A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 35:5-14 Through deceptive means, those who rejected the words of Christ taught by Alma and his brethren actively sought to punish those of their community who did believe. They were cast out of the land of the Zoramites and were then received in the land of Jershon among the Ammonites. There they were openly received "and it came to pass that Alma and his brethren did minister unto them." ( vs. 7 ) This is a simple verse but so profoundly significant to me, in light of recent changes to the Church's ministering efforts. In verse 8 and 9 , the chief ruler of the Zoramites appears to be the one who is most agitated by the conversion of many of the people of his community. It is he who goes so far as to demand that the Ammonites cease to minister to those who are being cast out of his land. But such demands fall on deaf ears especially when it's among a people who have first hand experience with being refugees themselves: And now the people of Ammon did not ...

Alma 34:18-29 Pray and do good. I read through these passages this morning, at first, without any resolve to realign my course. Even though I am familiar with this  passage, my life is not quite in harmony with what Amulek teaches here: On Prayer: First off, Christ is mighty to save. And if we had any question about that fact, or if we needed a refresher on the scope of Christ's magnificence, the footnote on "mighty" points to Hebrews 7:24-25 : "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." To be humbled and to continue in prayer onto him: There is no more pressing reminder from day to day than this one. Several statements that Amulek make point to praying over those things which sustain our livelihood. (Fields and flocks in their day.)  Pray for our family (household), morni...

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 8:19-28 On the surface, this is a fairly simple exchange wherein Alma returns to Ammonihah by a different way and is taken in by Amulek. There are a couple of notes on these verses that I find significant. Of Amulek, it was required to exercise the Christ-like virtue of compassion and to feed the hungry. That may seem an insignificant side note given that he had also received direction and inspiration from an angel to entertain Alma, and yet I think this is at the very core of why the angel appeared to Amulek, and not someone else. When Alma returns to Ammonihah, he is hungry. We later learn that Alma had actually been fasting for many days. ( vs. 26 ) Upon petitioning an unknown stranger, Amulek identifies himself to Alma as a Nephite and goes further to say that he knows Alma to be a prophet of God. Near the end of these verses , we learn two notable points in this story: 1) that Alma did not immediately return to the task of preaching the gospel, but spent some time in the hous...

Mosiah 18:23-29 These verses continue with the commandments that Alma gave to the priests with whom he organized the church after their baptism. (I find in these commandments keys to their prosperity and access to the blessings of the Lord.) Alma commanded them to observe the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. That is a good distinction and this is good doctrine. It is a simple way in which we are reminded every week that we are not our own. Coupled with this commandment is also a reminder that every day we should give thanks to the Lord their God. Then the priest are commanded to "labor with their own hands for their support," ( vs 24 ).  There are other verses throughout the Book of Mormon that support this doctrine. Alma the Younger defends this point before several anti-Christ characters later on. (see Alma 1:3, 26; 30:32 ) But this point that the priests are to provide for their own needs is an unique and compelling doctrine. To separate any financial considerations from ...

Mosiah 4:16-23 On the topic of charitable giving, these verses address erroneous attitudes towards the poor. It is commonplace, at least in my own experience, to rationalize away every petition for charitable assistance. There are some interesting diagnosis of this type of attitude. What strikes me as even more profoundly important is that an attitude of neglect towards the poor is in direct defiance to the work of God: "Whosoever [jugdeth the poor] the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God ." ( vs. 18 , emphasis added) "Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker : and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished." ( Proverbs 17:5 , emphasis added) Isaiah 58 is for me one of the most inspiring chapters on charitable giving that is found in holy writ, for it helps me to see the blessing or the fruits that come from engaging in such activities...