Perhaps Until the Day I Die

We have been following Alma the Younger's experiences for a while, and now we get to hear about the experiences of the sons of Mosiah during the same time frame. These men were with Alma when he was visited by the angel, and he had his life-altering experience. They too saw and heard the angel speak, and were similarly changed.

They all went to preach the Gospel to the Lamanites.  Their desire was to share their testimonies and help them come to a knowledge of their Redeemer.

First we get to hear about Ammon's experience. We hear about how he approached the land of Ishmael, where Lamoni was king. Ammon was captured and brought before Lamoni.

I think it is Lamoni's intention to figure out what a Nephite would be doing coming into his land, so he asks him "if were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people.

Ammon's response tells a lot about his commitment to his purpose of sharing his knowledge of the Redeemer with these people:

"And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die." (Alma 17:23)

The reality is, Ammon didn't know how it was going to end up. Maybe the Lamanites were bloodthirsty enough that they would kill him. Maybe he would spend the rest of his entire life just trying to teach, but being rejected.  It didn't really matter to him how it ended up, though, because he was committed to his cause. 

I think Lamoni probably sensed something good in Ammon, as he offered to let Ammon marry one of his daughters. Ammon refused and just said "I will be thy servant".

We can learn a lot from Ammon about how to share the gospel. He didn't come in saying "I'm here to teach you the gospel". He just wanted to serve. Opportunities to share the gospel will come naturally as you serve and learn to love the people you serve and will eventually teach. This is just as true in life as a non-full-time missionary. We serve people, and give them respect and kindness, and perhaps at some point, we have the opportunity to share the gospel with them.

I think one thing that amazes me about Ammon is his level of commitment to the cause. He didn't just show up on Lamoni's door saying "I'm here for 18 months to 2 years to share the gospel with as many people as possible." He just went among the people to teach and without some deadline, he was just willing to serve those people and maybe, just maybe, at some point, share the gospel and the knowledge of the Savior with them. That's commitment.

Know Where to Go For the Best Strategy

It had been pretty peaceful for a little while, but the Lamanites came into the land, and first of all, destroyed the city of Ammonihah, just as Alma and Amulek told them. They had believed their city couldn't be destroyed, but it was.

The Lamanites also took some prisoners, but the Nephites, specifically Zoram (the chief captain) didn't know where to go to catch up to them and rescue their people.

"Therefore, he that had been appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites, (and his name was Zoram, and he had two sons, Lehi and Aha)—now Zoram and his two sons, knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive by the Lamanites." (Alma 16:5)

I think this says a lot about the character of Zoram. He went straight to Alma, who was the high priest. Zoram wanted to know from the Lord where they should go. He was humble enough to turn to Alma, and have him pray and ask the Lord.

An answer came to Alma, which he relayed to Zoram, and they were successful in getting their people back--all of them.

It's always important to remember where to turn for direction. The Lord knows all. He can direct us.

Take Time out to Administer Those Who Might Not Think They Need It.

Alma and Amulek had been through a lot. They watched as people were stoned and burned alive. They were imprisoned, and along with that came the pretty consistent smiting and spitting on them. They had food and water withheld so they went hungry and thirsty. They were forced to sit in prison naked.

They escaped by the power of God. He destroyed those people who were treating them the worst, and broke them out of prison. They left town and went to a nearby town, Sidom. They were pleased to find that those believers who had been cast out of Ammonihah and stoned all made it to this town. This included Zeezrom, who had originally been one of their harshest critics. He now was very sick, and he took the blame of the wickedness of the people of Ammonihah upon himself. He even was assuming that Alma and Amulek, who he knew to be righteous men, had been killed. Zeezrom demonstrated his faith by being healed when he received the healing blessing from Alma and Amulek. In fact, as soon as they blessed him, "Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people;"

Zeezrom was baptized. Alma established the church in that part of the land. It was good there. Then, when all this was done, something I think is very subtle but very cool happened.

"Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord." (Alma 15:18)

Amulek was a strong, righteous individual. I think it would have been easy for Alma to just take Amulek to the next city that needed to hear the Gospel and continue to preach, but instead he took him to his home and administered to him.

I think sometimes it is easy to forget those people who are strong, and actively doing what they're supposed to do. We always focus on the weak, poor, and/or needy. These kinds of people are often easier to spot, and identify as needing our help.

Too often, though, it might be easy to overlook those faithful people who on the outside are doing great. They are very dedicated, and they a good people. They fulfill their church assignments and do what they are supposed to be doing.

 I think this  is a powerful message of home and visiting teaching. Even the people who seem the strongest can use some help sometimes, and this is one way the Lord takes care of those people too. I definitely need to keep this in mind as I try to take care of those people I home teach.

Courage

This scripture story is heartbreaking to me. Alma and Amulek were testifying, and there were people who believed their words. Unfortunately, there were people who were so wicked, and angry with Alma and Amulek for testifying against their wickedness, that they gathered all the believers, and their scriptures, and cast them into the fire. They burned a bunch of people alive, and made Alma and Amulek watch. THEY MADE THEM WATCH WHILE THEY BURNED PEOPLE ALIVE! How wicked do people have to be to get to that point?

Anyway, Amulek asks Alma if they could maybe use the power of God to save the people from the flames. Alma replies: 

"The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." (Alma 14:11)

First off, you've got to be pretty aware of how the Spirit works in your life to be able to confidently say that in that situation. Can you imagine the potential weight on your shoulders if you weren't 100% certain that you had indeed been constrained by the Spirit? Would you always think to yourself, "Am I SURE that was the Spirit talking and not my own mind?", knowing that you watched innocent people be burned alive right in front of you? You have to be very firm and courageous to follow that particular prompting.

One thing that I love about that verse, though, is what happens to those people who were killed. It says that the Lord receives them up unto himself, in glory. While it was I'm sure a painful way to go for them, if you think about these people, and the city they lived in, it was probably a blessing to get removed from that situation. I'm sure the persecution that would have followed had they been saved from the flames would have been terrible.

After that small exchange between Alma and Amulek, we see some of the character of Amulek.

"Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also." (Alma 14: 12)

This is exactly the thought that would have been going through my mind. I'm not 100% certain, however, that my first thought would have been to save the other people. I think I would be more likely to be looking out for ways to avoid getting burned myself. The fact that this comment came second and not first says a lot about Amulek.

"And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not." (Alma 14:13)

First off, "Be it according to the will of the Lord". What a bold, courageous statement. To just stand there and be willing to die if that was Lord's will. I would like to think that I would react the same way, but when it came down to it, standing there watching other people be burned alive for believing the very things I had been teaching, I'm not sure that I would be as confident and willing. That's definitely something to work on: being more willing to accept the will of the Lord, whatever it may be.

Second, "But behold, our work is not finished;" Alma and Amulek found themselves in this predicament because of the work they were doing: preaching the Gospel. I wonder if I would be as willing to continue on with that work if I were in that very situation they were in.

There is a lot to be learned from Alma and Amulek in this chapter. They were some great examples and great missionaries!

Some day, I hope that I can be as courageous and willing to accept and follow the will of the Lord.

A Bright Recollection of All Our Guilt

This is one of the scriptures I remember well from my mission. We used it often to teach people about the resurrection, which is a gift to all who live on earth.

"The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt." (Alma 11:43)

I think this gives us some key understanding of what "The Judgement" is going to be. We'll be resurrected. Our bodies will be perfect. We'll stand before God. I don't think it's like a movie where we see all the key scenes in our lives in front of the courtroom and jury. I feel like we will very keenly be aware of our guilt. Aware of the things we have done wrong that we have not repented of. I feel like it will be a pretty uncomfortable situation. God demands perfection, yet here we are in front of Him, remembering all our imperfections.

Luckily, there's the second part of the Atonement: the ability to repent of our sins. To right our wrongs (as much as we are able). To repent of my sins, it helps to remember them. We need to be aware of our wrongdoing in order to repent of it.

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a hard time remembering day-to-day things. Memories especially fade with time. The longer you let something go, the less you will remember it. I say this because if I commit a sin, the best time to repent is as soon as I recognize it. The longer I wait, the more likely it is to fade into nothing in my memory. These things don't stay hidden or forgotten forever, though. As the scripture says, I will "have a bright recollection of all [my] guilt".

My goal, then, should be to keep that list as short as possible by repenting daily and also (obviously) avoiding sin.

Glad Tidings Made Known Unto Us in Plain Terms

Alma continues to teach the people about how great the plan of salvation is. He tells them that "...Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth nigh;" (Alma 13:21)

He talks about how the day of salvation coming is really the glad tidings that are declared. The voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels will declare it. This message will go out to ALL nations and people, no matter where they are.

One verse describing how these glad tidings really jumped out at me.

"And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; ..." (Alma 13:23)

When I read this, I was kind of like "of course", but at the same time, I thought "that's awesome". It makes perfect sense that the Lord would want this message understood and clear. It's kind of a two way street though. He's doing His part by sharing this information with us in a clear, understandable way. Now we have to do our part. We must make sure we're at least giving it a shot.

I'm grateful to live in the time that I live in. That Jesus coming to earth and performing the Atonement has already happened makes it (I think) a little easier to have faith in because there are records of these events taking place. However, I'm also in the spot where I get to exercise my faith and look forward to the second coming which has not happened yet.

All I know is preparation of any kind is great, and the way we get prepared is by listening to the messages of glad tidings that come to us from God, whichever way they come.

To Have Claim on Mercy

Alma teaches the people more about the plan of salvation, or as he calls it, the plan of redemption. He tells them that from the beginning when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, God gave them commandments and explained to them the plan of redemption. As part of this, God said "...If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;" (Alma 12:33)

Alma then says:

"Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest." (Alma 12:34)

The phrase that really jumped out at me was "have claim on mercy". That phrase, to me, evokes the idea of having a right to mercy, really stating that it's a sure thing. I believe this is the exact sentiment that Alma was trying to convey here. He's just saying that in just the previous verse, that's what God said. If you repent and don't harden your heart, I will have mercy upon you. God is perfect. He can't lie. I think if we're going to be able to count on anyone's promises, it would be a promise from God.

I know that certainly I can be doing better at these things. Repenting of specific things as they happen, as well as almost taking stock at the end of the day to review my actions and repent of those things that I realize looking bad that I haven't repented of yet. As for not hardening my heart, I think that really happens in 2 ways. First would be an outright decision to not allow things to affect my heart. This seems like a more conscious decision. The other kind of hardening of my heart kind of seems like a hardening caused by a lack of use, or something like that. If we don't constantly work to receive revelation from our Heavenly Father, and feel of His Spirit, and constantly work at making ourselves teachable and malleable, it becomes hardened. This kind of hardening happens due to complacency and/or neglect rather than an active decision. But the results are the same: a hard heart.

My final thoughts in this post echo Alma's final thoughts of the same chapter:

"And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word." (Alma 12:37)

What Gets in the Way of Teaching and Learning

Amulek begins teaching the people in his town. First, he reminds them all that people know him and that he has a reputation to uphold. I think reminding people of this kind of helps them believe the words that follow. Amulek talks about the mysteries of God. He talks about how he has seen much of the mysteries of God and His marvelous power. He goes on to say: 

"Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart..." (Alma 10:6)

Amulek explains where he was spiritually before Alma came along and taught him.

The main point of focus in my mind as I read this verse is how important it is to do things like listen to the promptings of the Spirit. I have had times where I have a prompting, "yet I would not hear" because of one reason or another. I think to say "I would not hear" or "I would not know" points out that we have to take ownership of what we are doing, and acknowledging that it is our choice to hear and know and do the things that the Lord wants us to. It is ultimately up to us.

So if we feel we are not learning or understanding the things we should, or we feel like we don't have access to the power that we should have as children of an all-powerful God, it isn't because God doesn't want to give us these things. He does. We are His children. He loves us. He wants to give us everything He can. He wants us to be successful, and so sometimes He holds back a few blessings so we can learn and grow.

But when He gives us a blessing, a gift, we are responsible to accept it and use it in our lives. It is up to us.

In my life, it is up to me.

More Tolerable for Them

Alma and Amulek begin preaching to the wicked people of Ammonihah. One of the key messages that I think is shared with these people

The people of Ammonihah were still considered "Nephites". Typically throughout the Book of Mormon, we think of the Nephites as the Lord's people and the Lamanites as fighting against them. In other words, we think of Nephites as "good" and Lamanites as "bad". The people of Ammonihah were Nephites, but they were very wicked.

One message that Alma shared with them was this:

"14 Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord. Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.

15 Nevertheless I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for you, if ye remain in your sins, yea, and even more tolerable for them in this life than for you, except ye repent.

16 For there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land.

17 And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name." (Alma 9:14-17)

So Alma talked about the Lamanites as a people who had been cut off from the presence of the Lord because of their wickedness. This probably made a lot of sense to the people of Ammonihah, because growing up as a Nephite, I imagine you were pretty much raised to think of Lamanites as bad, wicked, or at least "worse than us" by comparison.

We get that way sometimes, right? People who are not members of the LDS church are sometimes looked at by members as "bad" people. Sometimes, maybe especially in Utah, where the population of LDS people is pretty dense, we might have parents who don't want their kids mixing with the "wrong" crowd of non-LDS kids. Sometimes we compare ourselves to them, and while we know we're not perfect, we at least can look at a group of people as doing "worse than us".

What Alma points out here, though, is that sure, many of the Lamanites are wicked. They do bad things. They have been cut off from the presence of the Lord, or in other words, they don't have the Spirit with them because of their transgressions. However, this is because they don't really know any different. It was the way they were raised. The people of Ammonihah should know better, because they were part of the "good guys", so they have access to the gospel. Alma points out that those who know what is right and choose to be bad are in way worse shape than those who don't know what is right in the first place.

Alma is making particular mention of the Lamanites. They had specific promises made to them, but I think it's a good lesson to remember. We need to take care of making sure we, ourselves, are on the straight and narrow path. I think once we do this, the Lord obviously expects us to expand that circle, to our family and friends and others, but if we are not making good choices, it would be very easy for the Lord to say "it shall be more tolerable for [non-LDS people] in the day of judgment than for you, if ye remain in your sins".

I hope I don't get blinded by comparing myself with others. I've got plenty to work on.

Follow Speedily

Alma the Younger had given up the judgment seat so he could devote all of his time preaching the gospel and leading people in the right way. One of the cities he went to was Ammonihah. In this wicked city, his message was not well received at all. The people told Alma they didn't believe what he was teaching them, and that he had no power over them because they knew he had given up the judgment seat.

"Now when the people had said this, and withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city, he departed thence and took his journey towards the city which was called Aaron." (Alma 8:13)

They didn't just express their disinterest in his message. They reviled him and spit on him. They cast him out of the city. He had done what he could there, but people just weren't interested. And I'm sure it wasn't a pleasant experience to be kicked out of the city in the first place. He probably even feared for his safety.

Their reaction to his message bothered him. He was troubled by their wickedness. While he was in this mindset, traveling to the city of Aaron, he was visited by an angel. In fact, it was the same angel that visited him when he was going about purposely trying to destroy the Church with the sons of Mosiah. The angel explained a couple of things about the people of Ammonihah, and told Alma that he needed to back and preach again to those people.

I think based on their treatment of Alma earlier, they probably would not be overly welcoming to him if he came back. I also imagine he had to thought of it a little bit as a lost cause. However, he decided to obey:

"Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah." (Alma 8:18)

I think this shows Alma's willingness to do what the Lord asked of him. Not only did he return, but he returned "speedily".

I read about people who react this way and I wonder if it could be said of me that I followed direction from the Lord speedily. It is so easy to be busy, or to put something off. I definitely need to do better at not only following all the promptings and directions I receive, but also doing it speedily.

It turned out pretty well for Alma.

Lay Aside Sin

This verse was just a powerful one when I read it, so I thought I'd mention this one too.

"15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me." (Alma 7:15-16)

This is just neat, and encouraging, for someone like me who isn't perfect. Sometimes it is out of fear that we don't "lay aside every sin". We are afraid of what life would be like without it, or we are afraid of the effort it will take to lay it aside. We could be afraid of the repentance process, or maybe afraid of the consequences of our actions.

But the truth is that our sins bind us. We become less free when we sin. We become less able to make our own decisions (or at least we feel that way).

Here's the thing, though. It's worth it. I mean, whoever does it, shall (not can, but shall) have eternal life. And just like Alma, I can say that the Holy Spirit testifies in me that these things are true. Just lay aside sin, and you will have eternal life, to live forever in a blessed state, with our Heavenly Father.

Christ's Atonement Cover's Everything

This is one of my very favorite scriptures. It talks about Christ, before He was on the earth, and what some of the prophets knew about Him.  It introduces the topic by describing that He would be born of Mary at Jerusalem, and then proceeds to talk about the most miraculous aspects of His life: the Atonement.

"11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12)

This is one of my favorites, because often we talk about how Jesus atoned for our sins, which in and of itself is so awesome. However, we go through so much in this life that doesn't have anything to do with sin, and it is powerful to think that Christ has been there through all of it, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations OF EVERY KIND. So not just sin, but sickness, pain, sorrow, temptation. All the things that we could suffer in this life, Jesus has been there and understands how we feel. Why? So "that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities". To succor someone means to give assistance and support in a times of hardship and distress. Christ knows how to do that. Also, when you go to help someone, you often give them the help that YOU think they need. But when Christ helps, it's "according to their infirmities", or in other words, it is the help that they ACTUALLY need, for whatever it is they need help with.

The message is that Christ is there to give you the help you need when you need it. He is always there. I know this is true. I have experienced it in my own life.

Available To All

It is a seemingly small thing, but these words stuck out to me as I read them:

"Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God." (Alma 6:5)

I think it is important to remember the several lessons that are pointed out in this verse. First, that the word of God was liberal to all, or open to all. This means everyone. Nobody is barred from hearing His word.

Secondly, everyone could gather together to hear the word of God. Not only is it open and freely given to all, but that nobody is excluded from the community that happens when people gather together to hear God's word. This is important because everyone can work together to gain understanding, and when this is done in the right way, with the right spirit, all are edified of all. Everyone grows.

Finally, the word privilege, with reference to gathering together to hear the word of God. Sometimes, Sunday is the only day of rest that you have, and it can almost feel like a sacrifice to go to all the Church block meetings, firesides, and other meetings. If the word of God is being shared, even a little, it should feel like a privilege, not a burden.

I hope that I can learn the lessons that are meant for me, and I hope to retain in remembrance those lessons.

As a side note, it is interesting to note the several lessons that can be learned from a short verse of scripture. Sometimes, you feel like you have to read a whole lot to get a lot out of what you read, so it feels like a burden. But you don't. You can learn from any part of the scriptures, assuming you are in the frame of mind that you are looking to learn, or gain knowledge or better understanding.

Continuous Conversion

Alma, the High Priest, goes about talking to his people. He wants them to be righteous. This is a great collection of questions that one can ask themselves in an introspective way to get a feeling for how you are doing. I thought about posting all the questions in a list, but I realized that it really comes down to one question that Alma asked of his people. He talks to them about basically being (and staying) converted.

"if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" (Alma 5:26)

He talks about a couple of things here. First, when we are converted, we experience a change of heart. We want to change, we don't want to sin anymore, and we mourn the things we have done that go against the commandments. When we are converted, and forgiven for our sins, it is like we are born again, starting fresh. Our mortal minds don't necessarily forget our sins, but when we are forgiven of them, we feel like singing praises to God for His plan, and to Christ for the Atonement He performed in our behalf. It is because of this that we can feel clean.

Over time, though, we tend to veer a little off the path and begin to sin. It may not be conscious on our parts, but if we are not constantly watching ourselves, re-evaluating things, it is going to be difficult to stay on the path. We will always make mistakes, no matter how hard we try not to. It's part of being human. The beauty of the question that Alma asks, is that I think that we know. I don't know that we have to go down a list of 40 questions to determine if we are still feeling converted. We just have to ask ourselves if we feel the same way we felt when we were first converted.

When I ask myself that one question, I know there are a number of things I need to improve on, and I want to recommit right now to do that. Starting today, I will do better at those things. You might say that I already am, considering I'm back to thinking about the scriptures more in depth with this post.

I love the scriptures. I am glad for the help that I get in reading them. In truth, part of this reminding that I have gone through with this was because of the General Conference that I was able to experience. I felt the need to be better, and instead of just saying "yep, I need to do better about that", I am trying to actually do so.