Bloodlust, Computer Games, Addiction, and the downfall of the Nephites - Mormon 4: 5-12

5 But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.
6 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did make preparations to come against the city Teancum.
7 And it came to pass in the three hundred and sixty and fourth year the Lamanites did come against the city Teancum, that they might take possession of the city Teancum also.
8 And it came to pass that they were repulsed and driven back by the Nephites. And when the Nephites saw that they had driven the Lamanites they did again boast of their own strength; and they went forth in their own might, and took possession again of the city Desolation.
9 And now all these things had been done, and there had been thousands slain on both sides, both the Nephites and the Lamanites.
10 And it came to pass that the three hundred and sixty and sixth year had passed away, and the Lamanites came again upon the Nephites to battle; and yet the Nephites repented not of the evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually.
11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.
12 And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people.

(Book of Mormon | Mormon 4:5 - 12)

The Nephites and Lamanites are bent on destroying each other. They are consumed, or rather addicted, to bloodlust. They “delighted in the shedding of blood continually.”

I have frequently wondered why the Anti-Nephi-Lehis felt the need to bury their weapons, see Alma 24:15-19. The church has never taught that we are not allowed to defend ourselves (with this being the sole exception to that rule). In fact, the opposite has been taught, see Alma 43:29-30. So why then did the Anti-Nephi-Lehis feel compelled to bury, and then never touch again, their weapons? How does that answer correlate to the verses above, and what does that have to do with addiction? Finally, what is the relevance to society today?

Were the Anti-Nephi-Lehis overzealous when they buried their weapons of war? They too had delighted in shedding the blood of others. They were not in the same situation as someone that hasn’t taken the life of another and felt pleasure in the act. They were addicted to bloodlust and they could no longer live their lives the way that others did in this regard.

For example, not being an alcoholic, I can walk through a smoke filled bar (though why I would want to, I don’t know, but stay with me on this), and feel disgusted by the scene. However, if I walked through the same bar with another good and upstanding member of my Elders’ Quorum who is a recovering alcoholic, he might start to salivate and feel cravings to indulge in his addiction. However, though I might not be weak in regards to alcoholism, I do have my weaknesses, just like everyone else.

One of my weaknesses I have learned is violent computer games. My kids used to love to play a game called Warcraft III – DOTA. The game is played on-line in real time against other people. The game rewards you for the ability to annihilate your opponents. They introduced me to the game and I loved it. For me, it was an incredible rush of adrenalin and endorphins. Pleasure inducing chemicals were released in my brain as I played. I could spend hours on the game and not realize that much time at all had passed. I only played the game for a short while as I quickly learned the consequences of indulging this behavior. As mentioned, the game encourages and rewards violent and aggressive behavior. After quitting the game the endorphins and adrenalin stopped. I would come down off of the “high” of playing and it made me irritable. I noticed that I snapped at my wife and children when I shouldn’t. For me, and I would guess for most others as well, the game would quickly have become addictive. My only choice, as I saw it, was to bury my game of war for peace. Peace in my home, and peace in my heart and soul.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, and if you are I thank you, you will remember that I broke both of my elbows a few months ago. I spent a week in the hospital recovering and was administered some very powerful pain killers. I took pain meds for a few weeks and slowly tried to wean myself off of them. The last step to get off proved difficult for me. When I stopped taking the pain meds I started experiencing panic attacks and I had great difficulty sleeping. It would have been very easy to just continue taking the pain meds and develop an addiction to them.

Point being, addictions are very real. In the verses above the addiction is bloodlust. The Nephites and Lamanites probably had the same adrenalin rush and endorphins release that I experienced while playing computer games. Addictions come in many forms, shapes, and sizes, e.g. alcohol, drugs, pain killers, pornography, gambling, overeating, computer games, anger, violence, and bloodlust just to name a few.

Those that suffer from addiction, whatever its nature, can no longer live their lives like those that are not suffering from the same addiction. An alcoholic can not go near a bar because of the effect it will have on him/her. He/She needs to be attending recovery meetings, and should have a sponsor to whom they are accountable. A person addicted to pornography needs to create safety nets to ensure accountability. A person addicted to violence, whether it be in the real world or virtual world needs to bury their weapons of war for peace.

At this point in the Book of Mormon the Nephites are addicted to bloodlust. They did not reach out for the help they needed. They probably didn’t even perceive that they were suffering from an addiction. Eventually their addiction literally destroyed them.

Are you facing any personal demons that seem overwhelming? If so, there is hope. Since the creation of Adam and Eve there has never been a better time to be an addict and a Mormon. The church has tremendous resources available to those suffering from addiction and to the family members of those that are affected by the addiction of another. This http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,2872-1,00.html would be a good place to start.

What battles did you fight today? Mormon 3:1-4

1 AND it came to pass that the Lamanites did not come to battle again *until ten years more had passed away. And behold, I had employed my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and their arms against the time of battle.
2 And it came to pass that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people—Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and build up again my church, and ye shall be spared.
3 And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God.
4 And it came to pass that after this tenth year had passed away, making, in the whole, three hundred and sixty years from the coming of Christ, the king of the Lamanites sent an epistle unto me, which gave unto me to know that they were preparing to come again to battle against us.

(Book of Mormon | Mormon 3:1 - 4)

Just as Captain Moroni prepared for war in a time of peace, so does Mormon. Just as Captain Moroni knew that the Lord would fight their battles if they would repent and humble themselves before Him, so does Mormon. Unfortunately for Mormon, unlike Captain Moroni’s people, his do not choose to turn to the only source that could save them.

Obviously, the people do not wish to die, but if the choice comes down to repenting and having the Lord fight the battle, or struggling to overcome their challenges and adversity alone, and remain in their sins, they choose to fight with their own strength.

How many times do we choose to struggle with our own difficulties instead of turning to the Lord for help? He is all-powerful and mighty to save. He loves us and wants us to succeed in life. He stands ready and willing to help those that will humble themselves before Him and call on Him for guidance and help.

We do not have to fight our daily battles in this life alone. What challenges do we face that are too great for Him? Do we battle with depression, loneliness, addiction, health problems, unemployment, wayward children?

Everyone faces trials and tribulations in this life. It is part of the fabric of life:

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

(Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 3:25)

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

(New Testament | 1 Peter 4:12 - 13)

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

(New Testament | Hebrews 12:6 - 7)

The good news is that we do not have to walk alone:

16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

(New Testament | John 3:16 - 17)

28 ¶ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

(New Testament | Matthew 11:28 - 29)

7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

(Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 32:7 - 8)

14 For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 105:14)

I am grateful to know that when life becomes difficult, as it always does, that I can turn to my Lord and God for deliverance. If I will humble myself before Him, repent of my sins, and strive to do His will, I am never alone.

Thy will be done - 3 Nephi 15:11-18

11 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen:
12 Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph.
13 And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you.
14 And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem.
15 Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land.
16 This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them:
17 That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
18 And now, because of stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them.

(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 15:11 - 18)

My comments:
Jesus pulls his chosen disciples aside and explains to them that they are to be a light to this people. He explains that those in Jerusalem do not know about them, because of their (the people in Jerusalem) iniquity.

My favorite part of this passage is in verse 18, where the Lord states that He didn’t tell the people in Jerusalem more because He was commanded to say no more.
Everything that the Savior does is because it is His Father’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” That was not a one time occurrence. He has completely turned His will over to His Father. Seeking to do exactly what the Father wants Him to do. There’s a profound lesson there for me.

I am expected to keep the Lord’s commandments. In similar fashion I need to be willing to say, “Not my will, but Thy will be done,” to the Savior. The unenlightened could suggest that if I’m simply doing what someone else wants then I’m a blind automaton, with no free will of my own. Nothing could be further from the truth.

My agency, my free will, to paraphrase Elder Neal A. Maxwell, is the only unique thing that is mine that I can give. Everything else that I have in life is a gift and a blessing from God. I lay my free will on the altar of sacrifice to my Lord and Savior, and by doing so, I receive it back several fold.

Let’s think about this for a second. Let’s say that I’m doing only what I want. I am trying to live as luxurious of a life as possible and enjoy the finer things of life. If I’m foolish, I buy this life with credit cards and other forms of debt. I now have to do the will of the credit card companies and banks, i.e. sacrifice other things I might want to pay them back.

Perhaps more easily seen, what if I’m addicted to drugs, gambling, pornography, alcohol, tobacco, shopping, etc? I am now a slave to my vices. My free will is no longer my own, because I have carelessly given it away and have become a slave to whatever addiction I might be struggling with. My ability to choose what I want to do with my life has been decreased by my own doing.

However, if I give my free will to my Savior, it is always mine to do with as I will. He will never take it away from me. Also, since He only wants what is best for me, by giving my will to Him, I will receive what is best for me, even though, I might think that I want other things at any given time.

No Sex for 30 days and Overcoming Addiction

The following article caught my eye the other day. Initially I chuckled, and then it caused me to think of some of the peripheral values/issues involved:

TAMPA - A pastor has a new challenge for his parishioners. It involves sex - a subject that may be taboo in many congregations.
The Relevant Church in Tampa's Ybor City has issued a 30-day sex challenge.

"It's going to be tempting and awkward at the same time for sure," said parishioner Brent Cayson.

Single men and women can't have sex for 30 days, and married couples are urged to have it every day.

"If you look at studies, studies say in 30 days you can develop a habit," said Pastor Paul Wirth. It definitely caught wives in the church by surprise.

"Our married people are far more fearful than our single people," said Wirth.

"Sex is about more than intercourse and that's what we're trying to tell people," said church member Jarret Haas.

Wirth has found biblical references that he says suggest Jesus disapproved of pre-marital sex and promoted sex in marriage. So, he believes people connect to God through life-long commitment.

That's why he tells his single followers to abstain, and his married followers to indulge.

My Comments:
I have to concur with Pastor Wirth that scriptures suggest that we should abstain from pre-marital physical intimacy before marriage, and that we should engage in it after marriage. In fact, the scriptures are rather blunt on the subject. No physical intimacy before marriage made # 7 on Moses’ top ten list, i.e. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Conversely, The very first commandment that the Lord gave to Adam and Eve was, “Be fruitful and multiply.” See Genesis 1:28.

That said, the single members of his, or any congregation, should abstain not just for 30 days, but until they get married. I don’t think that I want to discuss how frequently married couples should share this intimacy, I’ll leave that to them.

Is it really feasible to believe that a habit that involves such powerful physical urges as this can be made in 30 days? If I stop any particular sin, or resist any given temptation for 30 days, does that mean that I shouldn’t be troubled with it ever again?

Let me say that I see persisting in any worthwhile behavior for 30 days as a good thing. If I was an aspiring writer struggling to find time to write, do I think that it would benefit me to get up an hour earlier than normal and to focus that time on writing for 30 days? Absolutely. It would help to develop a pattern that would become easier to do over time.

However, I would suggest that ceasing sin and temptation is a different matter. As it relates to singles, I think the issue above comes closer to how to overcome addiction.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has wonderful addiction recovery programs for those that have sexual addictions, for those that have substance abuse problems, to any other kind of addiction you can think of. They have a manual to help those that desire to overcome addiction that can be found HERE.

It follows a 12 step program similar to AA and other groups. Its 12 steps are:

Step 1
Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.

Step 2
Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.

Step 3
Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son,Jesus Christ.

Step 4
Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.

Step 5
Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs.

Step 6
Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses.

Step 7
Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings.

Step 8
Make a written list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make restitution to them.

Step 9
Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.

Step 10
Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong promptly admit it.

Step 11
Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will and to have the power
to carry it out.

Step 12
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do.

As I read these steps, I am convinced that Heavenly Father and my Savior need to be part of the equation to overcome bad habits. First and foremost, I need to accept that I have an addiction, or bad habit that I want to overcome. And then, realize that reliance on the Savior is the key. One of my favorite quotes about changing behavior was made by President Boyd K. Packer, “I have long believed that the study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than talking about behavior will improve behavior.”

I applaud Pastor Wirth’s desire to help his flock. I hope and pray that the Lord will bless them in their efforts to become more Christ-like.

More importantly, I encourage those that may be struggling with sin and temptations that seem overwhelming, to download the manual above and see if you can find value there.

For me, maybe I’ll start getting up an hour earlier each day for the next 30 days, to spend a little more time on my writing…

What are your thoughts?