Prophets, What Good Are They?

There is a great thing that is happening this weekend.  The whole world will be able to sit down and listen to a Prophet of God give us guidance, direction, and support for all of us!  But, there is just one problem, not everyone in the world will be listening with open ears and open hearts.  Many will be going about their lives as usual.  This is sad, because there is a story in the old testament of people who didn't listen to a Prophets voice.

Anybody remember anything about Noah?  Yes, that is right.  He was the one with the big boat.  Well, lets get the whole story.  Prophets told the people that they needed to follow God's commandments and live like they should or they would get punished.  Well, they didn't listen so well, so God decided to punish them.  And what did they win?  Destruction by a giant flood.

Ok, so that one didn't pan out very well.  Lets look at another story to see how it turned out.  In The Book of Mormon a man by the name of Samuel was told by God to tell a wicked people that "nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ," and that "four hundred years shall not pass away before I will cause that they shall be smitten: yea, I will visit them with the sword and with famine and with pestilence." (Helaman 13:6, 9)  Wow, doesn't sound too pretty does it?  Samuel also prophesied of many other signs and wonders, all of which came to pass.

Now fast forward 400 years.  We now look at the account written by Mormon, who was the chief captain over the armies of the people that Samuel visited.  And wouldn't you know it, the people were not following what God wanted them to do.  Mormon says that "the Nephites repented not of the evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually." (Mormon 4:10)  What a shame.  They also gained a reward.  A giant battle where their whole nation was destroyed.  "And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people." (Mormon 6:11)

In conclusion, the people in both accounts did not follow the heeding of the prophets and did not follow the commandments of God.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)  Let us all keep the commandments of God and listen to what counsel His prophets have to give us.

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