Book of Mormon 2020 - Mosiah 25-28

What an emotional day it has been today. I was sad and depressed and could not achieve anything productive. I kept thinking about all the jobs I had applied for and the fact no one wanted me. I pondered the reasons for gaining so many qualifications and working so hard only to be out of work and not earning money. So, what did I do? I started reading the Book of Mormon. I read Mosiah 25 to 28 and re-read passages, read footnotes, searched talks by the General Authorities, listened to Brother John Bytheway’s podcast, and I felt good. I wondered why I had let my feelings get so bad. I love the Book of Mormon. It has the power to heal the soul.

I first wrote about these scriptures in 2016. It was a long and rather emotional look at the scriptures, particularly Mosiah 27, dealing with the conversion of Alma the Younger and the four sons of King Mosiah. To access the post, click on this link: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/06/book-of-mormon-20-my-soul-is-pained-no.html

The conversion of Alma the Younger (Gary Kapp)

There were some things I spent a lot of time on with my studying today: the immediate goodness of God, believing is seeing, conversion and being born again, power in the prayer of a parent, and the beauty of repentance. Let me start with Mosiah 25:10, “…when they thought of the immediate goodness of God…they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.” Freeman and Butler (2019, Don’t miss this in the Book of Mormon) suggested sitting down with a paper and pen, setting a timer for two minutes, and writing down every ‘immediate goodness’ that comes to mind. I know I thank Heavenly Father daily, in my prayers, for my family, my home, my small part-time job, and being able to work, learn, and help people. But there are so many other things that I do not include on a regular basis. It was contemplating this very thing that helped me today to snap out of the dark mood that overwhelmed me. I went through my little video that I called, ‘I am grateful for…’ and I realised how the immediate goodness of God is all around me. At this time of Covid 19, I am grateful for being in New Zealand. Tonight, I am going to express my deep gratitude in my prayers.

President Russell M. Nelson & NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

In Mosiah 26, we read about the unbelief of the rising generation. These young people had been children at the time of King Benjamin’s great speech. In Mosiah 26:3 it reads, “because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.” Elder Boyd K. Packer in ‘The Candle of the Lord’ (1982, a talk to new mission presidents) spoke about spiritual believing as being different to the way the world believes. The expression ‘seeing is believing’ is heard frequently. But we know that spiritual belief operates in reverse, ‘spiritual believing is seeing’. Spiritual believing leads to knowledge and understanding. It is through the voice of the Spirit, a “voice that one feels, more than one hears” that there is confirmation of spiritual understanding. “Let it grow, help it grow, but do not force it.” If we do not have the companionship of the Holy Ghost that comes through belief and obedience, we cannot gain great spiritual knowledge.

I believe that Alma the Younger and the sons of King Mosiah persecuted the Church because of their unbelief. They could not feel the Spirit, therefore they could not understand the words of their fathers. The conversion of these young men is one of the greatest stories in the scriptures. In Mosiah 27:11 we are told, “the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood.” And, in verse 15, the angel asks, “And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God.” Imagine what a shock this must have been to five young men who had been actively persecuting members and speaking out against God. The appearance of the angel was a direct result of the prayers of the people and parental prayer. Brother John Bytheway spoke about the painting shown below by Walter Rane. This shows the prostrate Alma the Younger being carried to his parents by the sons of Moroni. Brother Bytheway mentioned the mother’s expression of shock and the elder Alma looking towards heaven, probably thanking the Lord for his intervention.

Alma's Conversion (Walter Rane)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in ‘However long and hard the road’ (a speech at BYU when he was President of BYU, 1983), mentioned the “majestic power in the prayer of a parent”. Do we pray for our children? I know that most of the time I pray, I am praying for my children and my mother. In my previous post on these scriptures, I mentioned that I felt inadequate as a mother because of ‘wayward children’. But, one thing I can do is pray for them continually. I know the importance of this through the example of my mother. I only have one sister. She was not active for many, many years. Mum never gave up. She prayed for her for thirty years before she returned to the gospel and became a strong and faithful member. So, I will not give up. I love my children dearly. They are beautiful people who each have their own qualities and talents. I will pray that they may each find the knowledge of the truth in their own way.

Alma praying for his son

Alma the Younger was unconscious for two days and two nights. When he finally regained consciousness and stood up, his words were magnificent, “I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters” (Mosiah 27:24-25). The short YouTube video below from Knowhy (Book of Mormon Central) tells us clearly what it means to be born again.

The following chart, also from Book of Mormon Central (How can contrasts teach us about true conversion), shows us the description of Alma the Younger before his repentance and after repentance. The change was absolute. I can imagine the joy and pride his parents must have felt as they saw their son mending his errors and preaching the gospel. Mosiah must have been equally grateful for the change in heart of his four sons.

The last verse in Mosiah 27 is so comforting, “And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.” The process of repentance is illustrated in all its beauty, as the Lord forgave their sins and blessed their new efforts.