Mosiah 11

Alright, so what are some common things in this chapter?

v.5 and v.7 are a good start: "pride of their hearts and idolatrous because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words". Do I have Pride? oh, yes. Don't we all have pride? Aren't we proud of something(s) in our life? Am I decieved by what the world looks at? Noah spent $$ on building great things-material things.

What about v. 14? "he placed his heart upon his riches and he spent his time in riotous living". What do we as a world spend our time doing? We work so we can play-how big is the entertainment industry? Getting bigger. We just want to relax, relax, relax. Why? What are we working so hard for? The big(bigger) house, the nice car, to let our kids have all the opportunities in sports, arts, etc. Okay, so not quite riotous, but is it related? I'm caught up too in this way of life. Is this pride?

v. 19: 'lifted up in the pride of their hearts: they did boast in their own strenght'. I sometimes do something well enough to say I can do it without any help-I can do it alone. Okay, there is the old argument that yes-we can do things ourself and are suppose to, but come on, I'm talking about making decisions. When should I stop praying about what I do? Never-see Alma 37:37 'counsel with the Lord in ALL thy doings'.

Onto Abinadi....Prophet telling the people they are proud and how to get out of the pride and what happens if they don't. So..
1. How do we recognize when we are proud? What are the signs?
2. What do we need to do in order to get rid of pride?
3. What will the Lord do if we don't follow this pattern?

Is it worse to be proud and not know it...or...to be proud and know it?
I knew I was proud, had pride, this last year. I'd pray and ask for help in being humble..it wasn't coming. I knew I needed to repent of somethings, but I wasn't willing to find out what those things were..just knew it was something.
I don't believe my life was the same as the people of King Noah, but remember I'm trying to relate to the scriptures and have personal application.

The Pattern
Follow along...v. 20 'I have seen...except they repent...visit them in mine anger'. I need to repent. period.
v. 21 'except they repent and turn...they shall be brought into bondage...and afflicted'. I don't believe I was brought into bondage like a slave, but living in a room in someone elses home for 5 months I will call bondage-I'm not free and on my own.
v. 22 'shall come to pass...shall know that I am the Lord their God'. Yes, I would say that I have drawn closer to God these last 5 months than I have in the last 3 years.
v. 23 'except this people repent...brought into bondage...none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God'. I believe that it will take miracles to help us figure out what is going on in our life and for our home in Houston to sell.
v. 24 'when they shall cry unto me I will be slow to hear their cries'. Have you ever felt that? I have, it's obviously part of the pattern, like a child that cries and the parent waits before they respond.
v. 25 'except they repent in sackcloth and ashes and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear...neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions'. Do I need to be humble? YES!

How did the people respond? Yeah, they weren't happy. v.27 'who is Abinadi..should be judged of him'. v. 28 'said things that he might stir up my people to anger...and to raise contentions among my people'.

Okay, so how often do I get upset when someone says something I don't like? Telling me that I should do it differently? Oh, let me tell you....Who do you think you are??? I am just fine the way I am, don't even tell me....I'll tell you something about yourself you should change. Right? Oh, can we recognize the pride here?? We know what happens to them. So why not learn from their mistake? God will always warn us before something happens, may we be humble enough to listen to follow the prophets of God. (Conference)