I think the real question is if we are willing to see what is really taking place and what is at stake. In the grand council in heaven, Satan, the evil one, tried to neutralize the purposes of mortality by eliminating personal responsibility for growth and personal sins. If he could do this, then there would be no need for a Savior and Redeemer. The purposes of God are to help us become like Him and enjoy the happiness He enjoys (Moses 1:39). Just as a wealthy father cannot give his heir everything and expect him to not waste it without time and experience and a series of tests to prepare him, so our Father cannot give us everything without time and experience and testing. We cannot have the character and integrity of God by Him gifting it to us. Time and experience create opportunities to use our agency to fail or prosper, both spiritually and temporally. As we experience failure, sin, then we must turn to the Savior to make up for the demands of justice. His conditions are such that He is willing to extend mercy to us if we change, repent, and turn to Him and become like Him eventually. Realizing that condition, charity, is the ultimate peace and satisfaction and rest that we desire.
Freedom and liberty are at the heart of God’s plan for His children. Take away the opportunity to fail and succeed and you have Satan’s form of government. The Constitution was established by God to promote freedom and agency (Doctrine and Covenants 98:5-10).
77 According to the laws and aconstitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for thebrights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;
78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral aagency which I have given unto him, that every man may be baccountable for his own sins in the day of cjudgment.
79 Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in abondageone to another.
80 And for this purpose have I established the aConstitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the bshedding of blood (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77-80).
It is not logical to think that Satan would abandon his plan to seek the agency of man (Moses 4:3). He still seeks to bind the minds and hearts of men and make them miserable like unto himself (2 Nephi 2:18, 27). He does this very subtly (Genesis 3:1; Moses 4:5; Doctrine and Covenants 123:12).
I have wondered how the Lamanite nation allowed Amalackiah to take over their government. I have wondered how the Nephites allowed wicked men to fill their judgment seats. The pattern is set out clearly in the Book of Mormon and by the teachings of latter-day prophets. Those that are seeking for power, prominence, property, and prosperity (wealth) will do anything and everything to get there, just as the wicked political leaders of every age have done, as laid out in the Book of Mormon.
If we don’t recognize what is happening then our power to resist the currents of evil will be swept away with false understanding. It is easy to be lead to believe that “all is well in Zion” (2 Nephi 28:21) because the devil and his agents are masters at “flattery” (telling the people what they want to hear) and are quick to “pacify and lull [us] away into carnal security” (2 Nephi 28:21-22). He seeks to neutralize those that speak up by lying to and deceiving the people until they are set against the truth and revile against it and cast out those who speak it (Alma 12:4). There is a reason the building high in the air was “spacious” and “filled with people” (1 Nephi 8:26-27). It is easier to mock and scoff then to think critically and be open to the truth (1 Nephi 8:27-28).
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