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Has anyone noticed the parallels between the Lamanites of Ancient America and the Muslim extremists of our day? The Book of Mormon, written for our day, is filled with examples and warnings. Take a look at these references. There are many more. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, a second witness to the Bible, and specifically written for all people living in the latter days. It is the most correct of any book ever written on Earth.
The conflict between two major civilizations in the Book of Mormon, namely the Nephites and the Lamanites, in many ways parallels the conflict between Christians and Muslims today. The Nephites were once a freedom loving, industrious, Christian people. The Lamanites were a bloodthirsty, primitive people, taught by the backward traditions of their fathers to hate the Nephites. The Nephites were promised divine protection from the Lamanites as long as they would obey God. The Nephites were repeatedly warned by prophets that if they ceased to serve God, the Lamanites would gain power over them and destroy them.
1 Nephi 2:24
"And if it so be that they [the Nephites] rebel against me, they [the Lamanites] shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance."
Americans (and the rest of the free world) are warned to not rebel against God or they (the terrorists) will scourge the people. When the free world promotes socialism, abortion, and homosexuality, are we rebelling against God? What can we expect?
2 Nephi 5:25
"And the Lord God said unto me [Nephi]: They [the Lamanites] shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction."
Americans (and the rest of the free world) are warned to not turn away from God, or God will stand by and watch while terrorists wreak destruction.
Many ask: Why does God allow so much suffering?
One answer is that men reject God. God will not force himself into our lives. So, if we reject him or ignore him, how can we expect him to step in and protect us? If we tell him to go away, he will.
But what about all the good and innocent people who suffer? Where is God for them?
One answer is that the suffering of the innocent assures the innocent eternal life with God, and allows the innocent to stand with God as witnesses against the wicked at the last day.
Remember Alma and Amulek:
Alma 14:8-11
"8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.
"9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
"10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
"11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."
Consider Alma 9:17-20, and Alma 9:23-24
"17 And at some period of time they [the Lamanites] will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name.
"18 But behold, I say unto you that if ye persist in your wickedness that your days shall not be prolonged in the land, for the Lamanites shall be sent upon you; and if ye repent not they shall come in a time when you know not, and ye shall be visited with utter destruction; and it shall be according to the fierce anger of the Lord.
"19 For he will not suffer you that ye shall live in your iniquities, to destroy his people. I say unto you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all his people who are called the people of Nephi, if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions, after having had so much light and so much knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God;
"20 Yea, after having been such a highly favored people of the Lord; yea, after having been favored above every other nation, kindred, tongue, or people; after having had all things made known unto them, according to their desires, and their faith, and prayers, of that which has been, and which is, and which is to come;
"23 And now behold I say unto you, that if this people, who have received so many blessings from the hand of the Lord, should transgress contrary to the light and knowledge which they do have, I say unto you that if this be the case, that if they should fall into transgression, it would be far more tolerable for the Lamanites than for them.
"24 For behold, the promises of the Lord are extended to the Lamanites, but they are not unto you if ye transgress; for has not the Lord expressly promised and firmly decreed, that if ye will rebel against him that ye shall utterly be destroyed from off the face of the earth?"
Ponder Mormon 4:5
"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."
Back all this up with Ether 2:9 and Ether 2:12
"9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.
"12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written."
