Mosiah 21

When the Lamenites get angry with King Limhi’s people again, and just start harassing them, but not killing them, it sounds a lot like racism in modern times. How do we get so deceived as to think it’s okay to treat anyone as less important human beings than we are?

Verse 10 shows the power of women, and how they have to use it carefully and righteously. The men wouldn’t have gone to fight again if those mourning women hadn’t wanted them to. I bet they repented of that!

After all their affliction they finally completely humbled themselves before God, and turned to Him. It reminds me of a C.S. Lewis quote I read this morning:

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

I’ve found that to be true for me. When things are the hardest, it’s when I remember best to draw close to Him. It’s when my prayers are more sincere, and when I am most ready to submit to His will. I think when we are doing things are own way, instead of relying on what He wants, sometimes it kind of works out, but it could be better if we trusted Him. Sometimes, it’s only when everything my way falls apart that I am humble enough to let Him take the lead. My prayer is to be more humble and follow Him all the time and not be satisfied by the “good enough” that is my plan, but get to the “best” that is His.

In verse 17 King Limhi assigns all the men to take care of widows and children so they wouldn’t starve because so many men had died. In modern time the women would be expected to provide for their own families. Is this because they want to, because God wants us to, or because we don’t value women’s work at home as much? Feminism in God’s plan is still such an complicated and unclear question in my brain.

I wonder if it was sad for Ammon when he felt unworthy to baptize all those people. It’s sometimes so hard when we experience the consequences of choices we’ve made that we had no idea would come. I guess that’s why it’s so important to always be ready to do the Lord’s work. Which make me feel I really need to get the stake president interview for my temple recommend.