Being reviled and love

So I'm reading Ether today. This is a follow on to my originally searching for Moroni's testimony which I was looking for as part of my research for the testimony subject.

 And it came to pass that the people did revile against the prophets, and did mock them. And it came to pass that kind Shule did execute judgment against all those who did revile against the prophets. Ether 7:24

But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandments of the king, Heth. Ether 9:29.

This could start a discussion on leadership, as the first group prospered and the second got destroyed. It could also start a discussion on the mercy of God, to allow a group that has destroyed itself spiritually to destroy themselves physically so their sons and daughters to be don't have to be raised in spiritual emptiness.

It could start a discussion on how the people put in leaders that reflect the spiritual emptiness of the people.

But the reason I picked this one is the whole issue of being reviled. In all cases where there are prophets, they will be followed by some and not followed by most. Whether they are followed probably has more to do with the followers and their own preparation than with the prophet.

And the message? It is true, regardless of how it is received. It is likely to be more reviled if it's true than if it's a concocted mixture of truths and shades that's calculated to be more acceptable to the masses. Does that mean that a prophet should shade his message? Thinking it might save his life but not his soul - or the souls of the people he is called to lead. He would lead an empty life attempting to lead his people toward nothing. If it's not truth that he's leading them to, he's not a prophet - just a guy who calls himself something.

In a way, we all meet that description. While we are not necessarily prophets by calling, we all have a certain set of truths that we know. When given the opportunity to teach (when that opportunity is right) We could hide them or shade them - those are choices we have, but it probably doesn't follow God's plan for us.

So the scene I'm thinking of is a group where some don't believe, and stand ready to mock those that do. Maybe it's a beer thing. The goal now is to stand firm in what you know, but still do so lovingly. An argument means you lost. Losing your temper means you lost. The content of the truth must be delivered in the Lord's way - with love - and unshaded with falseness.

I'm thinking that a person can start down that road, and test the crowd to see if it can manage the truth. It is not loving to give a person a gift that you know he will not accept, because the act of not accepting the gift sends him backwards spiritually. That's what damning means - you're stopped.

So - I'm thinking what if the crowd perhaps has some who are not ready, and will be damned, while perhaps others are ready and may accept the seed you plant through the guidance of the Lord? It occurs to me that Abinadi did that. He testified long and boldly. It got him killed - flames - but it accomplished the Lord's work. Abinadi knew that and was prepared for it. I think he is very glad now with the results. His words damned Noah and 11 of the 12, but Alma was ready enough that he began the Lord's work and saved many souls.

So Abinadi was given the guidance to go ahead and say the required words, knowing the costs. The Lord knew the costs and benefits and provided the approval. It's not our thing to assess the costs and benefits - that's the Lord's job. He doesn't give us the calculus, just the guidance. Go or no go. We can leave the decision making to him and just feel from him whether and how far to take the discussion. When the guidance tells us to go, we go. When it says stop, we're done.

It occurs to me that a person who is reviling what he thinks is you, is really just describing himself. His own hates, his own lack of understanding. He may be trying to direct blackness at you, but in reality there's a mirror there - he's showing you who he is inside. You don't have to take that personally at all - just see the blackness and try to help him through it and past it.

So a discussion on being reviled really comes down to practicing our ability to communicate with love, and with a mind that's open to being guided as to what the audience is ready for.