Today I want to cover two scriptures from the Book of Amos that caused me to think about how we become what and who we are. I will look at them one at a time and then explain why I believe they are related.
First, Amaziah, the priest of Beth-el, was not pleased with the prophesying of Amos and tried to conspire with Jeroboam, the king of Israel, against him to get him to stop and go away. Amos’ response was, “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.”. ( Amos 7:14-17)
The part I want to focus on is this, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.” In essence, Amos is saying that he never expected to become what he was and that he was only doing what he was moved by the Spirit to do.
When you look at yourself, are you surprised by who and what you have become? Are you a product of good or poor choices? Have you been molded by the Spirit by obedience to the commandments of the Lord, or have you gone some other way? If you are like me, it is a combination of all of these things. Fortunately, the big decisions I have made were prompted by spiritual impressions and direct revelation and I have been blessed.
Other factors that make us who we are include biological, physiological, environmental, and sociological influences. The world would have us believe that these things determine who we are and what we can become. If we did not consider the idea that we are children of God and possess the ability to change and overcome all challenges, we would be doomed to be less than what and who we can become.
The next scripture is a warning to those who have obtained economic and social control over people. Amos 8:4-6 reads, “Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?”. These versed describe perfectly the conditions that exist in our world today. Buying loyalty and votes for one side or the other is a political reality. Economic and informational manipulation are running rampant. Sadly we constantly fall for it.
Here is where I will get myself into trouble. Under the guise of good intentions, we have been made poor in our great abundance. Social programs have been created (because we could afford them) that also create a growing class of needy people. Once people are needy, they can be bought for a pair of shoes and a little wheat. Media has gone from being a source of information to a tool for ideological manipulation. Manufactured crises control nearly every aspect of our daily lives and transfer wealth to those who literally have the power to withhold life-saving technologies and medicines. When we are told that we can not work or socialize in specific ways and we don’t conform, we are subject to cancellation and blacklisting.
Those who think they are in control are in for a rude awakening. God, and those who believe in Him, will fulfill the prophecies contained in the scriptures. In the case of Amaziah, Amos prophesied this, “Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.”
Can we be like Amos, who was happy being a regular guy, just going about his business, to being prophets? We must stand and defend truth and virtue. Doctrine and Covenants 88:86 & 88 read, “Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes… And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.” Can we become those who will stand and testify against manipulation and conspiring men and institutions?
What have we become? Maybe the better question is, what can we become if we pay attention to the Spirit of the Lord?