The big delimma

1 Nephi chapter 4 has always been a major stumbling block for people who read it who think they know how God thinks.

If you're reading the Book of Mormon, but aren't sure whether it's true and you know people claim it is the word of God, and you see that it says God told Nephi to steal something and to even murder in order to take it, you might stop and say, "Wait a minute! God doesn't tell us to break His own commandments!" We met people on our mission who said the Book of Mormon just can't be true because God wouldn't do that! There was one lady, the wife of a member and a firm little Catholic who never went to Church, told us she had had visions, dreams and visits from Jesus so she knew him well, and he just wouldn't tell someone to steal and murder in cold blood. She said if God wanted Laban dead, He would make it happen, not tell someone to do it.

And so it makes you think. Why didn't Christ just deliver Laban into Nephi's hands or for that matter the Brass Plates into Nephi's hands so he wouldn't have to kill a man? Why did God ask Nephi to break two commandments, one of them being the second most serious sin which has no forgiveness?

Verse 10 references 1 Samuel 15:3 in which the Lord commands Saul to kill not only all the Amalekites, men, women, and children, but also all their animals and crops. Really? Why would God command a king to murder and destroy? We know God destroys the wicked. He has the right. But why would He command a man to do something that is such a serious sin and really against our very nature?

I frankly don't know the answer, other than that Nephi's faith was being tested to the utmost. But I do firmly believe that at some point we will all be asked to choose between what we want or think and what God commands. We've been told that in the last days many will fall away, and I think many will fall because they haven't learned to obey even if it doesn't make sense or ring true in their minds. It's as if people can believe a Prophet as long as he says what they already think is true, but if it goes outside what they already think, then the Prophet must be false. Is God supposed to always agree with us or will we be tested to see if we can always agree with God?

I remember when the Prophet told women not to have more than one earring. The reaction by some was, "This doesn't affect my spirituality. Why is this a commandment?"  When the Prophet was told that they needed to practice polygamy, many questioned and couldn't follow. When the Word of Wisdom was given, many couldn't follow, and on and on. I believe that at some point every member will need to choose whether they believe we have a true and living prophet who speaks for God and then they will need to decide whether they will obey God no matter what. I hope I'm strong enough to be able to do that.