We Need Not Fear

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In the latter half of The Book of Mormon there is a group of people known as the Gadianton robbers, who plague the Nephites and Lamanites almost incessantly. By the beginning of the book known as Third Nephi, the Gadianton robbers had increased greatly in size due to desertions from the Nephite nation. Holed up in the mountainous wilderness, they would repeatedly pester the Nephites down below. Eventually their leader, Giddianhi, decided it was time he took everything the Nephites had, so he sent a letter to the leader of the Nephites, Lachoneus, ordering Lachoneus to surrender or “I swear unto you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct” (3 Nephi 3: 8). For many people, fear would be the normal reaction. Not Lachoneus though; no, “this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them” (3 Nephi 3: 12).

Lachoneus understood that God was entirely more powerful than any force Giddianhi could have mustered. In a way he was like Elisha, when Elisha reminded his servant to “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6: 16). Lachoneus was not irrational, and understood he needed to make preparations for Giddianhi’s assault. For this reason, all the Nephites were gathered together into one defendable body, and when Giddianhi did attack, they were ready. The battle was not easy, but with God’s help, the Nephites prevailed.

So that is all fine and dandy, but what does this mean for us? While not entirely impossible, odds are we will not have a band of robbers threatening us with extinction. The world is a pretty crazy place though. Every day there seems to be a new kidnapping or shooting, North Korea recently tested a nuclear bomb, there is still a lot of instability in the Middle East, yesterday an asteroid capable of obliterating an entire city missed Earth by 15 minutes, and today a meteorite passed into the atmosphere creating a sonic boom that shattered glass and injured a thousand people or so. Additionally societal values appear to be constantly shifting, long held truths are being questioned, religion is becoming old-fashioned, people are confused, and life is generally unfair. By many standards we have every right to be afraid.

Don’t be.

Our Heavenly Father is in control, believe it or not (believe it). He is in control, and he has assured us that when we remain on his side, we will be okay. Even as the world around us implodes, we can trust in the stability and hope that our Heavenly Father and his plan brings. This is not to say we can take no thought for ourselves, but when we do our part like Lachoneus did, and then “cry unto the Lord for strength” (3 Nephi 3: 12), he will protect us. We may still experience trials like the Nephites did (they were not completely spared in the battle), but the end result – the part after we leave this Earth – that is the part where all will be okay. In that, God has guaranteed.