Book of Mormon 31 - “Firm in the Faith of Christ”

Alma Chapters 43 to 52 are referred to as the War Chapters. I had the same question as I am sure many people have, why are there so many chapters devoted to warfare?  I found the answer in two places: Brother John Bytheway’s wonderfully inspiring Video 2006 Ed Week, Righteous Warriors: Lessons from the War Chapters; as well as Kathleen S. McConkie’s Defending against evil (Ensign, January 1992). Brother Bytheway specified that the Book of Mormon is written for our day, which is a day of wars and rumours of wars. We need to know how followers of Christ can be victorious in times of war, whether physical or spiritual. Sister McConkie suggested that we are fighting a war today “…not a war of swords and spears, but the eternal war for my soul and those of my family. Satan is waging an all-out war against truth and righteousness…If we expect to avoid becoming casualties ourselves, we desperately need the Lord’s guidance.”

I have added a link to Brother Bytheway’s video below, as it taught me so much. It showed me the spiritual lessons in these War Chapters and their importance to me, today, fighting my own war against Satan. It is fascinating to see that the enemies of Captain Moroni were all apostate Nephites or Mulekites, and not Lamanites! 

In Alma 43:4, it says, “It came to pass that the Zoramites became Lamanites.” I had to laugh at Brother Bytheway’s comment, “Did they take whiteout and change their pedigree charts?” It does suggest that our birth and lineage is not as crucial as our affiliation and belief.

The Lamanites and Nephites had such different motivations for fighting. In Alma 43:8, we read that the Lamanite’s motivation is to gain power over the Nephites and bring them into bondage. In Alma 43:9, we discover that the Nephite’s motivation is to protect their lands, families, and their liberty to worship God. In Alma 43:46-47, we understand that we are justified in entering a war, not causing a war, if we stay faithful and if we need to defend our lands, families, and religion.

In Alma 43, Moroni illustrates the principle of combining faith and works. In Alma 43:23, Moroni sends spies to watch the Lamanite camp (works) and “knowing of the prophecies of Alma”, sends other men to the prophet Alma, to enquire as to where his armies should go (faith). So, the great spiritual lesson here is to listen to the prophets, as they can tell us where the enemy will strike. An example of this was on August 19^th 1972. In the Church News, President Harold B. Lee warned that Satan’s greatest threat today is to destroy the family, to make a mockery of the law of chastity and the sanctity of the marriage covenant (cited in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, Ch. 20). In every conference, the Prophet Thomas S. Monson, gives us direction and alerts us to Satan’s threats and how to avoid them.

President Thomas S. Monson

At the end of Alma 43, the Nephites strike terror into the hearts of the Lamanites, even though the Lamanite army is twice the size of the Nephite army.  Moroni stops the battle and offers peace to Zerahemnah. In Alma 44, Moroni shows great benevolence to the Lamanites. He constantly demonstrates his faith and engenders faith in his men. The reason for the Nephite victory is their faith. In Alma 44:4, we read, “Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith.” Therefore, the great spiritual message of Alma 44 is that faith is a power to be reckoned with, even in a time of war.

A similar message is found in Alma 45. In this chapter Alma prophesies of more trouble and then departs and is not seen again. Alma 45:21 tells us that it is expedient that the word of God be declared in times of war. This is a powerful spiritual message.

Alma 46 contains the spectacular account of the Title of Liberty. The Nephites are under a system of judges, but some people are not happy with this system. Leading the dissidents is Amalickiah, who wants to be king of the Nephites. Moroni warns the people that kings lead to bondage. He takes off his coat and writes on it (Alma 46:12), “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.” Moroni caused the Title of Liberty to be placed on every tower, in every Nephite city. This is a spiritual lesson for all of us. We need to place reminders of our covenants everywhere.

Captain Moroni by Walter Rane

In The Latter-day Saint Woman (Part A, Lesson 31), we read, “The pictures we use in our homes remind our families of what things are important. We can surround ourselves with pictures that remind us of our families, our ancestors, our religion, and our goals. These pictures could be of the Savior, the temple, or our Prophets.” I remember having this lesson in Relief Society many years ago. I was very grateful to my dear mum who found beautiful pictures of the Saviour and the New Zealand temple to hang in my home.

I was fascinated by a wonderful scripture at the end of Alma 46. Alma 46:40 reads, “And there were some who died from fevers…but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases.” I had never thought of the role God plays in providing healthcare! Throughout human history, knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs has helped human beings to survive. It is obvious where this knowledge came from!

Lahonti

Previously, Amalickiah and some of his followers had escaped into the wilderness. Alma 47 continues the story of Amalickiah. Amalickiah joins the Lamanites. In brief, he stirs up the Lamanite king against the Nephites. The people will not follow the king to war, so the king puts Amalickiah in charge of his army. The greater part of the army deserts, goes to a high mountain, and they appoint Lehonti as their leader. Amalickiah cannot fight the Nephites with his small army, so he hatches a plot. He tries to get Lehonti to leave the mountain and come down to talk to him. He tries three times, but Lehonti refuses. Eventually, he goes up the mountain, and tells Lehonti to come down just a little bit. He says to Lehonti that he is his friend and wants to serve under him. He tells Lehonti to bring his troops down, surround Amalickiah’s army, and then Amalickiah can surrender to him. His condition is that Lehonti makes Amalickian his second in command. This occurs and then a servant of Amalickiah administers poison by degrees and murders him. This allows Amalickiah to take over the army.

Brother John Bytheway compares Amalickiah to a type of Satan. (See chart below):

Amalickiah lures Lehonti by telling him to come down just a little and by claiming he is his friend and wants to serve him. Satan tells us, “Come down a little. I’m not your enemy. I’m your friend. Do you know who your enemy is? It’s that church. Man, you guys can’t do anything in your church.” Satan poisons us by degrees. The important spiritual message in Alma 47 is that we must not come down from our mountain!

Amalickiah goes back to the Lamanite king, gets his servant to stab the Lamanite king, blames the king’s own servants, marries the dead king’s widow, and becomes king of the Lamanites. In Alma 48:1, he appoints men to speak against the Nephites. Meanwhile, Moroni continues to prepare the minds of the people to be faithful to the Lord (see Alma 48:7). The most wonderful scripture, Alma 48:17, reads, “…if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” What a spiritual giant and what a wonderful leader! The lesson we learn from this chapter is the importance of taking care of the spiritual first, and then the temporal.

Amalickiah lying to the Queen of the Lamanites by Minerva Tichert

In Alma 49, the Lamanite army arrives in the Nephite lands. The captains are all Zoramites who had become Lamanites. These captains thought they had knowledge of Nephite cities and ways of fighting. However, they were very surprised to find that Moroni had prepared and fortified the Nephite cities, in a way that was completely new and innovative. In Alma 49:14, it states, “…the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong…” With the Lord’s help, weak things can become strong. President Harold B. Lee was once asked, “What is the most important commandment?” His answer, “It’s the one you’re having the most trouble with.” This made quite an impression on me. If I find a commandment difficult, it is the one I should be working on, and I can be successful with the Lord’s help. 

Moroni’s fortifications made the cities almost impenetrable: ditches, heaped earth, timbers on the heaped earth, pickets above, towers and watchmen. Who is our watchman? Our dear, beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson. A memorable spiritual message from Alma 49 is to be prepared and listen to the watchmen on the towers. Our General Conference is coming up once again, so it is time to listen to the watchmen!

Ammoron by JamesFullmer

In Alma 50 and 51, there is dissension between the people of Morianton and the people of Lehi. This is settled by Teancum and his men. Moroni is forced to divert his army to quell the uprise of the Kingmen in the cities. This allows the Lamanites some success in taking coastal cities from the Nephites. The lesson here is that the pride of the people nearly leads to their destruction. At the end of Alma 51, after a battle, Teancum sneaks into Amalickiah’s camp and kills him with a javelin. Ammoron, Amalickiah’s brother, is appointed to reign as the next Lamanite king.

Teancum slays Amalickiah by Brickey

The last chapter in these readings is Alma 52. The action here centres on the City of Mulek, a Nephite city in bondage to the Lamanites. Jacob, the Zoramite captain of the Lamanites, is sent a letter telling him to come out and meet the Nephites in battle on the plains, but he refuses. Another letter is sent, but is unsuccessful. Teancum and a small army lure the Lamanites out of the city. The Lamanites pursue Teancum’s army. Teancum’s men quicken their pace and lead the Lamanites towards Bountiful. While they are doing this, Moroni’s men retake the City of Mulek. As they approach Bountiful, Lehi’s army is lying in wait. When the Lamanites try to turn back to Mulek they discover they are surrounded by the Nephites and Moroni’s army is behind them. This is such an exciting story. When I first read it, I imagined it as an epic movie. But, what is the spiritual message here? Brother Bytheway suggested that strategies of war are similar to the strategies Satan uses on us: here’s a small temptation, leave your stronghold for just a second and then you can go right back. He lures you further and further away, making it harder and harder to go back. So, the message is never leave your stronghold, even for a second!

Book of Mormon 30 - “The Great Plan of Happiness”

What exciting, rich, powerful scriptures in Alma 40-42. These scriptures led me into deep study and meditation. They left me feeling so energised and uplifted. These chapters continue the words of Alma to his son, Corianton. I am not surprised that Corianton listened to his father, repented, and resumed his missionary responsibilities. These are soul-searching and enriching words.

Alma the Younger Counseling His Son by Darrell Thomas

Each chapter centres on a different aspect: 40, the resurrection; 41, restoration; and 42, the Atonement and the demands of justice and mercy. I read scriptures in Alma and in the Doctrine and Covenants, I also read many articles by the General Authorities and church leaders, I read blogs and discussions, and pondered and prayed about what I read. My understanding may not be perfect and I still have questions, but my knowledge of these principles has grown so much in a short time.

In Alma 40, Alma speaks about the time between death and the resurrection. This time is not the same for all people. We understand that there has been and will continue to be a number of resurrections. These include: the first resurrection, at the time when Christ was resurrected (Mosiah 15:21-25); a resurrection of those who will receive celestial glory, at the time of Christ’s Second Coming (D&C 76:50-70; D&C 88:96-98); another resurrection of those who will receive terrestrial glory at the beginning of the Millennium (D&C 88:99); and a resurrection of those who will receive telestial glory at the end of the Millennium (D&C 76:85; D&C 88:100-101). Every person will be resurrected. When we die, before we are resurrected, our spirits will have a similar look to our physical bodies. We will still think, feel, and believe as we did while we were in the mortal world. If we die righteous, we remain righteous. If we are unrighteous when we die, we remain unrighteous. 

Alma 40:12 states, “…the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.” And Alma 40:13-14 reads, “…the spirits of the wicked…shall be cast out into outer darkness…a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them…”. This outer darkness or hell is more a state of mind rather than a specific location. The Prophet Joseph Smith stated, “The great misery of departed spirits in the world of spirits, where they go after death is to know they have come short of the glory that others enjoy and that they might have enjoyed themselves, and they are their own accusers” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 310).

Spirits had an adult form in the premortal life and will have a similar form in the spirit world, even if they die as babies or children (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 1998, p. 131-2). This confused me at first because I am aware that righteous parents will have the opportunity to raise their children who have died in infancy, so I did some searching on the subject. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (The salvation of little children, Ensign, April 1977) quoted President Joseph F. Smith, “Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to a mother of a lifeless child, he said to her: ‘You will have the joy, the pleasure, the satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit.’” He added, “There is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after the resurrection from death.” So, when a mother dies and meets her child who has died before her, in the spirit world, what will this meeting be like? Will they both appear as adults? I found a beautiful story that clarified this for me.

The Eternal City by D. Keith Larson

President Joseph F. Smith lost several of his children in infancy. At the death of his daughter, Ruth, on March 17^th, 1898, he received a superb revelation. “I see my own sweet mother’s arms extended welcoming to her embrace the ransomed glorious spirit of my own sweet babe!...And there too are gathered to my Father’s mansion all my darling lovely ones; not in infantile helplessness, but in all the power and glory and majesty of sanctified spirits! Full of intelligence, of joy and grace, and truth.”(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph F. Smith, Ch. 15). So, it seems to be these perfect souls, who die in infancy, will be seen in their adult spirit form after death, but when resurrected, will regain their infant body, to be raised until the physical body reaches the adult equivalent of the spirit.

I had a further question about those little ones lost before birth or still-born. Still-born infants do not need temple work done for them, but they can be recorded on family group sheets as BIC (born in the covenant). It seems that there is little available information on the status of stillborn children.  President Joseph Fielding Smith expressed his personal opinion that these little ones will be resurrected and “then belong to us” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, p. 280). It has never been clearly defined whether an unborn child in the mother’s womb already has a spirit. President Brigham Young said he believed that, “when the mother feels life come to her infant it is the spirit entering the body” (cited in I have a question, Ensign, Sep. 1987 – original citation Journal of Discourses, Vol. 17, p. 143). Elder Bruce R. McConkie expressed his opinion that it appears “the eternal spirit enters the body prior to a normal birth” (cited in I have a question, Ensign, Sep. 1987 – original citation Mormon Doctrine, 2^nd ed, p. 768). I love the final section of this I have a question, which stated, “Though our knowledge of the plan of salvation does not explain …miscarriages and stillbirths…we can know that God, who is the father of all spirits, is merciful and just…Worthy parents can trust in him and know that they and all his spirit children will – one way or another – receive a just reward for their efforts and sacrifice.”

The Prophet Joseph stated that the spirit world is close to us, the spirits are all around us. “The teachings of the early Brethren emphasized the nearness of our family, the nearness of the spirit world, the relationship between the two realms, and the fact that spirits continue to be interested and intimately involved in the Lord’s work on both sides of the veil” (Top, B.L., Life after death: 6 insights into the spirit world, LDSLiving). The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that the spirit world looks like our world, is organized in a similar way, and will seem familiar to us (see D&C 77).

So what is the spirit like? If we are righteous, what will it be like to be in spirit form? The more research I did on this, the more excited I became, and the more anxious to be righteous in this life! Brigham Young taught that, for the righteous, the spirit world will be glorious. Brent Top (Life after death: 6 insights into the spirit world, LDSLiving) made an analogy of a regular television (our earthly world) and a high-definition television with all the enhancements (paradise). Righteous spirits will have abilities that are unavailable to us, in our bodies, during our mortal sojourn. Brent Top lists several of these abilities:

Enhanced travel – Brigham Young said we will be “free to travel with lightning speed”.

Enhanced communication – Elder Orson Pratt said that spirit communication was mind to mind and spirit to spirit, with no reliance on sound waves and auditory nerves – perfect communication is the spirit of revelation.

Enhanced learning – President Brigham Young stated that we would be able to learn “with greater facility”, and Elder Orson Pratt stated, “…knowledge will rush in from all quarters…giving understanding concerning ten thousand things at the same time; and the mind will be capable of receiving and retaining all”.

What will be doing in the spirit world, if we live righteously in this life? Before my father died, he lived in constant pain and was frustrated by his inability to work and help others. Amongst many health complaints, he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. He used to speak longingly about the spirit world. He was sure that he would be able to do missionary work in spirit prison, bringing the gospel to those who never had the chance to hear, understand, and accept. I often think of him doing just that! A story left in a comment by disqus_4hChzkBkgB, (Life after death: 6 insights into the spirit world, LDSLiving), left quite an impression on me. Disqus’s mum was killed in a car crash. She visited her daughter in a dream, two weeks after the crash, and told her daughter to stop mourning. Her mum said she was hard at work in the spirit world, helping those who had died with addiction. She said she was busy and actively engaged in a good cause. Her daughter made this comment, “She was fine and acting like her usual self, which made me laugh”! Disqus made a further comment that she felt her mum around her periodically, but realized it was only a quick check before her mum returned to her work in the spirit world.

In Alma 41:2 we read, “the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order”. In Alma 41:10 we also read, “Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.” People who live in the world sometimes appear to be happy but this is only a temporary pleasure. I imagine the true joy of having the Lord Jesus Christ commend us for being true and faithful servants. I can imagine the happiness of being reunited with family and friends in the next life. I imagine the extreme joy of being found worthy of being in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

I was able to access some really interesting material on the restoration of the body at the time of resurrection. Not only will we inherit the degree of glory that we earn in this life, but our resurrected bodies will reflect the glory we have earned. All will be resurrected. If we have earned glory, our resurrected body will be glorious. A resurrected body will be:

Immortal – Alma 11:45 states, “I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body.” President Joseph Fielding Smith described the immortal body. “In it blood does not exist, but the spirit is the life giving power…they are spiritual bodies, but tangible bodies of flesh and bones…” (Nature of resurrected bodies – original citation Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, p. 285-286).

Perfect – in Alma 40:23 it reads, “…and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their perfect frame.” President Joseph Fielding Smith (Nature of resurrected bodies – original citation Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol. 4, p. 185-189) said that all deformity, blindness, physical defect or deformity is due to the mortal condition. None of these conditions existed in the world of spirits. All defects and deformities will be removed and men and women shall attain to the perfection of their spirits. “Salvation would be incomplete if individuals should arise in the resurrection with all the deformities, weaknesses, and imperfections that are found in so many of the mortal family in this mortal existence.”

Beautiful – President Lorenzo Snow (Nature of resurrected bodies – original citation Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 99) stated, “There is nothing more beautiful to look upon than a resurrected body.”

Glorious – President Boyd K. Packer (The 20-mark note, The New Era, June 2009) declared, “Your spirit is young and vibrant and beautiful. Even if your body is old and diseased or crippled or disabled in any way, when the spirit and body are put together in the Resurrection, then you will be glorious; then you will be glorified.”

However, although the resurrected body is complete in every way, there will be a difference in the glory, depending on the life you have lived. A resurrected celestial body will be the most glorious body; the terrestrial resurrected body will not achieve the glory of the celestial; and the telestial body will have the glory of the human body, minus its deformities and limitations. President Joseph Fielding Smith (Nature of resurrected bodies – original citation Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, p. 288-289) mentioned some of the qualities of the resurrected bodies: “Some will gain celestial bodies with all the powers of exaltation and eternal increase. These bodies will shine like the sun…Those who enter the terrestrial kingdom will have terrestrial bodies, and they will not shine like the sun, but they will be more glorious than the bodies of those who receive the telestial glory. In both of these kingdoms…they will not have the power of increase, neither the nature to live as husbands and wives, for this will be denied them.”

In Alma 42, we hear about the place of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden in the Great Plan of Salvation. An explanation of the importance of the Plan of Redemption in balancing the scales of mercy and justice is also given. Christ’s Atonement and the role of Christ as our mediator with the Father is described. The short video, ‘The Mediator’ clearly portrays Christ’s role. I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and Redeemer. His role as the mediator allows me to have hope for an eternal future.

Book of Mormon 29 - “Give Ear to My Words”

In the past, we have read a lot about Alma the Younger, the rebel, his spectacular conversion, and his dedicated efforts as a missionary and leader. Now we read about Alma, the father. Alma 36 and 37 contains Alma’s counsel to his son Helaman. Alma 38 addresses Alma’s middle son, Shiblon. And Alma 39, together with some chapters from Lesson 30, covers Alma’s counsel to his son Corianton.


What would I say to my children if I knew my time on this earth was coming to an end? I have thought so much about this question. My children know how much I love them. I have told them this every day of their lives. But, what they do not realise is how important the gospel is to their happiness and future. I have been less than satisfactory as a mother and I have not taught them everything they need to stay strong in the gospel. I have tried to be a good example but I have not always succeeded. There are many decisions I made, that I now regret. The only one of my offspring, who is strong in the gospel and married in the temple, has huge issues in her family life that cause her a lot of pain and anguish. It is hard to persuade my other children that the gospel is the source of true happiness, when they have seen so much of their sister’s pain! But yes, the most important message I could leave with them is that the gospel is true, Jesus Christ is our Saviour, our Redeemer, and the Atonement is for all of us. There is always hope.

Alma’s words to Helaman contain some gems of gospel wisdom. He mentions the fact that people will prosper if they keep the commandments. In Alma 36:3, Alma appeals to his son, “I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our children could read the mistakes people make in the scriptures and learn from them? Or, even if they could hear about the mistakes members of their own family have made, and avoid those same mistakes? In the same verse, Alma states, “…whoesoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions.” Isn’t this a beautiful scripture? It is much harder to endure trials, without trust in God.

In Alma 36:4, Alma states, “I know of myself – not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.” I understand this scripture. It reminds me of a statement made by the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 324). As a young adult I learned about my Saviour through attending Seminary and Sunday School. I did not learn about Him by going clubbing. I felt closer to my Saviour when I was gazing at an amazing sunset, and not when I was sitting on a crowded train at rush hour. I enjoy being in the temple because I gain insights into gospel principles and I know my prayers are heard and answered.

Alma spoke further about the importance of keeping sacred records and the importance of missionary work, the power of the Atonement, and the importance of teaching the people correct principles. One of my favourite Seminary scriptures is included in the words of Alma to his son, Helaman. This is Alma 37:37, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”

Alma provides words of encouragement to his son, Shiblon, in Alma 38. Alma reminds Shiblon of important character traits: (vs. 10) being diligent and temperate; (vs. 11) being humble; (vs. 12) being bold, but not overbearing; (vs. 12) having self-control and self-discipline; and, in the same verse, refraining from idleness.

Wilcox (Book of Mormon Gospel Study Companion, 2007, Disc 2) contains a very special analysis of Alma’s counsel to Helaman and Shiblon. He suggested that when we become parents, the Lord examines our actions under a magnifying glass, with the scriptures being the handbooks of life. He listed five ways we can become better parents by understanding Alma’s counsel.

1. In Alma 35:16, we learn that Alma spoke to each of his sons separately. Treating each child as an individual and spending one-on-one time with each child is invaluable.

2. Alma testified to his son about the things he knew, using testimony words, e.g. Alma 36:1, “I swear unto you”; Alma 36:3, “I do know”; and Alma 36:4, ”I know of myself”. A child needs to hear the testimony of his/her parent(s) often.

3. Alma used “parent” words and taught by example, i.e. follows the parent words with “as I”, e.g. Alma 36:2, – “I would that ye should…” followed by, “do as I have done”; Alma 36:29-30 – “You ought…” followed by, “as I have done” and “as I do know”.
4. Alma taught about the scriptures and compared the scriptures to a Liahona, a guide through the wilderness of the world. He listed seven things the scriptures can do for us in Alma 37:8-9: enlarge the memory, convince many of the error of their ways, bring people to a knowledge of God, bring salvation to their souls, convince people of incorrect traditions, bring people to repentance, and cause them to rejoice in Christ.

5. In Alma 38:1-3, Alma validated and praised Shiblon. Praising and validating positive experiences encourages positive behaviour. Always let a child know the things that bring joy and happiness into the lives of family members.

Alma 39 is the start of Alma speaking to his son, Corianton. Alma’s words to Corianton are very different to the words delivered to his brothers. Corianton had deviated from his mission and had been guilty of sexual sin with a harlot. The cause of his fall was threefold: he was proud, failed to be diligent, and mixed with the wrong people. My favourite part of this chapter was that Alma never gave up on his son. Orson F. Whitney (General Conference, April 1929), cited by Elder David L. Bednar (Faithful parents and wayward children: sustaining hope while overcoming misunderstanding, March 2014), stated, “You parents of the willful and the wayward: Don’t give them up. Don’t cast them off. They are not utterly lost. The shepherd will find his sheep. They were his before they were yours – long before he entrusted them to your care; and you cannot begin to love them as he loves them. They have but strayed in ignorance from the Path of Right, and God is merciful to ignorance. Only the fullness of knowledge brings the fullness of accountability. Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds comprehend.” I find this quote so comforting!

Once again I would like to refer to Wilcox (Book of Mormon Gospel Study Companion, 2007, Disc 2) who outlined the four steps Alma took to reprove his son, Corianton:

1. He told Corianton where he went wrong. He presented five gates that led to his son’s immorality: Gate 1 (Alma 39:2) – not giving heed; Gate 2 (also Alma 39:2) – boasting in his own strength; Gate 3 (Alma 39:3) – forsaking the right; Gate 4 (also Alma 39:3) - heading towards temptation, to the “land of Siron”; and Gate 5 (Alma 39:4) trying to excuse his behaviour.

2. He laid out the short- and long-term consequences of his son’s behaviour (Alma 39:7-11).

3. Alma outlined how to prevent these things from happening in the future. He fortified his son with guidelines to follow, including repent and forsake the sin (Alma 39:9); cross or control yourself in these things (also Alma 39:9); and, listen to your older brothers (Alma 39:10).

4. Alma ended in hope. His commentary turned towards Christ. Alma 39:15, “…he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world; yea, he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people”. He laid down hope, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Book of Mormon 28 - “The Word Is in Christ unto Salvation”

The scriptures in this lesson apply to my life over the last few weeks. I have had little opportunity to blog. I have also been really sick for more than four weeks. I had my daughter and her two little ones visiting me from Upper Hutt. I also have my three university students, who live at home, on holiday so at home a lot. Everyone picked up flu and this horrendous cough that never seems to go away. Even now, as I type, I am coughing and so is my youngest daughter!

In Alma 32:12 we read: “…it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom…ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble.” Sickness, rather than poverty, has helped me rely a lot on the Lord just to cope with work and family, to maintain my day-to-day responsibilities. I know without His help, I would have given up in despair.

In Alma 32 we read the wonderful words of Alma to the poor Zoramites, kicked out of the synagogues and rejected for their poverty. There is so much in these scriptures. Alma speaks about the poor in heart, the adversity of poverty, humility, and faith. I have often thought about being rich vs being poor. The key is to always be willing to give! Even the poor Zoramites were told that after they prayed, they were to give to the poor and needy! “What a stunning reminder that rich or poor, we are to “do what we can” when others are in need” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Are we not all beggars? Oct. 2014 General Conference). A perfect example is our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. Elder Holland recalled, “…the image of him I will cherish until I die is of him flying home from then-economically devastated East Germany in his house slippers because he had given away not only his second suit and his extra shirts but the very shoes from off his feet.” I have often thought how pleasant it would be to have the means to give to those in need! I have always enjoyed giving more than receiving. This is a principle that was demonstrated to me by my parents as I was growing up.

President Thomas S. Monson

The lecture on faith, given by Alma, is striking and clear. One of the most well-known scriptures from Alma is Alma 32:21, “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.” I love the words of Elder Neil L. Andersen on faith. He said, “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright… Faith emits a spiritual light and that light is discernible…Faith is a principle of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His name. The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice” (Faith is not by chance, but by choice, Oct. 2015 General Conference). 

Alma talks about the seeds of the word of God. These seeds need to be planted in our hearts. We need to allow the seed to germinate and grow through the Spirit. The patience we have as we wait for the seed to grow, is our faith. 

President Spencer W. Kimball stated, “The exercise of faith is a willingness to accept without total regular proof and to move forward and perform works… A real faith pushes one forward to constructive and beneficial acts as though he knew in absoluteness” (Teachings of President Spencer W. Kimball, Chapter 13). We plant the seed by desiring to believe, but then we must nourish the seed through our actions (Alma 32:37-38). We need to be reading and studying the Book of Mormon, praying with a sincere heart and real intent, and serving the Lord, our families, and our neighbours.

In Alma 34 we receive wonderful information about the Atonement, we are told to pray always, and then a warning from Amulek that certainly led me to deep introspection. Amulek warns us not to procrastinate the day of our repentance. In Alma 34:33 it reads, “I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance unto the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.”

I found a lot of information that helped me understand this scripture further. This information came from Keep the commandments – beginning right now! By Elder M. Russell Ballard, a BYU speech from September 1987. Elder Ballard quoted his grandfather’s words, i.e. the words of Elder Melvin J. Ballard. He suggested that a man or woman would be able to conform more to the laws of God in one year in this life, than in ten years in the hereafter. The spirit and body united are able to overcome sin and repent much more readily than having the spirit alone repent and change, and then battle with the flesh afterwards. Also, every desire and every feeling will be greatly intensified after this mortal life. “This is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible…When clay is pliable it is much easier to change than when it gets hard and sets…This life is the time to repent. That is why I presume it will take a thousand years…to do what it would have taken three score years and ten to accomplish in this life.”

This has left me with a strong desire to repent. I would far rather battle my weaknesses here and seek the Lord’s mercy, then have a far greater, more painful and long-lasting battle in the next life. The Atonement is such an incredible gift. It means the Lord loves me. How could I not want to show my gratitude by doing what I can right now? I cannot procrastinate or make excuses!