The Strength of the Lord

In the 62^nd year of the reign of the judges the Nephites were in a very difficult situation with many of their cities having been lost to their enemies the Lamanites. Many of the Nephites had fallen into transgression and Mormon emphasized that they had become weak in this predicament: “And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them.” He emphasized again that “they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak” (Helaman 4:24-26). This contrasts other periods of time when the Nephites were far outnumbered but still were stronger than the Lamanites, such as when the army of Amalickiah met Teancum’s and the Lamanites “met with a disappointment by being repulsed by Teancum and his men, for they were great warriors; for every man of Teancum did exceed the Lamanites in their strength and in their skill of war, insomuch that they did gain advantage over the Lamanites” (Alma 51:31). But it was not just physical strength that Teancum’s army had, for the Lord was on their side. In an earlier battle Moroni had made it clear where their strength came from when his army overpowered that of Zerahemnah’s: “But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ” (Alma 44:3). Their strength came from their religion and faith in Christ, not simply from physical preparation.

                These final verses of Helaman 4 then should serve as a warning to us about what makes us weak and what we have to do to have the strength of the Lord. Mormon highlighted three things in particular that caused the weakness of the Nephites at this time. First, “they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation…. They had fallen into a state of unbelief” (v23,25). They began to disbelieve in the revelations and prophecies of the prophets, and ultimately this means that they were losing faith in Christ. Our faith is Him is the pillar of our strength for He ultimately is where we get strength; as Isaiah declared, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). Mormon also highlighted another major reason for the Nephites’ weakness at this time: wickedness. He wrote, “They had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like unto the Lamanites…. Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness” (v22,25). Rejecting the commandments of God meant that they would no longer have the marvelous power of God to watch over them. This contrasts an earlier period when “Moroni had kept the commandments of God” and the Nephites saw “[God’s] matchless power in delivering them from the hands of their enemies” (Alma 49:27-28). If we want the Lord’s protection, we must seek to keep His commandments. Lastly, Mormon also said this about what the Nephites needed to do this if they were to be given strength: “Except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish” (v25). At this time they were not cleaving unto the Lord, they were not praying and trusting in His power, and so they were left to their own. We must come unto Him, pray to Him, plead with Him, and even cleave unto Him knowing that without Him we can do nothing. With faith, righteousness, and cleaving unto God we can have strength in Him to overcome all our challenges. As Lamoni declared, “I know, in the strength of the Lord thou canst do all things” (Alma 20:4). But without that strength, we will be left to our weakness like the Nephites at this time.