A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 40:1-10 I have in recent days been more engaged in the invitation of the Savior to ask, seek, and knock .  Alma demonstrates this process very vividly to his son, Corianton, as he goes on in this chapter to share his knowledge of the Resurrection. The Spirit of the Lord has impressed upon me this morning the phrase, "the time appointed"  which appears various times throughout this passage. In verse 10 , there is a footnote that leads to Acts 17:26 which reads: And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; There is a footnote here on the word "bounds" that goes to Job 14:5 which says in part "thou has appointed his bounds that he cannot pass." So what? What does this mean to me? To others? Here is where things get personal and so I now have my list of questions to take to the Lord in morning prayer. --- In verse ...

Alma 38:1-6 Here at the outset of Alma's remarks to his second son, Shiblon, there a couple of things that stand out to me: first ,  that Shiblon already was possessor of an intimate witness of God and that his father, Alma, was also aware of that personal testimony that his son possessed. ( see vs 4-5 ) Second , Alma doesn't take credit for the knowledge that he had obtained from God. Rather he says things like this: I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself and it is the Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me and also if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things.  Is all spiritual knowledge then a gift from God? What does Alma mean when he says that it is the Spirit of God which maketh these things known, contrasting that with knowledge that could have been obtained of one's self? What does that do for ownership of one's own testimony? This is again another great Gospel parad...

Alma 36:1-5 I'm working to put together the connection between being born again (spiritually reborn) and testimony, and I've think I've found it.  Spiritual knowledge, Alma doesn't take credit for the obtainment of spiritual knowledge. Rather he seems to regard it as a gift from God. ( see vs. 4-5 ) In these verse, Alma does verify that in order to obtain a knowledge of spiritual things, one must be born again. If I had not been born of God I should not have known these things. ( vs.5 ) Back in chapter 26, verse 21 & 22 , Ammon confirms this reality, that only those that have been spiritual born of God are those that are possessors of the knowledge that comes from God. This is also supported by what the Savior taught in John 3 . I finished this study over in Mosiah 4:13 . I have felt quite a bit of guilt in recent years with regards to my own children when I read the connection here between personal testimony and the family obligation to teach my children...

Alma 31:21-23 In the last entry, I drew my own conclusion on what their prayers sounded like to me. Perhaps they were alittle unkind. Verses 21-23 give us the author's interpretation of their prayers. There are a couple of phrases that strike me in this, the author's, interpretation. Twice it is stated that the Zoramites did "give thanks after their manner." As conditions of their gratitude are explained, it reads that they did give thanks that they had not been "stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about ." ( vs. 22 , emphasis added) This reads to me almost as an indictment of their perversion, that because of their gross wickedness which had kept them from a knowledge of the truth of things to come, they were giving thanks for their ignorance. Today's Action Item - Consider, or even reconsider, the value and weight of the knowledge that you have obtained through your own diligence and obedience to God's command...

Alma 22: 17-18 The king believes the words of Aaron, and immediately "the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees." ( vs. 17 )  Prostrated upon the ground, crying mightily unto the Lord, the king then offers this beautifully simple prayer: O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. ( vs. 18 )  The end of verse 18 then explains that the king "was struck as if he were dead." This passing of state from consciousness to unconsciousness is reported at least three times in the Book of Mormon as part of miraculous conversion processes. It happened previously with this man's own son, King Lamoni, (see Alma 18:42-43 ) and then to his entire household (See Alma 19:13-16 ). It also happened to Alma the Younger (See Mosiah 27:19-20 and Alma 36:10-11 ). Alma the...

Alma 18:1-7 This set of verses is the first step in King Lamoni's conversion. A plain testimony of the king's own servants of what Ammon had done. The conversations and conclusions that transpire between the king and his servants reveal their spiritual understanding, or the traditions of their fathers. It's interesting that they concluded that there was a spiritual force at play. What is more interesting though is that suddenly, though the king had always had a belief in a Great Spirit, now he began to fear because of past actions. There is a subtle point in here that I find insightful in my approach to parenting: The king had slew many of his servant because others had succeeded in scattering the king's sheep. This caused the servants of the king to be very fearful, because of the consequence of death that seemed inevitable. The king was governing his servants in fear, which the king had had no reservations about doing, until suddenly Ammon shows up to protect the serv...

Alma 12:8-19 Alma speaks with such clear authority on the topic of the post mortal condition, spiritual death, and judgement that it causes me to step back and consider how he obtained his knowledge. We know from elsewhere in the scriptures that such knowledge is obtained through the spirit of prophecy and revelation, through prayer and fasting. The thought that comes to my mind is that it is needful to be possessor of such knowledge as Alma has on this topic of things that are to come that pertain to our salvation.   --- I've had to spend a little time reconditioning spiritual muscles to be able to drink deeper from these passages of scripture. I'm still working on it. Reviewing this video has been one of the best reconditioning exercises that I know of spiritually speaking. It forces me to re-look at things and reminds me of spiritual priorities. --- Verse 14 talks of how our words, thoughts, and action will condemn us before God if we are unrepentant. Taken out of context...

Alma 10:1-6 In these verses we have an introduction of Amulek, a self-described "man of no small reputation among all those who know me... [having] many kindreds and friends, and... acquired much riches by the hand of my industry." ( vs. 4 ) So then Amulek, a man who is influential, well connected, and well to do in temporal means, immediately in the next verses makes a public confession: Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people. Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know ; ( vs. 5-6 )  What we have here in the words of Amulek, is a recognition of his own personal rebellion against God. In the open remar...

Alma 8:7-13 There are two corollary lines of thought that I find very interesting, which this passage reminds me of: Works and Knowledge. In verse 9 , the scripture observes "Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people." There's a footnote on the word "hold" that leads me to consider the reality of satan's opposition. In terms of knowledge, he discourages people from knowing him, while God encourages us to know Him (God the Father and His Son). In regards to works, the works of the devil oppose the works of righteousness. In fact, one of the more diabolical tactics employed by the devil is to say that no work is needed to draw closer to God. Similarly, he lies to others by telling them that there is no need to work in Zion. (see 2 Nephi 28:19-22 ) There  is actually a third line of thought which results in understand one of satan's most effective tactics: contention, to "stir them up to anger against that which is good." ( 2 Neph...

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...

Mosiah 20 There is a miracle of peace recorded in this chapter, and it is brought about again through the faithfulness and diligence of Gideon, the statesman. The daughters of the Lamanites show up missing, or rather the wicked priests who were associated with Noah before his demise kidnap twenty-four of the daughters of the Lamanites while they were dancing at a wilderness retreat. This incites the Lamanite people in anger, lead by their king, to go up against the people of Limhi. Not being in the wrong, the people of Limhi themselves fought "like dragons" ( vs. 11 ) to defend themselves. The king of the Lamanites, though not dead, was found among their dead upon the retreat of the the Lamanite. What Gideon does after Limhi realizes the cause of this assault from the Lamanites is both notable and peaceful, and it worked. Gideon both now recognized the fulfillment of the the prophecies of Abinadi against his people, and he also recognized the obligation that they had to fulfi...

Mosiah 4:4-12 In verse 6 , king Benjamin talks of an Atonement which had been prepared from the foundation of the world. There are two other prophets in the Book of Mormon that also make reference to this: "...the redemption which he hath made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world," ( Mosiah 15:19 ) "...through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world."( Mosiah 18:13 ) How does this change my attitude or feelings towards the Atonement, knowing that it was prepared from the beginning of the world? In chapter 18, instead of saying the Atonement, Alma says it was Christ who was prepared to redeem us. How does this change my attitudes towards my Savior, knowing that he was the one who was prepared and did prepare to accomplish the Atonement on my behalf, and on behalf of all? Verses 11 and 12 lead up to a prize which is beyond mortal comprehension. Throughout this group of verses, king Benjamin contra...

Mosiah 1 The value of education, as being requisite to exercising faith in Christ, is reinforced in these opening verses. Typically, in the eyes of the world, those with education are regarded as less spiritually inclined. However, one of the unique characteristics of the Church of Jesus Christ is that this is just the opposite, the more educated the more inclined the individual is to be spiritual. The first half of this chapter discusses Benjamin's efforts to educate his three sons. The second half deals with the transfer of the kingdom to his oldest son, Mosiah.  In both settings, Benjamin puts greatest emphasis in the simple principles of faithfulness and obedience. This explains how this leader was able to obtain peace in his lifetime, for he knew 1) from what he had studied in the scriptures of civilizations past and 2) his own experience in a leadership capacity that those who kept the commandments of God should prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord h...

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 ...

2 Nephi 21:6-9 These verses talk about carnivorous animals lying down along side animals that would in other circumstance be deemed their prey: wolves and lambs, lions and fatlings, cows and bears. This is offered as an example of the effect that the knowledge of God will have upon the inhabitants of the earth.   As a father of young children, verse 8 is of particular interest: And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. I think of the particular precautions we as parents take to protect our children from dangers, sometimes to the point of excess. I can easily see the unattended child quietly escaping the supervisory care of a loving parent and finding an asp's or a snake's hole. This would naturally intrigue the small child to the point that the child would be putting itself in great danger. Yet with the change wrought by the knowledge of God, as best as I can tell, the viper's tendencies to att...

2 Nephi 15:21 "Wo unto the wise in their own eyes..." This is a clear condemnation of those that profess to be wise according to their own ideas and perceptions. Wisdom comes from God. To profess wisdom otherwise, is to publish a false doctrine as truth--relative, absolute, or however one wishes to frame it. Truth is eternal and can only fully emanate from the divine fountains of life itself. "... and prudent in their own sight!" This is the part of the verse that truly strikes me as curious this morning. "Prudent" according to their own making. It perhaps the first time that I've considered that the world's ultra-conservative idea of prudence might be off or too extreme. There is a footnote on "prudent" which leads to the topical guide listing for prudence . From there we learn that prudence for the most part is a desirable trait for a man of god. Yet, there are verses only in Isaiah and the Gospels that specifically call out the pruden...

2 Nephi 15:13 These verses are so very rich in descriptions as they relate to the conditions under which the House of Israel crumbled. We continue in this verse to build on the "Wo" pronounced upon Israel in verse 11 , where we learn that the resources that were allocated to Israel (in the form of blessings) for the purpose of advancing the Lord's work were wasted on luxury. Verse 13 begins, "Therefore, my people are gone into captivity..." I've been with the notion of blessings being abused for several days. Now, as I consider it, I don't know that I've ever really considered in my own life the proper use of blessings. I acknowledge to the best of my ability the blessings that I do receive from God, yet I've never thought that there is a reason for receiving them. In other words, blessings are not the end, but as we are observing here, they are a means received because of our righteousness to enable us to achieve even greater ends. Israel...

2 Nephi 4:20-27 Nephi's optimism is based on one profound argument: "If the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow...?" ( vs. 26 ) The depth, breadth, and scope of such optimism embraces all. I was reading in the morning paper about the passing of Elder Worthlin and one particular observation noted that he strove to live his life according to the knowledge that he possessed. This thought seems to be akin to the feelings that Nephi is feeling here. It is motivation to me to live my life more in harmony with the knowledge that the Lord has blessed me with. With so many evidences of the Lord's influence in one's life -- Nephi has a long personal list ( see verses 20-25 ) -- the compelling argument becomes "why" ( vs. 27 ). Why should I allow myself to commit sin? Why should I give temptations the time of day in place of peace and contentment? W...

2 Nephi 3:16 I am trying to understand where conviction comes from. In this verse quoted of Joseph of Egypt, he says, "I am sure of this thing." I have jogged the halls of my memory to find a talk of President Faust's where he quotes the classic English poem, Invictus by William Ernest Henley. Henley penned this poem in a crippled state. The poem in is entirety is published online at http://www.bartleby.com/103/7.html . I reprint it here: OUT of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. Obed...

1 Nephi 15:1-11 The first thing that calls my attention at the beginning of this chapter is the immediacy of the work that was required of Nephi after the vision. The vision itself was the preparation for the work that was required of him. However, Nephi was so overwhelmed by what he had seen of the destruction of his people -- and what was presently required of him -- that he lost all strength. It wasn't until after this recovery that Nephi returned to his brothers to inquire of them the manner of their arguments. Nephi's first question after hearing his brothers' initial complaint, demonstrates his motivation again. The footnotes on verse 8 reminds me of this perspective that Nephi had. He was concerned with the immortal welfare of his brothers. Nephi's brothers state that the Lord will not reveal the mysteries that their father spoke of unto them. Nephi responds with knowledge and a reminder of the Lord's promise. Do ye not remember the things which the Lord ha...