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Lessons From the Anti-Nephi-Lehis

Sister Kaye M. Workman, Matron of the Laie Hawaii Temple, drew from the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis in the Book of Mormon in her devotional address June 3 to teach BYU-Hawaii students to be true to their covenants.

Sister Workman first told a story about her grandson, Max, and his child-like desire to be obedient and bring the Spirit of the Lord into the home. She acknowledged even after all her experience with the Church and multiple missions, she still learned a lesson from him.

Sister Workman then invited the students to look to Alma 24 and the teachings of Mormon, focusing on the Anti-Nephi-Lehis — group of Lamanites who had been converted by the sons of Mosiah who wanted to separate themselves as a covenant people of God.

“Their conversion caused them to enter into a sacred covenant with the Lord. As they had been guilty of taking the lives of many in the past, in their repentance, they covenanted with the Lord that they would never return evil for evil nor spill the blood of another person again; not even at the expense of their own lives,” she said. And when enemies threatened, “they esteemed the covenant as more important than defense of their own lives or even the lives of their spouses and children… They were committed to being steadfast and immoveable in their covenant.”

Sister Workman noted that when the Anti-Nephi-Lehis didn’t fight back, eventually the Lamanites stopped killing, and many of them became converted. “The Lord always blesses those who keep sacred covenants.”

Similarly, she pointed out early Latter-day Saints were also persecuted and threatened by their enemies; or as President Hinckley said, they “barred their doors and defended themselves as best they could” against the mobs. However, President Hinckley warned members of the Church today have a much harder battle to fight than their predecessors: “Nowadays, though we bar our doors, the destroyer, Satan, comes immediately into the center of our homes to destroy our faith, crush our testimonies and ravage the safety and tranquility which the Spirit brings.”

Things such as “television, Internet, radio and other electronic media” make it possible for Satan to enter homes where he is not invited, Workman said. To keep themselves and their testimonies strong, Workman said students should follow the four-fold pattern given in Alma 34.

First, the Anti-Nephi-Lehis were really converted. “Each one of us might ask, am I really converted?” she said. “Consider the covenant you made at baptism: Do you remember that covenant through Church attendance, scripture study, paying your tithing; and for those of you who can, regularly attending the temple to renew those covenants; and personal prayer; all bring the Spirit into our lives.”

The temple matron used the example of a young girl her son met on his mission in Russia who would walk two-to-three miles by herself in weather that was 60-below-zero to attend church and faithfully pay her tithing. “Was this girl truly converted?” Workman asked. “Yes, she was.”

Second, that the Anti-Nephi-Lehis had a plan to protect their covenant with God. They buried their weapons. Workman described how recently opening the Aba Nigeria Temple provided Church members in Cameroon with their first and closest opportunity to obtain the sacred temple ordinances. Many made the long and tough journey. “Exhausted, covered with mud, yet jubilant, they arrived in Nigeria and were blessed to be endowed and sealed to their families,” she said. Then she asked the students, “What is your plan to strengthen your covenant with God? Do you know what God expects of you? Are you as determined as the Cameroon Saints to meet His expectations?”

Third, the Anti-Nephi-Lehis made their covenants the most important thing in their lives — actually, more important than their lives. While attending a stake conference in Monrovia, Liberia, Workman recalled how she and her husband were exposed to the extreme poverty and civil unrest within the country. However, she also noticed some Latter-day Saint sisters who chose not to be affected by their circumstances and celebrated the Relief Society’s Birthday Anniversary with service to those in worse situations and a parade. The stake Relief Society president in Monrovia told her “that in order to participate in the parade, each sister must donate something of worth to the blind and handicapped.” The results? A huge number of sisters who had very little of their own paraded and donated to the Muslim Association for the Blind and Disabled.

Fourth, the Anti-Nephi-Lehis met life-threatening opposition, but stood immovable in their covenant. Workman described three major forces of opposition the students will face: Living in a “fallen world,” our sins and mistakes, and others who hurt or offend us.

She also told the story of the Parrs, a faithful senior missionary couple who struggled for two years on Christmas Island, 1,250 miles south of Honolulu, to build a branch of the Church. After building their own hut to live in, riding bicycles for 30-mile trips and having all of their farm equipment stolen from their home, Sister Parr told Sister Workman in a letter, “We promised the Lord two full years and that is exactly what the Lord will get from us.” To this Workman added, “In the face of serious opposition, these faithful Saints stayed steadfast and immoveable. When faced with the challenges of a fallen world, we can do nothing about this but be patient and trust in the Lord to give us strength to endure.”

“All the peoples of the world suffer from adversity. We read about suffering everywhere. But you are among those most blessed. You are like the Anti-Nephi-Lehis... Most people have no idea where to gain relief from the spiritual poverty of their lives and endure emptiness because they know of no other alternative,” she said. “When you need peace, you can be in the House of the Lord in a few minutes to learn of God’s plan for you and to be reminded of eternal blessings sealed upon you.”

“You are the future leaders of the Church and you are entitled to those blessings the Lord has for you in your responsibilities. We must stand steadfast and immovable in our covenants and teach others to do the same.”

  — Photo by Ian Nitta