Unbelief Brings About 'Reasonableness'

The majority of the Nephites have hardened their hearts. They have become set in their ways. They don't want to hear any more talk of Jesus coming. It looks like the just want to live in a world where the gospel rules don't apply. The 'most' believing part of the Nephites and Lamanites are still holding fast but the rest have begun 'to depend on the their own strength and upon the their own wisdom' (Helaman 16:15)

Wisdom #1 - 'Some things they have guessed right'
Wisdom #2 - 'It is not reasonable'
Wisdom #3 - 'Why will he not'
Wisdom #4 - 'This is a wicked tradition'(reversal)

Wisdom #1 relates to the following verse in Helaman 16:
16 Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass, of which has been spoken.

In our day an unbeliever might explain away prophecies of the past as not having any real value. In essence Jesus guessed right about what will happen in the last days. Some how the unbeliever can discount it and shut it our of his mind. It might have something do with shutting out incongruencies that mess up his neatly ordered paradigm of the world.

Wisdom #2 is contained in verse 17 and 18:
17 And they began to reason and to contend among themselves, saying:
18 That it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come; if so, and he be the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself unto us as well as unto them who shall be at Jerusalem?

Since you can't see it or prove it, it isn't reasonable to believe it. It is convenient to say the Christ will not come for a second time. Again, this belief forces each of us reconsider and improve our ways. This wisdom of reasonableness applies every other unseen thing found in the scriptures. For example, it isn't reasonable to believe that there literally was a Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve resided. Current scientific evidence somehow proves that the Garden didn't exist. The current evolutionary theories are always conclusive and set in stone in every generation bringing about a new wave of unbelief. When the real truth is known, there will not be a conflict between science and faith. We will all say ah ha, that makes perfect sense!

Wisdom #3 is found in verses 18 and 19 but verse 19 will suffice:
19 Yea, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem?

God doesn't reveal himself to me so God does not exist. Or, God makes no such thing known unto me(1 Nephi 15:9), so the thing must not be true. What is not understood is, God only reveals Himself to those that seek Him with real intent and sincerity. He requires everyone to exercise faith first. I believe that it is never God's fault when He, for some reason, doesn't 'show' Himself (through the witness of the Holy Ghost) unto particular individual. If this problem is happening, perhaps something needs to change before the swelling motions (Alma 32:28)begin to occur. This can be either an attitude problem or a sin problem. But, God is waiting for the indiviual to line up with Him. Until then, no answers will come.

The next wisdom is based on the reasoning of the previous wisdoms and arrives at a self justifying conclusion:
20 But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true.
21 And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants unto them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word; and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives.

If the reasoning is true, than what is being taught by the Church is false. A reversal occurs in the unbeliever's mind that every good, moral, faith-promoting principal that they were ever taught is false. There are no laws from God. The strong foundation of what is right and wrong cracks and wears away. The new sandy foundation seems to hold up for a while but when the next storm comes (personal or prophecied) the new, reasonable tradition proves itself unstable and we see with our own eyes the error of new found belief and ways.

So, get that testimony. If you can only believe in my words (or Alma's) than that's a start. As you begin to believe, you will know what I speak is true because of the swelling motions (you feel good). As you continue to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and correct principles and see the miraculous results in your life, you will become anchored in your faith and be able to cast off the 'wisdom' of the world.

Helaman 7:22-23 What were the people doing that caused Nephi to cry on his tower?

Nephi returns from the north countries to find the Nephites in a state of wickedenss. The Gadiantons have taken over the government. Nephi gets on his tower and crys out to his God regarding the wickedness of the people. People hear him and start gathering around. Does Nephi want them to hear him or is this his custom when he prays? Nephi calls them to repentance. The people are marveling because they don't even know that they have digressed that far regarding righteousness. (v.15) The people are not aware that what the are doing is wicknessness. I bet they are going to church every week and eating and drinking and giving in marriage - being quite normal. They have done something to harden their hearts (v.18).

They had forgotten that the Lord has delivered them from the hands of their enemies(v.20). Unless they repent they will not have the strength of the Lord with them to protect them and will become meat for dogs and wild beasts (v.19).

What were the peoples' iniquities? In Helaman 7:21 we read:
21 But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

The sin is that they have their hearts set upon riches and the vain things of this world. They want to get gain and be praised of men. Their pride results in doing all sorts of natual man things (murder, stealing, bearing false witness, etc.). The natural man does what ever it takes to stay in control. People will do almost anything to keep their riches, be praised, or maintain their place in society.

So, having one's heart set on riches is the problem. It breeds all sorts of evil in our hearts. Since one cannot serve both God and Mammon we will always hate the one and love the other (Mathew 6:24). There isn't any middle ground. Isn't it interesting that riches creates a false sense of security in most people. Instead of securing themselves in the Lord, they replace the Lord with riches and power. 'They do not desire that the Lord their God...should rule...over them....' (Helaman 12:6)

We Americans have unsatiable wants. It seems like an uncontrollable urge. If we have more we want more. If we don't have riches, we hope to obtain them in order to spend it on that which perishes. We covet that which we have not received. (Mosiah 4:25) Jacob tells us that when we obtained a hope in Christ, that our desires change. Riches are no longer used to try to satisfy that which cannot be satisfied (2 Nephi 10:51). We seek and obtain riches for the intent to do good - which is to help those in need (Jacob 2:19). If we can say this in our hearts (with or without riches), we stand blameless before God.