February 1, 2011
To: All I Love
From: Dad, Grandpa etc Richard Pratt
Re: Personal Life in a distressed world
One of the most serious mistakes of mankind has been to assume that they were chosen and accepted of God just simply because of their illustrious ancestors. The righteousness of parents can never save their children. The children must be righteous on their own account or they will be treated like anyone else. (W. Cleon Skousen pg. 3)
After Abraham and Lot separated so they would have more room for their large herds of stock. Lot chose to move into the city of Sodom on the south shore of the Dead Sea. It was not dead at this time but was a tropical paradise stretching out many miles of rich soil and prosperous cities. Then the area was invaded and Lot and his family were taken captive and carried off with their wealth. When Abraham heard of it he quickly called all his herders in, leaving their wives and children tending their flocks. He was able to muster in 318 men of his own camp and followed in hot pursuit. They defeated the spoilers rescued the prisoners and loot and returned home safely. The only military action ever taken by Abraham that we know of.
Later the whole Dead Sea valley was wiped out and turned into a dead sea and barren desert. Only Lot and two daughters escaped.
We’ll jump forward five hundred years to the days of Moses leading Israel in a 40 year camp out in the desert East of the promised land. They had many encounters with the locals but one that is interesting was the Mideanites.
Moses was commanded to destroy them for they were completely immersed in sin and there was no hope of their repentance. Why Moses chose an army of only twelve thousand Israelites is not known. But he called for one thousand from each tribe while the total manpower was in the neighborhood of six hundred thousand. We don’t know the size of the Mideanites but they were numerous.
The Israelites were commanded to destroy all human life except for little girls who were not old enough to have been defiled. These were to be scattered throughout the twelve tribes and raised as Israelites.
When the war ended. The home coming army brought thirty two thousand little girls and babies which alone indicates a good sized enemy.
Moses then asked for a count to be taken of the men, expecting many to be dead or missing. The count was taken and the officers reported: “Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge and there lacketh not one man of us.”
(This happened nearly 1500 years before Heleman and his stripling warriors.)
Even though you are familiar with Goliath and David. Let me give a few details. This is about 500 years after Moses.
First to Goliath’s size. The Bible reports that he was six cubits and a span high. Using the smallest size given of a cubit which is eighteen inches and six inches for a span. He stood about nine feet tall. I saw a man eight feet six inches tall and my eyes were looking right at his belt buckle. This man I saw was in good physical shape, not fat at all, and weighed a little over four hundred pounds.
Goliath was clad in armor that weighed 156 pounds with a big brass helmet on his head.
David was just average size and only sixteen or seventeen years old. First they clothed him in King Sauls armor. Saul was bigger than most Israelites by head and shoulders. Poor little David couldn’t even walk. He cried “take it off!” Dressed just in his tunic or regular clothing he charged down to meet Goliath. It would have been similar to charging a modern day tank minus machine guns. As he crossed the brook separating them he picked up five round smooth stones about the size of a small chicken egg and slipped them into his pouch.
As he approached the giant, he cried, “you come to me with sword and spear but I come to you in the name of Israel’s God.” then he placed one of the stones in his sling twirled it over his head till it got to maximum speed and let the rock go. It struck the giant just below his helmet and sank into his head. Not having a sword then David ran over and climbed on the unconscious or dead giant, pulled out the giants sword and cut off his head.
The Philistine army was devastated, threw down their weapons and ran for home with the Israelites in hot pursuit. Killing many of the enemy before they reached the safety of their walled cities.
Now the rest of the story. It’s all in the Bible. Don’t know why its never told as part of the encounter.
Goliath had four sons, apparently as large and mean as he was and they grew up and spent the next forty years trying to avenge their Fathers death by killing David. They didn’t succeed but look it up and read it. Look in First Samuel.
As I mentioned before there are two main reasons for dying when fighting for righteousness. One: that man has lived his allotted life. or Two: he dies as a witness against the wickedness that has killed him. Neither will lose their reward but will receive the victor’s crown.
Now to Helaman and his stripling warriors. That seemed to indicate that they were from fourteen to eighteen years of age and you of course, remember that these young men were taking the place of their fathers who had covenanted with the Lord never to kill again and had buried their weapons of war in testament thereof. But when the Nephites were about to be destroyed these men considered breaking their covenant with God. They were persuaded not to by their young sons saying, “We never made that covenant so are free to fight and they asked the prophet Helaman to lead them. (Note: He would have to have been considerably younger than our modern prophets.)
When they approached their first battle Helaman said to them. “ Therefore what say ye, my sons, will you go against them to battle.” and they answered: “Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone, therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives, yea they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.”
In the next battle Helaman reported: “My little band of two thousand and sixty fought most desperately; yea they were firm before the Lamanites, and did administer death unto all those who opposed them. And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted.
Yea they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.
And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.
And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe ~ that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they put their trust in God continually.”
Helaman chapter 57
“And the Lord has supported them, yea, and kept them from falling by the sword, insomuch that even one soul has not been slain. But behold they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty where with God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes and his judgements, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.” Alma 58
And this is the last we hear of these young men although the war continues on.
However it is recorded that many righteous people were killed and the report of their death is stated thusly; “Do ye suppose that, because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness? I say unto you, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain; for I say unto you, there are many who have fallen by the sword; and behold it is to your condemnation; for the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgement may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.” Alma 60:12-13
When the Savior was being crucified at Jerusalem terrible destruction took place in the Americas by tempests, fires, earthquakes, whirlwinds and physical upheavals. Most of the people are destroyed and darkness covered the land for three days and nights. Many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth and the inhabitants there of were slain, and the places were left desolate... and the quaking of the earth...and it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the earth...and there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land. 3 Nephi 14-22
“And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of the land crying: “Wo, Wo, Wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen.” Ibid 9:1-2
“And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
“Oh all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not
now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
Yea verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold my arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me, behold I am Jesus Christ. 3 Nephi 9
and it came to pass that thus did the three days pass away. And it was in the morning, and the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land, and the earth did cease to tremble, and the rocks did cease to rend, and the dreadful groanings did cease, and all the tumultuous noises did pass away.
And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved...soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven (Acts 1:9-11) he did truly manifest himself unto them (in the Americas)
and now it came to pass that there was a great multitude (about 2500) gathered together, of the people of Nephi round about the temple which was in the land of Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another and were showing one another the great and marvelous change which had taken place. And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death...
(Three times they heard the voice before they realized it was coming from heaven) casting their eyes up they heard a voice saying, “behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name hear ye him.” And they saw a man descending out of heaven and he came down and stood in the midst of them. And he stretched forth his hand and spoke to them, saying: “Behold I am Jesus Christ whom the prophets testified shall come into the earth.” And then he invited them all to come unto him and examine and feel the wounds in his body that they would know for sure that HE was indeed the Son of God.
3 Nephi 11
Then he arranged for their baptism saying, “ whoso believeth in me, and is baptized shall be saved, and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.” Ch. 11
I hope you will all open to 3rd Nephi at your first free moment and read it in its entirety and thrill with it as I do and then reread it.
After teaching them all day ~ wow, what a missionary!~ “There came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus. And while they were overshadowed he departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven.” 3 Nephi 18 & 19
“And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the multitude did disperse, and every man did take his wife and his children and did return to his own home.”
Note: in all the destruction that had taken place the homes of the survivors were still intact.
He then appeared the next day and apparently spent the entire day teaching and loving them. Please read for yourselves for it is a facsimile of things soon to come for Jesus Christ will come again just as he has promised.
My love always,
Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Pratt
