A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 31:12-20 I'm starting this reading with the following assumptions: The Book of Mormon is an ancient text written for a modern audience. This was written for my personal benefit in the period of world history where I presently reside.  Satan takes truth and alters it for his destructive or deceptive purposes.  The account of the Zoramites as found here is depicted according to the light of Christ and inspiration of the Holy Ghost that the author had at the time of making this account. That will bring particular insights that would not be otherwise available.  It is a typical practice that when reading from the Book of Mormon, that if I find no personal application, I ask myself "Where is Christ in these verses?" Perhaps here, as a false worship practice is being depicted, the correct question to ask would be "Where isn't Christ in these verses?" Let's start our discovery. In a sense, they had crafted a prayer that said: "God, we thank...

Alma 31:8-11 I cannot help but draw a direct  parallel between the situation among the Nephites with the people of Zoram and my own family dynamic at present. Indeed, these very words could have been penned about my own children: therefore they had had the word of God preached unto them. But they had fallen into great errors, for they would not observe to keep the commandments of God, and his statutes, according to the law of Moses. Neither would they observe the performances of the church, to continue in prayer and supplication to God daily, that they might not enter into temptation. This is both concerning and comforting. Comforting because, like the Zoramites, these children did have the word of God preached unto them. Concerning because, like the Zoramites, these children have fallen in to great error, and failed to keep the commandments of God and the performances of the Church. Today's Action Item: - Continue to work on a plan to have the Gospel of Christ preached (t...

Alma 31:1-5 I am finding a great personal parallel between the thoughts of Alma toward the Zoramites (who once were Nephites) and my own personal family dynamic with my older children (who once also were active in Church activities). This loss of my children from church activity has been the source of sorrow for me. Verse 5 is a powerful reminder of priorities and purpose. "The preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just..." Today's Action Items: Allow myself to feel sorrow for the loss of my children. Understand that I can do something to change my situation.  Pray for power to know what to do next.

Alma 24:28-30 The greatest opposition to the work of the Lord is not the unrepentant heathen. No, rather it is those who were once blessed with light and then turned away from their enlightenment. Which unfortunately for members of Christ's church, that means the greatest opposition is among us. Taking this a step further, my greatest opposition to progress is not external, its internal. It is myself and that tendency to think that because I have already been enlightened once, I am well enough alone. But "great faith has a short shelf life," (see "Spiritual Preparedness:Start Early and Be Steady" ). 

Alma 19:14-30 Alma sees; the servants see; the lady servant of the queen, Abish, sees; all because of direct manifestations from the Holy Spirit based on correct understanding of eternal truth. Verse 14 says that Ammon saw that the Spirit of the Lord poured out upon the Lamanites according to his prayers. It was in the seeing and the discerning of the significance of that outpouring of the Lord's Spirit upon the Lamanites, a group of people that had been the source of so much contention and conflict among his own people, that Ammon felt a profound sense of gratitude towards God for what was being done. So great was the joy that he now felt that it overpowered his physical body, just as had happened to the king and the queen moments before. This leaves the servants of the king and queen, who upon seeing these three leaders overpowered with the Spirit also begin to pray because the fear of the Lord had come upon them. This causes them all to fall to the earth. Everyone in the king...

Mosiah 26:1-13 A serious and difficult situation is addressed in this chapter of the Book of Mormon. We learn in the opening verses that the rising generation, those who where not old enough to understand the words of King Benjamin, had not shared in the faith of their fathers. The narrator of this chapter even goes so far as to say that "they were a separate people as to their faith." ( vs. 4 ) The cause of this separation was noted simply: And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened. ( vs. 3 ) Both of these emphasized words also have footnotes attached to them in the original. Thus we see that knowledge of the things of God is predicated upon faith. For it is impossible to acquire a true understanding of those things that are true without first believing that they are true. This becomes an issue of serious concern for two reasons: 1) these children of the rising generation were not joining themselves to the c...

Chapter 28 is completely dedicated to the subject of false teachings and apostasy as it shall abound in the last days, or in other words, our times. It is interesting that Nephi finds it appropriate to dedicate an entire chapter to this subject. Perhaps it is because of the broad acceptance of these teaching; perhaps it is to prepare true disciples to be capable of discernment. Then at the end of the chapter, Verse 30 is one of the more well-known verses of scripture from the Book of Mormon, and it stands in direct contrast to apostasy, apathy, and indifference. For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my  precepts, and lend an ear unto  my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.  It ...