Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 36-38

I first wrote about Alma 36 to 39 in 2016. This is the link to that post: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-of-mormon-29-give-ear-to-my-words.html.

Alma 36 to 38 consist of Alma’s instruction and counsel to his sons Helaman and Shiblon. Alma 36 is a chiasmus. I explained chiasmus in a previous Book of Mormon lesson looking at King Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 4 to 6. This can be found at: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2020/05/book-of-mormon-2020-mosiah-4-to-6.html

The video below is well worth watching. It explains how chiasmus was first found in the Book of Mormon.

To explain a chiasmus is quite difficult. It has a specific shape and literary boundaries. The centre of the chiasmus will have two words/phrases that are the same appearing in both lines. Then above and below the centre will be inverted patterns with a well-balanced symmetry, based on major keywords and phrases. If you look at the diagram below you can see Alma 36 set out in a way that demonstrates the chiasmus.

In Alma 36, Alma recalls the story of his conversion to his son Helaman. The very centre of the chiasmus is Jesus Christ, the son of God. At the point (Alma 36:17) where he was harrowed by the “pains of a damned soul” and “the memory of his sins”, he had a recollection, “I…have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world”. He cried out to Jesus Christ to have mercy and he felt the flood of pure light that led him to know that his sins had been forgiven. An interesting comparison is between verse 14 and verse 22. Before Alma pleaded for forgiveness, he said, “the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror”; yet, after he repented, he saw “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels…yea, and my soul did long to be there”. What a transformation! I thought a lot about where I was on a continuum between verse 14 and verse 22. In Don’t miss this in the Book of Mormon (2019), by David Butler and Emily Freeman, we read, “Perhaps if we feel like the old Alma, uncomfortable with the thought of being in His presence, then we have something more to learn about who He truly is and how all-encompassing His mercy can be. When we come to truly know Him, our hearts will long to be with Him”.

I thought about the question, what blessings do I hope for? In a perfect world, I would love my children to be active in church, my mother to be healthy, and I would like to be fully employed. Of course, my ideal job would be to work for the church, but those jobs are few and far between. At this point in time, I would like to just have a job! I have no high ambitions for the eternities because I do not believe I am good enough. I have failed my children. I did not set as good an example for them as I should have. I would like to serve in some capacity in the eternities. I do not aspire to be like God. I just want to serve. I want my family but, at this rate, that is the one thing I will not have.

Alma 37 continues the counsel of Alma to his son Helaman. Alma provides instruction for taking care of the sacred records. “Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon” (Alma 37:4). The blessings of scripture are illustrated in the simple but beautiful Primary hymn, As I search the holy scriptures, shown below, as well as in the little church video called The blessing of scripture.

I discovered a random slide on Google and it made me think a lot about Alma 37. It can be seen here. It suggests there are patterns in Alma 37. I will deal with the positive pattern because this is meaningful to me personally. In Alma 37:6 we read, “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass”. I remember there were times as a youth in the church where my small effort at missionary work led to miracles. One incident occurred with my school history teacher. I remember he was a brilliant man with an in-depth knowledge of Biblical history and scripture. I challenged him to read the Book of Mormon. He said that he would if I could have a conversation with him and answer his questions from scriptures in the Bible, without using the Book of Mormon. I was 14 years old and I did not have a great knowledge of the Bible, so I prayed and prayed and prayed some more! I remember the hour I spent with my teacher. Every question he asked me, I turned to a relevant scripture in the Bible. I know I was not opening the scriptures myself. But the answers were there. The Spirit made sure that every question had an answer. My teacher read the Book of Mormon and said he could not find fault with it. I have no idea if he ever joined the church, but he did receive spiritual confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The little YouTube video below shows an example of the truth of Alma 37:6. It recalls The simple miracle that helped the Whitmers further the Book of Mormon.

I love the scripture about scriptures found in Alma 37:8. It mentions that the scriptures “have enlarged the memory of this people”. Reading from the scriptures daily will benefit us spiritually, intellectually, and even physically. ‘Enlarge’ is a physical process. It suggests we can literally enlarge not just our spirits but the capacity of our brains to learn. Brother John Bytheway, in his weekly Come Follow Me podcast, recalls one of his Mission President’s favourite sayings, “Wise people learn from experience. Super wise people learn from the experience of others”. So, if we want to be ‘super wise’ we should take every opportunity to learn from the experiences of others in the Book of Mormon.

Alma’s words to his son Shiblon were much briefer than his words to Helaman. Shiblon had been faithful through a challenging mission. In Alma 38:4 we read, “For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee”. Alma outlined his conversion. He then counselled his son to continue as a missionary teaching the word of God to the people. Brother John Bytheway recalled hearing Elder Neil A. Maxwell speak on Alma 38:12. Elder Maxwell stated that if you could compress the entire Missionary Handbook into one verse of scripture, it would be this one, “Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness”. This is great counsel for any missionary and any member. Perhaps there are areas in our lives where we need to be bolder and others where we need greater patience and forbearing.

The counsel Alma gave to his sons contains so much that we can apply to our lives to make us better people and better Saints. The messages Alma delivered to his sons are still being delivered today by our wonderful prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. His tweet below guides us towards eternal peace and happiness.

Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 32-35

In 2016, I wrote a post about this week’s scriptures. If you would like to read this post, you can find it on this link: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/09/nook-of-mormon-28-word-is-in-christ.html

I have a great appreciation of both Alma and Amulek. They were great missionaries and taught profound doctrine. Yet they were also genuine and caring and loved the people they taught. They did not just teach in the synagogues but also on the streets. Many people were not allowed to worship in the synagogues. The reason was they were “esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their brethren as dross” (Alma 32:3). This is stunning in its arrogance that the synagogue was reserved for those with wealth who could dress in fine clothing and jewellery. Alma and Amulek were content to teach these people in all places. In fact, Alma was teaching on the hill Onidah when a large group of the poor came to listen to him preach. “And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word” (Alma 32:6).

I gained a great understanding of Alma 32 and 33, by listening to the talk by John Bytheway called ‘Weed your brain. Grow your testimony’. This talk appears below (almost an hour, but worth every second!) Brother Bytheway talks about the Parable of the Sower. He suggests that there are four parts to the parable, as follows:

Part 1 deals with the soil. This is found in Matthew 13.

Part 2 deals with the seed. This is covered in Alma 32 and 33.

Part 3 deals with the season. This is also in Alma 32 and 33.

Part 4 deals with the supper and the Tree of Life (Alma 33:40).

Alma encouraged the people to experiment on his words (Alma 32:27), i.e. to allow a seed to be planted in their hearts. The desire to know the truth would allow the seed (the word) to have a place to grow. In verse 28 Alma said, “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me”. This is the long answer to the question, how do you know if the seed is good. Brother Bytheway suggests a quick way to remember this answer:

There is a much easier answer to the question about knowing if the seed is good. This is found in Alma 32:32, “Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away”. 

Alma 32:37-39 moves on to Part 3 of Brother Bytheway’s interpretation of the Parable of the Sower, i.e. the season. If the tree is not nourished it will not bear fruit. In the hot sun, the tree will never bear fruit “because it hath no root it withers away” (Alma 32:37). Then in verse 40, he mentions that “if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life”. It is not good enough to merely taste the fruit. In Lehi’s dream there were those who ate the fruit but still fell away. “And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost” (1 Nephi 8:28). We need to eat the fruit until we are full.

Brother Bytheway talks about gardening. It is not easy to grow a garden. I have a ‘Vegepod’. This is supposed to be an easy way of gardening, but I am surprised by how much work and care is needed even in this controlled environment. Brother Bytheway mentioned three things that a gardener can guarantee:

1. If you want good things, you must put them there.
2. Unwanted things will come out of nowhere.
3. Weeds/pests will come back constantly.

This is so true. I made sure I planted some lovely seeds and small plants (herbs, vegetables) and we have been using these things in some very delicious meals. Unwanted things do seem to appear out of nowhere. Despite my Vegepod having a covering, these tiny little insects sneak under the cover and eat the herbs. I have had no problem with weeds, but the pests are so frustrating. I need to learn and have faith that I can master the process. Brother Bytheway emphasised the same thing as Alma, that the seed must be nourished through faith. In Alma 33:22-23, Alma states that the seed, the belief that the Son of God will redeem, atone, be resurrected, and judge at the judgement day, will swell and be nourished by faith and “become a tree, springing up into everlasting life”.

In Alma 34, Amulek taught the people three key doctrines: the importance of an infinite and eternal atonement; how to pray; and not to procrastinate repentance. The first key doctrine is expressed in Alma 34:10, which states, “For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice… it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice”. It must be an infinite atonement to overcome infinite death and only an infinite being could accomplish this end, the Son of God. Amulek demonstrated that true worship is centred on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He emphasised that all men, whether rich or poor, were lost without Christ’s Atonement and had as much right to Christ’s redeeming power.

The second key doctrine is very close to my heart. We need to pray always. We can pray anywhere, and we can pray about anything. I know the Lord hears and answers my prayers. I have had so many miraculous witnesses in my life to the power of prayer. I learned to pray as a young child, and I have relied on prayer ever since. The following YouTube video is a delightful look at how children explain prayer.

In Alma 34: 33 we are presented with the third key doctrine, “do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until 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”. This scripture is always a good wake-up call. It is a reminder to make use of Christ’s Atonement in our lives and follow the process of repentance. President Russell M. Nelson sums up repentance so simply and clearly.

We cannot go wrong of we follow the counsel of our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. In a talk at the April 2019 General Conference he said, “Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process.” I pray that we may follow the process and the wise words of our prophet by experiencing the strengthening power of daily repentance; of doing and being a little better each day.

Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 30-31

In 2016, I first wrote about the scriptures found in Alma 30 and 31. If you would like to read this post, click on: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-of-mormon-27-all-things-denote.html

In this post, I discussed the anti-Christ Korihor and how his teaching paralleled the modern philosophical movement called Naturalism, defined by Google as, “the philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted”. In the Bible dictionary an anti-Christ is defined as “anyone or anything that counterfeits the true gospel or plan of salvation and that openly or secretly is set up in opposition to Christ”. I can think of many anti-Christs in my own environment. I have interviewed the leader of a large local church, who decided to start the church because of a bet with his brothers about who could become a millionaire before the age of 25 years. He is a charismatic man who has a large following, but he scares me. He has taken many of the doctrines of the church and changed them to suit his own purposes. Although he professes to believe in Christ, it is something to which he pays lip-service. Many members have been led away by his lies.

The Anti-Christ Korihor (painting by James Fullmer)

I have a friend who is another Korihor. That sounds awful but it is true. We worked on the same team when we received government funding for a virtual world research project. Although he treats me well and is kind and caring, he professes knowledge that there is no God, no life after death, and no purpose to this life. He has a lot of influence as a retired journalist with a large following on social media. He mocks religion and people who believe in God. I do not try to argue with him. He knows what I believe, and we do not discuss religion (or lack of). I feel quite sorry for him. He has been deceived and will receive a huge shock when he dies and finds things have not really ended but are just beginning!

First moments in heaven (painting by Karen Gunnell)

There are so many things in today’s world that are anti-Christ. I know the power of Satan’s influence. We see it all around us in politics, entertainment, and the media. I am stunned by some of the leaders in the world today who are themselves anti-Christs, who profess to believe and live Christian lives but do everything in opposition to the truth and the will of God. It is no wonder that there is so much dissatisfaction, hatred, and evil in the world. I have spent time thinking about how I can protect myself and my family. There is no protection outside of the influence of the Holy Ghost. I worry for my children who are not active in the church.

I loved the scripture in Alma 30:22 when the high priest Giddonah asked Korihor, “Why do ye teach this people that there shall be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings?” This made me realise that rejoicing is something we should be doing as members. We have the gospel, we know the truth, we have our own testimonies, we have a prophet who leads and guides us, we receive personal revelation according to our worthiness, we have knowledge of the Atonement, and for these blessings we should be rejoicing. Satan does not want us to be happy. Anything anti-Christ will pull us away from the source of rejoicing.

The source of rejoicing

Korihor asked Alma for a sign to prove that God exists (Alma 30:43). We know that this is a wicked request. In Matthew 16:4 we read, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign…” He was given a sign and was struck dumb. He then recognised the power of God (Alma 30:52). He claimed that the devil, in the guise of an angel, had deceived him and taught him what to preach to the people. He had repeated lies so often that he had started to believe them himself. This was well described in a chapter heading in a book by Sheri Dews called No one can take your place (2004). The chapter is called ‘Sin makes you stupid and it costs a lot too’.

Sheri Dews

Here is a delightful story told by President Boyd K. Packer, in his talk, The quest for spiritual knowledge (1982). The full talk has been linked below.

I will tell you of an experience I had before I was a General Authority that affected me profoundly. I sat on a plane next to a professed atheist who pressed his disbelief in God so urgently that I bore my testimony to him. “You are wrong,” I said. “There is a God. I know He lives!”

He protested, “You don’t know. Nobody knows that! You can’t know it!” When I would not yield, the atheist, who was an attorney, asked perhaps the ultimate question on the subject of testimony. “All right,” he said in a sneering, condescending way, “you say you know. Tell me how you know.”

When I attempted to answer, even though I held advanced academic degrees, I was helpless to communicate.

When I used the words Spirit and witness, the atheist responded, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” The words prayer, discernment, and faith were equally meaningless to him. “You see,” he said, “you don’t really know. If you did, you would be able to tell me how you know.”

I felt, perhaps, that I had borne my testimony to him unwisely and was at a loss as to what to do. Then came the experience! Something came into my mind. And I mention here a statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith: “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas … and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”¹

Such an idea came into my mind, and I said to the atheist, “Let me ask if you know what salt tastes like.”

“Of course I do,” was his reply.

“Then,” I said, “assuming that I have never tasted salt, explain to me just what it tastes like.”

After some thought, he said, “Well, I, uh, it is not sweet and it is not sour.”

“You’ve told me what it isn’t, not what it is.”

After several attempts, of course, he could not do it. He could not convey, in words alone, so ordinary an experience as tasting salt. I bore testimony to him once again and said, “I know there is a God. You ridiculed that testimony and said that if I did know, I would be able to tell you exactly how I know. My friend, spiritually speaking, I have tasted salt. I am no more able to convey to you in words how this knowledge has come than you are to tell me what salt tastes like. But I say to you again, there is a God! He does live! And just because you don’t know, don’t try to tell me that I don’t know, for I do!”

As we parted, I heard him mutter, “I don’t need your religion for a crutch! I don’t need it.”

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In chapter 31, Alma leads a group of missionaries to the Zoramites. In verse 1 we read, “The Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord, and that Zoram, who was their leader, was leading the hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols”. We have a living, breathing, powerful God. Idols do not have any of the attributes of a God. There is a delightful scripture in Psalm 115:4-8 that reads, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” It makes you realise the huge waste of time and energy spent by those who worship idols!

There is a very famous Seminary scripture in Alma 31:5, “And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had 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 word of truth found in the gospel is more powerful than the sword.

 As seen in the quote below, President Boyd K. Packer stated that “The doctrines of the gospel will improve behaviour quicker than a study of behaviour”.  

Even though Alma and his companion missionaries knew beforehand that the Zoramites were corrupting the truth, they were still shocked to witness the prayers offered on the Rameumptom. This was a tall podium in the synagogue from which the Zoramites would pray every Sabbath. The prayer was full of corrupted doctrine (a God of spirit, the doctrine of election, no belief in a Messiah) and delivered with self-pride and aggrandisement. After visiting the synagogue, the Zoramites would forget their worship until the following Sabbath.

Prayer from the Rameumpton

In complete contrast to this prayer is the humble, powerful prayer of Alma (verse 26 onwards). Alma calls out to the Lord ten times. The reason for this is well explained in the little Knowhy video below (Book of Mormon Central). His prayer is on behalf of the Zoramites and a desire for the mission to be successful. He prays for all the missionaries and they receive the full strength of the spirit with the laying on of hands (verse 36). The last verse reads, “And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith” (verse 38). There could be no more powerful contrast then that between the vain, foolish, prideful prayers from the Rameumptom and the humble, powerful prayer of Alma filled with faith and strength.

Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 23-29

My original post on these scriptures was written in 2016. This can be accessed at: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-of-mormon-26-converted-unto-lord.html. This post was written from the heart. I mention several things that are important to me: firstly, the amazing way people can be prepared to receive the truth. This was demonstrated by wonderful stories from the work of Elder Dale LeBaron for the Department of International Studies at Brigham Young University. Elder LeBaron was a friend of my parents in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was loved and respected by our family. Elder LeBaron interviewed converts in Ghana, Nigeria, Zaire, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ciskei, Transkei, Swaziland, and the Mauritius and Réunion Islands. Many of these personal experiences were included in Gospel pioneers in Africa (Ensign, Aug, 1990), and also in the Living Scriptures Church History Docudrama called A Legacy of Faith. Secondly, I wrote about the baptism of my father. And, thirdly, I wrote about depression and how the light of the gospel can help with depression.

Elder L. Dale LeBaron with Saints in Africa

Conversion changes lives. I saw this with my father. I have seen it in many people I love dearly who accepted the gospel or returned to the gospel. If you would like to read an amazing story of change and conversion, there is a book by Mario Facione called Mafia to Mormon: My conversion story (2004). Mario’s story is also available on DVD. My path was a little different. I have never had a time where I can say I did not believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true. My mother was a pioneer in the church in Zambia, Central Africa, and the first meetings were with mum and the two missionaries. Later, a friend of my mother’s joined the church and there were four people in attendance at meetings! By the time I came along, there were approximately 24 members and we used to meet in an office block in the centre of Kitwe, Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia). I paid tithing for the first time when I was two years old. I knew the power of prayer by the time I was four years old. I held my first ward calling when I was eight years of age and my first stake calling when I was 12 years of age. Perhaps when I was very little I relied, in part, on the testimony of my mother. I remember clearly an incident that occurred when I was a Seminary student and our class had a marathon session reading the Book of Mormon aloud. I remember my reading and feeling the power of conversion. At that point, I knew that my testimony was MINE. I was so full of light and joy.

The Anti-Nephi-Lehis made dramatic changes in their lives due to their conversion. In Alma 23:6 it records, “as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away”. This is impressive! Imagine a large group where no single person falls away! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could say this about all our converts? 

I wondered about the name these converted Lamanites selected. To me the prefix anti- always means someone opposed to something. In this case it does not mean they were against, but that they were ever with Nephi and Lehi and their teachings. Brother Daniel Ludlow stated, “the term 'Anti-Nephi-Lehis' might refer to those who imitate the teachings of the descendants of Nephi and Lehi” (A companion to your study of the Book of Mormon, 1976, p. 210) This is explained in the Knowhy video (Book of Mormon Central) below. 

The Anti-Nephi-Lehis sought refuge with the Nephites. The Lamanites, stirred to anger by the Amalekites and by the Amulonites who were apostate Nephites, gathered to attack the people of God. In Alma 24:17 we read, “and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth” and, in verse 19 that they, “would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace”.

Over a thousand died when they refused to fight against their brethren, the unconverted Lamanites. Many of the Lamanites could not go on killing and joined the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. In fact, “the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain” (Alma 24:26). President L. Tom Perry stated, “It was the Anti-Nephi-Lehis’ unique history that caused them to make a unique covenant with the Lord that they felt an obligation to honour. When they honoured their covenant they were blessed, and their brethren, the Lamanites, were also blessed.  While the message of the story is not to insist on universal pacifism, we do learn that by not returning aggressions from others we can have a profound effect on them. Literally, we can change their hearts when we follow Christ’s example and turn the other cheek. Our examples as peaceable followers of Christ inspire others to follow him. (Living with enthusiasm, 1996, p. 128.) The following Knowhy video (Book of Mormon Central) deals with the importance of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s covenant and the need to keep our covenants today.

I read a quote from President Spencer W. Kimball that said, “I remember that, without being pressured by anyone, I made up my mind while still a little boy that I would never break the Word of Wisdom…Having made up my mind fully and unequivocally, I found it not too difficult to keep the promise to myself and to my Heavenly Father” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 2006, p. 205). This was my experience too. I can say, with all honesty, that I have never smoked a cigarette, never taken an illegal drug, never drank a cup of coffee or tea, and never had a single sip of alcohol in my 63 years on earth. I made up mind when I was a child and I never wavered. There are many who struggle. My father joined the church after being a whisky drinker and a heavy smoker for years. He took the path of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. He figuratively buried these temptations in the ground and never looked back. 

In Alma 26 we find the Psalm of Ammon and in Alma 29 we find the Psalm of Alma. In Alma 26:3-4 we read Ammon’s words, “but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work…thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God”. In verse 10, Aaron rebukes his brother for boasting, but Ammon replies, “I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God…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”. This is such a joyous yet humble declaration.

Young missionaries may feel deflated when they are not able to baptise a great number of people. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in a talk at the October 2003 General Conference called Timing addresses this issue. He counsels missionaries to set their goals according to what they can do – their activities controlled by their agencies. No missionary can control the activities and agencies of other people. The full talk can be seen below. This principle should always guide our goal setting. There is no point in setting a goal that all your students will graduate. Your goal should be that you will teach your best and encourage as many students as possible to reach their potential. Whether the students graduate will be determined by their own activities and free agencies.

In Alma’s Psalm he proclaims,” O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!...I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption” (Alma 29:1-2). He sees himself as a sinner for not being content with the role the Lord has given him. “Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?” (Alma 29:7). In verse 10 he continues, “when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer”. Alma’s sin is indeed a tiny sin! He rejoices in the missionary success of his brethren. As we work towards bringing souls to the gospel, we are rewarded for our efforts. The quotes below from Elder Bruce R. McConkie and President Spencer W. Kimball testify of this truth.

The two psalms are uplifting and inspiring. The opening words of Alma’s Psalm are the words that inspired the beautiful song below. May it provide peace and upliftment to you as it does to me.

Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 17-22

I wrote about Alma 17 to 22 in 2016. This post can be found at: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-of-mormon-25-they-taught-with.html

The scriptures in Alma 17 to 22 narrate the experiences of the four sons of King Mosiah, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni. These four brothers crossed paths with Alma when he was journeying south from Gideon. It was a joyful reunion as all five were still stalwart and zealous in the gospel. The four sons of King Mosiah told Alma of their experiences in the mission field. What amazing stories they told. These scriptures are some of the most well-known from the Book of Mormon.

Brother John Bytheway wrote a delightful book called How to be an extraordinary missionary. He outlined ten steps to missionary preparation, and these are well illustrated by the missionary stories of these brothers.

Brother John Bytheway wrote a delightful book called How to be an extraordinary missionary. He

outlined ten steps to missionary preparation, and these are well illustrated by the missionary stories of these brothers.

Step One: Search the scriptures

In Alma 17:2 we read, “for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God”. The basic premise is that you cannot teach what you do not know.

Step Two: Fast and pray

The sons of King Mosiah had, “given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:3). This made me think of my own experience over the past Sunday. I had to teach the Gospel Doctrine class over Ward Conference weekend. I often feel insecure teaching on a Sunday and the thought of visitors from the Stake made me exceptionally nervous. I always prepare and pray about my lessons, but more was needed for last Sunday! I fasted as well. In fact, I was fasting while I was teaching. I managed to get through, and I felt the Spirit with me. I am sure I was not alone.

Step Three: Be patient in trials – be good examples

The Spirit of the Lord testified to the brothers that they needed to, “be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me” (Alma 17:11). They were promised that if they did this, “I [The Lord] will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls”. What a wonderful promise for any missionary.

When I was young, I was a very enthusiastic missionary. I never experienced the trials, but I did recognise the importance of setting a good example. In my first job I worked in Central Sterile Supplies at Auckland Hospital. I made friends with a grumpy, old man called Fred. Colleagues warned me not to worry about Fred, to stay away from him, and to just ‘leave him be’. It took a while before we became friends. To me he was ‘Freddy-Fred-Fred-Fred’ and to him I was ‘Beep-beep’ (that is another long story!) One day Fred asked me about the Church. I had never mentioned I was a member, but he had been watching me. He had seen me with my little container of milo in the lunchroom. He told me he had seen that I was kind and caring. He had assumed that I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Imagine if I had done something that was not in keeping with the gospel. Would Fred still have wanted to talk to me about religion and to discover what my membership meant to me?

Step Four: Have a ‘Called to Serve’ attitude

Ammon was bound and brought before King Lamoni. King Lamoni was interested in why this Nephite would be entering Lamanite land. Ammon stated, “I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die” (Alma 17:23). The king offered Ammon one of his daughters as a wife. He refused, saying that he wanted to be the king’s servant. It may have been that King Lamoni recognised Ammon was from a kingly line. Offering one of his daughters, a princess, to Ammon, a Nephite prince, was very much in keeping with ancient practices, not just in the ancient Americas but even in New Zealand. The daughter of one tribal ariki (leader) would often be offered in marriage to the son of a different tribal ariki, to forge an alliance between the two tribes. Perhaps this is what King Lamoni had in mind. However, Ammon was firm in his desire to serve the king.

This lovely missionary song, A Missionary Prayer, shows this ‘Called to Serve’ attitude.

Step Five: Win hearts, then lead them to believe

The story of Ammon and the defense of the king’s flocks is one of the most well-known stories from the Book of Mormon. In Alma 17:29, Ammon described his heart “swollen with joy”. This seemed a strange reaction to the threat of death over the king’s flock being scattered by enemies. However, he knew that the power of the Lord would be with him and he would be able to restore the flocks and “win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words”. Stephen R. Covey wrote, “People to a degree must first be converted to the messenger before they will become converted to the message” (Spiritual Roots of Human Relations, 1970, p. 266). I remember some of the most effective missionaries I have ever met, were friendly and caring and immediately made people feel comfortable.

Step Six: Be a friend

Ammon defended the flocks. In so doing he defeated many enemies of the king and cut off their arms. When the king’s servants returned, they carried the arms into the king and told him what had occurred. I have often wondered about this gruesome scene. Why would the servants carry the arms back to the king? This is answered in the little Knowhy video below.

King Lamoni thought that Ammon might be ‘The Great Spirit’. One thing the other servants knew was that Ammon was “a friend to the king” (Alma 18:3). The best missionaries know the importance of kindness, charity, and love.

Step Seven: Be faithful and obedient

In Alma 18:10 we read, “when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them”. Ammon was called before the king. I can imagine the situation in Alma 18:14. Ammon asked King Lamoni, “What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king? And the king answered him not for the space of an hour, according to their time, for he knew not what he should say unto him”. An hour is a very long time to wait for an answer to a question. It must have seemed like an eternity.

Step Eight: Focus on teaching

 Ammon told the king that he was not the Great Spirit but a man. The king offered Ammon anything he desired. Instead of asking for gold or land, Ammon asked, “Wilt thou hearken unto my words, if I tell thee by what power I do these things? And this is the thing that I desire of thee” (Alma 18:22). 

Step Nine: Teach the Three Pillars

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, in Church and the Creation, (Ensign, June 1982, pp. 9-15) defined the “three pillars of eternity” (see the diagram below). The three pillars are Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. Ammon taught the three pillars (Alma 18:36, 39; 22:13). “He began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man…But this is not all; for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption”. Missionaries must teach people why we need Christ.

The events that transpired because of Ammon’s teaching are astounding. For two days and two nights King Lamoni was comatose. Ammon described this as “he sleepeth in God” (Alma 19:8). There is a wonderful description of King Lamoni’s wife in Alma 19:10. Ammon stated, “Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites”. The Queen believed Ammon’s words and waited for her husband to awaken.

 Later the King and Queen and all those in the court sunk again to the earth overcome with the Spirit. Here we are introduced to a great member missionary, Abish. The following two Knowhy videos speak about Abish and what we can learn from her as a member-missionary.

After King Lamoni’s conversion, King Lamoni travelled with Ammon to free his brethren from prison in Middoni. On the way, they met Lamoni’s father. Lamoni’s father was angry to see his son in the company of a Nephite. After an altercation with Ammon, who defended Lamoni, the old king came to a realisation. “ When he saw that Ammon had no desire to destroy him, and when he also saw the great love he had for his son Lamoni, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Because this is all that thou hast desired, that I would release thy brethren, and suffer that my son Lamoni should retain his kingdom, behold, I will grant unto you that my son may retain his kingdom from this time and forever” (Alma 20:26).

In Alma 22, Aaron had the opportunity to teach King Lamoni’s father. He also taught the three pillars mentioned previously. He taught “since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory” (Alma 22:14). King Lamoni’s father pled with God. “I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day” (Alma 22:18). After the king recovered from sinking to the earth, overcome with the Spirit, he ministered to his people “insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord” (Alma 22:23). He then instructed Aaron and his brethren to teach the people.

These stories inspire me and leave me with the challenge to be the missionary I once was, to share the happiness I have in the gospel with others. I have a strong testimony and I know that the gospel is the key to real joy and peace.

Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 13-16

I read back over my first post on the scriptures in Alma 13 to 16. This can be found at: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-of-mormon-24-give-us-strength.html. I wrote a lot about the difference between predestination and foreordination. I had been able to read a remarkable BYU talk given by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, called A More Determined Discipleship (1978). I would recommend this to anyone who wants information on this topic.

In Alma 13 to 16 I learned more about the priesthood and pre-mortal life, why we face tragedy and how we should respond to tragedy, and the fact that the words of a prophet will always be fulfilled.

I love reading about the pre-existence. This is found in: Alma 13, Doctrine & Covenants 138, and the Pearl of Great Price. In Alma 13:3 the pre-existence is called “the foundation of the world” and “the first place”. We could show great faith while we were still in the pre-existence. In The Play and the Plan, a talk given by President Boyd K. Packer in a Church Educational System fireside for young adults on May 7, 1995, we hear about the Plan of Salvation or Plan of Happiness as a play in three acts. We are currently living through Act Two. We have no memory of Act One, our past (the pre-existence) and little knowledge of Act Three our future (the eternities in the three degrees of glory), but fortunately the script of the play, the gospel of Jesus Christ, puts our mortal life (Act Two) in context. If we follow the principles of the gospel, our play can be glorious. I need to ask, “What will I do on stage?”

In Alma 13:17-19 we read about Melchizedek. “Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness…Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father. Now, there were many before him, and there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention.” Alma wanted the men of Ammonihah to humble themselves and repent as they did for Melchizedek. In Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (p. 175), Elder Jeffrey R. Holland summarised the importance of Melchizedek, “Surely no greater tribute or more generous adulation could be mentioned than to be so much like the Son of God that one’s name could be substituted for his in the title of the most powerful force in the universe—the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God”. That is quite amazing! The following Knowhy video also speaks about the reason for Alma speaking about Melchizedek to the people of Ammonihah.

One of the things I do well is to moan! My children say I am an expert moaner. I am not overly proud of this, but yes, I do moan about quite a few things: my redundancy, the ageism that exists in the NZ tertiary education sector, my inability to get work despite my experience and qualifications, my frequent back and head aches, and my poor house that always seems to need work I cannot do! But I am extremely grateful for my wonderful blessings. I have the best children, a wonderful mother, a challenging calling, a good part-time job, the ability to learn and skills to do a great many things. I have so many people whom I love. I have never known real tragedy in my life. I really don’t want to experience real tragedy. I could not imagine a child dying before I do. I cannot even imagine losing my mother and I know this is something I will have to face (she is already 96 years old). I look at the experiences of Alma and Amulek and know that I could not endure what they endured. It is just as well that the Lord will test us only as far as we are capable of being tested. Alma and Amulek were imprisoned, tortured, smote, spat upon, and reviled. In Alma 14:8-10 they were forced to watch the wives and children of those who had believed in their preaching burn in a huge fire. Amulek wanted to use the power of God to stop the burning of the believers but Alma stopped him and said, “The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day” (Alma 14:11). The following YouTube (from Knowhy: Book of Mormon Central) explains why God sometimes allows the righteous to be martyred.

I cried when I read the following words from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (2006, pp. 14–17, 20):

“Could the Lord have prevented these tragedies? The answer is, Yes. The Lord is omnipotent, with all power to control our lives, save us pain, prevent all accidents, …even [protect us] from death, if he will. But he will not…If we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery…Had I limitless power, and yet limited vision and understanding, I might have saved Abinadi from the flames of fire when he was burned at the stake, and in doing so I might have irreparably damaged him. He died a martyr and went to a martyr’s reward—exaltation…I fear that had I been in Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844, I might have deflected the bullets that pierced the body of the Prophet [Joseph Smith] and the Patriarch [Hyrum Smith]. I might have saved them from the sufferings and agony but lost them to the martyr’s death and reward…With such uncontrolled power, I surely would have felt to protect Christ from the agony in Gethsemane, the insults, the thorny crown, the indignities in the court, the physical injuries… I might have saved him from suffering and death, and lost to the world his atoning sacrifice…In the face of apparent tragedy we must put our trust in God, knowing that despite our limited view his purposes will not fail.”

I understand this. I would have wanted to do the same. I cannot imagine how painful it must have been for Alma and Amulek to watch as these innocent women and children were burned to death.  Brother John Bytheway gave one of his most difficult sermons to the students at Columbine University shortly after a major mass shooting event. He gave an inspiring talk called, Five scriptures that will help you get through almost anything. Alma 14:10-13 was one of these passages of scripture. He recalled pounding the podium and pleading with the youth in attendance, “don’t let this tragedy define your life! You still have a mission and a destiny and a patriarchal blessing that is just yours. If you are still here, it is because your work is not finished! I’m sure that Alma and Amulek had nightmares too. Rely on Jesus Christ who suffered not only for your sins, but for things that you have suffered through no fault of your own” (Gospel Doctrine Preparation). Brother Bytheway, in his podcast on Alma 13-16, mentioned a quote from Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach (see below).

The courage and faith of Alma and Amulek was astounding. I loved the moment when Alma and Amulek, the only survivors of the destruction of the prison in which they had been held, walked free from the rubble. As it stated in Alma 14:28, “And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city”. How astonished the people of Ammonihah must have been!

In Alma 16:1-3 we read about the fate of the people of Ammonihah. The Lamanites attacked the city of Ammonihah and destroyed many people while others were taken captive before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to defend the city. The people of Ammonihah had ignored the warnings of two prophets of the Lord. This little Knowhy video (Book of Mormon Central) discusses why the city of Ammonihah was destroyed.

We are blessed to hear the words of the Lord’s prophets at General Conference. We need to listen to their words and abide by their counsel. In the April 2018 General Conference, Elder Neil A. Anderson stated, "We live on a planet clamouring with a million voices. The internet, our smartphones, our bloated boxes of entertainment all plead for our attention and thrust their influence upon us, hoping we will buy their products and adopt their standards. The seemingly endless array of information and opinion remind us of the scriptural warnings of being 'tossed to and fro,' 'driven with the wind,' and overcome by the 'cunning craftiness' of those who 'lie in wait to deceive.' Anchoring our souls to the Lord Jesus Christ requires listening to those He sends. Following the prophet in a world of commotion is like being wrapped in a soothing, warm blanket on a freezing cold day."