Judges 13 - 18

The story of Samson is one of the great tragedies of scripture. It becomes apparent that Samson was foreordained to -

"...begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines..." (Old Testament Judges 13:5)

There are many gifts of the Spirit or gifts from God. In Samson's case, it was almost superhuman strength. The truth of his foreordination becomes apparent as -

"...the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, ...no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb..." (Old Testament Judges 13:3 - 5)

His great strength becomes immediately apparent as -

"...a young lion roared against him.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand..." (Old Testament Judges 14:5 - 6)

We know that only -

"...they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness...shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."
(Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 12:6)

By being obedient for -

"...he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." (New Testament 1 John 3:24)

King Benjamin said of the who do not keept his commandents -

"...the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 2:37)

Samson was not necessarily living righteously or keeping the commandments. I wonder if the writer really meant "Gift of the Lord" instead of "Spirit of the Lord". For after Samson saw of a Philistine women in Timnath, he was not willing to follow the counsel of the Lord or his parents when the asked -

"...Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well." (Old Testament Judges 14:3)

It seems everything Samson did was more of a result of his passions and anger than that of self-mastery and obedience. We see this when he lost his wager regarding his riddle and -

"...he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle." (Old Testament Judges 14:19)

When he seeked revenge as his wife was given away and he -

"...went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives." (Old Testament Judges 15:4 - 5)

And in his anger as he -

"...he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith...." (Old Testament Judges 15:15)

There was little self mastery as he -

"...to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her..." (Old Testament Judges 16:1)

When he fell for Delilah revealing all his vows as -

"...he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." (Old Testament Judges 16:17)

Even in the end, you wonder if most of his motive was more revenge than a desire to serve the Lord as he blinded -

"...took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." (Old Testament Judges 16:29 - 30)

We need to remember -

"For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 3:4)

Being foreordained with great gifts does not necessarily mean pre-destination. We are still given our agency. All is dependent upon our obedience and righteousness.