A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 23:7-18 We read in verse 7 : For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren. Symbols of conversion to Christ included a name change and they become a "very industrious people." It is a few mornings after the first day that I have read this group of verses. I am now sufficiently humbled to hear the word of the Lord. (How many times has this pattern been repeated? I come to a seemingly clerical set of verses - a set of verses that appear to only be there for housekeeping reasons, or to connect the story lines from one point to another. But time and time again, nothing is in this Book of Mormon without deliberate purpose. Such is this passage.) So we have here a list of the seven lands that were converted to the Lord. The list may seem like just a list of names at first. But do we ever regard converts to the Lord with such superficial, trivial attenti...

2 Nephi 5:21-25 I struggled with these verses yesterday when I was study it in Spanish, not because of the language but because of my perceived severity of the curse. Because of their unrighteousness, this particular branch of the house of Israel was punished with the cursing of a darker skin. In our modern circumstances, a darker skin seems hardly a curse. In fact, as I reflected in Doctrine and Covenants 95:1 , I was reminded that with every chastisement, the Lord is merciful and had prepared a way for their eventual salvation, whatever their lot in life is. What's more, whom the Lord loves, He chastens. I feel that this condemnation that fell upon the Lamanites was also extended in love. What is even more curious, as Nephi is making account of the Lamanites' curse, the Lord says unto him that the Lamanites will keep the Nephites in remembrance of the Lord unto repentance, or else "they shall scourge them even unto destruction," ( vs. 25 ). Despite their curse, br...