A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 40:22-26 Ezekiel 37:6-14 - This prophecy of Ezekiel is a key indicator of divine priority. These last few verses at the end of the chapter are a testimony of the reality and nature of the resurrection, and the consignments of the wicked and the righteous thereafter. What questions should I be asking about these verses? Continue in verse 26 tomorrow. There are a number of footnotes on "the death of the wicked," or that death which "pertains to the things of righteousness." So I have spent the morning studying this death of the wicked, by reading the footnotes on "death" as referenced in title of this post, or "an awful death of the wicked."  Doctrine and Covenants 29:41 truly illustrates the seriousness of that predicament. He first is talking about the spiritual death that came upon Adam when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden: ...wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is ...

Alma 40:15-21 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/resurrection?lang=eng The New Testament, after the Resurrection of Christ, is replete with testimony by the apostles of the reality of that very thing. I took a pause from this study to reflect over in John 6 . At least twice within that passage, the phrase "the resurrection of the just" had been added back into the passage in the Joseph Smith Translation. No man can come unto me, except he doeth the will of my Father who hath sent me. And this is the will of him who hath sent me, that ye receive the Son; for the Father beareth record of him; and he who receiveth the testimony, and doeth the will of him who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just. ( JST - John 6:44 ) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day. ( John 6:54 ) Why, among other doctrines, does the adversary or the world want to suppress...

Alma 40:11-14 Deep consideration of the realities articulated in these verses has brought a very strong spiritual confirmation to me this morning. This doctrine is familiar to me, both because of the numerous times that I have studied these verses before, but also because of the eternal realities that cause my soul to resonate with the Spirit of the Lord. Verse 11 , which I learned and memorized as a youth, especially rings deep and true. We are taken back to God after this amazing and terrible* mortal experience. And then there is a separation between wicked and righteous. In a realm dominated by the Light, there is a separation. It is also curious to note how the same Being, God, can induce such dramatically different responses in individuals based upon their choices. *I use terrible in the sense of "extremely unpleasant or disagreeable" or to illustrate the extreme hardships that are an inevitable part of this experience. --- In verses 12-14 , the states of the r...

Alma 40:1-10 I have in recent days been more engaged in the invitation of the Savior to ask, seek, and knock .  Alma demonstrates this process very vividly to his son, Corianton, as he goes on in this chapter to share his knowledge of the Resurrection. The Spirit of the Lord has impressed upon me this morning the phrase, "the time appointed"  which appears various times throughout this passage. In verse 10 , there is a footnote that leads to Acts 17:26 which reads: And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; There is a footnote here on the word "bounds" that goes to Job 14:5 which says in part "thou has appointed his bounds that he cannot pass." So what? What does this mean to me? To others? Here is where things get personal and so I now have my list of questions to take to the Lord in morning prayer. --- In verse ...

Alma 39:12-19 In verse 12 , Alma states that the Spirit of the Lord has said unto him, "Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction." He then commands his son to refrain from his iniquities, "in the fear of God." --- Alma goes on to command his son not to seek after riches. He then expounds to his son a few thought concerning the coming of Christ. --- I've now been with this passage of scripture for 3 or 4 days. Tomorrow, let's start with questions. Typically, when I'm stuck in a scripture study, I've asked the question: how does this point me towards Christ? I will start here tomorrow. I will also be asking additional questions based off of what I am reading. The ability to ask questions is an attribute of divinity, and is a teaching of Christ. Ask, and it shall given you. ( 3 Nephi 14:7 ) --- Going back to verse 12 , the very first thing that Alma says is that it is the Spirit of the...

Alma 39:2-11 One impression that comes to me in prayer as I reflect on this rather hard passage of scripture is that Alma did his son no disservice by clearly stating where the offenses lay and explaining simply the challenges that his conduct had created. Neither is this a heat-of-the-moment exchange. --- It appears to be random and off-topic, but in my prayers this morning I'm reminded of an exchange I had briefly with an older couple about a year ago with my family at a Subway's shop in Sedalia, Missouri. The details of that conversation are not for this setting, but it reminds me that there are no chance encounters. --- Back to the passage at hand, Alma spells out the begin and the end of his son's departure from the paths of safety, expounding upon the consequences of both. This allows his son to clearly see how to make course correction.  This was important in his son's darkened state because it allowed him a path of escape into greater light. --- On an...