Lord often is 'addressee' of murmuring
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Throughout the Old Testament, the human tendency to complain and find fault with leaders is documented numerous times. Particularly with the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, this murmuring manifested not only disrespect for their prophet, but showed a lack of reverance for divine directives as well.
"The real `Addressee' of some of our murmuring is clearly the Lord, as when the people complained against Moses," said Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve in his October 1989 general conference address."Murmuring seems to come so naturally to the natural man."
Elder Maxwell defined several reasons people become murmurers:
"First, the murmurer often lacks the courage to express openly his concerns. . . .
"Second, murmurers make good conversational cloak holders. Though picking up no stones themselves, they provoke others to do so.
"Third, while a murmurer insists on venting his own feelings, he regards any response thereto as hostile. . . .
"Fourth, murmurers have short memories. Israel arrived in Sinai, then journeyed on to the Holy Land though they were sometimes hungry and thirsty. But the Lord rescued them, whether by the miraculous appearance by quail or by water struck from a rock. Strange isn't it . . . how those with the shortest memories have the longest list of demands! However, with no remembrance of past blessings there is no perspective about what is really going on."
Elder Maxwell further said, "No one knows how to work a crowd better than the adversary. Instead of murmuring, therefore, being of good cheer is what is needed, and being of good cheer is equally contagious. We have clear obligations to so strengthen each other by doing things `with cheerful hearts and countenances.' " (D&C 59:15.)
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Articles on this page may be used in conjunction with the Gospel Doctrine course of study.
Information compiled by Gerry Avant
Sources: Voice of Israel's Prophets, by Sidney B. Sperry; Old Testament Student Manual; October 1989 general conference report.
