If inheriting the promised land represents an individual gaining salvation, what comparisons are we to make of the remainder of the history? The plausible parallel in Book of Mormon history for the Israelites inheriting the promised land is found in First Nephi. The books of Second Nephi through Moroni still lie ahead. Because salvation is the desired end result for the individual, do the spiritual parallels stop in First Nephi?
Furthermore, if the promised land is supposed to symbolize salvation, why do we see so much rebellion once these groups obtain their promised lands? We know that because the children of Israel did not strictly obey the commandments of the Lord, all the covenants made to their fathers were not fulfilled at that time. Because of their disobedience, the promised land never became what it could have become. Eventually, notwithstanding all that was done by the Lord through his servants the prophets to reclaim the stiffnecked children of Israel, they still revolted. As a result, they were scattered abroad and cut off from the Lord. Does this carry a parallel for the individual?
What about adolescence? Might the dark era of the Israelites' history symbolize this critical period in an individual's life? Adolescence is commonly marked by varying degrees of rebellion and experimentation in worldly ways. This causes great consternation to parents or others who try to guide the wandering youth. Is this, perhaps, why the Lord described the apostate period of the House of Israel as "the shame of thy youth..." and "the reproach of thy youth..."? (3 Ne. 22:4 = Isa. 54:4; Jer. 3:25.)
Considering all the worldly temptations that not only pull at them but seem to target them at this crucial period, it is hardly a wonder that youth tend to stray from the paths of righteousness. Regretfully, the more they delve into wicked, material ways, the more hardened they become to honor and virtue. If only they would eliminate these evil enticements from their lives, they would be able to remain true to God and to their beliefs, like Joshua and Caleb. This seems to be the message that the history of nations--particularly the Israelites'--brings out, when applied to the individual.
One of the foremost messages of Old Testament history is that because the children of Israel did not utterly destroy the wicked occupants of the land, their heathen gods became a snare to them and caused their downfall. (Judg. 2:1-3; 1 Ne. 17:35.) Idolatry is not limited to bowing down to graven images. The scriptures define a false god as basically anything that people set their hearts on and hence which turns their hearts from the True and Living God. (Deut. 4:28; 32:31-33.)(1)
Rather than completely destroying these pagans as the Lord commanded them, the Israelites thought they could get away with a small alliance here and a seemingly harmless treaty there. They did not take the Lord seriously in his warning to have nothing at all to do with them. (Deut. 12:29,30.) This caused their downfall. Might this also apply to the individual who does not shun all evil influences? "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh...." (Eccl. 11:9,10.)
Also in the portion of Book of Mormon history that parallels the apostasy and scattering of the children of Israel, we find some statements that seem beneficial to the concerned parent and others who have stewardship over the youth. The record states: "...It is expedient that much should be done...because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks...." (Jarom 1:3.) Enos added, "...there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things--stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction." (Enos 1:23.)
Sometimes, despite these tireless efforts, the youth still falls away, causing much heartache for his loving parents and guardians. Zenos' allegory bears sympathy as it describes the complete apostasy of the House of Israel (and the Gentiles). We read that "the lord of the vineyard [Jesus Christ] wept" when he saw that the trees of his vineyard (the various groups of people in the world) had "all become corrupt." (Jacob 5:41,39.) A parent's lamentations are echoed in the lord of the vineyard's cry: "...What could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it..., and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long...." (Jacob 5:40,41,47.)
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Endnotes:
1. Spencer W. Kimball, "The False Gods We Worship," Ensign, June 1976, pp. 3-6.
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