"seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful"

This week as I read the assigned chapters in the Book of Mormon, I was struck by the end of Alma 4. These early chapters in Alma have a couple succinct rounds of the pride cycle. There's division and war, and then the people are humbled by the destruction of the war, so they begin to care for each other, which lifts everyone up, and then they prosper, and some become prideful again, and begin to despise and persecute others. At this point Alma, who is both the chief judge, and chief priest, resigns his judgeship to devote his time to teaching the people the gospel.

I've read the Book of Mormon many times and on this reading, a verse stood out to me. Alma 4:15 says, "Alma...seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful." This was exactly how I was feeling this week. I have been weighed down by incredible grief and sorrow for my black brothers and sisters. My heart is breaking.

Still, the Book of Mormon says, "nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him" (Alma 4:15). I have been pleading with God this week to show me what to do, through his Holy Spirit. Alma decided to leave his position of political power "that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people..." (Alma 4:19, italics mine).

The word of God is what I cling to at times like these. Paul promises "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galations 3:28) And in the Book of Mormon, Nephi promises that the Lord, "inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

When Alma's people focused on equality --"for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal" (Alma 1:26)-- they prospered and had "an abundance." "And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need." (29-30)

When the Book of Mormon chronicles successful societies like Alma's at this time, something they all have in common is that they rid themselves of classes and racial divisions. King Benjamin's people, "impart of [their] substance to the poor,...feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants." Benjamin himself works with his people. He uses his government- his administration- to administer his people's relief, and not just meeting their needs, but also attending to their wants. This is a society built on the principles of abundance. There is enough for all.

Most famously, in 4 Nephi, after Jesus Christ has visited the people for several days, "there was no contention in the land...there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms...nor any manner of lasciviousness (no sexual or family abuse); and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
...Neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." (4 Nephi 1:15-17)

This is what I want, what I hope for, and what I try to teach my children should be their ideal. "For behold" as King Benjamin said, "are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?"

"And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (Mosiah 4:19-21) Now, I believe that the substance which I have to impart, is not just money, but the privilege and power I have been granted by society as a white person. I want to give up that substance, that power, and share it with my brothers and sisters of color.

 "And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done. I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him" (22-23)

We will not bring this position of power into the next life. God is "no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). We must give it up in this life, and I know that if we do, we will all be better for it. Rather than losing out, we will be come an abundant society. There will be enough for all, and we will create a heavenly society here on earth. Our brothers and sisters of color are begging us for a share in the freedom from fear and hatred. We must offer it up to them.

My prayer comes from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland "When we have conquered [COVID-19]—and we will—may we be equally committed to freeing the world from the virus of hunger, freeing neighborhoods and nations from the virus of poverty. May we hope for schools where students are taught—not terrified they will be shot—and for the gift of personal dignity for every child of God, unmarred by any form of racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice. Undergirding all of this is our relentless hope for greater devotion to the two greatest of all commandments: to love God by keeping His counsel and to love our neighbors by showing kindness and compassion, patience and forgiveness. These two divine directives are still—and forever will be—the only real hope we have for giving our children a better world than the one they now know."