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SamuelAnd it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a

Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.

But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again (angel), and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.

And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.

[Chapter 16] And as they went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he did cast himself down from the wall, and did flee out of their lands

Repeating Patterns

Lehi

Preached

Had vision, angels

Returned to preach

Life was sought

City Destroyed

Abinadi- King NoahAlma- with Amuleck

The Lord gives us repeat stories to make sure we learn the lesson being taught.

What lessons are we being taught here?

We Believe in a God of Second Chances

Lord to Joseph, after the loss of the 116 pages:Behold, you have been entrusted with these things… And behold, how oft you have transgressed the

commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God…

Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall.

But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work;

In addition,And behold, a curse shall come upon the

land, saith the Lord of Hosts, because of the peoples' sake who are upon the land, yea, because of their wickedness and their abominations.And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that

whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.

For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land.

Returns backto the LordWhat he

didn’t need

Zion Society

Man uses the Lord’sresources

Receives “Sufficient for his Needs”

Surplus! (more than he needsright now)

Bishop’s Storehouse

Sick, poor, widowed

Rex LeeI am reminded also of the view of Edward Lorenz, a meteorologist

who teaches that it is impossible to make long-range weather predictions

because there are so many variables.

He contends, for example, that a Brazilian butterfly beating its wings

in Brazil has an effect on air movements that, together with other currents, affect the weather in Texas. Accordingly, he asserts that in order to accurately predict long-range Texas weather conditions, one would need to measure, among other things, each flap of a butterfly wing weeks in advance.

What is the practical significance of this? Professor Paul Carrington, one of the nation's leading scholars, suggests as follows:

Lorenz does not of course imply that butterflies or men and women should despair of being useful. His observation should be taken as encouragement to men and women, and to any butterflies that read, to do what they can and not what they cannot.

BYU Devotional, September, 1992

Taxes

Capitalism

Man works hard(No free lunch!)

Meets hisNeeds

Surplus! (more

Than he needsRight now)

Government

Sick, poor, widowed

Wealth

My Treasure

Treasure Test

If we have to bury or hide it, what kind of treasure is it?

James E. Faust

The relationship of money to happiness is at best questionable. Even the Wall Street Journal acknowledged, "Money is an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider of everything except happiness."

Henrik Ibsen wrote, "Money may buy the husk of many things, but not the kernel. It brings you food, but not the appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; days of joy, but not peace or happiness."

(James L. Faust, To Reach Even Unto You [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1980], p. 8.)