A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 24:5-19 Verse 5 - I need to remind myself that within a context of charity, this is a vexing issue for these missionaries to see their brethren being threatened with war as a result of their conversion to Christ. Compelled by this deep sense of duty and love for their brethren, they gather together in a council that they might determine the will of the Lord in this matter.  Councils as a tool are well documented elsewhere as to their effectiveness in group settings. Oh what good gets accomplished in councils when motivated by genuine concern and love! I'm also impressed that this council happened as they had become aware of the Lamanites' preparations for war. It wasn't an afterthought as a result of a battle already fought. Though past experience and whatever counter-intelligence that they had access to as leaders, they saw beforehand the struggles that lay ahead of them, and so they counseled collectively on how to avoid such. Gratitude is a predecessor here in the ...

Alma 11:21-37 The premise for this very decisive debate between Amulek and Zeezrom, the lawyer, is found in the statement "I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord" in verse 22 . In same verse, Zeezrom, the lawyer, states that he will pay Amulek six ontis of silver (see previous post ) if he denies the existence of God. Immediately in verse 23 and 24 , Amulek makes a very bold set of accusations against the accusing lawyer. Perhaps, I shouldn't be looking at Amulek's statements as defensive accusations though. Rather, remembering that he is speaking by the power of the Spirit, these are statements of truth. (This isn't a name-calling competition.) So when Amulek declares Zeezrom to be "a child of hell" perhaps this is statement of realization, even on the part of Amulek. Maybe, the Spirit of the Lord is giving Amulek the words to say in the very moment that he is saying them, offering both instruction and perspective to Amulek as t...

Alma 5:20-25 In a more serious tone, Alma reminds his brethren of the need to be saved and the requirements of salvation. These verses pick up with the topic of purity and its necessity to enter into God's kingdom: ...For there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white ; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. ( vs. 21 , emphasis added) Alma in verse 22 poses a question that causes me to consider my own personal worthiness. "How will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness?"   Alma then goes on to accuse them of having blood stained garments, calling them murderers and being guilty of all manner of wickedness. On the one hand, this seems like an extreme accusation.  Where these people of Zarahemla actually guilty ...

Mosiah 13:11-26 Abinadi proceeds to recount the remainder of the Ten Commandments. He says that he is doing so because it was his perception that the commandments were not written in their hearts. For the benefit of review, I will proceed to list and discuss the remaining eight commandments: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." The Lord's explanation for the purpose of this commandment is to not deviate from the true form of worship. Praying to idols, or rendering service to them is grievous to the Lord. So He reminds us that so doing will bring upon us the judgments of God unto both us and our children even up until our great-grandchildren. There is a blessing to those that are obedient as well, and that is that mercy is extended to those who love God.  " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." The Lord goes on to explain that those who do take the Lord's name in vain will be found guiltless. Why? To use the name of Diety as ...

2 Nephi 16:6-7 The weight and significance of these verse was brought to my understanding over the weekend with a sacred experience where I had the opportunity to personally listen to the testimony of another. It was a lifetime of experiences that stemmed from one pivotal event: the remission of sins through the ordinance of baptism. That's what I see in these verse of Isaiah, the remission of his sins which came just prior to his calling as a prophet. In his ministry as a prophet, his personal experience is not the first thing which he points to, however the importance of this principle, being cleansed from sins, he does emphasize at the beginning of his book: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ( Isaiah 1:18 ) The reality that sin can only be forgiven through the Lord Jesus Christ is the crux of our message. This is where the Gospel of Jesus C...

2 Nephi 15:18-19 Vs 18- " Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;" The word "draw" in these verses means to pull. This is a visual image of an abstract concept. The image is of someone pulling on a cord to drag behind them some large burden. It is interesting that it is called "vanity". One might ask himself, why would someone knowingly be so attached to their iniquities as to drag them behind them; it is because of their vanity. Vanity, in other terms, maybe known as pride or vain ambition. Vanity is the result of placing our hopes and dreams in our own wishes and not in valuing or accepting the will of the Lord. In different, yet similar terms, the same idea is expressed again in the second half of the verse. In Spanish, it this part of the verse that offers a footnote on this passage suggesting that sin is compared to the bond between the beast and its cart. The visual in my head is of an ox, slowly plo...

2 Nephi 9:44-49 These verses have been in my mind for the last several days. They've caused me to reflect upon my responsibilities before God and in the successful execution of my church callings and assignments. I appreciate that value that Jacob places on wanting to be clean and pure before God. To remain clean from the blood and sins of his day, he understood his obligation as a leader to his people to teach them the consequences of sin. Jacob concludes this grouping of verses with these words: "Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God," ( vs 49 ).

2 Nephi 9:28-39 I don't know of anywhere else in the scriptures where a prophet lays out the designs of the adversary to destroy us, but this is exactly what Jacob does in these verses. I find in these verses applicable course correction and an appropriate understanding of sin so that I can repent and avoid the more serious sins. Perhaps I don't struggle with all the major sins listed here, but the tendency is there. For instance, I think of how easy it is to glide into auto-pilot in prayers, Sunday School lesson preparation, or participation in Church meetings. If the metaphorical soil of the soul is not tilled periodically and frequently, it becomes harder to learn and receive counsel. The uncircumcised, murderers, adulterers, idol-worshipers -- these all have they're consequences laid out in simple terms in these verses (see vs. 33-37 ). In being able to see the consequences of such actions, there is a strength in understanding the results of even allowing ourselves to t...