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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