“They Returned to Their Homes Never Speaking of Their God Again”

Bryan Richards

The hypocrisy of the Zoramites is amazing. They had fashioned a religion which had no effect on the human soul. Their attitude was the opposite of that proposed by Nephi in which the righteous are always speaking of their God, we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies (2 Nephi 25:26). Yet again, we must ask if we are not guilty of the same hypocrisy in a lesser degree. There are many who do their duty at church but return to their homes to live a lifestyle in conflict with the teachings of the gospel. From Monday to Saturday, they are much more likely to gossip about other members of the ward than they are to speak of God and Christ. In the words of Neal A. Maxwell, “true Christian soldiers are more than weekend warriors.” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 22)

Elder William H. Reeder

“If it were my prerogative to preach a sermon, I should like to cry out against the hypocrisy that seems to prevail among some of our members. I am sure there is no greater offense against the Holy Ghost than insincerity, inconsistency, and hypocrisy. The Savior denounced it most vehemently. It does not get any of us--who do not practice what we preach and profess to be--anywhere or anything. Those who are true and loyal are the ones who reap the benefits.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1948, p. 151)

Joseph Smith

“I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm yet deals justice to his neighbors and mercifully deals his substance to the poor, than the long, smooth-faced hypocrite.” (History of The Church, vol. 5, p. 401)

Neal A. Maxwell

“(quoting Alma 31:23) Values that are unassimilated into home life obviously fail to touch the major portion of our lives and, therefore, cannot help us either in that most important laboratory of all, the laboratory of our families. But when our homes help us to be compassionate and selfless…then we have a school on whose graduates all of society depends.” (That My Family Should Partake, p. 151)

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