The Battle for Civility: Part III

In The Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 26:1-3, we read about some of the things Jesus Christ taught the Nephite peoples " . . . and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small. . . .he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory--yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth. . ."

I believe, that in coming to the Americas, Christ, the Son of God, "enlightened" the the people of Nephi. We are told of the results in 4 Nephi 1:16, "and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God."

But, that isn't how the story ends.

In Moroni 9:20, the prophet Mormon tells his son Moroni,  "Behold, thou knowest that they are without principle, and past feeling. . ."  The people were no longer living in a state of civility, but instead were what we would think of as barbarians, which Webster's defines as ". . .a man in his rude savage state; an uncivilized person; a cruel, savage. brutal man; one destitute of pity or humanity . . ." ( The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary. Avenel Books pg. 65)

How do we, ourselves, after a period of enlightenment, avoid becoming barbarians?  The cause of the precipitous fall of the Nephite people can be described in the nine simple steps described in 4 Nephi 1:20-46.

a.  Division and the Creation of classes (4 Nephi1:20, 26, 35)

b. Pride and greed because of riches (4 Nephi 1:23-25, 41, 43; see also 3 Nephi 27:32)

c.  Churches that professed to know Christ but denied most of His Gospel (4 Nephi 1:26-29, 34)

d. Churches built up to help people get gain (4 Nephi 1:26-29, 41)

          e.  Hard-heartedness (4 Nephi 1:31)

f.  Persecution of Christ's followers (4 Nephi 1:29-34)

g.  Parents teaching children not to believe in Christ (4 Nephi 1:38)

h.  Parents teaching children to hate (4 Nephi 1:39)

i.  Secret combinations (4 Nephi 1:42, 46)

(Book of Mormon, Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2003. pg 188).

The only ways we can avoid our own slide into barbarity is by being faithful to our  individual oaths and covenants with God and by learning to deal with others through a conscious, daily exercise of  the principles of civility.