Setting Boundaries, Book of Mormon Style

I was reading in my scriptures last night and something popped out to me that I wanted to share.  Mormon had to practice setting boundaries too.  He surrendered his people to the will of the Lord and watched as the Lord destroyed them because of their wickedness.  Not only did he have to watch, but he was asked to document it:

Mormon 3:9-16 
9 And now, because of this great thing which my people, the Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies.

10 And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land.

11 And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination.

12 Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.

13 And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and they have repented not of their sins. 

14 And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying:

15 Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth.

16 And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come.

My heart aches for Mormon here.  He loves his people, they are his family.  Yet, even through his kindness, patience and forgiveness they are still rebellious against God.  Mormon finally had to say 'enough!'  Don't we have to do this with people in our lives that hurt us or cause us harm?  Sometimes we really do have to set a boundary to protect ourselves and simply say enough is enough.  

The most important lesson in this entire passage I think is the very last line that I've bold highlighted, "and I did even as the Lord had commanded me."  It is the Lord that told Mormon it was enough.  It's important for all of us when we set boundaries with our loved ones to filter those boundaries through the Lord.  By doing so we can always be confidant that we are secure for we have been obedient to the counsel of our Father.  If we are not obedient, we will become bound by the same pride and rebellion as the Nephites as: "they had sworn...that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves."  

The Lord answers "vengeance is mine."  And good thing.  Because vengeance eats me alive.  It consumes me with hate and anger and I am in no place to handle that and stay focused on my Savior at the same time.  I gladly give that job to God.