“I Did Not Murmur Against the Lord Because of Mine Afflictions”

K. Douglas Bassett

1 Ne. 16:3, 20, 25, 35-36; 17:2,17, 22, 49; 2 Ne. 27:35; Maxwell, Ensign Nov. 1989, p. 83; Conference Report, Ballard, Oct. 1991; refer in this text to Alma 58: 9-11, 34-35

“Murmuring against priesthood and auxiliary leaders is one of the most poisonous things that can be introduced into the home of a Latter-day Saint.” (David O. McKay, Improvement Era, Mar. 1969, p. 3)
“We find here a man of faith; a man who submits to affliction without murmuring. In all his history we find that he followed the commandments of the Lord. The Lord said to him in the beginning that if he followed His commandments he should be prospered in the land, and he was prospered. I wish to bear my testimony to the Latter-day Saints that all of us who will obey the commandments of God will be prospered in the land. Sacrifice doth bring forth the blessings of heaven.” (Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, Oct. 1899, p. 19)
“Apostasy often begins with criticism of current leaders. Apostasy usually begins with question and doubt and criticism… . They allege love for the gospel and the Church but charge that leaders are a little ‘off the beam’! He generally wants all the blessings of the Church: membership, its priesthood, its temple privileges, and expects them from the leaders of the Church, though at the same time claiming that those same leaders have departed from the path. He now … adopts a martyr complex… .” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 462)
“In both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, murmur is used primarily for the exoduses. Forms of the Hebrew root lwn (translated “to murmur” in the King James version) occur eighteen times in the Old Testament. All but one of them are connected with the Exodus. How is the English word murmur used in the Book of Mormon? It appears thirty-three times; of these, nineteen describe events in the Old World wilderness.” (Terrence L. Szink, Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 40)

Latter-Day Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References