A Study of the Book of Mormon

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 26:31-37 Fresh from a joyous reminder of the Easter season, these final verses of rejoicing are powerful in their own form this morning. In other words, such clarity and conviction are the results of Ammon's missionary efforts that he can confidently boast in his God, and I feel that conviction by witness of the Holy Spirit as I review his words this morning. There are two points that are impressed upon me in these verses: first, the love of their converts ( verses 31-34 ), and second, the merciful nature of an all powerful God ( verses 35-37 ). "Because of Their Love"  Ammon, after having just stated that his only hope as a missionary was "that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul," ( vs. 30 ) he then looks at the fruit of their labors, this great harvest of souls and states "yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us." The proof of their conversion was in the e...

Alma 5:14 After completing a brief review of the terms of salvation that were extended to the previous generation of Saints, Alma goes on to ask three very direct questions in succession : Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Now the first and the third questions, I can find references to elsewhere in the scriptures to broaden my understanding of what Alma is asking. For example, the first question ("Have ye spiritually been born of God?") sounds very similar to the Savior's conversation with Nicodemus. "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?" ( John 3:4 ) The third question ("Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?") also has meaning elsewhere. King Benjamin's people exclaimed that "because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change...

Mosiah 22:1-9 In this passage, the people of Limhi are gathered to devise a plan for their escape from the Lamanites. They have at this point concluded that the only way to remedy their bondage from the Lamanites was to "depart into the wilderness". ( vs. 2 ) There are simple subtleties in these verses that stand out to me in this reading. First, Gideon, upon soliciting the king's attention, presents himself as servant to the king. Gideon at this point, had developed a plan for the deliverance of their people, how long he had had this option in mind we do not know, but what does seem certain is his confidence in the plan. In this reading I also paid closer attention to the actual directions that Gideon outlined to the king. It appears to have been a very indirect route, perhaps the least obvious of all possible, which would cause them to travel around the land of Shilom. ( vs. 8 ) The most intriguing part of this chapter however is Gideon's ability to be an effective ...

Mosiah 19 Chapter 19 appears to be mostly a historical account of the events that transpired in the land of Nephi after Alma and the people of Lord had left the land. However, this chapter also details the partial fulfillment of words of Abinadi. Where Alma and his people were able to escape the wrath of God's judgments, King Noah experiences both an internal and external collapse of his kingdom. Among the remainder of the people, there arises Gideon, "an enemy to the king," who has vowed to slay him. At the very moment that Gideon would have done so, the King also discovers that the Lamanite forces are within the borders of their own lands. Placed in this situation of peril, we discover the true character of King Noah. The author of this text (probably Mormon) even goes so far as to point this out, "And now the king was not so much concerned about his people as he was about his own life;" ( vs 8 ). What follows this observation is the vain attempts of King Noah...

1 Nephi 2:10-13 After counseling Laman to always be a source of righteousness, he instructs Lemuel to be "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" Clearly these are characteristics that Lehi prized in his own life and in the lives of others. Laman and Lemuel murmured "because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them." So that was their problem--easily diagnosed by Nephi. Yet how did Nephi come to this conclusion? Because they could not understand their position before God, they lacked the perspective to see anything else clearly. Their priorities and prerogatives, the things that they valued as important in their young lives, had been altogether stripped from them in following their father into the wilderness. Of course, they were on the defensive. Their failure to see the larger picture consequently led them to murmuring and violence.