A Study of the Book of Mormon

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 9:18-24 Alma continues his primary discourse against the people of Ammonihah, explaining that iniquity should not, nay, cannot be an option amongst any of the people of Nephi, if they should expect to continue living peaceably in the land. Verse 19   reminds me that the people of Ammonihah were actually plotting to overthrow the entire nation of the Nephites. Alma states here that if they were to fall into sin and transgression in the face of so much light and truth, that the Lord would rather send the Lamanites upon them to "utterly" destroy them. The light and knowledge to which Alma points has to do with the people's relationship with God and the root causes of their prosperity, namely, prophecy and revelation, the gifts of the Spirit, and deliverance from bondage of every kind: captivity,  famine, sickness, diseases of every kind and battle. All these are blessings from a merciful God. Considering this, I have to ask myself, why do we when we are the recipients o...

2 Nephi 6:8-10 "After they had hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them..." ( vs 10 ). These judgments are real, because God is real. There are consequences for rebellion against God. That God can talk to us and give us personal instruction is real. If we go against that instruction, then the consequences for go against that are real. Where a blessing from God is extended and then not received, the wrath of God is upon them. So even though, the Jews never had accepted the Savior when he came, never even acknowledged that this was the one. The reality was that God was there, so that the opportunity was there and missed. The challenge then is to be where God is. Do what God is doing. Being in harmony with God's work and timing. The Jews on the contrary looked for someone other than the God that had covenanted with their fathers, a different God.

1 Nephi 18:9-21 Now what happens in these verses doesn't totally surprise me, as far as Laman and Lemuel's human tendencies go, yet their inability to believe in God's influence upon them at all times is amazing. The great sin that Nephi accuses his brothers of is rudeness. I paused to define rudeness and found it to suggest somewhere between a state of unrefined, uncivilized behavior and disrespectful, irreverent riotousness. One could hardly blame them if they had been small children, being couped up on a ship for such a long duration, but these were men who had on multiple occasions witnessed the power of God made manifest through their little brother, Nephi. They forgot, and forgetting was as serious an issue as the sin of rudeness which resulted from their thoughtlessness. Nephi, on the contrary, never forgot that it was the Lord who was behind the wind which blew them toward the promised land. Even when his brothers had bound him with cords, he absolutely knew that t...