Alma 33:3-14 Now upon exhorting the people to search the scriptures, Alma then turns to an unknown prophet by all modern accounts by the name of Zenos to answer the group's question: how were they to have faith? Not only does Alma use these verses to teach faith in the Son of God, he does it by also teaching the people how to pray, which was also an answer to an earlier question found at the beginning of chapter 32 . Considering verse 11 : And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity ; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions , for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son. (emphasis added) Why would it be required of us to have afflictions in order that the Lord would hear us? Or why does the prophet Zenos say that Lord did hear him because of his afflictions? This seems like a strange statement, almost suggesting that...
A personal study of the Book of Mormon by Brent Leavitt,
a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.