Mosiah 11 and the Elegant and Spacious Building

The "great and spacious," or "large and spacious," building of Lehi's dream, elite-thronged-and-pouring-over-the-balustrades, looms in the imagination like an eerily aerial echo chamber whose repeating peals of scorn well from deep within an intimidating and beetling spaciousness--an imposing yet ultimately barren cityscape or hollow superstructure. Inspired Mosiah, contributing thoughtfully to Scripture's additive record, calls the phenomenon the "elegant and spacious" building, building after charmed building, chamber after charmed chamber. And he admonishes us that these are "many" and "of all manner" in artistic construct and intellectual overlay. How impressive!

And whether it be in leaning over balconies or balustrades, "in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers" (as in Lehi's dream), or in resting cozily upon podiums or consoles in the attitude of "lying and vain words" (as Mosiah envisions), the chilling effect upon "the joy of the saints" is the same. 

The Holy Ghost carries Mosiah's added admonition to our hearts, for the mockers still mock, the haters yet hate, and the bloggers, seated all around us, and among us, and perhaps even over us--in their degrees "above all the other seats," and perching on their various rungs of elegance, eloquence, or elevated loquaciousness--multiply "vain words" composed (or re-arranged) so very promptly and keyed so very, very often with the ever-wagging and oh-so-omniscient "finger of scorn." 


Quite a show. "But we heeded them not."