7 Now, these are the words which he said unto the people concerning the matter: I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us, and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.
And now we come to, what is to me, one of the most profound and touching sermon that I’ve ever read in all of scripture. King Lamoni’s thoughts and feelings and sermon on the matter. As I read ahead yesterday, I could not help but read his discourse aloud... as tears rolled down my cheeks....
So profound! So powerful! So full of truth is his discourse! It is no wonder everyone agreed to it. There was nothing to argue about. They had been forgiven the greater sins, were more grateful and humble because of it, even to the point of allowing their lives to be taken than to even RISK offending God.
Now, if they had defended themselves, would they have offended God? If they had taken the life of another in self defense, retaining in their hearts a love of God and of all men even in the act— like Captain Moroni and Mormon who made it a point that they took no joy in bloodshed and taking the life of another, even in self defense— would they have sinned or even offended God? I do not believe so.
Yet, so humbled and grateful were they that God had been so merciful to them, that they were afraid to do something that might even appear to be wrong. Talk about avoiding the very appearance of sin! They took that to a Celestial level and beyond!
Their humility and gratitude, perhaps, could not be surpassed in all of scripture, and perhaps in all of history. I have so much respect— no, reverence!— for these men! For they showed forth infinitely more humility and gratitude and obedience and faith than I.
Anyway, back to the verse! Lamoni begins his discourse by expressing gratitude to God for sending those missionaries to teach them the truth— which was that the traditions they were taught by their fathers were wrong. Even wicked. And how much more wicked can it get than teaching to hate and kill your very brothers and sisters? Surely their traditions were wicked!
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