Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Mormon 1





Today we consider very young leaders throughout the scriptures.  In the Old Testament we read of the child Samuel in Eli’s charge at the tabernacle at Shiloh (see 1 Samuel 3).  In the New Testament we find 12-year-old Jesus amazing adult scholars in the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:46-47).  In the Pearl of Great Price there’s the story of 14-year-old Joseph Smith, Jr.’s prophetic calling.  This young man would translate the Book of Mormon.  And in the Book of Mormon we have young Mormon, who, at the age of 15 “was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus!” (See verse 15).  I wonder how much each of these young lads had in common?  For example, were they all “sober…and quick to observe (v. 2)?  The Lord employs those who will follow Him to lead His people.  In many cases we see youth being the leaders.  Often this happens when the righteous are hard to find.  In Mormon’s case, the three Nephite disciples who would not taste of death were removed from among the Nephites because of the wickedness of the people, leaving young Mormon to follow the Savior alone (v. 13).  Like Joseph Smith, Jr., Mormon had to wait a few years before obtaining the sacred writings that would help him bring so many people to Christ (v. 3).

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