Laying Down of Contentions

Joseph the son of Jacob gave us this prophecy of the Lord about the Book of Mormon: "Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions " (2 Nephi 3:12).  I've typically viewed the promise that the Book of Mormon when joined with the Bible would confound false doctrine and lay down contentions as being fulfilled in the fact that together they provide answers to the doctrinal questions that have divided Christians over the centuries.  Answers to questions about baptism, Christ's atonement, the Godhead, and many other topics are found when the Bible and Book of Mormon "grow together" and join to teach the truths of the gospel.  I think that is certainly a valid way that this prophecy is being fulfilled.  I wonder if we might also consider the Book of Mormon’s own teachings about contention as a way that it helps us to “lay down contentions” in our world so filled with argument, strife, and fighting. 

The Book of Mormon teaches very clearly that as followers of Christ we must seek to avoid contention.  Perhaps the most important teaching came from the Savior when He visited the Nephites: "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another" (3 Nephi 11:29).  That makes it very clear to us where contention comes from when we are tempted to quarrel or argue or speak with anger to others.  King Benjamin also warned his people about the effect of choosing contention: "But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge" (Mosiah 2:32-33).  Cultivating a spirit of contention in our lives only leads to sorrow and sin. 

We also see many examples in the Book of Mormon that teach us about contention.  Often for the Nephites, “their quarrelings and their contentions… brought upon them their wars and their destructions” (Alma 50:21).  When there was “contention among the people” it was often accompanied by “much bloodshed” (Helaman 4:1).  This was the case with Amlici who incited a “contention among the people” which led to a terrible war (Alma 2:1).  At one point in the Nephite history Mormon summarized how the people dealt with the contention around them: "Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God" (3 Nephi 6:13).  This is the example we must follow: when railings and reviling come, we do not respond in kind but stay humble and penitent before God.  Like Mosiah we should labor “with all the power and faculties which [we possess], to teach… the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity" (Mosiah 29:14).  The people of 4 Nephi showed us that it can be done: four times Mormon told us that the people had no contention: “there were no contentions and disputations among them,” “there was no contention among all the people,” “there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God” and “there was no contention in all the land” (v2, 13, 15, 18).  That is the kind of home and ward and community that we should strive for.  The Book of Mormon helps us to see how we can “lay down contentions” in our own lives as we seek for peace in following the Savior.