Trust in God ... to tase of exceeding joy (Alma 36-38)

In October 2018, President Henry B. Eyring acknowledged the trying times we face now and ahead, but also offered some comfort. He said:

"All of us live in a world where Satan's war against truth and against our personal happiness is becoming more intense. The world and your life can seem to you to be in increasing commotion. My reassurance is this: the loving God who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way to pass through them. Heavenly Father so loved the world that He sent his Beloved Son to help us." (Try, Try, Try, by Henry B. Eyring).

President Eyring is certainly not the first or the last to offer such reassurances. They build upon the words of Alma the Younger to his son Helaman in Alma 36:3:

".... whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."

Remember, Alma wanted to teach this to everyone he knew with all of his heart because he once preached against his father's words. He was very lucky that his father prayed for him, that because of his father's great faith, an angel came to visit him, and that he listened. There were others before him, like Laman and Lemuel, who were too hard-hearted to listen to an angel of God.

As Alma the Younger recounts his history to Helaman, he shares what his life has been like since that moment when the angel reprimanded him, and when he realized he had been preaching against truth.

"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 36:24

We need God in our lives more than ever. We need to be reminded that our afflictions are but for a small moment and that if we endure it well, we shall triumph over all of our foes (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-9).

We also read in Alma 37:30 of prophets of the Lord who were murdered for crying repentance to the people. We know that the Lord sent these prophets because it hurts him to see a single soul turn away from him. He gave people every opportunity to repent and turn to him, and in doing so, some of his most beloved followers died for him. Our adversity here on earth isn't simple and the ending isn't always as we might wish, but in Alma 37:46 Alma says: "... The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever."

Alma then talks to his son Shiblon, and this is one of my favorite, most quoted passage of scriptures, the entire chapter of Alma 38. Alma praises Shiblon for being steadfast and faithful in God but explains that this steadfast didn't happen when it was easy to be steadfast, but under trying times.

"I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of they faithfulness and they diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites.

 

"For I know that thou was in bonds; yea, and I also know that wast stoned for the word's sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee.

 

"And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 38: 3-5)

One of the most impactful talks I have heard in my entire life, that resonated deeply within me, is this talk, "Truly Good and without Guile," given in April 2015, Elder Michael T. Ringwood. I quote it often so if you've ever heard me speak, you've probably heard me talk about Shiblon, the son of Alma the Younger, in the past. You should go back and read the whole talk. I felt then that if we would heed his words, many of the problems we face would melt away. Too often, we let pride stand between us and turning to God. Pride is not always a bad thing but when it takes the shape of self-righteousness, it can do a lot of damage. I don't ever want to be wracked with the grief that Alma the Younger faced for his past mis-deeds when he fully repented.

 Elder Ringwood states of Shiblon:

"It appears that Shiblon was a son who wanted to please his father and went about doing what was right for right's sake rather than for praise, position, power, accolades, or authority." 

"Shiblon was truly good and without guile. He was a person who sacrified his time, talents, and effort to help and lift others because of a love for God and his fellowmen. ... In a world where praise, position, power, accolades, and authority are sought on every side, I honor those wonderful and blessed souls who are truly good and without guile, those who are motivated by a love of God and their neighbors, those great women and men who are 'more anxious to serve than to have dominion.'" 

Elder Ringwood goes on to share a story about a young missionary who misjudged by others his age that should have known better, who thought he wasn't as good or diligent of a missionary because he had was not skillful at learning a new language. When his new missionary companion (the much younger Elder Ringwood) discovered this, and wanted to correct the misperception, his wise mission president reminded him that Heavenly Father already knew. Says Elder Ringwood, 

"This wise mission president taught me what was important in service, and it wasn't praise, position, power, honor, or authority. This was a great lesson for a young missionary who was too focused on titles."

It is so easy to get caught up in the world, after all, we live in it. However, as I read these ancient scriptures, I am reminded, over and over again, that history repeats itself. The prideful enjoyed small moments of pleasure but ultimately fell. The humble were persecuted and suffered many afflictions but were ultimately blessed. The scriptures were diligently recorded and passed on from generation to generation so that we could learn from our ancestors, and from men who spoke to God. Through the scriptures, we can remember, remember (Alma 37:13), and we can know that by "small and simple things are great things brought to pass." (Alma 37:6). We can look to the Lord for exceedingly great joy as we work on the small acts of faith, the simple acts of service, and turning our hearts to Him.

Alma 32-35: Alma Taught the Zoramites Faith, Humility, and Prayer

Ten days ago, a six-year-old boy threw himself in front of his four-year-old sister when a German shepherd began charging them. They had just entered the backyard of the home that their family was visiting when the dog began to charge them. The six-year-old successfully protected his sister, while being bitten in the face, a wound that required 90 stitches to close.

I first read this story on KSL News, where it stated that in the account repeated by his father, the boy, Bridger Walker, said that “after the dog bit him, he yelled for his sister to run away; and when the dog released his grip, he ran to his sister, leading her to a safe part of the yard.” 

I thought of this boy’s bravery and sacrifice as I read Alma 32-35 in the Book of Mormon. If I were to summarize each of the four chapters of Alma 32-35 in one word per chapter, the words I would choose are: humility, prayer, prepare, and faith. In summary, these chapters are about Alma preaching to the poor among the Zoramites who had not been allowed into the synagogues to worship. Alma taught that if we humble ourselves before God, if we understand that we can pray to him anytime, anywhere, and if we listen and prepare for the day when we will one day meet God and be held accountable for how we have lived this life, our faith will make us whole. In these chapters, many people turned away from the incorrect beliefs they had been following in order to turn to God. They were persecuted for their beliefs and had to leave their homes to find somewhere to worship safely.

Faith

I compare these themes and stories to this boy’s faith and how he had been taught. His family had studied the scriptures and in a Sunday discussion shortly before the attack, talked about personal sacrifice and service. Bridger knew what was important to him, his family. His sister was smaller than him, and he made his decisions without hesitation.

Remember, Bridger was only six, and while suffering from a wound that required 90 stitches, his top-most thought wasn’t calling for help, or how much he hurt, or if he was scared, it was making sure that his sister was safe. The heroism is even more significant when you realize that the boy thought he might die. In the hospital, the boy explained to his father, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.” 

The faith that leads to sacrifice and service comes in all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t always have to be a big, grand gestures, and it is often thankless and unnoticed, like Alma and the sons of Mosiah that earnestly taught about God in lands where they weren’t always welcome and like the followers of God that had to give up their homes to worship safely.

Alma 32:21-22 says, “21. And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. 22. And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.”

The worshippers of God showed faith that by choosing the right way they would be doing the right thing, and that was what what mattered the most. Little Bridger showed faith in the stories of sacrifice and service that his father had taught, and did what he felt was the right thing, and that was what mattered the most.

Humility

One of the big themes of this set of scriptures is humility, and how we are blessed for our humility, even more so when we are humble by choice instead of by circumstance. Alma 32:16 says, “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.” The poor had become humbled in these scriptures because they were deprived of the right to worship, and while that humility led them to the truth, Alma taught that it would be even better if they were humble out of choice.

The story about Bridger’s heroism was first shared by family members on social media but as the story has gained momentum, people have reached out to contribute to bills. I admire the humility of the family in stating that they weren’t seeking gain, and instead prayerfully identifying three charities that they asked people to consider donating to instead (Mission 22, Operation Undergroud Railroad, and The Wounded Warrior Project).

Prayer

At no point did Bridger’s family blame the family friends whose yard Bridger and his sister entered before the dog attacked Bridger. Instead, they asked those reading about their story to include the owners of the dog in their thoughts and prayers, expressing their love for that family.

Alma 33 focuses on prayer and how it is welcome to all. It quotes the prayer of the prophet Zenos, as he recounted to the Lord in prayer that he was able to prayer to him in the wilderness, in his field, in his house, in his closet, and no matter where, the Lord heard his prayers. 

The scriptures are of great hope. They share that even if we have just a little bit of hope, a little bit of faith, if we nurture it like a good seed, it will grow. In Alma 33:23, Alma concludes the chapter, “And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen.”

Alma 30-31: The Word of God and Leading with Our Hearts

When we reach Alma 30, we're in the 16th year of the reign of the judges. That means 16 years since King Mosiah passed away at the age of 82, and 16 years since he made sure to establish a system of judges to protect the people from unrighteous rulers, since he knew that his four righteous sons had chosen to travel to preach the gospel of God rather than become the next king. It astounds me how much happens over those sixteen years.

Many tried to take over as unrighteous rulers, so King Mosiah was very wise, and led by the Lord. Nehor introduced priestcraft, Amlici led people away that became the hard-hearted Amlicites, and  thousands upon thousands died by the sword, both the righteous who became martyrs, and those who chose to follow the devil. Yet, during all those times of darkness and trial, we can see the hand of God in all things. There were prophets and men of God to stand as his witnessses and to give people a choice, and the faith of the righteous was a powerful thing, as people were given the choice, in Zarahemla, in Alma 30:8, to "choose ye this day, whom ye will serve." The Lord was constantly giving people the opportunity to hear the Word of God and to choose to serve him, through Alma, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni, the converted Zeezrom, the converted Amulek, the converted hand-maiden to King Lamoni's wife, the righteous judges that upheld peace in the land.

All Things Denote There is a God (Alma and Korihor), by Walter Rane

In Alma 30, Korihor made several attempts to lead people away. Korihor's attempts to cast doubt for the followers of God are powerful because they are some of the same prevalent messages we hear today. He asks, "How do ye know of their surety?" in Alma 30:15. I love Alma's response in Alma 30: 44, "... Thou has had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethern, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; ye, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

With these words, Korihor first went to Zarahemla where he was successful in creating some doubt. Then, he went to Jershon, where these men and women had refused to lift up arms to protect themselves and many had died as martyrs. Their faith had been recently tested and was strong. In fact, it says in Alma 27:27 that they were "distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also toward men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end."  The people of Ammon, or the Anti-Lehi-Nephites, or the former Lamanites, could not be deceived by Korihor.

Korihor also tried to deliver his anti-Christ message to the people of Gideon but Alma had visited them in Alma 6 and preached to them to remind them to remember their God. He said to them in Alma 7:17, "... Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy." He saw they were receptive to the Spirit and gave them more tools to stay strong, to be humble and not tempted, and that the Lord would bless them.

It was some of the original Nephites in the land of Zarahemla that fell victim to Korihor's words. I want to point this out because some people perceive that our labels and titles, or our past or our heritage, denote who is righteous or good. Remember, in 1 Samuel 16:7 in the Bible it says, "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." The people of Ammon, also known as the Anti-Lehi-Nephites had been Lamanites and probably most of them had sinned against God but once they converted to God, they changed, and it says in Alma 27:30, "they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord." That is, because as we know, the Lord looked at their hearts and found it pleasing. What their ancestors had done before them, or their label as Lamanites, didn't rule what they did with their hearts.

When in doubt about what is good and righteous and what is disguised as good, Alma's advice in Alma 7:23-25 comes to mind:

In a message from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on June 9, 2020, he says, "Somehow, these challenging times helped us to be more open about the feelings of our soul. We realized even more clearly how special it is not to hide or mask the feelings of our hearts from those we love most. ... I can sense the sorrow and burden so many of you have to live with. And I can also feel your joy and enthusiasm as you focus on the many good things you can do in life. It is amazing to see how you help and uplift each other by word and deed." The Lord looks upon our hearts, and how our words and deeds suit the desires of our hearts - to serve God or Mammon.
(See Matthew 6:24).

In Alma 31:21, Alma was dismayed to see that the Zoramites in the land of Antionum had built a tower called Rameumptom, where they repeated the same memorized saying to God one at a time (that they were the elected, and there was no Christ), then "returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner." (Alma 31:21-23). Alma felt, "exceedingly sorrowful," begging the Lord and saying "their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethern." Again, the hand of God in all things - he blessed Alma for this great faith and sincerity with an overwhelming feeling of the Spirit of God and "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." (Alma 31:38). We'll see in Alma 32 when I blog next, on how the Lord sought to bless all of his children through faithful leaders like Alma.

I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the Bible and how the examples of the people that were willing to repent and change, and the leaders who loved so deeply fought, and sacrificed and worked alongside their people (Alma 30:33-35), helps strengthen and guide me.

The Book of Alma 23-29: In His Strength, I Can Do All Things

Alma 23-29 contains some of the most beautiful individual verses amid a lot of war and death.

A quick summary of some key moments leading up to these chapters
If you'll recall from Alma 20, while Ammon was having some success in converting people to God in Ishmael, his brothers, Aaron, Omner, and Himni were having a rough time in jail in Middoni. It says in Alma 20:29 that they "suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; nevertheless they were patient in their sufferings."

These men could have become great kings of their land, and in fact, turned down the role, one by one. They were so determined to turn people to God the way they had been turned. Yet, they were reviled by a very hard-hearted people that might have reminded them of themselves many years ago.  We see this theme replay over and over throughout history, not just the history of the Book of Mormon and the Bible but in the history of the world. We have the same basic vices, and we fall on them again and again, which is why the Lord constantly reminds us through prophets to watch ourselves, and focus on Him.

Ammon, fortunately, had King Lamoni on his side, and after the benevolent way that Ammon treated King Lamoni's father, he also had the King of all Lamanites protecting him, and enabling him to get his brothers out of jail, and allowing them to preach under his protection.

Throughout it all, the brothers did not give up courage. Aaron reveals in Alma 26:27, "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst they brethern, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."

Their faith resulted in thousands of converts to God
In Alma 23, after escaping prison and rejoining with Ammon, the four brothers were able to preach freely and as a result, the Lamanites in seven different lands were converted and renamed themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies. This is thousands of people that were so committed to their conversion, and so grieved by the sin of their past and their ancestry, that they covenanted in Alma 24 to put away their weapons forever, even though these weapons were also their source of protection.

Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni were patient and they trusted in the Lord. Between the four of them, they were responsible for the conversion of THOUSANDS of people. Remember, it says in Doctrine and Covenants 18:15, "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" And then it follows in Doctrine and Covenants 18:16, "And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"

Aaron truly understood that their afflictions had been great for potentially great reward, as he says in Alma 26:30, "And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some."

We see this joy in Alma 26, where Ammon and Aaron use the word "joy" a total of nine times as Aaron talks about why it's not boastful to be grateful that they have been responsible for so many conversions to Christ. Aaron says powerfully in Alma 26:12, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

I love this message of hope that they surely understood as they fought the tide against the hard hearted, in Alma 26:6, "Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them."

Martyrs softened hearts
The interesting thing about the last verse that I quoted, which gives me so much hope and peace, is that it comes after we learn in Alma 24:22 that the Lamanites that would not listen took up arms against their brothers. Since the Anti-Nephi-Lehites refused to pick up their weapons, they became1005 martyrs. It would seem that the storm DID penetrate them, yet, we learn that despite this sorrowful circumstance, these men and women "are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God"(Alma 24:22). They may not have intended this, but as they died, they brought more souls to Christ. How great was their joy as they returned to their Father!

We also see that two things happened:
1. The wicked ones were mad that they had killed their fellow brothers, and instead of feeling regretful for their terrible mistake, they actually blamed the Nephites and crossed into Ammonihah to kill more people! (Alma 25:1-4).
2. The ones that still had some heart left realized they had made a terrible mistake, and sought out those that had converted in the lands of Ishmael and Nephi, and joined them. They also promised to bury their weapons of war and, "they did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe to keep his commandments and his statues." (Alma 25: 14).

Return to Zarahemla
I have observed this several times in the past, but Zarahemla was once again a gathering place in Alma 27. The land had been ruled peacefully and inhabited by people of God, and the people of God were guided to return there again and again. This diagram I put together was at the end of a video talk I shared a couple of months ago to drive that point home. Click to view larger image:

The Lamanites that were Amalekites and Ammunolites were so wicked and so evil that their hard hearts could not be pierced, and they were a murderous people. Eventually, after talking to King Anti-Nephi-Lehi, Ammon consulted with the Lord and was directed to go to Zarahemla, where they were given the land of Jershon (Alma 27:22) and renamed themselves from Anti-Nephi-Lehi to "the people of Ammon" from that time forward.

I love that their distinction was in Alma 27:27, "... they were also distinguied for their seal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end."

Peace in the Lord
I have talked about this theme a lot, but I think we are in a time of great distress and we need the Lord more than ever. In Alma 28, we are reminded that there were many wars throughout the land, the wicked slaughtering the righteous. It wasn't that just because they repented, there were no deaths. Yet, in says in Alma 28:12, "While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promise of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of neverending happiness."

I want to end with these powerful scriptures in Alma 29:1-2:

"O that I were an angle, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow up all the face of the earth."

The Book of Alma 17-22: The Incredible Faith and Experiences of the Sons of Mosiah (Ammon, King Lamoni, and Abish)

Alma 17-22 contains a popular Book of Mormon story about Ammon, the son of King Mosiah, and how he became a servant of King Lamoni. Ammon single-handedly protects King Lamoni's sheep from being scattered by wicked Lamanites with a sling and his sword. He kills many of the attacking Lamanites and smites off the arms of the Lamanites that try to come close to him. We know he was able to do this because he had the Lord protecting him. Ammon's heroic deeds are re-told to King Lamoni, who ends up becoming converted to the Lord.

Ammon Defends the Flocks of King Lamoni

I love this story because Ammon shows such great faith, and a merciful Lord again is seeking to convert his people (King Lamoni) through the work of his faithful servants (Ammon).

There are parts of this story that are emphasized a little less frequently that I wanted to share my thoughts on today.

An Instrument for the Lord
When Ammon became converted to the Lord (Mosiah 27), as the oldest son of King Mosiah, he turned down the succession of King of the land. His brothers did too, but I'm sure he was a great example to them there in making that decision. Being king wouldn't have been easy, but he was already beloved by the people, and instead chose to go to Lamanite land where his life was constantly in danger. In fact, the first thing that happened to him upon crossing into King Laman's land was that he was bound and carried before the king for sentencing, possibly to either jail or to his death.

Next, he impressed King Lamoni enough that King Lamoni offered to have Ammon marry one of his sons. That would essentially make him a prince of the land, right? However, he said "no" and offered to be a servant instead, and was set out to defend the flocks. No cushy bed with a princess. Nope, he was out guarding sheep.

I think about Alma 17:11-12 and why Ammon and his brothers were able to choose those difficult paths, "And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethern, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God."

2020 has been a particularly tumultuous year for many of us, and I "take courage" in these long-ago words, to be "patient in long-suffering and afflictions." If we do so, always with an eye facing the Lord, and remember the patience and long-suffering of so many that came before us, the storms will maybe not seem quite so fierce or quite so long-lasting.

The Lord Protects and Guides
I love the story of Abish in Alma 19:16-17, that she had secretly converted to the Lord, and when she saw King Lamoni and his Queen respond to the truth of Ammon's word, that they, and then Ammon, were all so overcome with the Spirit that they all lay as if dead, that she thought, "I'm going to get people to come see this so that they know their is a God." Her plan could have backfired on her. In fact, Abish momentarily thought it had backfired because the people that had come in to see King Lamoni for themselves fought about it. They argued if this was of God or of if Ammon was a monster. Their arguing became so contentious that it says that Abish was "exceedingly sorrowful, even unto tears." (Alma 19:28).

So many miracles happened during this time frame though. First, one of the brothers of the men that Ammon slay tried to take this opportunity to put a sword to Ammon, and this brother "fell dead" the moment he lifted his sword. It says in Alma 19:23, "for the Lord has said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith - therefore, Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord."

Next, Abish, sorrowing that she had made the wrong decision, reached out for her queen's hands and in doing so, awakened the queen, who jumped up "being filled with joy" about all that she had learned while seemingly dead. (Alma 19:30).

So many people - in fact, all that would do one simple thing - "listen" - were converted that day. (See Alma 19:31-32).

Love and Equality
Love and equality has been a big theme in the news today. The Lord's stance on this is quite simple. He loves us all and wants us all to return to him.

Alma 19:36 - "And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name."

The scriptures share repeatedly that God is not a respecter of persons, meaning, he loves all of us, and he wants all of us to return to him.

Again, this is reiterated in Alma 20:26 when the King of the Lamanites pre-judges Ammon as a Nephite, only to realize that Ammon loves his son King Lamoni and protects him. In seeing Ammon act with love toward "the enemy" (two groups that did not see eye to eye on things), the king is humbled and becomes "desirous to learn." (Alma 20:27).

This king is so humbled and prepared that a little while later, when Ammon and King Lamoni have successfully freed his brother from prison, and Aaron approaches King Lamoni's father, the King of all Lamanites, he is prepared to listen, and in fact, is struck as if dead in the same way as his son King Lamoni was when he was taught the gospel for the first time.

Alma 13-16 - Alma, Amulek, Zeezrom, and the city of Ammonihah

When we left off from my previous post, Alma had become discouraged by the hard-heartedness of the people of Ammonihah, and had been about to depart for the city of Aaron to preach there instead, when the Lord through an angel told him to go back and try again, and where Amulek, having seen an angel, was prepared to feed Alma.

Protect Ourselves by Listening and Being Humble

So many times in ancient history, we've read about the Lord sending prophets to go back to a city that wouldn't listen, and to try again. Abinadi did this for King Noah's people, and Lehi did this for the wicked city of Jersusalem. Each time that the people did not listen, their cities were destroyed, and the people either died or were taken into bondage. The same thing happens with Ammonihah, that boasts in Alma 9:4-5 that they cannot be destroyed in a day. In Alma 16:3, 9, 10, we read "... and the people of Ammonihah were destroyed; yea, every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not destroy." The Lord loves his children and it was reaffirmed to me again that he sent prophets back again and again because he truly wanted to give the people an opportunity to listen and repent, and in some cases, some heard and repented.

It is a great reminder not to be lifted up in the pride of our hearts, never to forget that our gifts come from the Lord, and that they should be used to lift others up, not for our own pride.

This scripture from earlier came to mind as I was reading this section of scriptures: Mosiah 4:30: "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of Our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." 

Alma reminds us in Alma 13:28-29, "But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest."

In Alma 13, alma reminds of us Melchizedek, whose people had forgotten to be humble and forgot their God. However, Melchizedek exercised much faith, and preached repentance to his people. They listened, and as a result, it says in Alma 13:18, "... Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days."

The Opportunity for Repentance

The sad thing about these cities being lost and destroyed is that it was entirely preventable if people would stop hardening their hearts. I thought it was interesting and maybe a little ironic that Alma had to content with the savvy lawyer Zeezrom because Zeezrom might not have realized that when Alma was younger, he was just like Zeezrom, preaching things that were opposite to the word of God (see Mosiah 27). 

Remember, Zeezrom was one of the very successful lawyers at the time, and the reason he sought to destroy Alma and Amulek was because if people and were good, then they didn't need to be brought before the judges, which then took away the livelihood of the lawyers. They wanted people to make mistakes because it was very profitable for them. So, it is interesting that as Zeezrom sought to destroy Alma and Amulek with words, he suddenly realized that he was truly talking to men of God, and that he had made a terrible mistake preaching against them. In Alma 14, Zeezrom tried to right his wrongs but the people that had previously listened to him not cast him out too. Alma and Amulek were then taken to jail, and many of God's followers were burned in a fire. 

Zeezrom wouldn't know that the Lord was with them and protected them, and killed the evil lawyers and judge by having the prison walls come down upon them, until the two arrived in Sidon and found the people that had fled. Sounds familiar? Alma was following some of the patterns of his father, taking people out of the city with him that were believers of God, and in Alma 15:12, it says, "Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people." Just like Alma's father who used to be one of King Noah's evil high priests, just like Alma who used to preach against God, Zeezrom learned that he had been following the wrong path, repented, and devoted his life to preaching the word of God.

The Power of Sacrifice

Amulek, Alma, and Zeezrom all made great sacrifices to preach the word of God. Amulek was a wealthy man with much respect and friends. It says in Alma 15:16 that he lost the support and respect of his father, his friends, and he had to give up his worldly possessions as he left them behind in Ammonihah. 

I thought it was beautiful though that Amulek met Alma when he first fed him after Alma had fasted many days, and after their harrowing experience in Ammoniah, that Alma took Amulek back to Zarahemla, and in Alma 15:18, it says that he "took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord." 

Amulek had to watch a lot of good men and women die for their their beliefs too, and that was hard for him to see, and though we are reminded that "the Lord receiveth them up unto himself in glory" (see Alma 14:11) I don't think that necessarily lifted the sorrow from their hearts. But the Lord was with them and they were blessed as they continued to choose God over their fears and the pride of the world.

We are Equals in the Lord's Eyes

My final thought this week was that we are truly equal in the Lord's eyes. There are unfortunately a lot of voices out there saying otherwise, or trying to demean the voices asking for equality by shrugging it off as not a "real" issue, or using callous labels to demean others or lay unfair blame on the door of an entire race, and pretending injustices aren't happening. The Lord sees all of us, and he sees how we choose to live each moment of our lives. In ancient times he uses angels more frequently, in modern times, he gives us promptings to be each other's angels, to lift each other up, as equals, brothers and sisters and children of a Heavenly Father.

In Alma 16:14 we are reminded, "And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually." Alma and Amulek preached to anyone who would listen, as the gospel is for everyone. 

In Alma 16:15 we learn that though the scriptures here talk about Alma and Amulek, "many more" were "chosen for the work." 

And in Alma 16:16, it says, "And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming."

"Jesus Christ Will Come to Redeem His People" - Alma 8-12

As I read Alma 8-12 this week, a much-quoted line that I believe originated from President Thomas S. Monson in his October 2012 talk, "Consider the Blessings," came to mind. He said, "... Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives." Today I want to share some thoughts about how I have seen that this is true.

The Lord Sends Missionaries to Save His People
This week's theme from the "Come Follow Me" manual is "Jesus Christ Will Come to Redeem His People." Our Heavenly Father has always used servants of God to help teach and serve, and these chapter are no different. In Alma 8, Alma has stepped down from the Chief Judgement seat, which was a place of honor and power, as the judges had replaced the king in the land. He did this because his heart ached for every soul that had not come to God.

By Alma 8:15, Alma was "weighed down with sorrow." While he had been successful in his missionary journeys to Zarahelma, Gideon, and Melek, at this point he was weighed down because he had left Ammonihah, and there, the people were so hard-hearted that they "spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city." (Alma 8:13.) Alma was crushed by the wickedness of his people. Contrast this to people like Nehor and Amlici in previous chapters, that were seeking fame and fortune. Alma just wanted to save souls.

I had this confirmation that the Lord is in the details of our lives as an angel visited Alma in Alma 8:15 and asked him to "lift up they head and rejoice, for thou has great cause to rejoice; for thou has been faithful in keeping the commandments of God." He then asked Alma to return to Ammoniah to preach repentance.

The Lord Prepares a Way
The Lord also sent an angel to Amulek to prepare him for Alma's return to Ammoniah, letting him know that Alma would need to be fed, and that Amulek and his family would be blessed for it.

This preparing of the way reminded me of the Acts 10 in the Bible, that was written in the years after Jesus died on the cross, and his apostles had gone out to continue teaching his word. This chapter talks about a devout man that feared and prayed to God but did not have the full gospel of Jesus Christ in his life. He was a Gentile. Cornelius was told by an angel to send for Simon Peter in the same way that Amulek was told to wait for Alma. Both were blessed for their faith. In both cases, a prophet of God visited with them because the prophet was also listening to the Lord.

In Alma 9:25 it says, "And now for this cause, that ye may not be destroyed, the Lord has sent his angel to visit many of his people, declaring unto them that they must go forth and cry mightily unto this people, saying: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is night at hand." I love this reminder that the Lord expects us to live up to the level of light and knowledge we have about the gospel of Christ but that he does not want us to fail. He sends prophets, preachers, scriptures, and more to give us ample reminders lest we forget to be as Alma says in chapter 7:32: humble, submissive and gentle, easy to be entreated, full of patience and long-suffering, temperate in all things, diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all time, always returning thanks unto God, with faith, hope, and charity, always abounding in good works.

Pride Cometh Before the Fall
In Alma 9:4-5, the people of Ammonihah that refuse to listen to Alma brag that a city as great as theirs could not be destroyed. Alma immediately reminds them that Jersualem said the same thing in 1 Nephi 1 when Lehi preached repentance to his people. This theme happened in the scriptures, and is happening in the world, over and over again. When we forget the Lord, become puffed up in pride and greediness, the cities we build, the wealth we've gained, will eventually come crumbling down. Alma reminds them in Alma 9:8, "how have ye forgotten the tradition of your fathers; yea how soon ye have forgotten the commandments of God."

He reminds the people in Alma 9:26, "And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers."

We must forget that our blessings and our gifts come from the Lord. If we can remember, we can focus on how to use our brief time here on earth wisely, to be kind, gentle, patience, and to keep the commandments of God.

Choosing Greed Before God
In Alma 10 and 11 the lawyers fight against Alma and Amulek, hoping to make them look bad because if the people repent, and no longer needs lawyers to defend themselves from the judgement seat, then those lawyers lose some of their income. This is reminiscent of Corinthians in the Bible, where in some areas of the land, Aphrodite was worshipped, and metal workers greatly profited from making metal idols. They also fought the word of God because the more people that turned to God, the less people they had to buy their metal works. How neat would it have been if these lawyers and metal workers could have looked for way to re-target their talents and skills?

During this Covid-19 pandemic, and the great mourning of our Black brothers and sisters as they fight for true equality, I have seen people successfully shift their skills rather than fight for greed before God. For instance, in response to the pandemic, a local restaurant that made a great deal of their money by catering to wedding events, and likely had a little more money than some of the other smaller, struggling businesses, paid their employees that now no longer had any work, to go and volunteer at the other businesses that were struggling to get by. To support our Black community, the global tech company where I work has created new education channels and donated $1 million to the EJI that defends human righhts, among other activities. I am citing examples that are close to me but I wanted to share these two examples from groups that don't represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day but are being Christ-like, the way that Cornelius and Amulek may not have known God well, but sought to be Christ-like, and chose God before Greed.

In Alma 10:4-5, Amulek was a successful man but he stated that despite his successes, he hadn't known God, until he realized that he did. He says in Alma 10:5, "... I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people."

Themes from Come Follow Me guide
I want to briefly touch on some of the topics in the Come Follow Me guide and how some of the thoughts above relate.

1. "My efforts to share the gospel may require persistence and patience."
This goes along with what I was reminded that the Lord prepares a way - but he doesn't always prepare the pay we might expect, in the timeline we might expect. I talked about this earlier, when Alma's father, Alma, was leading his people away from evil King Noah. They were in bondage for some time to the Lamanites before they could escape. Persistence and patience is always a theme in life and it's worth it. I compare it to the patience of earning a high school diploma or a college degree, getting ready to run a 5K from not having run before, recovering from an illness and getting your body healthy and strong again.

2. "God's plan is a plan of redemption."
God has commandments in place for us to return to him but he very clearly does not want us to fail. That is why he sends us so many maps, so many guides. We have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, teachings from our prophets and leaders that are recorded on our church website, and in words of the prophets books, among other places. We have prophets, bishops, and weekly sacrament. It is all in place to help us to success in his plan.

3. "If I will not harden my heart, I can receive more of the word of God."
The more we listen, the more we get to learn. I loved what Amulek said about this in Alma 10:4-5, that I referenced above. In Alma 11and 12, Zeezrom, a lawyer, tries to convince the people that Alma and Amulek are wrong. He thinks he can do this because he's a very skilled lawyer. I think it's interesting that Alma used to go about preaching against the word of God. Essentially, he was Zeezrom before an angel of the Lord struck Alma dumb and called on him to repent. Alma knew exactly what he was doing. He let Amulek do the talking and before long, Zeezrom was shaking as he heard the truth.

I affirm that the Lord is in the details of our lives. He sees us, he knows us, and as we willingly place our trust in him, he will help us, though the path may be steep and not so very straight.