Book of Mormon 27 - “All Things Denote There Is a God”

The scriptures in Alma 30 focus on an Anti-Christ, Korihor, and his teachings. In The Keystone of Our Religion, President Ezra Taft Benson (Ensign, Jan. 1992) suggested that in order to effectively study the Book or Mormon, “We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include this in the record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?” So, I thought a lot about that question. Korihor’s teachings are allied closely to the modern philosophical tenets of Naturalism. Naturalism is “the philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted” (Google definition). These scriptures give us details of Korihor’s doctrines but they also give us Alma’s responses, i.e. how to counter Naturalist claims and assert our own beliefs.

Korihor by James Faulkner

The following chart summarises some Naturalist tenets, Korihor’s teachings, and Alma’s statements.

Naturalist Philosophies	Teachings of Korihor	Teachings of Alma
·               Statements of fact should be based on observation, not on unsupported authority ·               The Scientific Method is followed - all conclusions must be based upon public, repeatable observations using the natural senses  - this automatically cuts out personal revelation or revelation coming to us from God through prophets & scriptures	·                "For no man can know of anything which is to come" (Alma 30:13) ·                The prophecies are "foolish traditions of your fathers" (Alma 30:14) ·                "Ye cannot know of things which ye cannot see" (Alma 30:15) ·                He claimed that we cannot know that there is a God ·                Korihor demands a sign, i.e. he asks for observable evidence	·                  Alma told Korihor that he had put off the Spirit of God (Alma 30:42) ·                  He had the testimony of his brethren, the testimony of the holy prophets, & the testimony of the scriptures (Alma 30:44) ·                  God is the source of all truth & knowledge -  "...and all things denote there is a God” (Alma 30:44)
·               The inanimate world is a self-acting, self-perpetuating system, in which all changes conform to natural laws -eliminates the concept that God has any power to direct or control matter ·               Man is controlled by natural law -  no room for a spirit within the physical body to interact with the body & influence its actions, i.e. no agency ·               Motivation based on survival of the fittest, both physically and mentally	·                There is nothing wrong with living in wickedness - "...when a man was dead, that was the end thereof" (Alma 30:18) ·                One could feel free in committing sin because all existence ended with death - no place for such things as God's law given by holy prophets ·                Denies the necessity of Christ as there is no sin or spiritual death; therefore, no need for an atonement (Alma 30:16-18)	·                  Testified that observation of the natural world is a testimony of God and his hand in the natural world (Alma 30:44) ·                  Motivation stems from fear & love of God
Based on information in Brother Bill Beardall’s Lesson 27, http://beardall2000.com/bm/bom27.htm

Alma confronts Korihor

In Countering Korihor’s Philosophy, Gerald N. Lund (Ensign, July 1992) made some remarkable suggestions regarding the value of learning about Korihor in the Book of Mormon. He makes the following points:

• Alma does not get into an argument or a philosophical debate with Korihor. The lesson is, “We combat false philosophies with revelation and true doctrine, not academic debate.”
• Alma exposes Korihor as a liar, who is inconsistent in his own arguments. Korihor teaches that we know things that we can see. Korihor claims there is no God but has no empirical evidence for his claim. “Korihor will consider only evidence that can be gathered through the senses. In such a system, it is much easier to prove there is a God than to prove there is not a God. To prove there is a God, all it takes is for one person to see, hear, or otherwise have an experience with God, and thereafter the existence of God cannot be disproved.”
• No matter how sophisticated and intelligent an anti-Christ appears to be, the philosophies expounded will be riddled with contradictions and errors. The gospel is always true.
• Korihor demands a sign before he will believe. He is struck dumb. He ends up begging for his living and dies at the hands of the Zoramites, a people who practise the beliefs he previously expounded. “And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at that last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell” (Alma 30:60).

Gerald N.Lund

Gerald Lund concludes with the following statement, “The philosophy Korihor taught, so pervasive among us today, leads to a dead end. This is undoubtedly why, under the power of inspiration, Mormon gave his detailed account of Korihor and his false teachings – so that we today may more easily distinguish between Christ and anti-Christ, between eternal life and spiritual death.”

Korihor claimed we cannot know there is a God, while Alma claimed God is the source of all light and knowledge. This made me think of a story I read online about The Atheist Professor vs the Christian Student. Although the logic in this story is not flawless, it is definitely food for thought! I also thought about Alma’s wonderful statement about all things denoting there is a God. I feel this so strongly. An incredibly faith-promoting talk, a BYU devotional address, Our God Truly is God by Elder Douglas L. Callister of the Seventy (Jan. 2008) provides incredible examples of the evidence of God in all creation. The entire talk is superb. Just some snippets include:

• “With its 107 million cells, connected to the brain by over 1 million neurons, the eye is more perfect than any camera ever invented.”
• “Seventy muscles contribute to hand movements. Much of the rest of the body is devoted to optimizing the complex function of the hand. There are no muscles in the fingers. The sole purpose of the forearm, its muscles and bones, is to move and position the hand.”
• “Your miraculous thumb is controlled by nine individual muscles and three major hand nerves. Sir Isaac Newton is reported to have said: “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence” (see above)
• “They (speaking of the education of physicians) learned of over 150 trillion cells within the body. If set end-to-end, these cells would encircle the earth more than 200 times…more than 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) of DNA in one human body…a brain that continually receives signals from 130 million light receptors in the eyes, 24,000 hearing receptors in the ears, 10,000 taste buds, and hundreds of receptors in the skin, with specialised commissions to recognise touch, vibration, cold, heat, and pain.”
• “This earth departs from its orbit of the sun by only one-ninth of an inch (2.82 mm) every 18 miles (29 km). If, instead, it changed by one-tenth of an inch (2.54 mm) every 18 miles, we would all freeze to death. If it changed by one-eighth of an inch (3.18 mm), we would all be incinerated.”
• “The evidence of Heavenly Father’s existence is everywhere: in every newborn babe and in every system, part and parcel of the unending and orderly universe, including our own bodies. He is evidenced in every sunset, work of art, and passage of music.”

In Alma 31 we read of the perversion of the Zoramites. Alma went on a mission to the Zoramites. These people had separated themselves from the Nephites, under their leader, Zoram. We are told that the Zoramites had fallen into great errors. Alma believed that a strong missionary effort, from himself and his companions, would lead to a change in the lives of these people. In Alma 31:5, we read “…the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just – yea, it had had a more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them – therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.” The quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer (below) emphasises this point.

The Zoramites were doing many things that were perversions of gospel truths: failure to observe the law of Moses; forsaking the practise of daily prayer; worshiping only once a week; everyone offering the same prayer, on a prayer stand, the Rameumpton; claiming God to be a spirit and Nephite beliefs to be false; and, preaching that there would be no Christ. The prayer that was offered, once a week, from the Rameumpton, illustrated their pride, vanity, and level of self-deception. This prayer went along the lines of  “Holy, holy God…thou wast a spirit…and wilt be a spirit forever…we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren…thou hast selected us to be thy holy children…thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by the wrath down to hell…we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people” (Alma 31:15-18). I have heard some deep, spiritual, sweet, heart-felt prayers in my time – this is not one of them! It is impossible for spirituality and vanity to co-exist. Spirituality and humility go hand-in-hand. 

In contrast to the prayer of the Zoramites, Alma’s prayer is humble, yearning, and poignant. He prayed for strength as his heart was in pain because of the wickedness of the people. He prayed for patience and success for the missionary efforts of himself and his companions. “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: 35).

I hope that we may all keep the efforts of our full-time missionaries in our thoughts and prayers. I know I am so grateful for all the Lord has done for me. I pray that I may be humble enough to follow His direction and live with an attitude of gratitude and a desire to serve others.

Book of Mormon 26 - “Converted unto the Lord”

The sons of Mosiah were wonderful missionaries. They stayed close to the Lord and were directed by the Spirit. As a result, “…thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord…I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away” (Alma 23:5-6). The converted Lamanites became so righteous that they laid down their weapons, never to pick them up again. The power of their faith and courage is a wonderful example to all who aim at living a righteous life. I was inspired by hearing that none of those who were converted by these brethren, ever fell away from the truth. That is astonishing!

The Anti-Nephi-Lehis

Since the restoration of the gospel, we have heard accounts of amazing missionaries who converted thousands of people. The Spirit has always been instrumental in leading these missionaries to souls who have been prepared to receive the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel. Elder Wilford Woodruff was a missionary of this calibre. He was led to a pivotal convert, Thomas Kington, Superintendent of the United Brethren. This group had broken away from the Primitive Methodists. They had forty lay preachers who had been teaching and baptising when Elder Woodruff first moved into the Greater Herefordshire area. Thomas Kington had been teaching daily prayer and the importance of the family. Gospel principles were readily accepted by members of the United Brethren and hundreds were baptised by Elder Woodruff (Whittaker, D.J. Harvest in Herefordshire. Ensign, Jan. 1987).

President Wilford Woodruff

On the African continent there are many other examples of the conversion of thousands of Saints who were prepared by the Lord to receive the Restored Gospel. Elder Dale LeBaron, from Johannesburg, South Africa, spent three and a half months interviewing African converts in ten African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Zaire, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ciskei, Transkei, Swaziland, and the Mauritius and Réunion Islands) for the Department of International Studies at Brigham Young University. In Gospel Pioneers in Africa (Ensign, Aug, 1990), Elder LeBaron discussed some of the many converts and their stories. Many of these stories are shown in the Living Scriptures Church History Docudrama called A Legacy of Faith.

Prior to 1978, when the Priesthood became available to all men, there were many unbaptised converts in African countries who sought for the truth, read Church literature, and received inspired direction through the Spirit. “Their faith penetrated the spiritual darkness as they shared their newfound knowledge and conviction generously with neighbours” (LeBaron, 1990). One of these converts was Joseph W.B. Johnson. He was converted after reading the Book of Mormon in 1964. He received a personal revelation of the truthfulness contained in these scriptures and then shared the message of the Book of Mormon with others. 14 years later, when the missionaries first made contact with Brother Johnson, he had already organised many unbaptised congregations, calling themselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many accepted the message of the missionaries.

In Nigeria, Anthony Obinna had also prepared souls for the missionaries. In the late 1960s, Anthony had a night vision of a man in the most beautiful room he had ever seen. He later saw a photo of the Salt Lake Temple in the Reader’s Digest magazine, and recognised the room and the building from his dream. He wrote to Church Headquarters requesting LDS literature. When the missionaries finally arrived in Nigeria, they found many people prepared for the gospel.

Anthony Obinna and early Nigerian Saints

Conversion is a process that influences the convert deeply. Thinking about converts and change made me think of my father’s baptism. Although the story is light-hearted, it is very memorable, and very special to me. My father was baptised just in time to progress in his Priesthood enough to baptise me when I turned eight years of age.

In his youth, my father was educated in the navy. His family life was almost non-existent. He qualified himself as a dance teacher and, later, a mining engineer. My father was a heavy smoker and liked his whiskey. My mother joined the church 11 years before my father. Over these years, it was hard for the family, especially my mother. I remember my dad smoking in the house and mum running around opening doors, spray can in hand. Dad always used to say she was making a fuss over nothing. That was, until he quit smoking and could not tolerate anyone else smoking in the house!

My dad

Anyway, in April 1965, my father asked if he could talk to the missionaries. My mum panicked, thinking he was going to stop them from coming to our home. When they arrived, my dad said he wanted to speak to the missionaries privately. My mum panicked even more! He was cloistered in the kitchen for well over an hour with the missionaries. When he came out, he said he had an announcement to make. He said he was going to be baptised. My poor mum turned a most peculiar shade and nearly fainted. That was not what she had expected to hear! We were all over-joyed.

I will never forget the day my dad was baptised. We lived in Mt Wellington and had to travel through to Papatoetoe to use a chapel with a baptismal font. Now, today, the trip would take about 20 minutes, as there is a direct route from one place to the other. In those days, the route was long and circuitous, as the land between Mt Wellington and Papatoetoe was marshy and undeveloped.

My dad was known for his quick, hot temper. He could never tolerate idiots. He was also never averse to letting them know exactly how he felt, in the most colourful language! Anyway, we were travelling along happily in the car, when an idiot on a motorcycle failed to stop at an intersection and my dad had to swerve to avoid hitting him. The motor cyclist jammed on brakes, skidded and ended up prone on the kerb, next to our car.

My dad started to wind down his window. We saw the lines of anger. We saw the redness rise from his neck, to his chin, his ears, then to his forehead. We knew what was coming. We felt quite sorry for the young man lying on the roadside. He could read the reaction in my father’s face. My dad opened his mouth to speak. Suddenly, the thought must have crossed his mind… “I am on the way to my baptism”. When he spoke, it was, “You…” (loudly, followed by a pause) “…you…” (with less conviction, followed by another pause), “…you… naughty boy!” We all burst into gales of laughter. That was not the usual comment he would have uttered under duress! It was delightful! We literally giggled all the way to the chapel. Now that was a change that was worth witnessing!

In a way my father’s story reminds me of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. They made a unique covenant with the Lord that they felt obligated strongly to follow. They became peaceable followers of Christ. When my father joined the Church he also made a commitment to the Lord that he would be more in control of his temper, his words, and his behaviour. He made that change. Within 18 months of his baptism, my dad was made bishop of the Auckland 13^th Ward.

I always count my blessings as a member of the Church. I love psalms that ring with gratitude and praise. I have even tried to write one myself (see Book of Mormon Lesson 7 blog post). In Alma 26 we find the Psalm of Ammon and in Alma 29 we find the Psalm of Alma. I love both of these chapters.

In the Psalm of Ammon we hear Ammon’s words of gratitude. His heart is brimming with joy and he rejoices in his God. He has already proved to be a man of courage and faith and a great missionary, yet he is still humble. It always amazes me that our greatest prophets have been the humblest of men. I recall when Nephi was quoting the words of Isaiah, “…Woe is unto me; for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips…” (2 Nephi 16:5, also Isaiah 6:5). Ammon shows this same humility. In Alma 26:12 he says, “…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…” His reliance on the Lord’s strength is inspirational.

In Alma 26:16, Ammon states, “I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.” I am sure we have all felt like this at some point. I have often tried to bear my testimony, only to find the words do not convey the depth of what I feel, the gratitude to my Saviour, and my conviction of the truthfulness of the gospel.

One part of Ammon’s psalm was particularly relevant to me. In Alma 26:27, Ammon states, “Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us…” I have witnessed the insidious nature of depression, after having one of my own children diagnosed with severe clinical depression. All my life I have been mildly bipolar, so I know the emptiness of depression. I know that the comfort of the Lord is the best healing power. I wish I could share this with anyone who suffers, has suffered, or will suffer from the ugliness of depression. The best source of comfort and light is the Redeemer and His love. A talk from the October 2015 General Conference brought peace to my soul. The talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Will Do Wonders Among You, was so poignant and comforting. He said, “His divine love and unfailing help will be with us even when we struggle - no, will be with us especially when we struggle.”

In Alma 29, the Psalm of Alma, Alma glories in the Lord. In Alma 29:9, he states, “I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.” Alma rejoiced when he heard about the missionary success of the sons of Mosiah. Alma had an “Abundance Mentality”, and not a “Scarcity Mentality” (Dr. Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People). The Scarcity Mentality sees success as a pie – if you have a piece of the pie, there is now less for me. The Abundance Mentality sees success as infinite. We can have an Abundance Mentality and realise that the success of others does not detract from our own success. Like Alma, we can be filled with joy at the successes of our friends and family members.

I was struck by the importance of missionary work when I read Alma 29. In Alma 29:15 we read, “Behold, they have laboured exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!” In Faith Precedes the Miracle, President Spencer W. Kimball (2001, p. 280) stated, “…each good deed, each testimony, each proselyting effort, each safeguard thrown about others is like a blanket over one’s own sins.” I, for one, want and need that blanket!

Book of Mormon 25 - “They Taught with Power and Authority of God”

The sons of King Mosiah were stalwart missionaries. They had not always been so faithful. Initially they had been rebellious and desired the destruction of the Church. The sons of Mosiah were present when the angel appeared to Alma the Younger. What a spectacular event this must have been! Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni wanted to share the joy they experienced because of their conversion. The scriptures for this lesson start with a chance encounter between Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah, as Alma was travelling southward from the land of Gideon. It was a joyous reunion, particularly sweet as all were strong in the gospel.

The four sons of King Mosiah

Alma 17 onwards starts with the reunion and then goes back in time, to allow the sons of Mosiah to tell the experiences from their missionary journeys. I have always been impressed by the decision of Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni, to serve the Lamanites rather than their fellow Nephites. In Alma 17:16 they provide a reason for wanting to do this work: “…perhaps they might bring them unto repentance; that perhaps they might bring them to know of the plan of redemption.” In the gospel, we receive so much reassurance, hope, and joy knowing where we come from, why we are here, and where we are going. It seems only fair that we share this knowledge with others who have no comprehension of the answers to these important questions.

Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni had pure motives and a burning desire to share their spiritual transformation. This reminded me of a story I read once from a BYU talk by Carlos E. Asay called The Joyous Obligation of Missionary Work.  He spoke about a young woman he had interviewed as a prospective missionary. At 17 years of age this young woman had run away from home and moved in with a man who was corrupt and used her to formalise business deals. She was his tool in gaining business advantage. After two dreary, sin-filled years, she suddenly woke up to a realisation of the life she was living. She questioned what she was doing, how it had impacted on her family, and what she should do. After wandering the streets aimlessly, she made the decision to return home, a prodigal daughter. She arrived home to discover that her parents, brothers, and sisters, were fasting and praying for her to come home. She worked through a long and difficult repentance process with her bishop. After three long years, she was received back into full fellowship. Her one desire was to serve as a full-time missionary. She turned down several proposals because she believed she first had a debt to pay. “I was reclaimed through the grace of God and I want to do something in return.” I imagine that the sons of Mosiah must have also felt this same desire to repay a great debt.

Elder Carlos E. Asay

We have heard such wonderful stories about conversion, how it has changed and transformed lives. The testimonies of new converts can strengthen our own faith and help motivate us to share the precious truths of the gospel. The testimony of a convert, Buddhist Monk Baptized Mormon. Shares Beautiful Testimony, is simple yet powerful. I have an amazing DVD about the conversion of a member of the mafia to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The story in this DVD also appeared in LDS Living in 2005, From Mafia to Mormon, by Mario Facione. This man put his own life on the line to accept the gospel. The following video tells the story of three people whose lives changed with their conversion and new-found happiness in the Plan of Salvation.

Our Heavenly Father's Plan

Elder M. Russell Ballard

In a talk called The Greatest Generation of Missionaries (Ensign, November 2002), Elder M. Russell Ballard stated, “What we need now is the greatest generation of missionaries in the history of the Church…We need vibrant, thinking, passionate missionaries who know how to listen to and respond to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, This isn’t a time for spiritual weaklings. We cannot send you on a mission to be reactivated, reformed, or to receive a testimony. We just don’t have time for that. We need you to be filled with “faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 4:5).” I cannot help but think of my missionary "daughter". She is now in the Marshall Islands, beginning her missionary journey. She has this radiance that comes with the Spirit, she has a heart as big as the universe, and loves the Lord with her whole being. She is constantly in my thoughts and prayers. 

I spent time considering what I should be doing as a member missionary. I found a wonderful summary of the story of Ammon and the conversion of King Lamoni, that outlines a step-by-step approach to missionary work that we all could follow. This is in the Book of Mormon: Gospel Study Companion (2007) by M. Wilcox. I have summarised this lesson as I learned so much from it.                                     

We all have challenges when it comes to missionary work. Sometimes it is an inactive neighbour, or a rebellious child, or a non-member colleague. The scriptures in Alma 17-18 provide a pattern to deal with all of these situations. By following the Lord’s instructions and the way Ammon carried out his mission, we have a pattern for successful missionary work, as proselyting or member missionaries.

Step 1: Alma 17:11 – “…establish my word; yet be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me.”

Patiently set a good example. Ammon understood and followed the Lord’s counsel. His brethren were not quite as subtle in their approach to the Lamanites, and ended up in prison.

Step 2: Alma 17:22-23 – (Ammon responds to the King’s question about wanting to stay with his people.) “Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yes, and perhaps until the day I die”; and,

Alma 17:25 – (Ammon respectfully rejects the King’s daughter as a wife.) “…but I will be thy servant.”

Serve. How did Ammon show he was patiently showing a good example? He chose service. As you serve, the stage is set for missionary work.

Step 3: Alma 17:29 – (Ammon went out with other servants to look after the King’s flocks. Those who had previously failed were slain by the King.) “Now they wept because of the fear of being slain. Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him for joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me…that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants.”

Win hearts. If you set a good example by service, eventually you win hearts. This leads people to believe.

Step 4: Alma 17:30 – “And now, these were the thoughts of Ammon, when he saw the afflictions of those whom he termed to be his brethren.”

Look to others as your brothers and sisters. Ammon felt his fellow-servants were his brethren. We project our attitude to others. We cannot look down on others, not matter what their situation. Ammon proceeded to defend the flocks, cut off the arms of his opponents, and the fellow-servants collected the arms to take before the King.

Step 5: Alma 18:3 – (The fellow-servants suggest Ammon may be the Great Spirit.) “Whether he be the Great Spirit or a man, we know not…we know that he is a friend to the king.”

Be a true friend. Friendship results from winning hearts.

Step 6: Alma 18:5 – “Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit, they supposed that whatsoever they did was right; nevertheless, Lamoni began to fear exceedingly, with fear lest he had done wrong in slaying his servants.”

The awakening of conscience. Many outside of the church believe their lifestyles are satisfactory. King Lamoni felt the same, yet, his conscience was pricked. Ammon had not yet spoken about religion, but he had laid the groundwork for this discussion.

Step 7: Alma 18:8-9 – (King Lamoni wanted to know where Ammon was.) “…he is feeding thy horses”; and,

Alma 18:10 – “Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man.”

Be a faithful friend. Because of Ammon’s faithfulness, King Lamoni was now prepared to hear him.

Step 8: Alma 18:11 – “…I would desire him that he come in unto me, but I durst not”; and,

Alma 18:14 – (Ammon asked the King what he required of him, and the King could not answer for an hour.) “…for he knew not what he should say unto him”; and,

Alma 18:16 – “And it came to pass that Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, therefore he perceived the thoughts of the king.”

With our best, faithful friends, the Spirit will guide us. We will perceive their thoughts and know when the time and circumstances are right to speak boldly.

Alma 18:20 – “How knowest thou the thoughts of my heart? Thou mayest speak boldly…”

Ammon can now preach the gospel.

So the plan for sharing the gospel is: be patient and set a good example through service. Win hearts and think of them as your brethren. Be a friend. Awaken their consciences. When they know you area a faithful friend, they will want to speak to you. They may not know what to say but the Spirit will move you. Circumstances will be right and you will be able to perceive their thoughts and be assured that NOW is the time. They may even invite it. You may speak boldly and share the deep message of your heart.

Ammon defending the King's flocks

This is a plan I can use and I can follow. My commitment is to make a greater effort to be a member missionary. I love the gospel. I want to share some of this joy I have in the gospel with those who mean so much to me as well as to those the Lord has prepared to hear His words.

Sharing the Gospel: Immokalee