In 2 Nephi 1:7, Lehi prophesies about their new land of inheritance that the Lord had given him and his posterity. Lehi says, "Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever."
This scripture is not referring to the idea of American Exceptionalism; rather, there is also a spiritual aspect to this promise that applies to people throughout the world. Whenever we serve God and keep his commandments, we obtain liberty, even if it's spiritual liberty. Paradoxically, the more we submit to God, the more free we become. Contrast this with those who serve him not and keep not the commandments. They become bound by sin, brought down into captivity - the exact opposite of those who obey God.
By this interpretation, any land can be a land of liberty for a people who are followers of Christ, even if the laws of the land are restrictive or less conducive to Christian living.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment