Why Do We Pay Thithing In the LDS church?

Prior to reading 3 Nephi, I had confirmation and a testimony of the commandments and principles we've been taught by numerous prophets throughout the Bible and Book of Mormon, but reading the commandments and promises received directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ in 3Nephi, really resonated with me the past few weeks. One principle in particular, is the law of tithing. Because I've struggled with this commandment over the years and just recently started paying tithing, I felt the prompting to research more and share my findings and thoughts. 

In Proverbs 3:9-10 it reads  “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine”.  In the Old Testament and throughout the scriptures we are asked to give a part of our resources, as a way to honor and show gratitude the the Lord for all he blesses us with.

We can also think of paying tithing as a way of being obedient to the Lord.  In both 3Nephi 24:10 and Malachi 3:10 it reads "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse … and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” If we have a knowledge of what the lord has promised us, why do we reject the outpouring of our Lord's blessings?  In most cases it comes down to faith or not wanting to sacrifice.  Regardless if we are rich or poor, paying a tithe is a sacrifice. If we have little money, we have little to give. If we make more money, there always seems to be more we have to pay out. An old phrase I've heard shared many times is "I can't afford TO pay tithing", others respond with "I can't afford NOT to pay tithing".  Ask yourself, what are YOU willing to sacrifice in this temporal world to have everlasting joy?  By being obedient members in the LDS church, we are choosing to have faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. Not only have I questioned the "why" of paying my tithing, but I've questioned the "why" on other things I thought were not significant or would not "harm" me in an obvious or BIG way.  What I've come to realize first hand, is that by finally surrendering myself to the lord and not questioning these seemingly "small" actions, I have been immediately blessed.

 

In modern times we are not only asked to give one-tenth of our income, but we are asked to give of our time. In order to do either, we must have our heart in the right place. It's difficult juggling life in this day and age, but not only are we asked to go to church on Sunday for three hours, but as members of the LDS church, we are asked to hold callings to run the church as a whole, but also our local services each week.  Because our clergy is not paid, as members we choose not only to give our money to the Lord, but our time as well. Giving money and the time required to successfully fulfill or callings, does nothing for us or the Lord spiritually if we do so with a hardened heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always ha,ving all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”.  

One of the last reasons I'll touch on is the happiness we can receive by giving to others. By paying a fast offering and a tithe, our local leaders are given the power to receive revelation on how the money collected can and should be distributed to those in need. In Mosiah 4:26, King Benjamin told his people “I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants". I love what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Down through history, poverty has been one of humankind’s greatest and most widespread challenges. Its obvious toll is usually physical, but the spiritual and emotional damage it can bring may be even more debilitating. In any case, the great Redeemer has issued no more persistent call than for us to join Him in lifting this burden from the people.”

I testify to you that by living the comparison of times I haven't paid tithing and have paid tithing, I have experienced the personal blessings promised to us by our Heavenly Father.  As my obedience grows, I keep asking myself "do I want the full blessings promised to me by my heavenly father" and by asking myself that question more frequently, I find making the right choice easier and easier.  We all have struggles and this has been one of mine in particular, but I find comfort in knowing that my Heavenly Father knows where my heart lays and he knows I'm working at becoming more obedient to his commandments each day.

Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason

3Nephi 13 is so full of teaching and examples given by Jesus Christ. What caught my attention was the 4 examples given on doing the right thing for the wrong reason.  I'll share parts of the scriptures  pointing to these examples and then share how these have touched my personal thought and how I've applied the principle to today's world.

Charity: 

1 that ye should do alms unto the poor; but take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven.

2 Therefore, when ye shall do your alms do not sound a trumpet before you

  

4 That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.

In today's world to many people are focused on "what can someone do for me" and "what do I get out of it" if they are asked to do something for someone else.  To many people appear to "do good", not because their heart tells them to, but because they want the recognition that comes with it. If more people were go go out of there way for others, however small or big the deed is, they would realize that providing service for others is often healing to those performing the service. It may appear that the person being served is the benefactor, but spiritually the people serving are usually rewarded equally if their heart is in the right place. 

Prayer:

5 And when thou ^aprayest thou shalt not do as the ^bhypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast ^ashut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who ^bseeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

When I think of this counsel I think of two things. First I think of the many public evangelical leaders who preach publicly and speak up about the sins of others, yet what they do behind closed doors is an entirely different thing.  In my childhood years, every few years we wold hear about another scandal with a preacher or pastor involved. For many, they felt the hypocrisy displayed in these very public cases was a solid reason for not participating in any organized church. On a personal level this counsel reminds me that yes, we may participate in public prayer, we may pray on the behalf of others, but ultimately we must focus on our personal communication with the lord. We must go to him in solitude and we must be humble. We must have faith that in those moments of prayer and we will receive the rewards as Heavenly Father sees fit.

Fasting: 

 

16 Moreover, when ye ^afast be not as the ^bhypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and ^awash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in ^asecret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Personally, fasting has been a struggle for me.  By reading these scriptures I know that my intent and my thoughts aren't always where they should be. By focusing on the negatives of fasting and the personal discomfort it causes me, I'm taking away an opportunity that will not only reward someone in the ward temporally, but also reward me spiritually. I think it also comes down to obedience. For years, fasting is one form of counsel that I've rationalized not participating in. Like so many things in life, I need to stop making excuses and JUST DO IT for the right reasons.

Treasures of Heaven: 

 

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where ^amoth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

20 But lay up for yourselves ^atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

It's so easy in this day and age, to want, want and want more. Sometimes we might think of this desire for earthy treasures, only happening on a grand scale.  We might picture those who perform secret acts of corruption, that end up effecting large groups of people. We might picture ruthless criminals partaking in illegal acts to gain money and power.  If we're honest with ourselves, it can happen on a much smaller scale, yet be just as spiritually destructive. Purchasing a house or car you can't afford, running up credit cards to give a perception of a life you can't afford,  finding yourself constantly competing with others to "one up them". It doesn't even have to be money related. You can fall into the same trap by turning down callings because other worldly task are more important, not making scripture study and prayer a priority because "you don't have time",  and putting off temple work when you have a temple just around the corner. These examples are just a few of the traps we can fall into when focusing on our earthy treasures. I have no doubt, if you were to follow the simple counsel just shared on Charity, Prayer and Fasting, your heart can't help but be softened so the focus on heavenly treasures becomes more apparent and desirable.

Helaman 14: The Signs of Christ's Birth and Death

When my scriptures studying started today, I reviewed my notes from Helaman 13 and intended to write a blog post based on that chapter. While reviewing my notes, I had a prompting to hold off and read Helaman 14 before I started this weeks "Putting It All Together" assignment and I'm glad I did. Instead of discussing the sins the Lords says are most tempting I'm going to share the prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite.

Let me start with saying that the fact that Samuel the Lamanite was chosen to share prophecies, is amazing in itself to me. Although this revelation was given by Alma, it's hard to read the fall of the Nephites and the rise of righteousness in the Lamanites and not question where I as a child of god and our society in America, currently stand in the Pride Cycle.

Signs of Christ's Birth as shared in Helaman 14;2-7: 

2 I give unto you a sign; for ^afive years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

3  for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

4 Therefore, there shall be one ^aday and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is ^bborn.

  

5 And behold, there shall a new ^astar arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

6 And behold this is not all, there shall be many ^asigns and wonders in heaven.

7 And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall ^afall to the earth.

Samuel shares the purpose of these signs:

11 And ye shall ^ahear my words, for, for this intent have I come up upon the walls of this city, that ye might hear and know of the judgments of God which do await you because of your iniquities, and also that ye might know the conditions of repentance;

12 And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the ^aFather of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.

13 And if ye ^abelieve on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his ^bmerits.

 

Signs of Christ's Death as shared in Helaman 14;20-25:

20 But behold, as I said unto you concerning another ^asign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his ^blight unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of ^cthree days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead.

21 Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ^aghost there shall be ^bthunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the ^crocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be ^dbroken up;

22 Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be ^afound in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea, both above the earth and beneath.

23 And behold, there shall be great ^atempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called ^bvalleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great.

24 And ^amany highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate.

25 And many ^agraves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many.

Samuel shares the purpose of these signs:

28 And the angel said unto me that many shall see greater things than these, to the intent that they might believe that ^athese signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land, to the intent that there should be no cause for unbelief among the children of men—

29 And this to the intent that whosoever will believe might be saved, and that whosoever will not believe, a ^arighteous judgment might come upon them; and also if they are condemned they bring upon themselves their own condemnation. 

These last two verses in Helaman 14 sum up the ultimate gift we've been given by Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. The plan has been out before us, he's given us the knowledge we need to choose. He's given us the the freedom and agency to choose our own path; good or bad, it is our choice. The choice may be ours, but know that we DO NOT have the choice of consequences. That is left to Heavenly Father on judgement day. 

 

30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto ^ahimself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are ^bfree; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a ^cknowledge and he hath made you free.

31 He hath given unto you that ye might ^aknow good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might ^bchoose life or death; and ye can do good and be ^crestored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.

Elder Richard G. Scott said  “Please understand, no one has the privilege to choose what is right. God reserved that prerogative to Himself. Our agency does allow us to choose among alternate paths, but then we are bound to the consequence God has decreed. Later, if we don’t like where the path takes us, the only out is through repentance”

Fighting for Liberty and Freedom.

When I found out that Alma 43-63 was called the "War Chapters", I didn't know what to think. War stories aren't exactly something that excite me, but I started my required reading with an open mind.

My reading this week did not go in order. I was prompted, on several occasions, to jump ahead and then back up. After my third chapter choice, I found myself excited about what I was reading. My understanding of who Moroni and Helaman were, grew stupendously.  As with many things in the Book of Mormon, I had heard the stories, but not read them myself. Having that confirmation from the Holy Ghost, brought me a whole new understanding of their message and example needed, in today's world.


I learned that they fought for freedom and liberty. The men and boys, who fought with Moroni and Helaman, were fighting because they believed in defending their family, their religion and their land.  They would not raise their swords on the offensive, but would defend themselves against the enemy and preserve their lives.

Alma 46:
11 And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

 12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

 13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—

Alma 48

10 And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.

13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.

After fighting for that freedom, Moroni chose to have a physical sign of "Liberty" raised on all the towers of the land. This immediately reminded me of photo, after 9/11, of the firefighters lifting the American flag.

Alma 46

36 And it came to pass also, that he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land, which was possessed by the Nephites; and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites.

I know some people around me wonder why I defend the constitution and religious freedom so strongly. I do so, because I have a testimony that the founding of this country was inspired and directed by God. The United States was chosen to be the promised land and was all part of the plan, that allowed the complete restoration of the gospel. On occasion, I find myself questioning how far I would go to defend that freedom. Looking forward, if I find myself asking that question, I will reference back to Moroni and Helaman, and remind myself of those characteristics needed to fight in such a war.

When I see Moroni at the top of each temple, I will no longer think of him solely as a messenger angel, but as a warrior and protector. 

I'd like to close, by sharing this video "War and Peace", by Gordon B. Hinkley. He shared this message during the the 2003 April General Conference; just days after the United States lead it's first offensive attack in the Iraq War. 

"It is clear from these and other writings that there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation, to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat, and oppression." Gordon B. Hinkley 

Modern Lessons in Alma 35

Of all the Alma chapters I read this week, chapter 35 was most significant. It's a small chapter, but it's full of lessons that are still applicable today.

Alma 35:6

And it came to pass that after they had found out the minds of all the people, those who were in favor of the words which had been spoken by Alma and his brethren were cast out of the land; and they were many; and they came over also into the land of Jershon.

The minority that demonstrated faith, chose to repent and then live righteously were persecuted by the majority who did not. Like the early church members and pioneers, they were driven out of their homes, away from their family and lost the majority of their processions and land. Through all that persecution and adversity, they would hold on to the word of God as their firm foundation.

Alma 35:9

And he breathed out many threatening against them. And now the people of Ammon did not fear their words; therefore they did not cast them out, but they did receive all the poor of the Zoramites that came over unto them; and they did nourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to their wants.

When the chief ruler of the Zoramites threatened the people of Ammon, they did not fear their words and stood strong, when caring for the new converts. Instead of fearing death from the conflict and facing possibility of war, they continued to stand strong and follow the counsel of the scriptures. They showed relentless courage by feeding, clothing and giving them land. As a members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we are constantly fighting off threats and standing for our convictions. There are still members across the globe, that are up against laws and policies that make it illegal and very dangerous for them to meet and observe the Sabbath on Sunday. 

Alma 35:15

Now Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodshed, and the contentions which were among them; and having been to declare the word, or sent to declare the word, among all the people in every city; and seeing that the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

In this verse, not only does Alma grieve because of the wars and bloodshed, he grieves because of the contention among the people. After all the conviction and faith, the people of Ammon and the new converts shared against the Zoramites and the Lamanites, they were letting disagreements among themselves harden their hearts. This makes me very sad, because today this is still a very big problem. There are people who have  and active participants in our church and then one day someone says something that offends them or hurts their feelings and you never see them again. Not only has this happened in my ward and family, but it's happened to me in the past. It's easier said then done, but sometimes I just have to remind myself that the gospel is the gospel and the church is made of imperfect humans. 

Alma 36:16

Therefore, he caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge, separately, concerning the things pertaining unto righteousness. And we have an account of his commandments, which he gave unto them according to his own record.

In this last verse of the chapter, it shares how Alma chose to sit his sons down and give them each their own responsibility. Alma knew the importance of their individual relationships and did not give them a one size fits all set of directions. This reminds me that all children are different and all children should be taught and directed according to their own individual needs. One size, does not fit all. 

My Becoming Project Report: Becoming More Prayful

When we were given the challenge to choose our Becoming Project attribute, I debated between Paying an Honest Tithe and being Prayerful. I chose Prayerful because I wanted to strengthen my testimony of prayer and use prayer more on a daily basis when looking for guidance with my family, friends, school, church callings and routine issues that come up at home. I wanted that personal, day to day relationship with Heavenly Father that so many testify of and I did not have.

When I began reading the Book of Mormon, it was quickly evident that Nephi was a man who believed in God and the power of prayer.  Nephi lead his family to the promise land by constantly asking for the strength, direction, mercy, and knowledge he needed to do so. I knew to navigate the changes that were happening in my life and finally make some choices; I needed to ask Heavenly Father for the same. I am a person of routine, so I started by setting a few goals, that I hoped would become a habit later. First, I started a prayer journal and then I put up a prayer reminder on my computer monitor. I started the prayer journal, so I could make a note of people who would ask for prayers throughout the day and not forget. I went as far as adding it to the daily task list I keep on my kitchen counter, so I would not forget at the end of the day. The reminder on my monitor was done, because I wanted to make sure I did a prayer before starting my homework and scripture reading each day. I started out strong with my journal and did really well the first 6 weeks or so. As the holidays drew closer, I got busier and was not referencing my daily check list, so I found myself forgetting at the end of the day.  After pondering my failure to use my journal more, I concluded that my prayer journal is an amazing tool, but when someone I know asks for a prayer, I do not have to wait. I can stop what I am doing and pray for them in that moment and the chance of forgetting later is taken away. I do believe in the power of group prayer, so when someone ask for prayers, I want to make sure Heavenly Father hears the blessings I am sending. My second goal of praying before starting my homework has become natural for me now. The first few weeks I did forget sometimes, but I always stopped when I realized I had forgotten and did my prayer then. The reminder note is now gone off my monitor and I almost always pray before I get started.  In the BYU-I learning model it states the following: have confidence that the blessings of heaven will accompany your efforts, see the gifts of the spirit in your education, use both reason and faith in your studies, pursue deeper answers and meaning, and seek opportunities to teach others who might not know. Asking to have the spirit with me each day and asking for Heavenly Father to share his knowledge, has given me the confidence I needed to get through my first semester of Pathways. I also held on to the promise Henry J. Eyring shared in his book titled, Major Decisions; “God cares about you and your education. He will not only help you get the education you need, he will take you to the people he wants you to encounter.” This learning experience has been entirely different than anything I have experienced in the past and I know that is because prayer is involved.

As my Becoming Project progressed, I started learning that I needed to be more specific with my prayers. I have always been a general prayer type of gal. In week 6 of my gathering group, we talked about asking for direction or confirmation from Heavenly Father when we are trying to make a decision in our life. When the group discussed this in detail, I felt like I had been doing it wrong all along. I do not know that there is a real wrong way to pray, but I will say I was not going about my prayers in the most effective way. If I am about to make a decision, I have always asked that Heavenly Father direct me as he sees fit. What I had not done is ask, after I have made a choice, for confirmation that my decision is the correct decision. When I am specific in my prayers, they actually become more meaningful. Although I am doing this more now, it is still something I need to continue focusing on in the future.  I know that if I am in tune with the spirit, asking for that specific confirmation, I am more likely to feel the spirit when I am doing as he wishes.

 Another area of prayer focus has been implement prayer in my daily life, as far as planning task and time management. “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Finding quiet time to think and pray about priorities and how to get there has become very important to me. I never thought about asking God how I should invest my time each day. I always thought of prayer as something you save for more important issues. After our Time Management lesson in Life Skills, that perspective changed for me. Each day I try to focus on my key relationships and ask how God wants me to serve. By keeping that focus, I realize not only does he help me have the power to get them done; he will give me the confidence in knowing what to put on my list.

Although prayer has become more of a priority in my daily life, occasionally when life is crazy or I am tired, I find my mind wondering and thinking about life in general and not praying with my full attention. A classmate in one of the discussion boards calls it “channel surfing”.  To help keep her focus, she suggested praying out loud.  I have found that advice to be very helpful and do most of my prayers out loud now. It also intensifies that communication and helps personalize it.

As I try and reflect on how I have become more Prayerful, I look at the pages and pages of notes I put together and realize I totally over prepared.  It has been 25+ years since I have written an essay, let alone a reflective essay, but I can see the importance of doing so. With all of this material in front of me today, I realize I chose the right attribute. I have a testimony that God speaks directly to us through the spirit. I have a testimony that God answers prayers through scriptures. I have a testimony that the spirit guides others to teach or tell us what we need to answer our prayers. Lastly, I now have a testimony that God answers prayers on HIS terms, no ours.

A System of Judges and Personal Responsbility

Mosiah 29 appeared to be a small chapter in my reading this week, but the content contained lead to some very big changes for the Nephite civilization. Until this time, the Nephites had lived under a Patriarchal society and a Monarchy government. After seeing failures with both systems, Mosiah felt it was time to shift the government to a system of judges. There we're many factors and history that played into his decision, so let me share a few.

First, Mosiah had just translated the history of the Jeredites and under the Monarchy, and under their Monarchy government, the entire Jeredite civilization had been destroyed. Mosiah had also witnessed and read of evil Kings in his own civilization. Ultimately, he believed that a Monarchy could successfully rule the people and live by Gods law if the king was righteous, but that would not always be the case.

Second, King Mosiah realized that even his own kin could cause contention if another king was appointed. When word was spread to the people, they all desired that his son Aaron would be their ruler. Aaron, along with his brothers, all declined because they wanted to serve a mission among the Lamintes. Mosiah, warned the people that Aaron could turn again to his pride and try to claim his right to the kingdom. This could cause contention among the people, splitting them and causing anger and wars.

Ultimately, the biggest factor was his desire to shift the responsibility of the kingdom to the people, rather than than one man; The King.

v33  And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and ^atroubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them.

 v34 And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might ^abear his part.

 Mosiah has faith that, although their are some who desire to do wrong, the majority of people will choose to do right.  

v26 Now it is not common that the ^avoice of the people desireth anything ^bcontrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the ^cpeople to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.

He also feels, with a system of higher and lower judges, a system of "checks and balances" as we call it today, would be in place. If either set of judges is not judging in righteousness, they will be held accountable by the voice of the people.

Mosiah knew the importance of every man having an equal chance in the land and a willingness to answer to his own sins. 

v39 Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their ^avoices concerning who should be their ^bjudges, to judge them according to the ^claw which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the ^dliberty which had been granted unto them.

I'm very thankful to see this early example of Democracy being set forth in the scriptures. I'm thankful to have counsel that reminds me that good, can prevail over evil. In order to play our part in spreading good, we are counseled to seek the truth. We are counseled to carefully study the men and issues that will affect our local community and our country as a whole. 

I'll finish, with a link to a video that was included in my lesson this week. This short video titled "At the Crossroads of History", briefly summarizes the lesson of Mosiah 29 and reminds me of the need to "Rising Up and Defend Freedom".