A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 18:1-7 This set of verses is the first step in King Lamoni's conversion. A plain testimony of the king's own servants of what Ammon had done. The conversations and conclusions that transpire between the king and his servants reveal their spiritual understanding, or the traditions of their fathers. It's interesting that they concluded that there was a spiritual force at play. What is more interesting though is that suddenly, though the king had always had a belief in a Great Spirit, now he began to fear because of past actions. There is a subtle point in here that I find insightful in my approach to parenting: The king had slew many of his servant because others had succeeded in scattering the king's sheep. This caused the servants of the king to be very fearful, because of the consequence of death that seemed inevitable. The king was governing his servants in fear, which the king had had no reservations about doing, until suddenly Ammon shows up to protect the serv...

Alma 17:18-39 In these verse, we read about the deaths of seven who opposed a servant of the Lord. I have witnessed similar before, though not to the same degree. Yet, it is only because of my own personal, first-hand experiences with the Lord's work that I have perspective enough to appreciate what is happening here among the Lamanites. Those that would oppose the Lord's servants or directly oppose the work of the Lord, are removed from mortality when they rub too close to the truth, choose not to give heed, and stand in open opposition to the work that was about to transpire. This is what is happening in these verses. At first it seems that this is just Ammon who is slaying these wicked men, but the footnote on verse 38 shows that if not Ammon, then the Lord himself is able to intervene as well in the taking of life. (Conversely, I've also seen more recently how death of a worthy servant has also been used to advance the Lord's work. In either case, it is a tool o...

Alma 17:1-17 Considered to be one of the greatest scriptural passages on missionary work in all of holy writ, there are in these introductory verses principles that are universal in one's approach to service in the kingdom of God. Verse 16 talks about the cause for which the sons of Mosiah had undertaken this work: "that perhaps they might bring them unto repentance; that perhaps they might bring them to know of the plan of redemption." (emphasis added) The use of the word "perhaps" twice in this passage, illustrates one significant eternal reality. It's not a game of chance. However, it could be termed as a risky and very unpredictable investment. We do not know the outcomes of our labors. We would like to think that we could see how things will pan out from the outset, but such is not our privilege and such would void the exercise of faith. And so it is that that prospects of repentance are here couched with this qualifier that "perhaps they might ...