With All Long-Suffering

I was touched by this verse that I read today in the Book of Mormon: “Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was” (Jarom 1:11).  What caught my attention was this description that the prophets exhorted the people with “all long-suffering”.  Enos told us in the previous book that the people were very stiffnecked and the reminders of “death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God” would keep them in the fear of the Lord (Enos 1:23).  So this was a somewhat hard hearted people who had to be constantly reminded and prodded and encouraged to keep the commandments and remember the Lord.  And yet their prophets gave them encouragement with “all long-suffering,” showing an incredible patience towards those who were hard to correct.  They taught and reminded and worked with the people, doing all they could to help bring about real repentance.

               Being a parent of young children, I find it hard to have that kind of long-suffering when my children are being difficult, throwing tantrums, or doing things over and over despite repeated requests to the contrary.  Unfortunately, I don’t think my children would describe my frustrated moments as “all long-suffering” (if they knew what that meant), and so I think there is a lot to learn from these nameless Nephite prophets.  We read that the people these prophets taught were “a stiffnecked people, hard to understand” (Enos 1:22).  This last phrase was probably a reference to the fact that the stiffnecked people hardened their hearts and would not understand things of eternal significance.  But perhaps we might also interpret it by saying that the prophets had a hard time understanding the people because the people were so stubborn.  I think it’s especially hard to be patient and long-suffering towards people whom you don’t understand.  When we can’t see a person’s perspective for why they may act in the way that they do, it is even more difficult to find patience and compassion.  But we must learn to do just that because that’s who the Savior is, and He shows long-suffering towards us as we make the same mistakes over and over.  “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).  Having that kind of loving kindness and long-suffering towards all men is surely a lifelong pursuit.  As King Benjamin taught we must “always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and [our] own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards [us], unworthy creatures, and humble [ourselves] even in the depths of humility” (Mosiah 4:11).