Alma 8:1-6
Not in a chapter in and of itself, this brief account of Alma's work in the land of Melek stands in contrast to the account that is made in the land of Ammonihah. For in the land of Ammonihah, Alma is met with great opposition and rebellion in his efforts to preach the Gospel. But what we see from the previous chapter among the people of Gideon and from this summary of his visit to Melek, is that, for the most part the people were willing to listen to Alma and believed the things that he taught, and many were baptized.
Verse 5 even goes so far as to say that people came in from the corners of the land to be baptized. It seems that the people recognized the great importance of having an authorized servant of God among them.
Alma taught "according to the Holy Order of God." (see verse 4) Or in other words, it was his commission to the Priesthood that gave him authority and the responsibility to share the word of God with others.
Among the membership of the Church today, this is something that is easily taken for granted. We have missionaries among us. We are organized into quorums. Temples surround us. Priesthood leadership is in our midst. What a blessing it is to have the church as we have it today! Never to be taken for granted. Then when we do have those sacred and rare privileges to listen to prophets and apostles, isn't it amazing that technology has provided us with the tools to be able to communicate across the globe?
But I go back to my initial thought, and what we have here in Melek is proof that what had happened to the people of Ammonihah was notable for their wickedness. In our day, the gray of indifference would have us conclude that there is neither good nor bad. The people of Melek and of Gideon responded to the word of God with humility and faith when it was preached to them. The people of Ammonihah responded in wickedness, reacting in anger and violence to the word of God.
Not in a chapter in and of itself, this brief account of Alma's work in the land of Melek stands in contrast to the account that is made in the land of Ammonihah. For in the land of Ammonihah, Alma is met with great opposition and rebellion in his efforts to preach the Gospel. But what we see from the previous chapter among the people of Gideon and from this summary of his visit to Melek, is that, for the most part the people were willing to listen to Alma and believed the things that he taught, and many were baptized.
Verse 5 even goes so far as to say that people came in from the corners of the land to be baptized. It seems that the people recognized the great importance of having an authorized servant of God among them.
Alma taught "according to the Holy Order of God." (see verse 4) Or in other words, it was his commission to the Priesthood that gave him authority and the responsibility to share the word of God with others.
Among the membership of the Church today, this is something that is easily taken for granted. We have missionaries among us. We are organized into quorums. Temples surround us. Priesthood leadership is in our midst. What a blessing it is to have the church as we have it today! Never to be taken for granted. Then when we do have those sacred and rare privileges to listen to prophets and apostles, isn't it amazing that technology has provided us with the tools to be able to communicate across the globe?
But I go back to my initial thought, and what we have here in Melek is proof that what had happened to the people of Ammonihah was notable for their wickedness. In our day, the gray of indifference would have us conclude that there is neither good nor bad. The people of Melek and of Gideon responded to the word of God with humility and faith when it was preached to them. The people of Ammonihah responded in wickedness, reacting in anger and violence to the word of God.
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