Breaking Chains

Along with all our stellar examples of families in the Book of Mormon comes a fair share of the dysfunctional ones. Like King Noah or King Lamoni and his father. Just like how sometimes we identify more with Laman and Lemuel than Nephi, it is most likely that our own families fall somewhere in between Lehi's leadership and Lamoni's father trying to kill him.

Some chains and cycles are passed down through the generations, but all it takes is one person to make the choice to break away. That's doesn't mean it's easy, just that it is possible through Christ. Two examples of breaking the pride cycle in particular stand out to me in the Book of Mormon. I can't remember how many Sunday School lessons mentioned or rather warned us about the pride cycle.  

People are righteous and blessed for their faithfulness. However, all that prosperity goes to their heads allowing pride and arrogance to come back. Then humbling challenges such as war or famine make an appearance to help them get to a humble and repentant state. It repeats over and over, and over through the scriptures. Sometimes I catch myself feeling irritated or frustrated with these people, only to reflect that my pride cycle may be even shorter in duration (between humility and pride that is). Fortunately for us there are two instances shared with us about when the pride cycle was broken.

The first is found in the first chapter of Alma as Alma the Younger becomes the first chief judge in the land as well as the high priest over the church. Most of the chapter details the second of the infamous anti-Christ's detailed in the Book of Mormon, Nehor. He introduces priestcraft and attempts to enforce by the sword and ends up killing Gideon. There is quite the uproar and flash of apostasy among the people until Alma resolves the issue and reinforces teaching the gospel. As is common after a "trial", they make note that they are humble. Yet we start to see the warning signs right after in verse 29. "And thus they did establish the affairs of the church; and thus they began to have continual peace again, notwithstanding all their persecutions. 29 And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth."- Uh-oh, all the classic signs leading to pride, however...

"30 And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need. 31 And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church."

How did they do it? Charity, love, and humility.

A similar situation is found in 4 Nephi 1:7,10, 15-16. After Christ's visitation to the Americas, a peace and righteousness permeated the land for hundreds of years. Despite the warning signs of prosperity, we find in verses 15-16 that "there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God."

How did they do it? Love, righteousness, and humility.

Whatever the chains that bind us and our families are made of (addiction, abuse, or even just contention or casualness in the gospel), those very same tools can be utilized to break the chains. We watch as King Lamoni not only converts to the gospel, but then goes on to influence thousands of his people. I'm not saying it's easy. Breaking any pattern from bad habit to full addiction is work, but it is work that can be done hand in hand with the Savior.