When the wicked rule, the people mourn. Rejecting the words of the Lord's servants brings suffering and sorrow.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2)
1-8. What more do you learn about King Noah from these verses? What do you think led Gideon to want to kill his king? What was the only reason Gideon spared the king? What does this teach you about the importance of choosing good people to lead you and associate with?
8-13. What do you learn about King know was feelings for his people in these verses? What is it called when you think more of yourself and less of others? How does selfishness affect you? Why is it best to think less of self and more of others?
"The family is falling apart all over the world. The old ties that bound together father and mother and children are breaking everywhere. We must face this in our own midst. There are too many broken homes among our own. The love that lead to marriage somehow evaporates, and hatred fills its place. Hearts are broken, children weep. Can we not do better? Of course, we can. It is selfishness that brings about most of these tragedies." – Gordon B Hinckley, GC, October 1997
16-17. Have you ever seen righteous children come from a home when the parents were not righteous? How is this possible? And since most men followed King Noah into the wilderness to save their own lives, what do we learn about Limhi?
17. Even though Limhi's father, King Noah, was wicked, what did he desire for him? How was Limhi different from his father? Why do you react to the world around you the way you do? What kind of life would bring honor to your earthly and heavenly parents?
"Any time a child lives righteously he brings honor to his parents, whether those parents are themselves righteous or wicked… So, honoring parents does not always imply obeying them. In those relatively few cases where parents may ask for or encourage unrighteous behavior in their children, the individual brings dishonor to his parents if he obeys them." –Church News, June 9, 1990
18-24. Did you notice that a prophecy was fulfilled in the story? How literally was it fulfilled? What does this teach you about the importance of following prophets in your life?
"I give my testimony that the prophets of this day have the qualities of the prophets of old and the other prophets of this dispensation… we declare with soberness, and yet with the authority of God in us invested, that we have a profit today. The President of the Church, as a prophet, is God's representative on earth and is appointed to lead his Church… our spiritual safety lies in turning to the clear voice of our living prophet. If we listen to his voice and obey his counsel, we will be able to live as Christ would have us live and endure to the end so that one day we, along with our families, will return back into the presence of our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ." – Robert D Hales, GC, April 1995
25-29. How much did Limhi's people have to pay in taxes? What did the taxes of Limhi's people pay for? What did the Lamanites do to make sure Limhi's people didn't leave the area? Why did the Lord let them and up in bondage? What word indicates that they was receiving blessings from God, despite the difficult circumstance?
What have you heard prophets teach recently that would help individuals, families, and nations avoid suffering and sorrow? What are some examples of the sorrow and suffering that come from ignoring the prophets council on subjects such as gambling, pornography, the word of wisdom, cheating, tattoos, body piercing, dressing immodestly, or dating early? How could following the council from the Lord's servants on topics such as strengthening families, living the law of chastity, or obeying the word of wisdom help individuals and families avoid some of the suffering and sorrow they experience?
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