🌿 Two Witnesses, One Path — Part 1 Mosiah 3:19 and the Natural Man
🌿 Two Witnesses, One Path — Part 1
Mosiah 3:19 and the Natural Man
When I began this new study, I decided to start with one of my favorite scriptures in all the Book of Mormon.
Mosiah 3:19.
If you've spent much time in the Book of Mormon, you probably know the verse.
King Benjamin teaches:
"For the natural man is an enemy to God..."
I've always loved that scripture because it explains a battle every one of us understands.
Not a battle against governments.
Not a battle against institutions.
Not even a battle against other people.
A battle within ourselves.
Part of us wants Christ.
Part of us wants our own way.
Part of us wants heaven.
Part of us wants comfort.
King Benjamin teaches that we must yield to the Holy Spirit, put off the natural man, and become humble, submissive, meek, patient, and childlike.
As I sat on the porch thinking about that verse, a question came into my mind.
Does the Nemenhah teach the same thing?
Not the same words.
The same principle.
So I began searching.
What I found surprised me.
🪶 Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 13:23–24
The first passage I found says:
"For the children of men are born in this natural state..."
Then continues:
"But if they will be elevated and set aside this natural man, the Peacemaker shall welcome them upon the Way..."
I had to stop and read that twice.
King Benjamin speaks of putting off the natural man.
This passage speaks of setting aside the natural man.
Different wording.
Very similar teaching.
Neither passage says the natural man can become our guide.
Both teach that something must be laid down before we can walk with God.
🪶 Second Book of Pah Nahtahn 2:20
Another passage teaches:
"Prepare your heart and make of it a bulwark against that natural law that dictates the beastly heart of the natural man."
That phrase caught my attention.
The beastly heart of the natural man.
Strong language.
Yet isn't that exactly what King Benjamin is warning us about?
The selfish part of human nature.
The prideful part.
The part that constantly wants its own way.
🪶 Mahnti 4:50
Then I found this:
"This natural man moves always to satisfy his own lusts. But when the natural man is put away..."
Again, the same theme appears.
The problem is not merely behavior.
The problem is the heart.
And the solution is not simply trying harder.
The solution is transformation.
That sounds remarkably similar to King Benjamin's message.
🪶 Mohrhohnahyah 14:5
Finally, another passage teaches:
"...the man is able to lay down the natural man..."
There it is again.
Lay down the natural man.
Put away the natural man.
Set aside the natural man.
Yield to the Spirit.
Walk with the Peacemaker.
The language changes.
The invitation remains.
What Surprised Me Most
What surprised me was not finding matching words.
What surprised me was finding the same struggle.
The same battle.
The same invitation.
King Benjamin teaches:
Put off the natural man.
The Nemenhah repeatedly teaches:
Set aside the natural man.
Lay down the natural man.
Resist the beastly heart of the natural man.
Different records.
Different cultures.
Different expressions.
Yet they appear to be pointing toward the same truth.
The greatest battle most of us will ever fight is not outside ourselves.
It is within.
And the answer is not found in becoming stronger than everyone else.
The answer is found in yielding ourselves more completely to God.
That is what King Benjamin taught.
And interestingly enough, that is exactly what I found the Nemenhah teaching as well.
Next Study
In the next article we will look at Alma 36:18–19.
The moment Alma remembers Jesus Christ.
The moment everything changes.
And what we found there may be even more interesting.
— The True Remnant
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🌿 About the Nemenhah Records
Many readers have asked about the Nemenhah Records.
The Nemenhah Records are a collection of writings that claim to preserve teachings, history, prophecy, and spiritual instruction among indigenous peoples of the Americas. Whether you are simply curious or deeply interested, I encourage you to study them for yourself and compare them with the scriptures you already know.
The records are available through Amazon and can be found by searching:
🔍 Nemenhah Records
🔍 Phillip Cloudpiler Landis
As with all things, I encourage you to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost and allow the Lord to be your teacher.
🌿 Sunday Study Group
Several of us gather each Sunday morning to read and discuss the Nemenhah Records together. We come from different backgrounds, ask honest questions, and seek to learn from one another while keeping Christ at the center of the discussion.
If you would like information about joining the study group, simply leave a comment below and let me know. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you, and I will be happy to reach out.
🌿 Search the Blog
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Click the magnifying glass (🔍) at the top of the blog and search topics such as:
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Take what helps.
Leave the rest.
Keep seeking Christ.
— The True Remnant
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