The Lord will Prepare a Way
1 Nephi 3:7; “…I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
Proverbs 16:2; “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.”
Mormonism has a way of taking events and skewing them to their favor like no other organization or people group that I’ve ever studied or come across. I don’t say that because I’m ex-Mormon, but as an observation after studying the history of several cultures and people groups in my world travels and studies at university. It’s quite remarkable when you think of it.
They rely heavily upon this verse from First Nephi as proof God watches over them in all the “persecution periods” and travails of life. But let’s take a quick look at their track record and see if this claim is true. Did God always provide a way for the Mormons?
1. After settling into the Kirtland, Ohio vicinity they were met with fierce opposition from locals who didn’t take too kindly to the swindling ways of Joseph and company. The Kirtland Banking fiasco, polygamy, glass looking expeditions, et al, all served as reasons for the Mormons to get themselves kicked out of town and not a place of refuge for their Zion.
2. Moving to Missouri brought no relief to the anxious settlers when no sooner than they had unpacked their wagons they’d find themselves on the trail again to Illinois. Their Missouri Zion episode only lasted until 1838. While some Mormons lived there simultaneously with the Ohio Saints everyone was expelled in the end.
3. Nauvoo, Illinois was but another blip of time on the historical charts of Mormonism. They took over a town originally named Commerce and changed it to Nauvoo upon Joseph’s claims Nauvoo means “beautiful”. The Saints resided in Nauvoo from 1838 to 1846 when the locals booted them out.
They finally settled in Utah because there were no white settlements up to that point. While the area did have a few Native American tribes living in the area, white folk were very few and even further between. No one bothered them because no one thought they’d make it and no one had a vested interest – yet.
So did God provide a way or were the Mormons just going to where no one lived? If the Mormon god was providing for them where was he in Ohio or Missouri or Illinois? Where was he in New York?
Being self-determined doesn’t always mean God is providing for you. It could be you’re just out there doing things on your own – with or without God.
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