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Showing posts from January, 2018

9 - 15 Mar - Learn With Joy and Not With Sorrow - Jacob 1 - 4

Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome.  Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4).   This priority was not only reflecte...
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Alma 16 - And There Was No Inequality Among Them

As prophesied by Alma and Amulek, the wicked people of Ammonihah were destroyed by the Lamanites. The new leader of the Nephite army, Zoram, believed in Alma's prophetic power and sought his help. He asked Alma to inquire of the Lord regarding the location of the Lamanite army that had destroyed the people of Ammonihah and take other Nephites captive. Alma received prophetic inspiration which he shared with Zoram, and as a result, " the Lamanites were scattered and driven into the wilderness; and they took their brethren who had been taken captive by the Lamanites, and there was not one soul of them had been lost that were taken captive" (Alma 16:8).  Having temporarily abated the threat of attack from the Lamanite, Alma and Amulek continued to preach the gospel. They "went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews. And as many as would hear the...
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Alma 15 - Administer Unto Him in His Tribulations, and Strengthened Him in the Lord

In the great arc of Alma and Amulek's ministry, chapter 14 recounts examples of individual salvation and personal ministry. Alma and Amulek preached to entire cities and baptized congregations of new believers under incredibly hostile and uncertain circumstances. In this chapter the lens zooms in to show the personal transformation of a would-be detractor, Zeezrom. Zeezrom was a lawyer who had challenged and debated with Alma and Amulek. He even tried to bribe them to deny their testimonies. But as Alma and Amulek taught the plan of salvation, particularly the doctrine of the resurrection and judgment, Zeezrom was pricked in his heart by feels of remorse and dread.  When Alma and Amulek fled the city of Ammonihah and regrouped with the followers who had escaped the mass execution, "they found [Zeezrom] upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his iniquities...
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Alma 14 - The Spirit Constraineth Me That I Must Not Stretch Forth Mine Hand

In one of the most dramatic atrocities recorded in the Book of Mormon, the people of Ammonihah burn alive the followers of Jesus Christ " And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be  cast  into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be  burned  and destroyed by fire" (Alma 14:8). Alma and Amulek were force by their captors to watch the horrifying scene. " And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames" (Alma 14:10). Their natural impulse was to stop the devastation before them, and they had full faith in th...
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Alma 13 - Called and Prepared from the Foundation of the World

It's early in the morning here in Taipei and as I look out my dark office window onto the city nightscape I am reflecting on the calling of a new prophet. I have a deep trust in God's power to reveal His will to his children and the process of prophetic succession, and so President Monson's passing and the eventuality of a new leader seemed to be part of a natural matter of course. To be honest, I hadn't given it much thought. But this morning as I read Alma's teachings on the doctrine of the priesthood and his warning voice to Zeezrom and the people of Ammonihah I had a distinct and personal confirmation that Russel M. Nelson is God's chosen spokesperson on earth today. This unsolicited witness from the Spirit is a testament to me of God's love, and a product of His goodness. Even though I needed no intellectual convincing to follow the prophet, I'm grateful for this moment of spiritual confirmation granted by the grace of God before I had the good s...
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Alma 12 - There Was a Space Granted Unto Man

After hearing the words of Amulek, Zeezrom begins to sense the error of his ways and feel anxiety for own souls. Alma recounts that "Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently " no longer seeking to entrap Alma and Amulek, but with a desire to understand (Alma 12:8).  This was in part because Zeezrom could tell that Alma and Amulek were privy to the thoughts and intents of his heart through the power of the Holy Ghost. Alma saw through Zeezrom's plan to trip them up and explained  to Zeezrom that his plan was inspired by the devil: "Now this was a plan of thine adversary, and he hath exercised his power in thee" (Alma 12:5). Often Satan is referred to as the adversary, but here Alma personalizes that title for Zeezrom and highlights the fact that the devil was literally his adversary. Satan is not "the adversary" in an abstract or impersonal way, but literally. He is the foil of each of us and seeks to impede our growth and destroy our peac...
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Alma 11 - Therefore, Ye Cannot Be Saved in Your Sins

In Alma chapter 11 Amulek and Zeezrom debate the existence and mission of Jesus Christ. From Amulek's responses we learn about the nature of God and the impact of Christ's atonement. As an interesting side note, I am struck by the approach that Amulet took in contending with someone who had not only had different beliefs, but was actively trying to undermine his faith and destroy his belief system. When Zeezrom asked Amulek if he would answer his questions and engage in this heated discourse, " Amulek said unto him: Yea, if it be according to the  Spirit  of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord" (Alma 11:22). In our current political climate there is no shortage of vitriol and tribalism. Even when our cause is right we can be wrong if we speak and act in contempt. Amulek's barometer was the prompting of the Spirit and he committed to invite the Spirit to guide his words and speak only as directed by Go...
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Alma 10 - I Was Called Many Times and I Would Not Hear

Alma's companion, Amalek reaffirms Alma's teachings and shares his own conversion story with the people of Ammonihah. But w hat prompted Amulek to do the will of the Lord and testify with the prophet Alma? Why did the Lord choose Amulek and what qualified him for the work? On the surface, Amulek does not seem like a likely candidate to become a mouthpiece of God. By his own admission, even though he was " a man of no small reputation among all those who know me," and had "many kindreds and friends," and "acquired much riches by the hand of my industry" he had not lived a life devoted to God (Alma 10:5). He claimed that he "never have known much of the ways of the Lord" (Alma 10:5). So in a city full of people, why would the Lord select a man who, by all external appearances, was not particularly interested in spiritual things?  Not only that, Alma appears to have rejected earlier promptings and spiritual overtures from the ...
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Alma 9 - A Highly Favored People of the Lord

Alma preached to a hardened and skeptical people I'm the city of Ammonihah. Alma strongly rebuked them, and as you would expect the people of Ammonihah were defensive and combatative. They questioned Alma, and more damningly questioned God, "and they said:  Who  is God, that sendeth  no more  authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things?' (Alma 8:6). Theirs was not a sincere question about God's identity, but a dismissal of his authority. They ignored the truth and urgency of the message because of the humility of the messenger. Forgetfulness is a common ailment among humans and the scriptures are replete with reminders to remember. Alma rebukes the people for forgetting the commandments of God and ignoring his blessings and mercy. "O ye wicked and perverse generation, how have ye forgotten the tradition of your fathers; yea, how soon ye have forgotten the commandments of God" (Alma 8:8...
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Alma 8 - Many Things Which Cannot Be Written

In many instances in the Book of Mormon, prophets allude to teachings and revelation "which cannot be written." Lehi saw heard and spoke things during their journey in the wilderness "which cannot be written" (1 Nephi 9:1). Samuel the Lamanite prophesied "a great many more things which cannot be written" (Heleman 14:1).  And when the Savior visited the people of America after his resurrection, " behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things  which  he prayed  cannot  be  written" (3 Nephi 17:15). In each case, the phrase implies that there were doctrines taught, experiences had, and a spirit felt that was so miraculous they defied words.  Alma returned home to Zarahelma " after having taught the people of Gideon many things which cannot be written, having established the  order  of the church" (Alma 8:1). While there is no reason to speculate on what he taught the people, when I read about things "which cannot be written...
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Alma 7 - There Is One Thing Which Is of More Importance Than They All

After preaching to the people of Zarahemla, Alma travels to the land of Gideon to teach the people about the mission of Jesus Christ and encourage them to have faith in Him. Alma explains that the most important thing he could say to them, and the most important thing to happen upon the earth, is the birth of Jesus Christ. " For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the  time  is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people" (Alma 7:7). Why is the birth of Christ the "one thing which is of more importance than they all?" His birth and life are so essential because of the transformative effect His atonement can have on each person. Alma explained what Christ would do during His mortal ministry, and the corresponding effects: he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations ...
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