24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.
29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.
30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.
32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.
33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. (1 Nephi 8:24-33; emphasis added)
I have been meaning to post this for a while now but today’s article on World Net Daily prompted me to take action. I believe that we should “liken the scriptures”<1> to our day and this section has stuck out to me since Proposition 8, which defined marriage in the state of California as being between one man and one woman.
Ever since Prop 8 passed, there has been considerable “mocking and pointing their fingers”<2> at those people who are willing to stand up for right and truth. We also might notice that the loudest voices against us are coming from celebrities and so called famous people who’s “manner of dress [is] exceedingly fine.”<3> I have also heard of people who “were ashamed”<4> at having supported Prop 8 or decided that it wasn’t in their own best interest to not support the leaders the Church because of fear or wanting to look tolerant of others.
The great and spacious building is the pride of the world, according to 1 Nephi 11:36. This is something to always remember. We should beware of pride. Pride caused the downfall of the Nephite nation. We should watch the people in their expensive clothes and large houses as they “point the finger of scorn”<5> at us as we stand for the truth according to the laws of God and “heed them not.”<6>
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what anyone on this earth says or does to us. There is only One who’s judgment we should be worried about and that is God.
What do you think?
<1> 1 Nephi 19:23
<2>, <3> 1 Nephi 8:27
<4> 1 Nephi 8:28
<5>, <6> 1 Nephi 8:33
For more information, check our the articles listed below:
Same-Sex Marriage and Proposition 8
Protests Over Gay-Marriage Ban Escalate in California
Utah faces boycott after Mormon work for Prop 8
Tom Hanks Says Mormon Supporters of Proposition 8 'Un-American'
Tom Hanks Apologizes
Samuel L. Jackson Says Mormon Supporters of Prop 8 'Misinformed'
Mormon Temples in Utah, L.A. Targeted With White Powder
New Yorkers Protest Gay Marriage Ban Outside Mormon Church
Sources: LDS Scriptures, Fox News, World Net Daily
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