Trifle Not With Sacred Things

In Alma 37, Alma entrusts his son Helaman with the brass plates, also instructing him to keep his own record of the people, and to “keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept... which purpose is known unto God... that he may show forth his power unto future generations.”

Then comes a warning: “If ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan...”

And a promise: “But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you... behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.”

I have a lot of thoughts, but the main ones are these:

1- Record keeping is important!! It preserves memories, teaches lessons of the past, ties families together through genealogy, and brings the knowledge of God to others.

2-God has many “wise purposes” that are “mysteries... not yet fully made known unto [us],” but we need to trust Him! Did those who wrote and preserved the plates know that it would mean everything to Latter-Day Saints, right now, at this time?

3- Sacred things can be taken from us. Spiritual experiences, blessings, promises, the Holy Ghost; if we don’t guard them and protect them, if we are too casual, if we listen to men more than God, if we don’t live our lives how we should, they will no longer be ours. We will rationalize them away, we will forget. God will not be mocked.

4- And the flip side- if we keep the commandments, if we strive to follow Him, if we CHOOSE to believe, if we keep our covenants, if we keep sacred things sacred, NO power can take them from us! There may be evil surrounding us at all sides, but if we stay faithful, we WILL NOT FALL. Our testimonies will stand. The things that God has given us can be ours forever. “Trifle not with sacred things.” D&C 6:12