A Tale of Wickedness and Woe
A long time ago, a God had a people who he loved very much. He gave them a good land to live in with good soil for their crops. He made the sun shine down on them and blessed them with rain so their crops would grow and they would have plenty of food to eat. He showed them where they could find pasture land for their herds and precious metals to shape into beautiful things. He helped them in battle when their enemies rose up against them, and they won their battles, even when they were outnumbered. And the people had peace and were happy.
But in their happiness and peacefulness, the people forgot about their God. They forgot that it was their God who had given them the good soil and the rain and the food, and they did not share their food with those who were hungry. They forgot that their God had protected their herds and given them metals and made them rich, and they did not use their riches to help those who were in need. They forgot that their God had helped them win their battles, and they began to boast in their own strength, and their God became sad.
And there came a day when the enemies of the people rose up against them, and the God decided that he would not help his people who had forgotten him, and the people lost the battle, and lost the lands which their God had given them. Still, the people did not remember their God.
And there came into the land two wise men, brothers, who did remember the God who had loved his people, and their names were Nephi and Lehi. And the brothers went about the land preaching with great power, striving to remind the people of the God who had once done so much for them, but the people would not listen to their words.
And the brothers left the people and went to the land of their enemies, where they were taken and thrown into prison. And after several days, the enemies came to slay the brothers, but discovered that the brothers were encircled in a pillar of fire but were not burned, and they heard the voice of the God, for the God protected those who remembered him. And the enemies listened to the preaching of the brothers, and began to believe in the God, and they began to be blessed. The enemies became no longer enemies, and they began to preach of the God to the people who had forgotten Him, and for a time there was peace in all the land, and the God was happy because his people remembered him.
But behold, not many years passed before the people once again began to forget. And God sent his wise servant, Nephi, into the land to remind them of His power and the blessings He wanted to give them, but the people would not listen to Nephi's words and would not believe in the signs which he showed them. And the people rebelled against their God and chose war and wickedness rather than the peace and prosperity of their God. And Nephi and the God were sad.
And God saw that Nephi's heart was akin to his own, and he gave to Nephi great powers over the heavens and the earth, that Nephi could seal the heavens that no rain would fall, or bring famine or pestilence, or destruction. And Nephi observed the people, that they were at war with each other, and he saw the destruction of the people at their own hand. And he wept, and called for a famine that the people would cease their war. And the rain ceased to fall and the people became hungry, and the war was stopped and the people again began to remember their God.
And Nephi saw that the people began to remember their God, and he called for the heavens to be opened, and the rain began to fall and the famine was ended. And the people began to live again in peace and prosperity and began to be happy.
But in their happiness and peacefulness, the people again became lifted up in their own pride and boasted in their own might and began to forget about their God. They forgot that it was their God who had brought them peace. And the cycle of forgetfulness and remembering repeated again and again, until the day that all the people had forgotten their God and chose instead to go to battle in their own strength and continued in battle until they all had died, and the God had no one left to remember him.
(Helaman 4-12)
But in their happiness and peacefulness, the people forgot about their God. They forgot that it was their God who had given them the good soil and the rain and the food, and they did not share their food with those who were hungry. They forgot that their God had protected their herds and given them metals and made them rich, and they did not use their riches to help those who were in need. They forgot that their God had helped them win their battles, and they began to boast in their own strength, and their God became sad.
And there came a day when the enemies of the people rose up against them, and the God decided that he would not help his people who had forgotten him, and the people lost the battle, and lost the lands which their God had given them. Still, the people did not remember their God.
And there came into the land two wise men, brothers, who did remember the God who had loved his people, and their names were Nephi and Lehi. And the brothers went about the land preaching with great power, striving to remind the people of the God who had once done so much for them, but the people would not listen to their words.
And the brothers left the people and went to the land of their enemies, where they were taken and thrown into prison. And after several days, the enemies came to slay the brothers, but discovered that the brothers were encircled in a pillar of fire but were not burned, and they heard the voice of the God, for the God protected those who remembered him. And the enemies listened to the preaching of the brothers, and began to believe in the God, and they began to be blessed. The enemies became no longer enemies, and they began to preach of the God to the people who had forgotten Him, and for a time there was peace in all the land, and the God was happy because his people remembered him.
But behold, not many years passed before the people once again began to forget. And God sent his wise servant, Nephi, into the land to remind them of His power and the blessings He wanted to give them, but the people would not listen to Nephi's words and would not believe in the signs which he showed them. And the people rebelled against their God and chose war and wickedness rather than the peace and prosperity of their God. And Nephi and the God were sad.
And God saw that Nephi's heart was akin to his own, and he gave to Nephi great powers over the heavens and the earth, that Nephi could seal the heavens that no rain would fall, or bring famine or pestilence, or destruction. And Nephi observed the people, that they were at war with each other, and he saw the destruction of the people at their own hand. And he wept, and called for a famine that the people would cease their war. And the rain ceased to fall and the people became hungry, and the war was stopped and the people again began to remember their God.
And Nephi saw that the people began to remember their God, and he called for the heavens to be opened, and the rain began to fall and the famine was ended. And the people began to live again in peace and prosperity and began to be happy.
But in their happiness and peacefulness, the people again became lifted up in their own pride and boasted in their own might and began to forget about their God. They forgot that it was their God who had brought them peace. And the cycle of forgetfulness and remembering repeated again and again, until the day that all the people had forgotten their God and chose instead to go to battle in their own strength and continued in battle until they all had died, and the God had no one left to remember him.
(Helaman 4-12)
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