A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 36:24-30 From the point of Alma's conversion moving forward, he states: I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ( vs. 24 ) These verse actually summarize with testimony a lot of thoughts and feeling that I have experienced as of late. Alma's whole effort since the point of conversion forward had been to help others come to Christ, bringing them unto repentance and to experience the great joy that he had. His whole effort has been that others would be born of God and be filled with the Holy Ghost. These are the fruits of his labors and they were a source of great joy for him. This is reminiscent of the Savior's parable of the sower: those that received the good seed, bore fruit. (See Matthew 13:23 ) (I've made some personal notes on these verses elsewhere.) Again at the end of...

Alma 5:15-19 Picking up where we left off yesterday, Alma goes through another set of probing questions designed to till the ground, turn over the dirt that had grown hard to allow for increased growth among the people. Of course, I speak figuratively, drawing a parallel to gardening. The reality that Alma is illustrating in the minds of the people is the eventual judgment before the tribunal of God. He reminds the people of their resurrected and perfected state in which they will have a perfect knowledge of all their guilt. But he doesn't start into this group of questions that way. In verses 15 and 16 , the questions that Alma poses are actually optimistic and upbeat. Yet that almost has the effect of being more condemning and of greater cause for self-interrogation. Consider these questions: " Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?" "Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corrupti...

Mosiah 25:14-24 Churches are form of organization. They exist for a government of spiritual matters. Being that God is a God of order, it naturally follows that as man draws nearer to God that there would be a tendency to organize oneself into a church or an organized body of the followers of Christ. This selection details how it was that Alma organized a church (or seven churches) in the land of Zarahemla after their return. As a part of this organization, the people of Limhi, who had also returned to Zarahemla, are instructed and received into the kingdom of God by baptism. As Alma is instructing the people of Limhi, the scriptures here point out that Alma did teach them that "they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them." ( vs. 16 ) Upon being taught, Limhi and his people are desirous to be baptized. Baptism was both a matter of organizational procedure as a gateway into the kingdom of God, but also a matter of personal covenant and a witness of the indi...

Mosiah 23:19-24 There are footnotes on the word "chasten." I've found the reference in Deuteronomy 11:1-8 speaks directly to me. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm... But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did. Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; ( vs. 1,2,7,8 ) The admonition to be diligent in all commandments is particularly more applicable to those who know and have witnessed the power of His almighty hand.

Mosiah 13:27-35 This is to me a very striking revelation, and leaves me appreciating the purpose for the law of Moses: to keep the people in remembrance of their God and their duty towards Him. So striking to me is this at this moment in time where I'm considering Priesthood duties and responsibilities, that it almost causes me to wonder why it was ever taken away. The remembrance of our God and our duties towards Him are of paramount importance in matters of salvation and enduring to the end. However, without a knowledge and proper understanding of the atonement of Christ, these reminders and the whole law has no significance. Moses understood this though when he gave the law. For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things? ( vs. 33 )   Now perhaps I've come across as...

Mosiah 3:5-13 Having the recent General Priesthood Meeting fresh in my mind, the phrase "that with power" stands out in my mind. I'm thinking about my son who is a few years off yet from receiving the Aaronic priesthood. I'm thinking of Christ as a young man of twelve years old being found in the temple of God already aware of what his mission was and what his relationship to God was. I am reminded of what a young Aaronic priesthood holder can do at just 12 years old and the ministering of angels. Christ's blood atoned for the sins of those who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them (see verse 11 ). Then those that do know the will of God, what of them? "But wo, wo unto him that knoweth that he rebelleth against God! Salvation cometh unto none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ," ( verse 12 ). This group of verses specifically is centered on Christ, and consequently I find myself wondering can we ever t...

Mosiah 2:18-41 And again, the words that I have chosen for the title of this post (from verse 41 ) I find to be timely and profound. King Benjamin's reminder to remember was exactly what I needed. Having recently done battle with the "super flu" which had me laid up for more than a week, I have also had a spiritual battle of sorts with some false notions that I had permitted to get planted just a little too deep. What had resulted were feelings of blackness and uneasiness, a loss of peace generally, which peace was as real and significant as any physical blessing of health. What King Benjamin lays out in the last half of this chapter is a recipe for perfect peace and happiness in this life. After concluding that no degree of praise or thankfulness would be enough to resolve our indebtedness to God (though praise and gratitude are important ingredients of discipleship), King Benjamin concludes that the best thing that we can do to show our appreciation towards God is to ke...

2 Nephi 9:40-43 I have been reprimanded and reminded this morning about seasons past that I had been closer to my God. The footnote for " come unto the Lord" in verse 41 lists a long line of scriptures found in the Book of Mormon alone, a powerful reminder of this testament's witness of Christ. These verses in this chapter also remind me that there is a standard in the Lord God that we are to be measured against. "Remember the words of your Maker," ( vs. 40 ). "Remember that his paths are righteousness," ( vs. 41 ). "Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him," ( vs. 41 ). "He cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name," ( vs. 41 ). What has impressed me about these verses is that Christ has come as an one knowing, who fulfilled his potential; which divine potential is also an inherent part of our immortal makeup. The standard that I am given the potential to rise up to is the example of...

Footnote B for 1 Nephi 19:5 Nephi, in this verse, is explaining that this record (remember his comparing the two sets of plates that the Lord had commanded him to make) was kept so that his people would have a knowledge of the sacred. I've followed the footnote that leads to a discussion on how the Lord has preserved the scriptures over time. Here are some references from that list: Doctrine and Covenants 3:19 - These verses have particular reference to the promises extended to the children of Lehi through the preservation of the Book of Mormon. 3 Nephi 16:4 - Here the Savior commands the Nephites to make account of His visit and teachings to them that the remnant of the house of Israel may be brought to a knowledge of their Redeemer.

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...

1 Nephi 16:7-12 As I have been reading through this chapter, towards the end I felt that I had missed something of what Nephi was explaining herein. So I've gone back and reviewed this set of verses. It is the sometimes reflexive references to the Lord God that stood out as being overlooked. I am reminded that the Book of Mormon is an account of the Lord's dealings with his children. The Lord's participation in these verses is as real as were Nephi's and Lehi's. In other words, the Lord was always with them. What's more, the Lord works in a fairly simple way with His children. Verses 8 and 9 show that once Lehi had obeyed the first set of commandments that were extended to him, then the Lord gave him a new commandment. What is it about human nature that causes us to overlook the Lord's involvement in our daily affairs? Or more specifically. Even when we know He is with us, we fail to remember that He has all power and all answers. As they are resuming their...