I am pondering on this theme, too. In the margins of 2 Nephi 5 I have copied out these words from President Uchtdorf’s 2013 “What is Truth” speech.
“In the Book of Mormon, both the Nephites as well as the Lamanites created their own “truths” about each other. The Nephites’ “truth” about the Lamanites was that they “were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people,” never able to accept the gospel. The Lamanites’ “truth” about the Nephites was that Nephi had stolen his brother’s birthright and that Nephi’s descendants were liars who continued to rob the Lamanites of what was rightfully theirs. These “truths” fed their hatred for one another until it finally consumed them all.”
My margins are wide and I wrote small 😅. I think this profound lesson is right there plain in the text, but my common and casual approach to reading kept me from slowing down enough to sit with the implications (particularly of Nephite self-righteousness). I now feel it urgently and can’t stop seeing this theme everywhere in the text and my life.
Thank you for sharing. I wish I'd come across President Uchtdorf's talk while I was writing this. It is the perfect addition. Thank you for sharing his quote.
Enjoyed this. I am in Jerusalem working this week for the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. You would like what we are doing. Our new website is going live in a couple of weeks. Thanks
Thank you for helping me see a very important lesson in these scriptures, and bringing together so many pieces of thought and sources into an essay that magnifies each of the individual pieces — and what great incorporation of art — o point in both word and image!!!
I am pondering on this theme, too. In the margins of 2 Nephi 5 I have copied out these words from President Uchtdorf’s 2013 “What is Truth” speech.
“In the Book of Mormon, both the Nephites as well as the Lamanites created their own “truths” about each other. The Nephites’ “truth” about the Lamanites was that they “were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people,” never able to accept the gospel. The Lamanites’ “truth” about the Nephites was that Nephi had stolen his brother’s birthright and that Nephi’s descendants were liars who continued to rob the Lamanites of what was rightfully theirs. These “truths” fed their hatred for one another until it finally consumed them all.”
My margins are wide and I wrote small 😅. I think this profound lesson is right there plain in the text, but my common and casual approach to reading kept me from slowing down enough to sit with the implications (particularly of Nephite self-righteousness). I now feel it urgently and can’t stop seeing this theme everywhere in the text and my life.
Thank you for sharing. I wish I'd come across President Uchtdorf's talk while I was writing this. It is the perfect addition. Thank you for sharing his quote.
Enjoyed this. I am in Jerusalem working this week for the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. You would like what we are doing. Our new website is going live in a couple of weeks. Thanks
I look forward to learning more about the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. I'll watch for the new website. Thank you for reading.
Thank you for helping me see a very important lesson in these scriptures, and bringing together so many pieces of thought and sources into an essay that magnifies each of the individual pieces — and what great incorporation of art — o point in both word and image!!!
I agree, the art selected for this article is stunning and thought provoking. The Wayfare team is amazing.
The art director Esther was in our ward while she got her MFA!