Much Should Be Done Because of the Hardness of Their Hearts

Jarom said that "it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks..." (Jarom 1:3 emphasis added).

The idea of hardness of one's heart and/or the stiffness of one's neck is often associated with one's blindness as to the things of God. For example Nephi said that the devil "blindeth the eyes and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men..." (1 Nephi 12:1;13:1). Another way of saying the same thing is that when one's heart is hard or one's neck is stiff, one does not look unto the Lord, because one has turned his/her heart away from God, and has placed his/her heart on the ways of men and the treasures of men. Men then put their trust in science, technology, weapons, gold, silver, money, travel and worldly pursuits. One cannot 'see' the things of God if one is turned away from God, and if one's heart is set upon the things of the world. One becomes self deceived, contracted as to the things of God, and relying on material things, upon their own strength, and/or upon the wisdom and knowledge of men. The turning away is always associated with hardening of the heart and/or the stiffness of one's neck.

The idea of wholly turning away from God is associated with refusing to hearken unto His voice and turning away from His righteousness (Abraham 1:5). Turning away is also associated with turning toward, and in the case of Abraham's fathers it was the turning of their hearts to other gods (Abraham 1:6-7).

This is also clear in Helaman 6:31 where it is recorded that because Satan had great hold upon the hearts of the people, that they "...had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness...and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver" (emphasis added).

When one's heart is set upon the things of the world, one's heart is hard. When one refuses to turn to the Lord one's neck is stiff.

The idea of turning toward either Good (God) or Evil (Satan--any alternative to God) is captured in the Old Testament where the prophets continually admonish the children of Israel to turn their hearts to Jehovah and away from other gods. One has to only look in the Bible Topical Guide under 'turn' and see the multiple references to turning to or away from God. Since the choice is either one or the other, one cannot at the same time worship false gods and the true God. The choice is a turning to God or a turning away from God. There is no middle ground, even though Israel's apostasy has always included giving lip service to the true God, while at the same time setting their hearts upon the things of the world and relying upon the arm of flesh--the false gods. Alma refers to this condition by saying "Behold, O God, they cry unto thee, and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world" (Alma 31:27).

Being hardhearted is repeatedly used in connection with the opposite of repentance or turning to God. "If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son" (Alma 12:33 emphasis added). See also verses 34-37.

Also associated with the hardening of one's heart is the refusal to receive God's word. "Therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word,..." (Alma 12:10-13 emphasis added). Also associated with ignorance of God's word is being stiffnecked. "...I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be" (2 Nephi 32:7 emphasis added).

Is Jarom's comment applicable to us? Consider this. "And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning;... And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up;... Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this--Satan had great power unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity;... (3 Nephi 6:12-16 emphasis added).

Nephi adds, "Behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught" (2 Nephi 33:2 emphasis added).