The Praise of Men or God

John tells us that there were some among the chief rulers who “believed on him” but because “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” they did not openly confess Jesus (John 12:42-43).  This is a theme discussed throughout the scriptures.  We read of some of the children of Adam and Eve that “loved Satan more than God” (Moses 5:13).  A few verses later Cain in particular was described the same way: “Cain loved Satan more than God” (Moses 5:18).  Later in the story this is again mentioned: “They loved Satan more than God” (Moses 5:28).  It’s not that they had no love towards God, but their desire to please Satan and the world was greater than their desire to serve God.  Joseph Smith learned early on in his ministry that God had to be put first above the desires of men or he would be fail in his mission as the prophet.  After the experience with the lost manuscript the Lord chastened him, “You should not have feared man more than God” (D&C 3:7).  Joseph surely loved God, but in a moment of weakness he had let the pressures of the world take precedence.  In the Book of Mormon, Alma challenged Zeezrom regarding his desires to serve the world over God: “Thou knowest there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him” (Alma 11:24).  Amulek, on the other hand, showed us the opposite example: He forsook “all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred” (Alma 15:16).  In the end we will need to have the same desires as the father of King Lamoni who prayed to God, “I will give away all my sins to know thee” (Alma 22:18).  He did just that, and like his son, “the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul” (Alma 19:6).  Ultimately we will have to choose between the praise of the world and that of God, between the riches on earth and the blessings of heaven, between darkness and light.  After John’s mention of those who loved the praise of men more than Jesus, he recorded these words of the Savior: “Whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).  We much choose between the darkness in the world and He that came “a light into the world.”