Text: By the time Mormon wrote these passages, he had already read the small plates of Nephi and planned to append them to his record (W of M 1:3). Possibly Nephi’s words had colored his vision of his own people: “For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul” (2 Ne. 26:11). Significantly, Nephi tied the Spirit’s loss to speedy destruction. Mormon saw his people lose the Spirit and lamented: “The day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually.” In other words, the Spirit had ceased striving with them, and Mormon understood that he was now witnessing their “speedy destruction.” This destruction was physical and immediate but it also meant the future destruction of their souls. As his compatriots died physically in battle, their souls would also lose the battle with Satan, and become his—at least in this metaphor.
Scripture: The warning that the Spirit will cease to strive with human beings apparently violates Yahweh’s long-suffering, but we should understand that hardened hearts are impervious to the Spirit. Human beings refuse to admit the Spirit; the Spirit does not voluntarily withdraw.