Book of Mormon 24 - “Give Us Strength According to Our Faith … in Christ”

The scriptures in Alma 13 to 16 are rich in doctrine and tell an epic tale that highlights the power of God to work miracles in the lives of mere mortals.

In Alma 13:3 we read, “And this is the manner after which they were ordained – being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works…” I have heard some very odd comments about foreordination, so I chose to do a little research into this topic. In the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (1938, p. 365), Joseph Smith explained, “Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was.” These callings needed to be confirmed through righteous living in this mortal estate. This is completely different to the belief in predestination. Some religions teach that once we accept the Saviour we are predestined to be saved and it does not matter what we do in this life. Alma makes it very clear that this is not the case with foreordination. If we fail to live the way the Lord wants us to, we may never receive the foreordained calling. In verse 4, it says that “others” who were foreordained to great callings, did not receive the calling in this life because they did “reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds.”

I enjoyed reading a wonderful BYU talk given by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, called A More Determined Discipleship (1978). Elder Maxwell spoke about foreordination in the clearest terms. He stated, “…it clearly underlines how very long and how perfectly God has loved us and known us with our individual needs and capacities.” To me, this is a wonderful thought. I have always known God loves me. I have not always understood why! But this has helped me to understand that He not only loves me, but understands me completely. It is wonderful to know that although He knows and understands my weaknesses, He still loves me!

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Elder Maxwell went on to state that the doctrine of foreordination can increase our understanding of how essential this brief period of mortality is and can motivate us to live good lives and perform good works. “This precious doctrine can also help us go the second mile because we are doubly called.” He compared the relationship between our first and second estates to the process of agreeing in advance to surgery. The “anaesthetic of forgetfulness” settles on us when we enter this life. A surgeon does not stop mid-surgery to wake a patient and ask him/her for further permission to continue the operation. God instructed us and then sent us to this period of learning and testing. The decision made was irrevocable.

As mortals it is difficult for us to understand omniscience, but, as Elder Maxwell stated, “we simply have to trust in what the Lord has told us, knowing enough, however, to realise that we are not dealing with guarantees from God but extra opportunities – and heavier responsibilities.”

“Prophecies foreshadow events without determining the course, because of a divine foreseeing of outcomes. So foreordination is a conditional bestowal of a role, a responsibility, or a blessing which, likewise, foresees but does not fix the outcome.” Elder Maxwell provides the example of David. God foresaw his failure but was not the cause of that failure. God likewise foresaw Martin Harris’s loss of the Book of Mormon pages but did not cause it to occur. “Foreordination is clearly no excuse for fatalism, or arrogance, or the abuse of agency.”

I would like to include a powerful statement and example from Elder Maxwell’s talk, in its entirety, as it is such a wonderful example and so clearly explained. “Once the believer acknowledges that the past, present, and future are before God simultaneously – even though we do not understand how – then the doctrine of foreordination may be seen somewhat more clearly. For instance, it was necessary for God to know that the economic difficulties and crop failures of the Joseph Smith Sr. family in New England would move this special family to the Cumorah vicinity where the Book of Mormon plates were buried. God’s plans could scarcely have so unfolded if – willy-nilly – the Smiths had been born Manchurians and if, meanwhile, the plates had been buried in Belgium!”

The remainder of these chapters in Alma are epic in the events they depict. 

• The people who had listened to Alma and Amulek were divided: a few believed and repented of their sins, while others were angry and wanted to destroy these great missionaries.
• Alma and Amulek were bound and taken before the chief judge.
• Zeezrom was wracked with guilt. He testified of his own sin and claimed that Alma and Amulek were spotless before God. The people reviled him, spat on him, stoned him, and cast him out.
• All those who had believed the words of Alma and Amulek were gathered together and burned alive. Their scriptures were also thrown into the fire.
• Alma and Amulek remained silent when questioned by the judge. He ordered the guards to throw them into prison.
• After three days in prison they were again questioned and remained silent.
• Many arrived at the prison to persecute Alma and Amulek. They were spat on, hit, stoned, stripped, starved, and mocked.
• After many days, a large group of people led by the chief judge again challenged Alma and Amulek. Each one in turn smote these two great men and challenged them to free themselves and then they would believe God would destroy their city.
• Alma and Amulek rose to their feet and Alma cried to the Lord (Alma 14:26): “…O Lord, give us strength, according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance.”
• There was a huge rumble of the earth, the prison walls were “rent in twain” and fell, and all those who had persecuted Alma and Amulek were destroyed in the fall.
• Alma and Amulek alone survived the devastation of the prison. Their cords were loosed and they walked free.
• Many people who had heard the noise, saw Alma and Amulek walk away from the prison rubble. They were terrified and ran away.
• Alma and Amulek went to Sidom, converted many and healed Zeezrom.
• The Lamanites completely destroyed the city of Ammonihah.

The Power of God was upon Alma and Amulek by Gary L. Kapp

As I read these scriptures, I pictured the events unfold. I marvelled at the strength and courage of Alma and Amulek. I was impressed by the change in Zeezrom. I also saw the repercussions of refusing to accept and follow the Lord’s teachings. The people of Ammonihah were utterly destroyed by the Lamanite army. “…in one day it was left desolate; and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness” (Alma 16.10). This has been prophesied by Alma and Amulek. Zoram, the chief captain of the Nephite army, approached Alma for his counsel. With the Lord’s help the Nephites were able to free themselves from the Lamanite threat. 

I will trust in the Lord. There is nothing in this life that is more important than trusting in the Lord, following His counsel, and striving to be the best we can be.

Book of Mormon 23 - “More Than One Witness”

Lesson 23 focussed on the teachings of Alma and Amulek to the people of Ammonihah. When Alma first preached to the people of Ammonihah, he was rejected, persecuted, spat on, and cast out of the city. However, the Lord sent an angel to Alma, while he was journeying towards the land of Aaron, and instructed him to return to Ammonihah. The Lord had prepared a local man, Amulek, to host Alma, listen to him, and be his aid in teaching the word of God. There are several scriptures in Alma 9-12 that made me reflect on my own life. The fact that Alma needed a second person to support him in his missionary work, made me realise the importance of preaching two-by-two. In D&C 42:6 the Lord’s direction was to “go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name…declaring my word like unto angels of God.” In his talk ‘Valued Companions’, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1997) stated that companionships constitute the basic organisation in the missions of the church and that just as the disciples of old, our missionaries go two-by-two into all the world to proclaim the gospel and save souls. We go out two-by-two as Visiting Teaching companions. I had my mother as my visiting teaching companion for many years and the experiences we shared remain very close to my heart. I am sure Alma was able to persevere in his missionary efforts in Ammonihah because of the strength of having Amulek as his companion.

Sister companions

A scripture that had an impact on me was Alma 9:23, which states: “And now I say unto you, that if this people, who have received so many blessings from the hand of the Lord, should transgress contrary to the light and knowledge which they do have, I say unto you that if this be the case, that if they should fall into transgression, it would be far more tolerable for the Lamanites than for them.” Brigham Young, in Volume 16 of the Journal of Discourses (1877, p. 110-111), stated, “Those who do not profess to know anything of the Lord are far better off than we are, unless we live our religion, for we know our Master’s will”. This may see unjust, on the surface, but the Lord can only judge our performance by our willingness to obey. We cannot obey laws we do not know. I am fortunate to know the gospel. I must make sure my standards of behaviour are in line with the principles I know to be true. It is important to live with a spirit of gratitude and remember the myriad blessings the Lord gives to the righteous.

I was impressed by the character of Amulek. He listened to the direction of an angel to accept a prophet of God into his home, his heart, and his life. He listened to Alma and believed. He had the strength of character to testify to those who knew him well, that Alma’s words were true. At the same time, he showed such humility. In Alma 10:6 he says, “I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear.” This made me think of myself. Have I ever heard the promptings of the Holy Ghost and chosen to ignore them? Unfortunately, I had to admit that I have done just that. I married too early, in the London temple, and later went through a very miserable four years, followed by a temple divorce. I remember fasting about whether to marry this man, but starting with a decision already made in my mind. I remember standing by the wall of the London temple, hearing an almost audible voice saying to me, “You are doing the wrong thing”. I did it anyway! There have been other times when I was selective in what I chose to hear and understand. The Lord has always tried to help me, but I need to stop and listen! How can I make sure I always hear? I must strive to live the gospel basics as fully as possible: obedience, prayer, scripture study, and temple attendance.

Amulek by James Fullmer

Alma 10:27 brought very vivid images to my mind. This scripture says, “And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges.” This same message was captured by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet (1991) in the Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3, when they stated that one of the signs of the decay of morality in society is an emphasis on the technicalities of law. I have watched so many episodes of the TV drama, Law and Order, and the most common thought I have had is how many loopholes there are in American law. I do believe we are more fortunate in New Zealand. However, there are still injustices that arise when personal preference or belief is more important than justice. An example of this is a recent Bill passed by the NZ Parliament which allows a NZ court to re-imprison people after they have completed their sentence, for crimes they might commit in the future! Even the NZ Law Society has labelled this as injustice. In New Zealand, there are laws in place that restrict medication given to children at school. Schools must have signed parental permission to give children Panadol. At the same time, children under 16 can go to the school nurse and organise an abortion, without parental knowledge or consent. “New Zealand law makes it so the teen girl would have to give consent for the parents to be notified of the potential abortion” (New Zealand schools arranging secret teen abortions). These laws indicate something is wrong in society!

TPP Protest - Auckland City

Zeezrom was an interesting character. He confronted Alma and Amulek with craftily constructed questions and tried to use his expertise as a lawyer to trap Alma and Amulek. However, his efforts were in vain. In Alma 11:46 it says: “Now, when Amulek had finished these words the people began again to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble.” Zeezrom realised he was the one who was trapped and the truth was more powerful than Zeezrom’s craftiness. He eventually repented of his evil ways. This story is a wonderful testimony to the power of truth. When I was young I was a witness to the power of truth. While attending high school, I was a very enthusiastic missionary. Unlike Zeezrom, the man I needed to speak to was a very good man, my History teacher, and a man very knowledgeable in the fields of history, culture, politics, philosophy, and religion. He knew the Bible intimately. I had given him a copy of the Book of Mormon, and he wanted to ask me questions about the Book of Mormon which he wanted me to answer through Biblical scriptures. I was 13 years old and not very knowledgeable about anything! In fact, I had never even read the Bible from cover to cover. I was terrified! I knew that the only way I could deal with his questions was with help from the Spirit. I fasted and prayed that I would have the help I needed. I remember entering the room and seeing the beautiful, very large, family Bible sitting open in front of my teacher. I cannot remember a single question I was asked or a single answer I gave. I just know that as a question was asked, I was able to turn to an answer in the Bible. I did not have to hesitate. I know, as I live and breathe, that the truth was spoken that day, by the Spirit, through me. The answers were not mine. I was guided in every word, with every scripture. At the end of the session, my teacher said I had amazed him by my answers and he was prepared to read the Book of Mormon and seek the truth for himself.

Zeezrom by James Fullmer

The last scripture that left a deep impression on me was Alma 12:3-6. These are Alma’s words to Zeezrom. Alma testified to Zeezrom that his thoughts were made known through the Spirit. Alma and Amulek were able to avoid the traps Zeezrom wove with his words and lies because the Spirit revealed the truth to them. Alma declares that Zeezrom was the tool of the adversary. Zeezrom believed he was in control, but the truth was that the adversary was the one in control. In verse 6, Alma states, “…this was a snare of the adversary, which he has laid to catch his people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.” What a dreadful thought! The more we stray from the path of righteousness, the stronger the chains of Satan that bind our freedom. Obedience leads to real freedom. I want the sort of freedom that relies on action and responsibility, as this is the only freedom that leaves us truly happy.

Book of Mormon 22 - “Have Ye Received His Image in Your Countenances?”

I found the Lesson 22 scriptures challenging. I spent a great deal of time thinking about the importance of these scriptures to me. Alma the younger was both chief judge and high priest to the Nephite nation. The cycle of peace – prosperity – pride – downfall was once again in full swing. After years of peace, the people became more prosperous and began to succumb to pride. With pride, spiritual matters were set aside. Alma saw this trend in the people and decided to give up the judgement seat to Nephihah, so that he could spend his time preaching to the people. Alma 5 contains Alma’s words to the people in Zarahemla, Alma establishes order in the church in Zarahemla in Alma 6, and Alma 7 contains Alma’s words to the people in Gideon.

Alma the younger, portrait by James H. Fullmer

A rhetorical question is designed to make people think and assess where they stand on a certain topic. There are forty rhetorical questions in Alma 5. I thought a lot about the questions in Alma 5:14-15. Here are these questions and my answers:

“I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God?”

I can remember incidents which cause me to answer in the affirmative. I remember the following vividly:

• The first occasion was my baptism, when I turned eight years of age. My father had been baptised in April and he subsequently baptised me when I turned eight, in July of the same year. I remember the feelings of love and warmth. I remember the hands on my head and the words pronounced, “Receive the Holy Ghost”. I felt the Spirit with me.
• The second incident was during my year of Seminary, studying the Book of Mormon. I have previously written about the importance of this year in my blog post for Lesson 1. We had a special event during this year. As a class, we broke the world record for reading the Book of Mormon aloud, from cover to cover. We each took a turn reading aloud. I vividly recall reading from 3^rd Nephi and feeling this overwhelming conviction of the truthfulness of what I was reading. Through the promptings of the Holy Ghost, I knew the Book of Mormon was indeed the word of God.
• Since those early experiences, I have had countless times when I have been filled with the Spirit and truly felt spiritually born of God.

“Have ye received his image in your countenances?

”Oh, how I wish this was true! Brigham Young said, “Those who have got the forgiveness of their sins have countenances that look bright and they will shine with the intelligence of Heaven” (As cited by James E. Faust in To reach even unto you, 1980, p. 28).

I have seen the most spiritual, beautiful people, who have literally shone with the light of the gospel. One that I recall with love and admiration is my youth Sunday School teacher, Sister Gloria Kelly, previously mentioned in my blog post for Lesson 16. Gloria was an angel who radiated the light of the gospel. I have recently searched for her on the web. The only reference to her that I could find was the Ensign article Saints in the Land of the Long White Cloud, March 2002.

Sister Gloria Kelly

Recently my “other” daughter, Sister Amelia Mavae, left for the MTC in Provo, preparatory to serving a mission in the Marshall Islands. She is another angel. I will miss her so much, as will my daughter. Over the past decade, my daughter and Sister Mavae have been best friends. Sister Mavae is the best influence my daughter could have in her life. When we went to the airport to say goodbye, she shone with gospel light. I am so proud of her.

Sister Mavae & her mum Sela

“Have ye received his mighty change in your hearts?”

The Holy Ghost is the agent of change. I have felt the presence of the Holy Ghost. I have received guidance, protection, comfort, and strength. I am a better person now because of the gospel and the guidance of the Spirit.

My progress in the gospel has been slow and steady. If I consider the mighty change in heart experienced by the people following King Benjamin’s address, I fall far short. In Mosiah 5:2 we read, “…the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” This is the change in heart I want. I see this in the lives of our leaders, the General Authorities. I want to become the sort of person who simply has no desire to ever stray from the path of obedience. I have a long way to go! I need a lot of work, effort, study, and prayer.

The First Presidency, April 2016

“Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?”

I have faith in my Saviour, my Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. I know He loves me. I know He has suffered for me. The faith I have provides hope, and that hope allows me to persevere, even when the going gets tough.

In James 2:20 we read that “faith without works is dead.” To develop my faith there are things I must do. These include: prayer, obedience, service, and charity.

“Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?”

My eye of faith is a little blurry! I am not ready to stand before the judgement seat. I would be found lacking. My greatest sin is procrastination. I do not know when or how I will be called to account for the things I have done in this life. The scriptures from Alma have been a call to action. In Alma 5:16-21 there are many more questions that address my state of preparedness. The one that stood out for me was in verse 19: “…can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands?” This is the one I have committed to work on. I know that when I meet the Lord I want to be confident enough to meet His gaze. If I were to meet Him now, I would be looking at my feet in shame. So, I have set myself a goal. I want to have my temple recommend again by the end of this year. This will be a good starting point for me.

The last scripture that touched my heart from the readings for this lesson is Alma 7:11-12: “And he shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people…and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succour his people according to their infirmities.” The Lord did not just suffer for our sins. He has also suffered our pains and infirmities. He understands us. He knows what it is like to be tempted. I love my Saviour. I appreciate what He has done for me. I appreciate His love and care.

My Child by David Bowman