What Are the Tender Mercies that God Has Given unto You?

             I completed my study of the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, meaning the Come, Follow Me lesson for Moroni 10. The introductory material for this lesson reminded me that Nephi opened the first chapter in the Book of Mormon with a promise that he would show us that “the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith” (1 Nephi 1:20). Moroni issued an invitation in the closing chapter of the Book of Mormon to “remember how merciful the Lord hath been” (Moroni 10:2-3).

            The Book of Mormon shares many instances where the Lord showed great mercy to His people. The Lord showed tender mercies as He led Lehi and his family away from Jerusalem, through the wilderness, and across the great waters to the land that He promised to give to them.

The Lord showed tender mercies to many of the descendants of Lehi, such as Enos when he prayed all day and all night for forgiveness. The Lord showed tender mercies to Alma and the sons of King Mosiah who went about trying to destroy the Church but were visited by an angel and became powerful missionaries and leaders in the Church.

One of the most powerful examples of the tender mercies of the Lord happened when the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to the people in ancient America to teach them the same gospel that He had taught the Jews before His death. The Savior healed the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, and those with every other type of ailment. He took their little children in His arms and blessed them individually. He taught them how to pray and introduced the sacrament to them.

The Book of Mormon is a record of Jesus Christ dealing with His people in ancient America. The ancient Americans did not have the record, at least not in the form that we do. The messages in the Book of Mormon were written for the people of today. The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805-44) declared: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (History of the Church, 4:461; Book of Mormon introduction).

There are three keys to understanding the Book of Mormon: (1) The Book of Mormon is a modern witness of Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 25:22-30). (2) The Book of Mormon was written for our day (Mormon 8:34-35). (3) We can know the truth of the Book of Mormon and all things by the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:4).

Elder Gene R. Cook, while serving as a member of the Seventy, spoke about the importance of pondering God’s mercy. He said that doing so would helps us to achieve greater faith and humility:

The last five words of [Moroni 10:3] offer an important admonition – “ponder it in your hearts” What is the antecedent of “it” – the thing that we are to ponder? It is “how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things.” We are to remember how loving, how provident, how good, how forgiving our Heavenly Father has been toward us.

What usually happens when we begin to ponder how merciful the Lord has been to mankind? To us personally? What happens when we count our blessings, or perhaps our sins for which we must ask his forgiveness, and recognize his hand in our individuals lives? Is it not true that our hearts turn to the Lord in love and gratitude? Do our faith and humility increase? Yes, and that, in my judgment, is the impact of verse 3 – following the counsel therein helps us to become more humble, more willing and ready to receive new information and knowledge with an open mind” (“Moroni’s Promise,” Ensign, April 1994, 12).

            Moroni closed his last chapter with an invitation: “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him” (Moroni 10:32). He continued with an explanation that we can become sanctified through the blood of Jesus Christ which He shed on the cross. It is through the grace of Christ that we can receive remission for our sins and become “holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:33). He then bid farewell to all people, but he promised that we would meet him at the judgment bar of God. We will be judged by the words that were written by Moroni, his father Mormon, and the other ancient prophets who wrote the Book of Mormon.

Tender Mercies of God

                The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ teaches the importance of knowing the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ and being obedient to God’s commandments.  This book contains many stories to illustrate this importance, and one such story is the experience of a prophet named Alma as he dealt with Korihor, an anti-Christ. 

                Korihor ridiculed Jesus Christ, His atoning sacrifice, and the spirit of revelation.  He taught everyone who would listen that there was no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and definitely no Christ.  After contending with the high priest Giddonah, Korihor was taken before Alma, who had been appointed as the chief judge of the land.  Korihor accused Alma and other church leaders of preaching to get gain – even though he knew they received no payment at all for their labors.

                Alma asked Korihor why he made such claims “when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain?  And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that causes such joy in their hearts?” 

                When Korihor answered, “Yea,” Alma asked another question:  “Believest thou that there is a God?”  Korihor answered that he did not believe in God. 

                Alma asked, “Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ?  For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.

                “And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not?  I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

                “But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them?  Believest thou that these things are true?

                “Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God.

                “And now, Korihor said unto Alma:  If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.

                “But Alma said unto him:  Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God?  Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets?  The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

                “And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God?  And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said:  Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.”

                Alma was grieved at the hardness of Korihor’s heart because he continued to deny the existence of God even at the peril of his own soul.  Korihor continued to demand a sign, and Alma finally obliged him.

                “Now Alma said unto him:  This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be struck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance.

                “Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.

                “And now when the chief judge saw this, he put forth his hand and wrote unto Korihor, saying:  Art thou convinced of the power of God?  In whom did ye desire that Alma should show forth his sign?  Would ye that he should afflict others, to show unto thee a sign?  Behold, he has showed unto you a sign; and now will ye dispute more?”

                Korihor understood what had happened to him and wrote:  “I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the power of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always knew that there was a God.

                “But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me:  Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me:  There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say.  And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me."

                Korihor requested Alma to pray for the curse to be lifted off of him.  Alma left the judgment to God, and the curse was not lifted.  Korihor spent the rest of his days going door to door and begging for food.  As he went among the people, he was trampled and died.  (See Alma 30:35-60.)

                Even though Heavenly Father loves us and blesses us every day, some people cannot see the hand of God in their lives.  I am blessed because I, like Alma, can see evidence of God’s power and influence in my own life and in the world around me.  Even though I have not seen God personally, I recognize the work of His hand in all things.

                I saw His work when I watched the birth of my first grandchild.  What a miracle that was – as is the birth of every baby!  It is a miracle when a sperm from the father and an egg from the mother can come together in the mother’s body and grow into another human being – an individual different from either parent.  The birth of such baby is another miracle of God.  I see the hand of God every spring when the snow melts and the grass turns green once again.  I see his hand in the new leaves on the trees and the tulips blooming in my garden.  I see the tender mercies of God in the faces of my children and grandchildren as they shower me with love.

                Have you noticed Heavenly Father’s influence in your life?  Are you interested in seeing more of His power and influence?  Learning to see the hand of God in our lives is just like any other skill we gain:  The more we practice recognizing the blessings of God, the more we will see His tender mercies.

                Elder David A. Bednar spoke about the tender mercies of the Lord.  He said that tender mercies do not come randomly or by coincidence but are a blessing of faith and obedience. 

                I encourage you to watch for the tender mercies of the Lord in your life.  You may experience a blessing like I did as I went out to shovel a foot or more of snow just as a truck with a snowplow came down the street.  The driver stopped and offered his services, and I hired him to do a job that would have taken me a long time.  I do not believe in coincidences; I know this was a blessing!  I know that God watches over each of His children and desires to bless us.  I know that He does so as we exercise our faith in Him by being obedient to His commandments.