Alma 11

Alrighty, I'm back. I was a few chapters behind and I never reported last Tuesday, I apologize. I got caught up this morning, reading 4 chapters, amazingly my children slept in and I was able to even do that! And I loved it! What a great feeling it is to be filled with such words of truth! My husband bought me some highlighting crayons which has helped me study more efficiently. I have divided the colors into "topics", of popular scriptures (Scripture Mastery, ones I have somewhat memorized or heard repeatedly), commandments, promises, phrases or passages I like, pondering questions and counsel/doctrine.

You can read chapter 11 HERE.

Nephite coinage set forth—Amulek contends with Zeezrom—Christ will not save people in their sins—Only those who inherit the kingdom of heaven are saved—All men shall rise in immortality—There is no death after the resurrection.

Oh, the coinage! Versus 4-19 breaks down the Nephite coinage, or currency. Honestly, I find this part boring, but definitely see the benefit of having the records. I'm sure there are many people who find this information fascinating; I am not one of those people. But! It's there.

I found it interesting in verse 20 that it's pointed out about the lawyears that, "Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their ^bemploy, therefore, they did ^cstir up the people to ^driotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might ^eget ^fmoney according to the suits which were brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek." Which sets the stage for the infamous encounter with Zeezrom.

Verses 21-45 covers the conversation held between Zeezrom, the corrupt lawyer, and Amulek, a servant of God. I have, thankfully, never been in a situation like this where the words I say could mean life or death. I know that is not what was most important to Amulek, but I find it incredible how strong the spirit was with him; that he was able to "contend" with this cunning, skilled, manipulator of words! 

The first of my 2 favorite phrases are in verse 22, after Zeezrom asks them if he can ask them a few questions, and Alma responds, "Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord." Isn't that the way it should always be? We should live our lives and speak our words by the Spirit of the Lord. Alma and Amulek are just amazing. What great examples of the believers!

And the second is in verse 23 when Amulek chastises Zeezrom after he offered him money to deny the existence of a Supreme Being, he says, "O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yeildeth to no such temptation?"  So many probably would deny His existence for monetary gains, but not the righteous! I just love that. And the fact that he called him a child of hell, just tickles me. It would probably be inappropriate to repeat that now days though...

Amulek goes on to testify of the resurrection and how the final judgement will go. By the end of Amulek's words, "the people began to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble." Sheesh. It would have been incredible to be there, and hear that.

Alma Ch. 10

Read it HERE.

Summary: Lehi descended from Manasseh—Amulek recounts the angelic command that he care for Alma—The prayers of the righteous cause the people to be spared—Unrighteous lawyers and judges lay the foundation of the destruction of the people. About 82 B.C.

This is a good chapter. Alma and Amulek are just starting to preach together, and we learn a little about Amulek's personal history. This is what we know:

~He is of noble lineage, even descended all the way down from Joseph of Egypt (vs. 3).
~He is wealthy, well-respected, and has many friends and associates (vs. 4).
~He has a large household (vs. 11)
~He admits that he has seen many instances of the Lord's power but has not given them the thought and attention he should have in order to really come to know of the Lord's power (vs. 5).
~He says he was "in rebellion" against God, had become wicked, and had hardened his heart (vs. 6).

Why is this so important to know? Why does Amulek tell the people this about himself? We know that he was preaching to people who were just like he was--their hearts were hardened. He tells the people of how the Lord blessed him when he became faithful again.

We know Amulek is talking to many of his friends in this group. I think he is desperately trying to help them understand that no matter how prosperous they may feel, their lives are incomplete without following the Lord. He is frank about their need for repentance:

"20 And now I say unto you that well doth the Lord judge of your iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of his angels: Repent ye, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

21 Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels that: I will come down among my people, with equity and justice in my hands.

22 Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword."

Of course, the people did not take this message well. Many of these people were his friends! Yet they still called him a "child of the devil" and reviled against him (vs. 28).


I have one final thought. We learn about Amulek's noble heritage but we also learn of his many, many imperfections.

6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was acalled many times and I would not bhear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling cagainst God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.


Notice that he calls himself wicked, hard-hearted, and rebellious. Yet Heavenly Father still calls him to do a great work. Heavenly Father provides him with an opportunity to have a change of heart, and Amulek takes it. We are also called to do a great work--we are members of God's church and have a responsibility to live up to our covenants and help others come to the knowledge of the gospel.


But we are also mothers, and this can be taxing and discouraging at times. I think many of us have days or years in our lives when we feel we are not living up to our potential. I think it is easy to get caught up in all of the things we are doing wrong, and none of the things we can do right. We need to remember that on the days we don't feel as close to the Lord, and on the days we've been neglectful or irritable toward our children and spouses, that Heavenly Father knows our full potential and still needs us in His kingdom. But more importantly, we need to be a part of this great work. We don't need to be perfect. We just need to be willing to try.


Elise

Alma 9

This is the first of several chapters where Alma and Amulek are preaching to the wicked people of Ammonihah. Remember, this is the second time that Alma has preached to them. He is only returning because the angel of the Lord commanded him to return.

The people are scornful because Alma expects them to listen to the witness of just one man. This is why the Lord sends missionaries in pairs, because people are more likely to listen to the testimonies of two people than just one.

Alma spends most of the chapter trying to impress upon these people the importance of repenting. He uses the Lamanites of an example of those who have turned against the Lord and have been cut off from his presence. However, he tells the Ammonihahites that the Lord will be more merciful to the Lamanites at judgment day than to them, because the Lamanites are wicked because of the sins of their fathers, but the people of Ammonihah should know better, having had so much light and knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God. We too have had so much light and knowledge poured down upon us. That is why the Lord will be much harder on us than on people who never have heard the Gospel and who have never lived its precepts, like we have. There is a lot of responsibility in being members of the Church. The Lord doesn't want half-hearted service, he expects us to serve him with all of our heart.

Alma tells the people that the Lord is basically giving them one more chance before they are destroyed off of the earth. The Lord likes to give his people as many warnings as possible before exacting justice. If we listen to the words of the prophets and follow them, we will be safe.

-Tori

Alma Chapter 8

Summary: Alma preaches and baptizes in Melek—He is rejected in Ammonihah and leaves—An angel commands him to return and cry repentance unto the people—He is received by Amulek, and the two of them preach in Ammonihah. About 82 B.C.

When I read this chapter, there were quite a few things I found to be impressive, and a few thoughts that I had. So for this post, I want to share those with you.

1: Verse 10: 10 Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance.
-And yet, the people still hardened their hearts and did not hearken to his words. They knew who he was, that he was the high priest. But they said that since he gave up the judgement seat and they are not of his church, he has no power over them. That is sad. I think that all prophets probably have this experience. They pray and pray and pray for people, but agency still plays in part. They can not be forced to repent, they still have to choose. But what sadness it must cause the prophets.

2: As Alma left the city of Ammonihi, an angel appeared unto him to tell him that he has been faithful, and he needs to return to the city to preach to the people, otherwise they will be destroyed. He also lets him know that he was the angel that delivered the first message to him, from the Lord. I assume he is the same angel that came and asked why he was persecuting the church with the sons of Mosiah. I thought that was kinda neat that the Lord sent the same angel.

3: I was very impressed that after Alma had received this message, he SPEEDILY returned to the city. Impressive. What faith, after what had just happened to him in that city.

4: When Alma asked Amulek for something to eat, he tells him that an angel appeared to him and told him to receive Alma unto his house. I wonder if that was the same angel too?

5: Verse 27 says that Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he started preaching again. I wonder if he was teaching Amulek....since soon, Amulek basically becomes a partner in preaching with Alma.

Verse 32: And it came to pass that they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them.

And if you have read about Alma and Amulek before, you know that they were very powerful and very faithful. There are quite some stories coming up about them. What trust they must have had in the Lord. It's a good example for us - that no matter what, we just need to trust in the Lord. If we do then we will be filled with the spirit, his power, and be protected.

Alma Ch. 4

(Read it HERE.)

Summary: Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church’s progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry. Between 86 and 83 B.C.


This chapter, I think, does a really good job of showing how righteous people get caught in the "pride cycle," especially verses 6 and 8:

"[They] began to wax proud because of their exceeding riches [. . .] and all manner of precious things which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes.

"[They] set their hearts upon riches and upon vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another."

I think the basic and grievous problem these people have is that they are forgetting the reason they are blessed with all they have. They are forgetting that they are blessed with those things. They have forgotten that it is Heavenly Father who has given them abilities and opportunities to obtain those things. And because of this, they grow to love those objects, and they grow to love their abilities and talents more than the Lord and their fellow men. The things they have really are not theirs--they belong to the Lord, for He is the one who gave them to the people.

They have set their hearts upon riches and upon "vain things of the world." You know, I am married to an MBA student. I don't feel that we have a lot of "riches" at this time in our lives. With the current state of our economy, there are many, many people who feel the same way I do. But you know, I do have lots of time. I have all day to spend with my children. Do I use this time, this thing that I have been blessed with, in as righteous a way as I would want to use my money? I am accountable for the time I spend with my kids. Heavenly Father is the one who has blessed me with time; I need to remember to be a good steward of that the same way I would be with money. "My" time should be the Lord's time.

What are some of your assets? Time? Talent? Money? How do you feel you succeed in remembering the Lord in your blessings and using them for a righteous purpose? It took two years for these people to forget the Lord and be crippled by their pride. Two years. That is not very long.


But what I really found touching about this chapter is the deep desire Alma feels to bring the people back to the Lord, and that he wants to do it himself.

This is understandable, right? Alma taught many of these people from their "infancy" in the gospel. He baptized them. He helped them establish a church (vs. 4). He called righteous leaders. Alma knew, from personal experience, that wickedness is not the Lord's way, and therefore does not bring lasting satisfaction.

As a mother, this really touched me. I am raising my children ("from infancy") now, and I hope more than anything that they will grow to love and live the gospel. But what am I doing to encourage this? When do my children see me lead by example, the way Alma is doing by going to bring his people back to the Lord? When was the last time they saw me read the scriptures or pray by myself? This is something I can really improve on.

"19 And this he did that he ^ahimself might go forth among his people, or among the people of^bpreach the ^cword of God unto them, to ^dstir them up in ^eremembrance ofof God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure ^ftestimony against them."


If my children go astray, you can bet that I am not leaving them to just anyone. Or anyone else, for that matter. I am going to do everything I personally, possibly can to bring them back to "remembrance of their duty." Sometimes this means waiting. Sometimes, however, it means taking action.

Julie Beck gave a great talk relating to Motherhood two conferences ago. Here is part I thought related to this chapter (it is a little lengthy, but still good):

Mothers Who Know Are Teachers

"Mothers who know are always teachers. Since they are not babysitters, they are never off duty. A well-taught friend told me that he did not learn anything at church that he had not already learned at home. His parents used family scripture study, prayer, family home evening, mealtimes, and other gatherings to teach. Think of the power of our future missionary force if mothers considered their homes as a pre–missionary training center. Then the doctrines of the gospel taught in the MTC would be a review and not a revelation. That is influence; that is power.

Mothers Who Know Do Less

Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power. "

And you know? Sometimes we do everything we can and our children still fall away, and this does not mean we caused them to reject the gospel. But the possibility of this happening does not mean we don't try as hard as we can to raise them to be "builders of the Lord's kingdom." I need to improve in this area. How about you? What do you do to teach your children to love the gospel?

Elise

Alma 3

I was in New Jersey last week, so I forgot to write when I got home Saturday night! So here we go.

In this chapter the Nephites recover from a crippling war with the Amlicites. It's really sad that many women and children were also killed, and their homes were destroyed. The book of Alma really is a book full of war. But it also has some of my favorite doctrinal chapters of the Book of Mormon. I wonder why that is?

Apparently the Amlicites had voluntarily marked themselves like the Lamanites. Alma briefly recounts how the Lamanites were marked by the Lord for their disobedience by having darker skin to set them apart from the Nephites, and so the Nephites would know not to mingle with them. Alma points out how the Amlicites chose to mark themselves, saying:

18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come out in open rebellion against God; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.

He then says that just as they brought upon themselves their own curse, we bring upon ourselves our own curse and condemnation by rebelling against God. That makes sense, but it is still sobering. I think we often spend a lot of time reacting to things. But when we do that, we think of ourselves as victims of circumstance and we tend to blame other people for what is going on to us, kind of like how the Lamanites blames the Nephites for everything wrong that happened to them. Pretty soon we are choosing the wrong path because we assume that that will bring more happiness. So instead of just reacting to things, we should try to act. I'm not sure exactly what I mean by that, but it's something I want to ponder on more.

He ends the chapter describing how in one year alone, tens of thousands of people died. I like the final verses:

26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.

27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth.

I really want to make sure that I am choosing to obey the Lord, and not choosing to follow Satan either voluntarily or by not actively following the Lord. I think we can all find things in our lives that we aren't doing that we know we should. I am going to make a commitment to you all that I will try actively to do better at this. My goal is to hold Family Home Evening every Monday.

Mosiah 29

Summary: Mosiah proposes that judges be chosen in place of a king—Unrighteous kings lead their people into sin—Alma the younger is chosen chief judge by the voice of the people—He is also the high priest over the Church—Alma the elder and Mosiah die. About 92—91 B.C.

The majority of this chapter is concerning why it is unwise to have a king be ruler over the people. Mosiah's reasons include the following:
*7 And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise acontentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and bdraw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.

*all men are not just

*much ainiquity doth one bwicked king cause to be committed

*ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous aking save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood

*22 For behold, he has his afriends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;
23 And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he acauseth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous bking doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

Because of all of these reasons, Mosiah proposes that judges be appointed "that will judge this people according to the commandments of God." (vs. 11)

There are 2 important principles taught in this chapeter. 1)We are reminded that Alma and his people were saved from bondage because they humbled themselves and cried continually to the Lord. 2)And we learn that we must be God-fearing.

1)There comes a time in everyone's life when we need to be reminded of the Lord. We get so caught up in the day to day that it gets easy to forget the Lord. We forget the Lord by neglecting our scripture study, forgetting to pray, neglecting our callings or temple worship or service. There is a reason the Lord has put these commandments in place: to help us remember Him and remember from where all our blessings come. And further, to allow us to be instruments in His hands. I personally know that the Lord has "saved me from bondage" many times. I did have to be humbled, so that I could more sincerely and fully rely on the Lord and see His hand in my life. I know that it will happen again because I am not perfect and still have much to learn. But through it all, the Lord has blessed my family so much. Especially in these hard times, I have seen His hand. He has worked miracles in our home. I know that we would have NOTHING without Him. I hope I can always remember that.

2) I admire so much how the people in this chapter come to realize the importance of being God-fearing. Especially Mosiah. By that I mean, everything he does, he considers what it is the Lord would want him to do. He mentions that several time throughout the chapter. He was a righteous man who remembered the Lord in all that he did and constantly sought to do His will. 25 "Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord." 30 "And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord."
This just made me think, how often do I strive to truly follow the will of the Lord?