Notwithstanding All Persecution

One of the themes that we see throughout many scriptures is the Lord’s condemnation of those who mistreat the prophets.  One of the most famous lamentations came shortly before He was—the greatest of all prophets—killed by His own people: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matt 23:37)  In a similar tone He had given one of His most stinging rebukes of the people when He gave the parable of the wicked husbandmen.  When the householder sent back his servants—symbolizing the prophets—"the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.”  Their fate was described in these grim terms, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen” (Matt. 21:35, 41).  When we reject His prophets, we are on shaky ground with the Lord.

                  The scriptures of the Restoration likewise refer to this theme in multiple places.  Nephi prophesied of the destruction that would come upon those in the meridian of time who rejected the prophets: "And they that kill the prophets, and the saints, the depths of the earth shall swallow them up, saith the Lord of Hosts; and mountains shall cover them, and whirlwinds shall carry them away, and buildings shall fall upon them and crush them to pieces and grind them to powder" (2 Nephi 26:5).  Jacob told his people about the Jews at Jerusalem who had sought to kill his own father: "But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand" (Jacob 4:14).  Later Samuel the Lamanite prophesied of the lamentations of those of his time who killed the prophets and who suffer for it: "O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out" (Helaman 13:33).  In our day after the murder of the prophet Joseph and Hyrum, the Lord revealed this to Brigham Young, "And now cometh the day of their calamity, even the days of sorrow, like a woman that is taken in travail; and their sorrow shall be great unless they speedily repent, yea, very speedily.  For they killed the prophets, and them that were sent unto them; and they have shed innocent blood, which crieth from the ground against them" (D&C 136:35-36).  The Lord takes very seriously the rejection of the servants He sends to us: “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me” (Matt. 10:40).  If we reject the prophets He sends, we reject Him. 
               Of course all of these passages highlight the need for us today to listen to and heed the words of the living prophets.  I like the way that Nephi put it: "But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecution—behold, they are they which shall not perish" (2 Nephi 26:8).  Notwithstanding all persecution there may be in the days to come for those who hearken to the words of the prophets, we must stand by them and the Savior with steadfastness.