution, Rapes etc.
Umm 👀
So, who are the few??
In my opinion, the few are Christians. especially the Latter-Day Saints. Dare I say... our youth?
While still down the rabbit hole, clicking hyperlinks, I found a fun little message for the Latter-Day Saints in Alma 5. (My translation below. For the real thig Go read it)
For anyone who is not a good guy (Christian,) or for anyone who is a good guy but may have some skeletons in your closet…you should be worried. You will regret not changing your actions. (Alma 5:36)
it continues...All of us who claim to be LDS and have callings, go to the Temple, served missions, and bare testimony of the Church, are just like the World. We are like sheep. How are we any different from them? How would anyone know we are followers of Christ? We buy the clothes and products, listen to the music, get the surgeries, wear the tattoos, talk the slang, download the Apps, and follow pages/people who tell us how we deserve to liberate ourselves or be whatever we want to be (or identify as.)
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the alatter times some shall bdepart from the faith, giving heed to cseducing spirits, and ddoctrines of devils;3 aForbidding to bmarry, and commanding to cabstain from dmeats, which God hath ecreated to be received with fthanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
I see it...
“My people (LDS) must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion, and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.(D&C 136:31)”
“In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. (Russell M. Nelson 2018)”
Are we really that wicked? Are those scriptures really speaking to us, present day 2024?
My conclusion:
A humble follower of Christ who does not "err" is (most likely)
"alone, with Christ."
