A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 40:22-26 Ezekiel 37:6-14 - This prophecy of Ezekiel is a key indicator of divine priority. These last few verses at the end of the chapter are a testimony of the reality and nature of the resurrection, and the consignments of the wicked and the righteous thereafter. What questions should I be asking about these verses? Continue in verse 26 tomorrow. There are a number of footnotes on "the death of the wicked," or that death which "pertains to the things of righteousness." So I have spent the morning studying this death of the wicked, by reading the footnotes on "death" as referenced in title of this post, or "an awful death of the wicked."  Doctrine and Covenants 29:41 truly illustrates the seriousness of that predicament. He first is talking about the spiritual death that came upon Adam when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden: ...wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is ...

Alma 40:11-14 Deep consideration of the realities articulated in these verses has brought a very strong spiritual confirmation to me this morning. This doctrine is familiar to me, both because of the numerous times that I have studied these verses before, but also because of the eternal realities that cause my soul to resonate with the Spirit of the Lord. Verse 11 , which I learned and memorized as a youth, especially rings deep and true. We are taken back to God after this amazing and terrible* mortal experience. And then there is a separation between wicked and righteous. In a realm dominated by the Light, there is a separation. It is also curious to note how the same Being, God, can induce such dramatically different responses in individuals based upon their choices. *I use terrible in the sense of "extremely unpleasant or disagreeable" or to illustrate the extreme hardships that are an inevitable part of this experience. --- In verses 12-14 , the states of the r...

Alma 37:21-32 A preliminary review of these verses points out in my mind two things. Workers of darkness have their signs and wonders --secret oaths and hidden systems to accomplish their wickedness. This could have many modern parallels.  The works of righteousness are different in all things than that of darkness. --- If one does not pay close attention, we miss that these verses are expressly the words of the Lord concerning  darkness and wickedness. Christ is very interested in preserving the faithful even in the midst of darkness. So much so that he even prepares tools that will afford the righteous power to discern wickedness and bring those secret works of darkness out into the light. I am reminded of other adages as I review these verses, like "..it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;" ( Doctrine and Covenants 3:3 ) I am also reminded of the real difference between wickedness and righteousness, light and darkness.

Alma 36:6-16 As I study this dynamic exchange between Alma and an angel sent from the presence of God, I am reminded of Nephi's declaration about angels: Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. ( 2 Nephi 32:3 ) Therefore, we have the words of Christ writen here to Alma. There are two recorded statements here from the mouth of the angel. First, "Arise." ( vs. 8 ) Second, "If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God." ( vs. 9 ) Alma says that the angel spake many other things unto him, but this first sentence was all that he heard. It struck him with such power as to completely overwhelm him. The power of the words of Christ, perfectly timed, penetrated and convicted Alma to the very core. The harrowing description of the state of Alma's soul is one of torment and horror. (see verses 12 -16 ) It is interesting to note that this was a self-conviction.

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 22:27-35 What appears to be mostly a lesson in geo-political borders during the time of the Nephites and Lamanites, has me searching for something deeper. The author (Mormon) takes a moment to explain in words the layout of the land so that the we can get an appreciation for how far out the proclamation of the king of Lamanites was circulated. But I have to believe there is more here. As I approach my study of the Book of Mormon, there is this fundamental assumption: that everything included in the Book of Mormon is written to give a witness or testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. So if that is true (and it is), what do I learn about Christ from these verses? As the geography is described here, I get an image in my mind that the inhabitants of both the Nephite an Lamanite civilizations are located on the same continent. (Recent thoughts shared with me about the probability that the Lamanites and Nephites didn't literally have different skin colors, also supports the greater n...

Alma 21:1-14 At the beginning of the chapter, Aaron and his brethren first arrive at a land named Jerusalem, named by the Lamanites in remembrance of the land from which they came. The Lamanites built this city with the help of those who had dissented from among the Nephites, the Amalekites and the people of Amulon (making the city then probably less than 50 years old at the time that Aaron and his brethren visit it). Now an interesting phenomenon is observed here. For the Lamanites were already of a hard heart, but these other groups which had only recently dissented from the Nephites, were even more hardened in their hearts. I suppose this is because for the Amulonites and the Amalekites, they were this way of their own choice, whereas the Lamanites had inherited their hardheartedness as a tradition from their forefathers. The mixture of the two seems to have had a more damaging effect, causing the Lamanites to be more wicked. (see vs. 3 ) Aaron discovers that in the span of one gene...

Alma 9:1-6 There is a very interesting pattern that is illustrated in these verses, and sets up the wickedness of this town. In just the first six verses of this chapter, the one thing that these verses illustrate clearly is that the people of Ammonihah do not have a relationship with God. That is the cause of their wickedness. Hand in hand with with their failure to have any sort of relationship with God also comes a lack of knowledge of the truth and that which is true. This is hugely significant because it was on a foundation of error and  antagonism, or even animosity, towards God, that the people of Ammonihah had set themselves up for destruction. The footnote on the question "Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man... ? " ( see vs. 6 ) causes me to see that their questions of disbelief are on par with Cain, king Noah, and the Pharoah of Egypt. That kind of hard-heartedness demonstrates wickedness to its fullest extent. Though not mentioned anywhere in t...

Alma 8:1-6 Not in a chapter in and of itself, this brief account of Alma's work in the land of Melek stands in contrast to the account that is made in the land of Ammonihah. For in the land of Ammonihah, Alma is met with great opposition and rebellion in his efforts to preach the Gospel. But what we see from the previous chapter among the people of Gideon and from this summary of his visit to Melek, is that, for the most part the people were willing to listen to Alma and believed the things that he taught, and many were baptized. Verse 5 even goes so far as to say that people came in from the corners of the land to be baptized. It seems that the people recognized the great importance of having an authorized servant of God among them. Alma taught "according to the Holy Order of God." (see verse 4 ) Or in other words, it was his commission to the Priesthood that gave him authority and the responsibility to share the word of God with others. Among the membership of the Chur...

Alma 5:50-62 In the first three verses of this grouping, Alma testifies of things which he has heard of the Holy Spirit. All of these verses suggest that there is a literal division between the righteous and the wicked. The Kingdom of God is coming quickly, wherein the righteous will dwell. Therefore, one ought to repent of his sins and bring forth works of righteousness if he desires to be a part of this kingdom. How will the righteous be distinguished from the wicked? Or in other words, what type of person will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Also I ask myself, amongst what type of people do I want to enjoy of their friendship and company? In the kingdom of heaven, there are the penitent. They are they who desire to follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. ( vs. 57 ) They are they whose names are written in the book of life. ( vs. 58 ) And it will be God who will separate the wicked from among the righteous. ( vs. 59 ) I am impressed by this thought: that in the kingdom of God, there wi...

Mosiah 12:9-16 It is a common attitude among the wicked to deny their wickedness. I've cross referenced a couple of other scriptures on verse 14 for the term "guiltless" where people are found to take the same stance. This causes me to ask myself, what is the difference between a wicked and righteous individual. The wicked will profess their perfection and guiltless state. The wicked will ask questions such as "What great evil [have we] done?" ( vs. 13 ) or "How knowest though that we have cause for repentance?" ( Alma 21:6 ). In all cases they are in complete denial of any wrong  doing on their part. Contrast this with attitude of the truly righteous, who in other terms are also called "the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness". (See Alma 27:18 ). In Luke 7, the centurion who seeks the Savior to heal one of his servants, says "Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:" ( Luke...

Mosiah 11: 1-19 This simple phrase that explains the deviation of King Noah from the truth is a double-edged accusation. A footnote in verse 2 compares King Noah to Jeraboam of the Old Testament who caused the children of Israel to sin. Noah's deviation is just that. Clearly, we must assume that King Noah is not ignorantly sinning. He was the son of Zeniff and grew up in his household. Beyond this, he took a people, who previous to this had learned to fear God and to recognize the strength of the Lord in protecting them from their enemies, and had altered the affairs of the kingdom to support his wickedness. Perhaps the most telling part of this account are the verses that relate their attitude towards the conflict with the Lamanites, when they came back victorious from fighting the Lamanites this time, they were boastful of their own strength, and blood thirsty. ( Verse 19 attributes this fully to the wickedness of the king and the priests.) Boasting and blood thirsty, both are ...

Mosiah 3:20-27 This is about faith and repentance. The time will come when everyone will be required to exercise faith on the Lord Jesus Christ or perish... there will be no more blameless , except those that King Benjamin had already addressed earlier in this chapter. Because the words which King Benjamin had shared with his people, they had become subject to the demands of justice. And every one of them were to be judged according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil. ( see 22-24 ) Verses 25 to 27 address the horrible state of they that are evil. It impresses me that it is the choice to do evil, to be evil that consigns them (the wicked) to become keenly aware of their guilt and wicked works. Such a course of choice will disqualify anyone from the claims of mercy. Therefore, what we choose to do in this life does matter.

Omni 1:1-13 It impresses me the sense of obligation, and honor that these men felt towards the instruction given them from their fathers, at least in this regard. Perhaps this is evidence of the Lord's preserving hand upon this record. The record goes from Omni (son of Jarom) to his son, Amaron. Amaron points out that the word of the Lord had been verified in the destruction of the more wicked part of the Nephites, while the righteous had been preserved.  Then Amaron give the record to his brother, Chemish. Chemish's only contribution is to point out that Amaron made his record on the day that he gave the records  to Chemish. Abinadom, the son of Chemish, following his fathers, makes only a few remarks, one being evident of the spiritual decay that had transpired: "I know of no revelation save that which has been written, neither prophecy;"( verse 11 ). But then Abindom's son, Amaleki, tells of quite a different change of events when he begins by saying that their...

Jacob 6:13 Jacob at the end of his record makes an interesting statement in reference to the final judgment. Moroni at the end of his record makes a similar statement. (see Moroni 10:34 ) To the reader they bid farewell until the next time that we shall meet them-- in the final judgment. There is something that strikes me as helpful in defining the wicked from the righteous in the verse in Jacob. The righteous look forward to the day of judgment, while for the wicked, it is a day of awful dread and fear. So it is the feelings that we have inside of ourselves towards the day of judgment, and appearing before our Maker, that define if we are among the righteous or the wicked. It is no group of people, it is not predicated upon a rote list of ritualistic acts. Judgment is individual.

2 Nephi 23 Chapter 23 deals with the descruction of the wicked: Babylon. It is a descriptive explanation of the fate of the wicked. According to historical accounts, Babylon was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. It was a center of commerce and prosperity, not unlike our world today. Consider Babylon and its utter destruction. After its mighty fall, there was nothing left -- not even one inhabitant to preserve it from generation to generation. (see vs. 20 )  It is gone forever.  As the chapter preface indicates the destruction of Babylon is given as a type for the destruction of the wicked at the seconding coming of our Lord. The destruction decreed upon wicked is not without reason. In verse 2, it reads, "For my anger is not upon them that rejoice in my highness." It is those that have forgotten the Lord and his greatness, that have assumed that is through their own power that they have been so richly blessed. They are fools and are destroyed because of their...

2 Nephi 18:19-22 This final grouping of verses from this chapter contains another accusation against Israel for looking for answers elsewhere, rather than from God. Verse 19 condemns sooth-sayers, fortune tellers, wizards, those that seek to speak with the dead, etc. with this very simple question: "Should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead? " There is a footnote on this verse that leads to 1 Samuel 28:8-20 , which tells about the fall and demise of Saul, who in failed attempts to communicate with God turned to a woman who practiced sooth-saying, or in other words, wizardry and fortune-telling. The account would almost be humorous, if it wasn't so hopeless and uninspiring. The woman knew that Saul, who was king, had condemned and sought out to destroy those with familiar spirits and wizards. So Saul ,at this point where his kingdom is on the brink of takeover, under disguise and compelled by fear, comes to this woman to find answers. Sau...

2 Nephi 15:24-25 "Therefore, as the fire..." Footnote on "fire" has at least two implied meanings: The light that emanates from Christ himself. Those faithful remnants of the house of Israel in the last days (see 3 Nephi 20:16 ). This second thought I had not considered. This suggests that the Saints will be the ones that are doing work in the latter days. While the scripture referenced above sounds rather destructive, I recall reading just last evening that the Saint's power to lead in the last days would be noted because of their unique capacity towards kindness and Christ-like compassion. So where the scripture talk of destruction of the wicked and power to consume, which in a sense is calculated to bring fear into the hearts of the wicked, the reality of the issue is that the power and capacity for good that is exhibited by the Saints will be increased. Their works will be works of kindness, love, and great mercy. Yet ironically, in the hearts of the wicked,...

2 Nephi 15:22-23 " Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink; "Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" A footnote that leads to Proverbs 31:3-9 talks about how kings and princes should not drink wine, nor be drunk for the express purpose of being able to judge righteous judgment upon those that need it, especially in relation to the cause of the poor and needy. What continues to stand out to me as I return to these verses is how Isaiah condemns wine and strong drink because of it distorting properties which allows mighty and strong men to justify the wicked and deprive the righteous of their just reward. The footnote on "reward" in verse 23 leads to a topical guide entry for "bribery". Curiously enough, the word used in Spanish for "reward" is the equivalent of "bribery". I have not before seriously considered the implications of strong dri...

2 Nephi 15:14 This is a chilling description of the demise of God's people because of their failure to acquire testimony and live according to its precepts. Vs. 14 - "Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself," These are the preparations that devil has made (perhaps preparations isn't the proper term) to receive the wicked, who should have been the righteous. "...and opened her mouth without measure;" It seems that void into which they are descending at this point is so hard to escape, and so all consuming, that to define its ends seems impossible, for they are "without measure." "And their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." It is as if one were stuck in a small paddle boat 50 feet from the edge of a great waterfall, realizing that everyone is going off a cliff into destruction. The reality of surviving such is unthinkable. Being stuck in the current of destruction, and powerful downwa...