Dwindling in Unbelief

Warning: I'm quite ill as I write this. I'm sure it won't be as coherent as I might like!

When Nephi desired to "see, and hear, and know" of the things Lehi had seen in vision, by the power of the Holy Ghost, he was shown many things in vision. One of the things he saw was the affairs of his descendants, including their eventual destruction. Following this, he saw the peoples that remained on the land dwindle in unbelief.

When I read that phrase this time around, my mind was caught up in consideration of what was meant: what is it to dwindle in unbelief? What is involved?

I discovered three conditions prevalent when an individual or people dwindles in unbelief. (Note that these are not sequential consequences, i.e. you don't necessarily experience the first, then the second, etc. Rather, all three are evident in differing degrees as dwindling occurs.)

First, a knowledge of God, His attributes/character, and the knowledge he has disbursed is rejected and lost. Second, God does no miracles among that people or within that individual's life. Third, the gifts of the Spirit are absent.

I suppose that there may be other consequences as well, but those three were what came to my mind.

1. Loss of Knowledge regarding God and our relationship with him.
When Alma and Amulek preached to the people of Ammonihah, Alma explained:

And therefore, he that will ^aharden his heart, the same receiveth the ^blesser portion of the word; and he that will ^cnot harden his heart, to him is ^dgiven the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser ^aportion of the word until they ^bknow nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the ^cchains of ^dhell. (Alma 12:10-11)

Our reaction to God's words help determine what else we receive, as well as what we retain. When we choose to ignore, avoid, or alter the truths that God has provided, not only do we lose that particular truth, but it is the beginning of the loss of more truth, until we accept none of God's words for us.

This condition, where we reject parts or all of God's truth and will in our lives, is referred to variously as hardheartedness, stiffneckedness, and being past feeling. Being past feeling - rejecting the influence of even the Light of Christ which is given to everyone that comes to this earth - is also a state of being spiritually lost.

And he that ^arepents not, from him shall be ^btaken even the light which he has received; for my ^cSpirit shall not always ^dstrive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts. (D&C 1:33, see also Mormon 5:16)

Laman and Lemuel necessarily needed to reject the great evidences they received of God and his ways in order to pursue their own desires for power. For example, an angel told them that Nephi had been called to be their leader and teacher. This clashed with their own belief that the rulership was rightfully theirs. They later accused Nephi of using his cunning arts (i.e. something synonymous with illusion and magic) to deceive them and bind them under his control. Their continued rejection of the testimony of God and his will led them swiftly down a path of hardening and increasing wickedness. Once in the promised land, the threat they posed to Nephi's life was so great that Nephi was commanded to flee into the wilderness from his murderous brothers.

Thereafter, the Lamanites dwindled in unbelief for many generations.

2. A lack of miracles.
Miracles have always occurred amongst people of faith. A ram was provided as a substitute for Isaac. Joseph in Egypt interpreted dreams and saved his family and many others from famine. Alma and Amulek were miraculously freed from prison. All who came to the Saviour to be healed were healed.

For some reason, some still feel that the times of visitations of angels, of miraculous healings, of visions and revelation, or, in short, of miracles are no longer needed. A similar misconception is the belief that miracles cannot occur in some individual's life, or that specific sorts of miracles just can't happen in some place or for some person. It can be appealing to think that the lack of great spiritual manifestations is merely due to fiat of the Lord, and yet Moroni's words come out harshly against this belief:

And if there were ^amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he ^bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

And the reason why he ceaseth to do ^amiracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should ^btrust. (Mormon 9:19-20)

Moroni is clear that when miracles are not occurring, it is due to our own dwindling in unbelief, and not because the Lord no longer provides them. The Israelites received manna everyday. Lehi's family received instruction from the Liahona everyday. Why should God be any different today?

3. The Gifts of the Spirit are absent.
Once again, Moroni helps us on this one. This third point is closely related to the second. Is it a miracle to see an angel? It's also a gift of the Spirit, Moroni tells us. Is it a miracle to be healed suddenly and completed? It's also a gift of the Spirit.

Moroni goes on to tell us:

And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the ^asame yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the ^bunbelief of the children of men. (Moroni 10:19)

 So, when an individual or a people dwindle in unbelief, the gifts of the Spirit are absent. Moroni also tells us that every one is entitled to receive these gifts, and that we need to apply ourselves to receive them.

On my mission, my mission president and I discussed a particular gift of the Spirit that I had been promised. He reminded me that, like any talent, a gift of the Spirit must be developed. It must be asked for. It must essentially be practiced or exercised, so that it becomes stronger and easier. And, of course, worthiness is vital.

So, if the gifts are absent in my life, I'm dwindling. If miracles are absent, I'm dwindling. And, if I'm not searching his word and seeking his counsel, then I'm rejecting his word, avoiding his counsel, and I'm dwindling.

Enlarging the Soul
Alma's wonderful discourse on exercising faith compares the word to a seed. Such a seed, if nourished, will ultimately bear the fruit of eternal life - or, in other words, of the perfect knowledge of God.

When we are working against the dwindling that Satan would have us do, we are engaged in the work of enlarging the soul. Our capacity for holiness increases. Our desire to follow our Father's will strengthened. This necessarily requires work.


For example, Nephi had to obey in a very difficult circumstance in order to obtain the brass plates, and had to face multiple fruitless attempts before then. It was hard work. When he came to the moment with Laban drunk at his feet, the Spirit taught him:

It is ^cbetter that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in ^dunbelief. (1 Nephi 4:13)

Such simple words were expressed during an incredibly difficult situation. Nephi hearkened to the Spirit, and obeyed God. The Book of Mormon later testifies of the impact that such hard work and obedience yielded, when the account of the Mulekites was provided. We learn that the Mulekites did not believe in God and that their language had been corrupted. Instructively, we read that they had brought no records with them. King Benjamin, a generation later, taught his sons that without the records they had brought (i.e. the Brass Plates/the scriptures) they would have suffered in ignorance, and dwindled in unbelief. (There's that phrase again!) He then taught his sons to search the scriptures diligently. Why? So that they might not dwindle in unbelief! Alma the Younger spoke similarly in urging the people to sufficiently remember the captivity of their fathers, and how they were freed. Such a task would have been impossible without the scriptures.

Dwindling
Finally, a consideration of the word itself. The more modern meaning of "to waste away, fade, vanish" reminds us of the influence of God leaving a people or individual. Earlier roots provide a meaning of "to die", reminding us of spiritual separation from God equating to spiritual (second) death. This also relates to a final meaning of "to pass away, to become senseless".