“They Delighted in the Shedding of Blood Continually”
Wickedness repels the Spirit in one’s life. Devoid of the Spirit, one’s love and respect for God and others diminish and begin to “wax cold.” Those who have no conscience or regard of others view human life with no special reverence but rather as being expendable as deemed necessary. The most extreme and abominable result of love waxing cold is that not only can one shed innocent blood without repulsion but also can actually receive pleasure in doing it. This was the case with the Nephites, and Mormon’s account serves as a warning to us of the wickedness that will prevail in the last days, when men’s hearts fail them and the love of many shall wax cold. Delighting in bloodshed epitomizes the awful depths to which a person or society can fall when they are spiritually “past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45).
References
