Helaman 4

In the last chapter we saw the hearts of many members of the Church waxing stronger and stronger in pride. At the beginning of this chapter I think it is clear to see the fruits of those prideful seeds sown:

1 And it came to pass in the fifty and fourth year there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed.

Pride leads to contention, and then, to bloodshed. Those are some of the end fruits of pride. On the other hand some of the end fruits of humility are peace of conscience and peace in the land, and eventual salvation. May I choose to sow seeds of humility and continually root out the weeds of pride in my mind and heart!

Listen to Mormon's commentary on the subject:

11 Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God.
12 And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—
13 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.

Although I most certainly do struggle with pride issues, as we all do, I must not allow my pride to mature into its many harmful manifestations, some of which are listed in the preceding verses. I have to learn to root out prideful tendencies when they are small, just like pulling weeds in a garden. Pride will always spring up again and again my character, but I can choose to weed it out each time before it takes root and chokes out the good parts of my nature.

The people had to slowly remember the words of the prophets:

21 Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God;

The much better way is to always retain in remembrance the words of the prophets. Perhaps this is why our Church leaders are always urging us to study the scriptures daily and pray regularly. If we immerse ourselves daily in the Word of God, we will more readily remember Him.

Helaman 4.

Helaman 3

I think this chapter clearly reveals one of the greatest dangers to the hearts of members of the Church:

1 And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year. 

And:

33 And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God—

34 And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction.

And:

36 And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day.

The nasty culprit is pride, the universal sin. The one we all struggle with to some degree or another. The sin that I grapple with on a daily basis. Pride is what causes dissensions, contention, coveting, worshiping other gods, and I suppose virtually every other sin you can imagine.

Humility is the antidote to pride. This chapter also teaches me how I can maintain humility even when there is pride all around:

35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

Here is a great personal gauge to help me know whether I am keeping pride in check: am I keeping the commandment to pray often, morning and night, giving thanks for meals, praying in my family, etc...? Did I pray this morning and for how long and how fervently did I pray and how long did I listen for an answer from heaven? And again, did I participate in fasting and prayer this month?

If I want to know how I am doing on keeping pride in check, I can answer the questions just above and that will be a good indication.

Helaman 3.

Helaman 2

It is clear that Helaman the chief judge was blessed and protected by the Lord. The Lord protects His faithful servants according to His own will and pleasure.

Helaman 2.

Helaman 1

Wow, what a bloody history between brothers! And all because of what? Pride, hurt feelings, covetousness and other vices. May it not be so in our home.

Helaman 1.

Alma 63

10 And it came to pass in the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, Shiblon died also, and Corianton had gone forth to the land northward in a ship, to carry forth provisions unto the people who had gone forth into that land.

If I am reading this right I think Corianton sailed on the voyage referred to a few verses earlier:

7 And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward.
8 And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not.

That would be hard to see a brother go on a ship and never hear from him again in this life. I wonder why Corianton decided to go. Did the spirit of adventure stir him up to it?

Alma 63.

Alma 62

What do we learn from all of this death and destruction and warfare?  

40 And there had been murders, and contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity among the people of Nephi; nevertheless for the righteous’ sake, yea, because of the prayers of the righteous, they were spared.

We learn that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much in heaven.

  41 But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.

We learn to be humble, and to let our afflictions humble into the depths of humility rather than to become hardened because of them.

48 And the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to multiply and to wax exceedingly strong again in the land. And they began to grow exceedingly rich.
49 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him.
50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.
51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.

And we learn, very importantly, maybe even more important than being humble in our afflictions, we learn to be humble in our riches and prosperity.

We learn that we must be humble and grateful, for all the prosperity as well as for all the afflictions that we must suffer.

Alma 62.

Peace

I read Alma 61 this morning and it has brought peace to my soul. Just what I needed amid the heightened stress of final exams looming just over the horizon. Thank you Lord.

Alma 61

Pahorah was struggling and didn't know what he should do with the rebels who had taken over the government. Moroni's epistle provided the guidance he needed:

19 And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren.
20 But ye have said, except they repent the Lord hath commanded you that ye should go against them.

Moroni was a great leader. He fiercely defended freedom and was not concerned in the least about "popular opinion," whereas perhaps Pahoran, as a politician, put too much weight in his mind on the same.

Alma 61.

Alma 60

Moroni underscores the critical nature of our own personal responsibility to do all we can to support, defend, and save ourselves:

21 Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?

I am to use all the talents, time, strength, and energy God has blessed me with to further His work.

This is an amazing, bold, fearless statement:

28 Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.

When faced with the temptation to sin, I can stand with Moroni and say:

34 And now behold, I, Moroni (Daniel Murff), am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God;

May I let my covenants with God constrain me from doing anything that would jeopardize them, and to do everything that would honor them and uphold them and live worthy of the blessings they bring me.

This statement is massive and poignant and powerful to me:

36 Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. 

Sounds like a great personal motto to live by, every word of it.

Alma 60.

Alma 59

That moment when you have just received encouraging news, and after a lot of hardship things are starting to look up finally, and then disaster strikes again and you begin to doubt if you'll ever come out on top. That's what happened to Moroni and his men in this chapter. It seems like sometimes experiencing frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, little bit of encouragement, and then a whole lot more frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, can be worse then just suffering all the frustration and not having that bit of relief.

This is a very bad thing:

11 And now, when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren.
12 Now this was the case with all his chief captains. They doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people, and this because of the success of the Lamanites over them.

This is not a good state to be in.

Exodus 32-33

In these two chapters what impresses me is to see the love Moses has for the erring, backsliding people of Israel. Over the course of these two chapter we see Moses pleading for God's patience and mercy on behalf of the Israelites (even though it seems that they didn't deserve mercy at this time). Even after the Lord assured Moses that he would be not only spared but prospered, and that the wicked Israelites would be destroyed, Moses pleaded on their behalf:

11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

And again, Moses returns to the Lord, and poignantly offers to take the blame for his people's unfaithfulness:

31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

And again:

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight,shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

Exodus 32.
Exodus 33.

Alma 57-58

The perseverance, endurance, patience, and faith, of the Nephites, in the face of very difficult circumstances, impresses me. For many months they suffered through the almost impossible circumstances of thin military ranks, dangerously low provisions, and an almost numberless foe trying to whittle them down and crush them. They had to try to maintain the fortifications they had against the hosts of enemy troops, and at the same time they were struggling to physically subsist upon their meager rations. And all the while they waited in anxiety, wondering when the government leaders would send them more soldiers and provisions, and why they could be taking so long. They struggled to maintain hope in spite of the fear that the government had broken down, and that they would not be receiving reinforcements, and that they were alone and without support. They feared their own utter destruction.

Their reaction to these afflictions is what impresses me:

10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

Their afflictions drove them to seek strength and comfort from God. Significantly, they echoed almost to a "T", the prayer that Alma the younger prayed during his missionary trip to reclaim the apostate Zoramites. In essence they too prayed for strength, comfort, and success.

This is a pattern I see among God's faithful people. The faithful pray only for strength to endure well their afflictions, not that their afflictions will be taken away. The faithful pray that they may be comforted, infused with hope, preserved from giving in to doubt and despair. The faithful also pray that by and by they might have success in achieving their righteous desires and in completing the work God has for them to do.

Just as He answered Alma's prayer before, so did He answer this prayer by this people:

11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

He did comfort them. He did give them strength to endure. And He did by and by bless them with success.

Alma 57.
Alma 58.

Beyond the Bubblegum Machine, April 2014 Ensign

Something the author said in this article stood out to me above everything else. In spite of much opposition to her decision to investigate the Church, along with a lot of pressure to discontinue her meetings with the missionaries, she makes this statement:

I felt conflicted.... But deep down I knew that the missionaries were teaching the truth. Eventually what I felt and knew on the inside overruled the external pressures in my life.

I love that statement because to me that is strength. That is spiritual power. That shows courage. To be able to honor the inner promptings and convictions of our hearts in the face of the most severe opposition, especially opposition from those closest to us and those we love most, is in my opinion a Godly quality. The author definitely had this quality, and that is a quality that I want to develop and emulate myself. I recognize that many times I am weak and I want to shrink away from certain difficult spiritual promptings. If I would only stay true to them I would learn and grow and progress, and I would, as did the author, eventually receive the desired blessings.

Read the whole article here.

Alma 56

These young men had great courage. They were all young, inexperienced, and unacquainted with the horrors of battle and bloodshed. And yet in the face of what Helaman called the strongest Lamanite army, these young men answered in the affirmative to the question,

44 Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?

And so they went and met the strongest Lamanite army, never having fought in a battle before. And yet we find that they did not fear death, because

47 ...they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

Although they did not fear death, I am sure that these "greenies" did not relish the thought of battle. I can only assume that many of them felt fear about what was coming. However, as our prophet has said many times,

All men have fears. But those who face their fears have courage as well. 

These young men faced their fears and went to the aid of their countrymen. May I learn to face my fears and to develop courage as they did, and learn to think more on the safety and well-being and blessings of others than of myself.  

Alma 54-55

We see Moroni outsmarting the enemy again and again. Is it that he is a brilliant strategist, or is it that he is inspired by a better cause and has the help of the Lord?

Alma 53

Moroni skillfully makes use of his Lamanite prisoners to strengthen his fortifications. He uses his prisoners to build a stronghold to keep his prisoners. I love it:

5 And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after; and in this city they did guard the prisoners of the Lamanites; yea, even within a wall which they had caused them to build with their own hands. Now Moroni was compelled to cause the Lamanites to labor, because it was easy to guard them while at their labor; and he desired all his forces when he should make an attack upon the Lamanites.
6 And it came to pass that Moroni had thus gained a victory over one of the greatest of the armies of the Lamanites, and had obtained possession of the city of Mulek, which was one of the strongest holds of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi; and thus he had also built a stronghold to retain his prisoners.

Using the enemy against themselves. That is such an awesome concept.

In this chapter again we see that the only time the Nephites lost ground in this war was when they failed to honor the Lord:

8 And now it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites, on the west sea, south, while in the absence of Moroni on account of some intrigue amongst the Nephites, which caused dissensions amongst them, had gained some ground over the Nephites, yea, insomuch that they had obtained possession of a number of their cities in that part of the land.
9 And thus because of iniquity amongst themselves, yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances.

We also find that the people of Ammon were about to become a part of the covenant-breaker class of people, but they were dissuaded from this end by Helaman:

13 But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.
14 But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made.

Alma 53.

Exodus 18:13–26

We know that Jethro was a high priest, one who held the Melchizedek priesthood. As such, Moses appropriately, and the study guide adds humbly, followed his counsel on the matter of delegation. I would do well to hearken to the counsel of high priest-leader, my bishop.

Exodus 18:13–26.

Feeling the Spirit

I read Alma 52 today. I feel that that chapter has filled me spiritually. I feel the Spirit with me. I feel good inside. I feel that I have been well nourished. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Ghost which provides me with a continuing witness that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the Word of God, that it contains principles that promote faith and draw us nearer to God. I feel closer to God this morning as a result of my study of this chapter. I feel a stronger desire to emulate His divine characteristics, to be more faithful to Him, to stand for His Gospel principles.

I hope that I can be true to Him throughout this day. I hope that I can open my mouth and let Him fill it. I hope I can have courage. I pray that He will strengthen me to meet every opportunity and challenge this day. I pray for power through His spirit to touch the hearts of those within my sphere of influence, especially here at home and specifically the souls of my sweet wife and adorable children.

Alma 52

The Nephites held a war council to see how they could coax the Lamanites out of their stongholds to battle them on equal grounds. Here is the first idea that came out of that war council (I find it rather comical):

20 And it came to pass they sent embassies to the army of the Lamanites, which protected the city of Mulek, to their leader, whose name was Jacob, desiring him that he would come out with his armies to meet them upon the plains between the two cities. But behold, Jacob, who was a Zoramite, would not come out with his army to meet them upon the plains.

Haha! They marched up to the enemy base and tried asking them politely to come out and battle against them! Hey, you never know, right? Ask and ye shall receive? Ya, not so much here. Nice try though.

I think a powerful principle suggested by the events in this chapter is that although we as the little band of Christians, the Church, will never have majority in numbers against the vast hosts of the enemy, if we will diligently prepare, faithfully execute every command of God, and council together concerning how we will conduct ourselves in this war for the souls of men, then God will be with us and He can make us smarter than our enemy, and He can win us the victory through stratagem.

Moroni and his men diligently prepared for the war by arming themselves and defending their bodies with armor and shields and helmets and fortifying their strongholds and cities. They, overall, with many stumblings and failures, were faithful to God. They counseled together as depicted in this chapter and executed their plans accordingly and that is ultimately how they won this war.

May I do the same. May we do so as a family. May we prepare diligently, live faithfully, and counsel together often so that we can properly conduct the war here in our sphere of influence.

Moroni offered to spare the lives of his enemies if they would surrender. Many did. I wonder if among these were some who had previously attacked the Nephites and who had on that occasion also surrendered, and even made an oath that they would not come to battle against the Nephites again. The covenantmaker-covenantbreaker class of Lamanites. I would characterize this class of Lamanites, if indeed they did exist, and I think they did, as go-with-the-flow-ers, those who did not have the courage to defy the consensus when it went against moral convictions they had, even covenants they had made. This class of people fears being singled out, belittled, punished, or even killed for their morals and standards. This class of people fears man more than they fear God.

I am afraid that perhaps I all too often fall within this class of people. Even recently I have noticed this character flaw in myself. May God strengthen me in this weakness, and help me to become a man who stands for principles and who will not be moved.

Alma 52.

Alma 51

This verse stuck out to me because of one particular phrase:

20 And the remainder of those dissenters, rather than be smitten down to the earth by the sword, yielded to the standard of liberty, and were compelled to hoist the title of liberty upon their towers, and in their cities, and to take up arms in defence of their country.

Yield to freedom!

Later, Teancum and his men became the most critical tide-turning force in the war. After the dissensions and the city-taking campaign by Amalikiah, things were looking bleak for the Nephites... until Teancum met that army head on. Too bad we don't know more about Teancum. I mean, what he know about him is awesome. But I would love to know the details of his life, to see how he prepared himself for this most critical role he played in the temporal salvation of his people.

Alma 51.

Alma 50

Because of the all the hard work he was doing, and because of the excellent strategies, and because he was inspired and led by the Lord, Moroni instilled confidence in his people with this very important effect:

12 Thus Moroni, with his armies, which did increase daily because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto them, did seek to cut off the strength and the power of the Lamanites from off the lands of their possessions, that they should have no power upon the lands of their possession.

People flocked to his army because they were inspired by it and impressed with its magnitude, strength, and strategy.  How can I instill righteous confidence in our children in spite of all kinds of attacking society forces for evil? How about cultivate a strong marriage, establish lifelong righteous and wholesome family traditions, learn and teach the scriptures and gospel principles in our home, to name a few?

This chapter also illustrates very well the fact that many times the worst damage we can do is to ourselves. because of the preparation of Moroni, and his diligence, and the strength of his armies, and the strength of the fortifications they built, Satan could not get through with his numerous Lamanite hosts to physically destroy the Nephites. And so, as he does so well, he began in infiltration from within. True to his cunning pattern, he went to the weakest part of the Nephite people, namely Morianton, a man who could easily be stirred up and manipulated through his hot temper. That was the weakness Satan teased out of him and his people. Anger and covetousness and pride:

26 For behold, the people who possessed the land of Morianton did claim a part of the land of Lehi; therefore there began to be a warm contention between them, insomuch that the people of Morianton took up arms against their brethren, and they were determined by the sword to slay them.

They coveted their neighbors land, and Satan exploited it. And he exploited their pride. And he exploited their anger. And so he was on his way to breaking down Nephite defenses from the inside out.

This is why it is so important that I strengthen every weakness, so that Satan can find no chink in my armor to exploit. All areas of my life must be sound or else that sneaky devil will find the breach and exploit it. Strengthen every weakness. Pray for strength. It is my job that when I find in myself a weakness, I pray for strength to overcome it.

Alma 50.

Roots and Branches, Elder Cook, April 2014 General Conference

Interesting how he equates family lines to roots and branches. Gives the following scripture new meaning to me:

1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

I never thought about this scripture in terms of posterity. I guess I never really thought about "root nor branch" could refer to.

Our Murff, Kogelmann, and other ancestors are all waiting in the spirit world, asking, perhaps, "now what"? While it is reasonable to assume that many of them, whose work has been done already, are rejoicing and praising our names for doing their work, surely many others of them are anxiously awaiting the day we will find their records and take them to the Temple to complete saving ordinances for them.  As Elder Cook suggests in his address, our ancestors are in a very real sense, immortal prisoners in the spirit world until we turn the key to free them.

I am grateful that the stars have aligned and the path to complete family history work has become easy. I am glad that we are organizing ourselves as a family to accomplish this work. I am excited to accept assignments and do my part to bring freedom to our beloved Murff, Kogelmann, Golighltly, and now of course Perkins, Tucker, and other ancestors, and to be connected to them forever.

Let's do this!

Alma 49

Wow, Moroni's preparation is astonishing. His anticipation of the moves and even the thoughts of his enemy is impressive:

14 But behold, to their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, yea, even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah.
15 And now, behold, this was wisdom in Moroni; for he had supposed that they would be frightened at the city Ammonihah; and as the city of Noah had hitherto been the weakest part of the land, therefore they would march thither to battle; and thus it was according to his desires.
16 And behold, Moroni had appointed Lehi to be chief captain over the men of that city; and it was that same Lehi who fought with the Lamanites in the valley on the east of the river Sidon.
17 And now behold it came to pass, that when the Lamanites had found that Lehi commanded the city they were again disappointed, for they feared Lehi exceedingly; nevertheless their chief captains had sworn with an oath to attack the city; therefore, they brought up their armies.

He seems to have known just what his enemy was thinking. Seems like he was reading them like an open book. This is awesome to see how perfectly prepared he was for this. This is inspiring to read. How do I prepare as thoroughly as he did for my coming battles? Why of course the answer is to practice the same diligence in preparation as he did.

Alma 48

Remember that innumerable host of Lamanites who first came against the Nephites and were made to surrender by the strength of the armies of Moroni, and who ended up making a covenant of peace before they were set free? These Lamanites swore on their lives, as it were, that they would never again take up arms against the Nephite people. And yet, now it seems that they have been compelled to fight by Amalickiah:

1 And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites.
3 Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites.

 Compare these with the people of Ammon, who made a covenant never to take up arms and stuck to it, and kept that covenant at the hazard of their very lives. May I emulate the latter, and value my covenants above all else in the world, and stay true to them at every hazard like the Anti-Nephi Lehis.

Moroni wisely allocated his limited resources:

9 And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

It must be true spiritually as well, right? In the weakest parts of my character I must place many resources to defend. For example, if I am susceptible to impure thoughts, it would behoove me to spend ample time memorizing many scriptures, poems, and hymns so that I have plenty of resources to combat against the onslaught of temptations and impure thoughts that present themselves to my mind. It would behoove me to fill my spare time with scripture study and the study of good books, always keeping my mind engaged in a good cause, or in some worthwhile entertainment, or in some wholesome media, thus avoiding idling.

Link to Alma 48.

Celebrate Nurturing, April 2014 Ensign

My review of the article "Celebrate Nurturing", by Rosemary Thackeray, Ensign, April 2014:

This is an excellent article. I love how Sister Thackeray urges women to seek each other out and forge great relationships with each other, regardless of "motherhood" status. I appreciate how she acknowledges the real and difficult feelings that current non-child bearers have to deal with, especially those who may never bear children in this life. I love how she encircles all women under the divine role of motherhood, together with our common mother Eve. That quote by Elder Maxwell she includes in her address resonates with me:

“You can have clear faith in the ultimate outcomes at the end of the trail but still find vexing uncertainties in the steps immediately ahead. The Lord knows the end from the beginning and everything in between. You, however, function in the muddled, mortal middle.”

Elder Maxwell acknowledges that just because we have an eternal perspective on things, it doesn't necessarily make them easy to bear. That can refer to women who are unable to bear children at this moment for whatever reason, and it also applies to a young couple trying to juggle school, church, and family all while trying to find a new house to move into in between semesters!

Exodus 17: 1 - 7

The murmuring, the chiding, the complaining, the wishing they could go back to Egypt. It's all starting to become a pattern now. Here they are complaining to Moses that there is no water to drink. Yes, that is a serious dilemma, but they have seen this sequence before. Do they not remember that a short time ago the Lrod miraculously provided water for them? Again, as I have said before, I must be kind to the children of Israel because not having water is kind of a big deal. But the issue I see is their attitude. They are just relentless in their complaining. Instead, they should be trusting, fervently praying, hoping, watching for the Lord's deliverance. Instead, they find themselves wondering if God is even there at all:

7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

This questioning of the Lord is not good, and does not please God. If it is found in my own life it needs to stop immediately. All I have to do is look at the many great blessings and deliverance in my own life to know that God indeed is with me, even in spite of all my weaknesses and failures to do His will.

Alma 47

This chapter starts with talking about people who did not want to go to battle with the Nephites, in fact they were dead set against it. I wonder if these were the very same Lamanites who had already had a confrontation with the Nephites, knew that God was with them, and had even made a covenant that they would never again go up to battle against them. I suspect these are the covenant makers based on how vehemently they oppose going to war, even at the risk of disobeying their king:

2 And it came to pass that when the proclamation had gone forth among them they were exceedingly afraid; yea, they feared to displease the king, and they also feared to go to battle against the Nephites lest they should lose their lives. And it came to pass that they would not, or the more part of them would not, obey the commandments of the king.
6 And they had appointed a man to be a king and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites.

Ya, I think this is them. Let's see what happens to them.

There are more former covenant-makers in this diverse army, aren't there? The Nephite dissenters led by Amalickiah make up part of this newly mobilized Lamanite army:

36 Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.

That Amalicikiah is a sly old fox.

Exodus 16

I feel like I was kind to the children of Israel in terms of their complaining for water. Now, in this chapter I am starting to see why they are remembered as chronic complainers and slow to hearken to the Lord:

2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Then the Lord responds:

4 ¶Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

They were given what I thought were very simple instructions concerning the gathering and consuming of the manna. But it seems that in every way they could have possibly violated those instructions, they did so, and that it was only after they experienced the negative consequences of their disobedience that they began to conform to the directions of the Lord. For example, at first they gathered more manna in a single day than they should have, and it was only after they saw that the manna would rot and be of no use to them that they discontinued that practice. The Lord doesn't like that kind of thing, as He so indicated:

28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

From the events depicted in this chapter I can start to see why it was said of the children of Israel that they were slow to hearken to the Lord. May I and my house be more quick to observe the commandments of the Lord. May we follow the example of our common father, Abraham, who, after receiving a difficult commandment, got up early the next morning and set out to fulfill the Lord's will.

Exodus 15:22–27

I have heard often about the murmuring of the children of Israel, about how they were constantly murmuring and how they should have just stopped complaining and acted faithfully and submitted to all the will of the Lord. Well, after re-reading some of the trials they went through, I am beginning to sympathize with them a lot more. For example, after the great deliverance from the Egyptians by going through the Red Sea on dry ground and seeing Pharaoh's armies destroyed right behind them, they then had to endure this:

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 ¶And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

So, after that hair-raising experience with the Egyptian armies, the children of Israel, yes, that would be men, women, and children, had to trudge through the desert for three days with no water and I'm assuming very little food as well. People start dying after three days of no water! Who wouldn't have begun to murmur having to watch their wives and children suffer and starve and thirst to the point of death? And then on top of all that, how would it feel to finally get to a spring only to find that it is bitter and undrinkable? Sounds to me like it would be the straw that broke the camel's back. It was only after all this that the children of Israel did what they are so (in)famous for:

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

I want to be more kind to the children of Israel now. The afflictions they went through were truly severe and abjectly humbling. I surely would have cast my voice in with the murmurers, and much worse. Ya, me, I'm the guy who has a hard time fasting once a month for two meals. I don't want to think about the state I'd be in after three days of such suffering.

Perhaps we can learn to be more wise then our ancient ancestors in this one sense: what if the children of Israel had spent those three days fervently and constantly praying to the Lord for a source of water? What if they would have gone to Moses in faith, though in their extremity, and given thanks to Moses and to God for their deliverance, and humbly entreated him to supplicate the Lord and offered their whole souls and strength in helping to solve the vexing problem of finding water? Perhaps all they needed was a slight attitude adjustment and then maybe it would have been said of them not that they murmured against Moses, but that they only entreated him for the sake of their starving families or something like that. We know from the scriptures that gratitude can bring miracles. The Lord Himself gave thanks for a few meager fishes and loaves of bread that had been brought, and a miracle occurred in which many thousands of hungry people were fed by the same.

Alma 46

I love that Moroni prayed for the cause of the Christians:

15 And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.
16 And therefore, at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the freedom of the land might be favored.

May the cause of the Christians and the freedom of the land be favored still, and forever. Also, again I see another theme cropping up in this chapter, just like in the previous chapter: the idea that we are the ones who ultimately bring upon ourselves our own destruction, or we can thrive and live in a blessed state through righteousness. Moroni observed:

18 ...Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions.

Moroni causes another group of people to enter into a covenant to support the cause of freedom, just like in the previous chapter:

35 And it came to pass that whomsoever of the Amalickiahites that would not enter into a covenant to support the cause of freedom, that they might maintain a free government, he caused to be put to death; and there were but few who denied the covenant of freedom.

 How many of this group stayed true to their covenant and how many were eventually unfaithful to it? We are a covenant-making people. May I and my house also be a covenant-keeping people.

Alma 45

Alma reminds us:

16 ...the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

The justice of God is unflinching and unwavering. Every single sinful thought, word, and action I commit alienates me from my Father in Heaven. He simply cannot allow it. Therefore, I must cultivate a character like that of Alma's son, Helaman, who made this response to his father's question:

6 And Alma said unto him again: Will ye keep my commandments?
7 And he said: Yea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.

 I've got to learn to think, speak, and act always in accordance with the commandments of God. THINK, SPEAK, AND ACT, all three of them, all the time. There is no room for harsh or unkind or insensitive words at home. There is no place for jealousy and backbiting and dishonesty at school. Keeping the commandments with all my heart means that I give place for none of these things in my life, and that rather I seek to do good continually.

The Cost - and Blessings - of Discipleship by Elder Holland

My reaction to this message is: may I be ready and willing to bear the costs of discipleship just as eagerly as I hope to be ready and willing to receive its grand and marvelous blessings. May I have the strength to suffer afflictions, and to bear them just as Christ and all His holy followers suffered and bore their afflictions all through the ages.

Covenant of Peace

20 And it came to pass that Moroni caused that the work of death should cease again among the people. And he took the weapons of war from the Lamanites; and after they had entered into a covenant with him of peace they were suffered to depart into the wilderness (Alma 44).

Did they keep their covenant of peace? I wonder if there is any way to find out, any scripture that would indicate yes or no. We know that in not many years after this conflict, the Lamanites again came attacking and they were in a state of war for many years. But what about the people who made this covenant of peace? Did they stay true to it?

Promise of Protection

I love how deeply Moroni trusted in God for His help and protection. Listen to what he told the enemy leader after the battle was over and the Lamanites saw that they would have to either surrender be completely wiped out:

3 But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith.
4 Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith (Alma 44).

I love the strength of that promise of protection. I love the confidence it instilled in Moroni and his armies. They fully trusted in the Lord to bless them, protect them, and ensure their deliverance from their enemies, so long as they kept their covenants to Him. I believe that through Temple blessings and covenants, we too have the same promise of protection from God.

Seek Spiritual Guidance

Captain Moroni was looking for guidance, trying to track the moves of his enemies in order to know how to defend himself. This sort of intelligence in wartime is crucial to the success of an army. Knowing how to defend ourselves from the adversary of our souls is crucial to our success as well. Notice the two things Moroni did to gain this valuable intelligence:

23 But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp; and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
24 And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni (Alma 43).

He did what he could to gather the intelligence he needed by sending spies. He also sought Heavenly wisdom and direction. His purpose was to know the intentions of his enemy so that he could employ the appropriate defense strategy.

I feel that this teaches me a valuable lesson, namely that I have the privilege of seeking heavenly guidance on how to defend myself against Satan's attacks. The Lord can teach me what tactics I may employ to successfully wage the war with the enemy of my soul.

The effect of Moroni's intelligence-gathering efforts was that he was prepared to meet his adversary. Not only that but he was able to take an advantageous position on them.

Another lesson I see which comes from verse 24 above, is that I can know without doubt that Satan will try to attack me at the weakest parts of my character. If he can't get me to sin upfront, then he will go around and test every weakness in my spiritual armor. He will try to make a breach where my defenses are least robust and that will allow him to wreak havoc on the rest of me. Therefore, it behooves me to work on strengthening every weakness. Every character flaw needs to be fixed, one by one, so that Satan may find no success in compromising my soul.

A Healthy Respect

It is important to maintain a healthy respect for the evil one, while of course always remembering that God is all-powerful, even more powerful than the devil and all his mighty whirlwinds. Remember that although we (the saints of God) are imperfect, though we may stumble and bumble and perhaps falter and fail, yet still we are the covenant children of Christ, and we have the capacity to do great good in the world every single day, and that makes us a prime target for Satan and his many hosts of devil-subjects. Remember that he will stir up forces to oppose every righteous desire we have, every Christ-like act we intend or try to do. He will try to nullify our righteousness, marginalize the good we are capable of doing, and most of all try with all his might to turn us from our righteousness. Ever has it been. So it will ever be.

Zerahemnah, the wicked Lamanite king, reflects many of the characteristics of Satan. He came out in open attack on the Nephites. Here is some of the stuff he did:

6 And now, as the Amalekites were of a more wicked and murderous disposition than the Lamanites were, in and of themselves, therefore, Zerahemnah appointed chief captains over the Lamanites, and they were all Amalekites and Zoramites.
7 Now this he did that he might preserve their hatred towards the Nephites, that he might bring them into subjection to the accomplishment of his designs.
8 For behold, his designs were to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites; this he did that he might usurp great power over them, and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringing them into bondage.

The adversary will never stop in his quest to destroy us, sometimes physically, as in this case, but always spiritually. Therefore, protect yourself. Watch yourself. Check yourself. Humble yourself. Pray always, that you may come off conqueror. Trust in God. Do good continually. Judge righteously (Alma 43).

What Are You Thinking? by Elder Zwick

This address struck me when I watched it for the first time during Conference weekend. The story he tells about his wife and him at the start is a personal one, and I appreciate that he and his wife consented to share it.

One lesson I feel I learn from the address is that when emotions run high, and crazy stuff happens, and tempers are lost and perhaps angry words expressed or exchanged in the heat of the moment, that those are the times when we need to remember cool off, slow down, embrace each other, and don't let a hazardous situation become a fatal one. I like how he says we should express the underlying emotions of love for each other, or fear for each other's safety, that may have had an influence on our words or actions in the heated situation.

I like this reminder from the First Presidency:

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and treat all people with kindness and civility—even when we disagree (First Presidency letter, Jan. 10, 2014).

A Firmly Set Anchor, President Uchtdorf

President Uchtdorf gave the First Presidency message this month using a parable of a ship and it's anchor. A couple of quotes from the article that impressed me:

After the anchor was set:

As I was looking at the coastline, I began to realize that the ship was drifting almost imperceptibly with the slightest amount of wind and underlying current. Nevertheless, the ship stayed firmly and persistently within a fixed circle defined by the length of the anchor line and the strength of the anchor. ...[S]ometimes we are also in danger when everything appears to be safe—the winds soft and the waters smooth. In fact, we can be in the greatest danger when we are drifting and movement is so slight that we scarcely notice it. 

When life is rolling along smoothly and we are enjoying good health and good progress toward our goals and in general all seems to be right in the world, those are times when we need be careful and watch ourselves closely and keep our anchor firmly set. Even right now I can sense a few of the "soft winds" that could potentially blow me off course ever so slightly, steadily, if my own anchor is not firmly set in the Lord and His Gospel.

Again from President Uchtdorf:

Knowing that it is in the nature of all things to drift, we must firmly set our anchors on the bedrock of gospel truth. They must not be lightly lowered onto the sands of pride or barely touching the surface of our convictions.

I know for sure it is in my nature to drift. That is why I acknowledge here again the importance of my daily duties of personal and family prayer, and personal and family scripture study.

More Father-Son Advice

One we emulate Christ is by training ourselves over time to always be engaged in a good cause, as Alma teaches his third son Corianton:

14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again (Alma 41).

The Spirit World

Alma teaches about what happens immediately after we die:

21 ...there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works (Alma 40).

As I understand it, life in the Spirit world will be similar to life as we experience it now, with the one key difference being that we will not have the use of our physical body. We will be in spiritual form. I was just thinking about how strange it would be to experience life without my body. I will still be me in every other sense: I will have the same emotional disposition; I will still desire the same things as I desire now; all the thoughts and intelligence that I have obtained will still be with me. And yet I will undoubtedly feel a sense of hollowness, a deep sense of incompleteness without my physical form. How important it is then to develop self-control, to bridle every passion and subject my body to the will of my spirit, so that when I pass away and lose my body for a time, I will enjoy the state of rest from all care and sorrow, rather than have to suffer the torture of desperately wanting to satisfy physical appetites and not be able to!

Member Missionary

Nicole set a goal to invite a neighbor family to listen to the missionaries. She made some cookies and we all brought them over and she invited them. She did a great job. I'm really proud of her and impressed with her. She set up a time to go over to their house with the Sisters to teach that family.

Cross Yourself

Alma, talking to his third son, Coriantumr, says something that sticks out to me, something that I know I need to hear and remember and that I think every man in this day and age needs to internalize in order to stay faithful to God and his wife (or future wife):

9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things (Alma 39).

Alma's son had been stricken by a loose woman and had pursued her and sinned with her. Clearly he saw this woman and allowed  himself to lust after her, which eventually led to the sinful behavior with her. This thought from Alma reminds me how important it is to keep my eyes in the right place.

I love the imagery of crossing yourself. It could refer to the imagery of one's cross, where we take up our cross daily and carry it, the cross representing the afflictions and difficulties, or in other words the burdens that come along with striving to be a faithful disciple of Christ in a not faithful society. I also think of defense, standing at the ready, or fortifying oneself with armor or shield when I think of this phrase.

I also love some related scriptures in Proverbs which mentions our eyes and where we should keep them:

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things (Proverbs 23).

This verse teaches me that that which I allow to enter through my eyes can have a great effect upon the core desires of my heart.

25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee (Proverbs 4).

This verse is a classic one that made an impact on me one of the first times I read it and has always stuck with me. I think it is talking about staying focused on our main goal, that of winning eternal life with our Heavenly Father by obedience and faithfulness. This scripture reminds me to focus.

Father-Son Counsel

Here are a few gems that stuck out to me from Alma's father-son with his second son, Shiblon, in Alma 38:

10 ...I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things.

This sticks out to me because I specifically think of my schooling, and how in order to do well I find that I must practice great diligence in my studies. I find that missing even a single day of studying has significant ramifications on my performance on exams as well as on my overall comprehension of the material. But of course I must also be diligent at home in my dutes toward my family, and diligent at Church in my duties to God.

And also this gem about prayer, humility, and my relationship with God:

14 Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy—yea, acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times.

I must be humble or else I am headed for trouble. If I do not choose to be humble because of the Word of God then I am on a path that will soon lead me become humbled by chastisement.

Linda S. Reeves on Pornography, Marriage, and Family Relations

When a Child Confides

• her daughter confided in her about some disturbing sexual images she had accidentally seen on TV
• she was grateful her daughter would confide in her
• she was able to help direct her daughter on how to find relief 
• she knelt with her daughter and asked Heavenly Father for help
• we should be grateful when a child chooses to confide in us
• we would be wise not to react with shock, anger, or rejection
• we need to regularly counsel with our children about the dangers of immorality, especially including attraction to and viewing of pornography

As pointed out by Sister Reeves, I think how we react to our children is a very important thing, and will determine whether they will continue to confide in us, or instead choose to hide things from us or confide in other, perhaps less ideal sources. 

A Family Plan

• we can counsel together with our children to create a family plan on protecting our home and each member from the dangers of inappropriate and harmful content
• be aware that mobile devices are the major medium for accessing such content

A Way Out

• if there are problems with pornography, remember the Savior is the way out
• remember how deeply the Savior loves and wants to help each of us

For Family Members

• it's ok to feel compassion, but never blame yourself for another's sins, even if a child or spouse
• know you are not alone

How Do We Protect Our Youth?

• internet filters
• personal filters are the most important: a deep and abiding testimony of the Savior and His Gospel for each family member 

What Takes Priority In Our Home? 

• she and her husband the parents of for young children, way too much to do
• the only things that really need to be accomplished in the home are: daily personal and family prayer and scripture study, and weekly family home evening
• a dirty house, kids still in pajamas, etc... are lesser matters than prayers unsaid, scriptures unread
• these are the very practices that take away stress, prioritize our lives, and bring blessings

I was touched by this part of her talk because of how closely it applies to our own situation. We too have the joy of four young children, and all the chaos that comes with them! Wisdom directs us to prioritize our lives so that the most important things of eternal worth do not go undone. I think we do are doing a fine job and that we should just continue to keep this in mind. Yes, it's true that the laundry in our home is most of the time piled up, whether those piles are clean or no, but our children do have a routine of nightly scriptures and family prayer. That will pay astronomically more dividends in the long run than having all the clothes neatly hung. We will still strive for cleanliness, but cleanliness in its proper time and according to its place on our list of priorities. 

Never Weary in Well Doing

I like this part:

33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day (Alma 37).

Good counsel from father to son.

• resist temptation
• do good things continually
• be obedient to God's commandments 
• labor only for Zion
• ask the Lord for all needed blessings
• counsel with the Lord in all things
• cultivate an attitude of gratitude

From that Time Even until now

After Alma tells his son how he was converted to the Gospel, he makes this statement:

24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost (Alma 36).

This is my favorite scripture. Being a vile sinner myself, and subsequently having tasted of the joy repentance and forgiveness has brought to my life, I am impressed at how Alma, even after all his wickedness, could and would be able to change through the Atonement of the Savior and endeavor from that time forth to be a force for good and an instrument in the hands of God. I love how his mission in life became singular, and his determination to carry out that mission became unwavering and constant. I want to be like Alma in this way. I want to be able to say just what he said to my own son many year from now.

Among All the People

Impressively, Alma extended his missionary efforts across the whole of the lands inhabited by the Nephites. He visited every city and made sure all the people heard his message. It is unfortunate that in spite of all his time and effort, this was the result on the macro-level:

15 Now Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodsheds, and the contentions which were among them; and having been to declare the word, or sent to declare the word, among all the people in every city; and seeing that the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful (Alma 35).

Think of the powerful influence of this one man though. He was the means of bringing many, many souls back to the Lord.  Even though the majority rejected the message, still he changes countless lives, and at very least he was the means of giving everyone a fair chance to hear and accept the Gospel message. At this point not a single one of those who heard his message can ever come to him and say that he didn't tell them, that they didn't know the commandments or what God expected of them. They were at that point liable. Alma I would imagine had rid himself of their blood and sins.

Zoramite Apostasy

The Zoramite people were at one time, not long before the events of Alma 34 with Alma and Amulek, presumably faithful and righteous members of the Church, as evidenced by Amulek's statement:

2 My brethren, I think that it is impossible that ye should be ignorant of the things which have been spoken concerning the coming of Christ, who is taught by us to be the Son of God; yea, I know that these things were taught unto you bountifully before your dissension from among us.

Th strangest thing about all of this in my mind right now is that they no longer believe in Christ! How is it I wonder that a people can go from a firm belief and faith in Christ, the center and foundation stone of everything we know about religion, and then to go so far afield as to totally disbelieve in Him? That seems so strange to me. Of course, we know that Satan was the instigator and of course his objective would be just this and nothing else. So Satan did a full and complete job here leading the people away from the Lord.

Here is Amulek's exhortation and counsel on how to avoid this awful situation that the Zoramites are in:

39 Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.

Notice that continual prayer is recommended here instead of any other thing as a defense against the dark arts of Satan.

Avoid apostasy. Pray always!

Pray For Enemies

Christ has taught us to pray for our enemies. This is an exercise in, for one thing, humility. And you never know, if you keep praying for your enemies, they just might come around one day:

4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me (Alma 33).

God has the power to change people's hearts. He can touch the hearts of even those who hate, persecute, and slander us.  If we pray for our enemies then perhaps the Lord will comfort us in our afflictions, and perhaps He will begin working a mighty change in their hearts, and in the end, some of those who most hated us, may become our most beloved friends.

Varsity Scout Play Book Notes

• the Varsity Scout pledge 

Welcome to Varsity Scouting

• offers special appeal to older scouts 14-16 yrs old
• flexible enough to mesh with Duty to God
• no one falls under a magnifying glass more than a Scout leader
• young ppl carefully observe adults -- I must set an example in my life by observing the scout oath and law
• I can earn respect by being honest, consistent and eager to help team members do their best

Varsity Scout Program Features and the Five Fields of Emphasis

• the promise of adventure and opportunity to participate in sports is a main reason young men are drawn to scouts
• growth, learning, and leadership: what each scout should experience in the program -- this is accomplished by infusing the program with activities from the 5 fields of emphasis
• advancement -- awards exclusive to Varsity scouts are the Varsity Scout Letter and the Denali Award
• high adventure/sports -- key here is challenging physical and mental activities
• personal development 
• service
• program planning -- focus energies on a program for 3 mos. -- chalk talks
• the next teachers pres/varisty team leader needs to be trained in how to carry out the varsity program, just like I was trained, since they are the ones running it! we can train them on campouts, in quorum meetings, presidency meetings, and even Wednesday night meetings -- regular planning meetings (chalk talks) suggested
• there is no time limit for a specific program -- different programs may be run simultaneously -- again, time frame is flexible, from less than a month to 3+ months

Team Organization

• in a small team like ours, virtually every team member should be able to have a leadership position
• a Varsity scout should never receive leadership responsibilities without the training he needs to succeed!
• each youth ldrshp position has an adult counterpart on the team committee who works with the youth as a coach works with an athlete 
• with proper training and coaching, the youth will be set up to succeed
• Varsity team captain -- serves 6-12 mos. -- must have understanding of Varsity Scouting -- takes advantage of training opps from Coach, team committee, district, and council

Where Am I On the Path of Faith?

Alma describes a faith experiment:

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

I've done this and I know the seed is good, and I know the Gospel is delicious:

33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.

My knowledge in this one thing is perfect: that the scriptures influence me for good and expand my mind and enlighten me.

35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good...;

Yes, it is real. The scriptures really do have great power to influence me to do what is right, and they testify of the true nature of God. The scriptures are full of light.

and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.

No, my knowledge is not perfect. I need to keep learning from the scriptures and nourishing my faith.

37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

This must be the stage I am in now. I am past the experimental stage and into the nourishing with great care stage. I am trying every day to nourish my faith, grow my testimony, send those roots down deep and strong, and look forward to that day when I can enjoy the fruit of a living and abiding faith. I look forward to these great things in store:

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you (Alma 32).

Two Kinds of Humility

Alma teaches that there are two kinds of humility. There is a right kind and a sort of less right kind. If we are compelled to be humble because of difficult afflictions or circumstances, that is, I suppose, one thing. But that kind of humility only sometimes leads to true repentance and a turning to the Lord:

13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

The other kind of humility is when we humble ourselves of our own free will and choice, regardless of our circumstances. In times of peace and plenty, as well as in times of turmoil and affliction and want. This is the kind of humility that really brings the blessings of heaven:

14 And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?
15 Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.
16 Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe (Alma 32).

 This is the kind of humility I should seek with all my heart. To be humble because of the word. This means always keeping the Lord and His will continually in my thoughts and seeking His will above my own. I think that is the humility the Savior exemplified, always choosing His Father's will over His own.

What Should I Pray For?

I think Alma's prayer is extremely instructive as he left on his mission trip:

26 And he lifted up his voice to heaven, and cried, saying: O, how long, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that thy servants shall dwell here below in the flesh, to behold such gross wickedness among the children of men?
27 Behold, O God, they cry unto thee, and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world.
28 Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say—We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish.
29 Yea, and they say that thou hast made it known unto them that there shall be no Christ.
30 O Lord God, how long wilt thou suffer that such wickedness and infidelity shall be among this people? O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that I may bear with mine infirmities. For I am infirm, and such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul.
31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.
32 O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, and also my two sons—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.
33 Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may bear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people.
34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.
35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee (Alma 31).

I find it interesting to note what Alma does and does not pray for. Here are some things Alma does pray for:

• strength to bear his infirmities 
• comfort to his pained soul
• strength to suffer with patience the afflictions to come
• success in the work of reclaiming souls (that God's work might be successful among the people)
• the success of his fellow missionaries 
• strength for his fellow missionaries to bear the afflictions to come
• that they might enjoy success in bringing the Zoramites again to Christ
• power and wisdom to bring the Zoramites back to Christ

Some things that Alma does not pray for are:

• that his afflictions will be taken away
• that he can be removed or excused from his difficult duties
• that the Lord would do the work for him
• that the Zoramites would come back to Christ on their own

I love this model prayer that Alma offered to the Lord. These are perhaps blessings that the Lord is always willing to grant. I can pray any time for strength to bear infirmities, strength to do God's will, and success in seeing God's work done in my sphere of influence, wherever and however that might be.

The record indicates that God heard and answered the prayer:

38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

Pray for comfort, strength, and success.

Astonished Beyond All Measure

After Alma et al had seen the new form of worship among these former members of the Church:

19 Now it came to pass that after Alma and his brethren and his sons had heard these prayers, they were astonished beyond all measure (Alma 31).

I think it is important to remember that these people participating in this bizarre and blasphemous mode of worship were, only a short time ago, converted to Christ and members of the Church of which Alma was the high priest. As the prophet Mormon aptly observes later in the Book of Mormon, it does not take long for a once righteous people to go far afield of the Gospel way. Indeed, the moment we let go of the iron rod we become lost, and are subject to be led away into strange paths. This truly was a strange, no, an astonishing path the Zoramites had been led down.

Cardiac Test

Alma's heart became sick as he observed the apostasy of his former fellow Christians:

1 Now it came to pass that after the end of Korihor, Alma having received tidings that the Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord, and that Zoram, who was their leader, was leading the hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols, his heart again began to sicken because of the iniquity of the people (Alma 31).

How does my heart compare? Does my heart sicken when I observe iniquity or does my heart want to join in the revelry?  I know I am converted when all the thoughts and intents of my heart are to do good and to judge righteously.

Distortion

Korihor falsely characterizes a doctrine taught in the Church of God:

25 Ye say that this people is a guilty and a fallen people, because of the transgression of a parent. Behold, I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents (Alma 30).

Here he is misrepresenting the doctrine of the fall and accusing the Church of teaching something it actually doesn't teach at all. This can be most frustrating when other people not of our faith try to tell us what we believe, especially when it is not what we believe at all.

The truth is of course that the Atonement of Jesus Christ saves us from all sin, including the "original sin" or transgression committed by our first parents. Furthermore, we know that all men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression. We are in no way guilty because of what Adam or Eve did. And we also know and openly teach that all children are innocent and pure in the eyes of God and cannot sin until they reach the age of accountability. Any child under that age of accountability who dies will receive salvation.

Korihor is just trying to lie and cheat to make people mad at the Church so that he can win more converts to his cause.

The Effect of a Frenzied Mind

Interestingly, Nicole was telling me about a movie review she had read on a recent Hollywood movie that just came out that is more or less based on a biblical story. Some of the criticisms of the movie point to the fact that the producer is an atheist, and that his admitted goal was to take a Bible story and cast it in as non-Biblical a light as he possibly could; and to strip God out of the story. Anyway, from what I heard it sounded like the main character, a prophet of God, is depicted as an eccentric zealot, and the movie suggests that he received commandments of God not through divine revelation, but through a hallucination while he was on drugs.

Is this depiction of a prophet of God and the process of revelation not analogous to the arguments of the anti-Christ Korihor? Listen to one of his arguments:

13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.
14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.
15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.
16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so (Alma 30).

See how he tries to argue that revelation from God is really just lunacy? See how he tries to make prophets like like mental patients? Good thing we have the Book of Mormon to reveal the plots of the Devil and all those that follow him and work for him.

Lift Where You're Standing

The first part of Alma 29 contains a discussion on the importance of just starting from wherever you are to work in the kingdom of the Lord. It reminds me of a President Uchtdorf talk about being willing to lift where we stand.

An interesting point President Uchtdorf bring up in his message is that

The Lord expects each of us to have a calling in His Church so that others may be blessed by our talents and influence.

Whatever calling I have gives me an opportunity to bless others with my talents and influence.