This post is a prelude to the things that Alma preached to the people of Ammonihah. Before I discuss this, though, I should acknowledge that my posts have been less frequent of late. Rest assured that I am still reading and studying the Book of Mormon and I will post more frequently, as time allows....
Alma is continuing on his travels to the Nephite communities, preaching repentance and putting the organization of the church in order. He visits the city of Melek, where he baptizes many and organizes the the local church. Not much else is said of this stop there. He proceeds to the city of Ammonihah, and this is where we pick up his story.
The people of Ammonihah were not receptive to Alma's ministerial efforts. Alma records: "Now Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah; therefore they would not hearken unto the words of Alma" (Alma 8:9). Nevertheless, Alma was compelled by his concern and love for the people. He first sought the Spirit: "Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance" (Alma 8:10). This can be instructive to us who have a difficult calling or challenging assignment in the church. Alma recognized that he needed help with the job ahead of him. We need to recognize that without the guidance and support of the Lord, we alone cannot do His work. This is the Lord's church; without His direction, this is only a mortal enterprise.
This passage uses the phrase "wrestling with God in mighty prayer". The scripture uses the word wrestle to indicate that there was much effort in seeking God's guidance. Consider Enos, son of Nephi's brother Jacob. He went to hunt in the forest and was moved by his father's testimony, which he must have heard many times. Enos says: "And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens" (Enos v4). Alma must have struggled, labored, spent hours in prayer for the welfare of the people of Ammonihah. I can't think of a time ever when I spent hours in continual prayer. I do know, though, that I have had problems I was trying to deal with when I prayed formally and they had the spirit of the prayer in my heart for hours on end, as I went about daily tasks. I don't know if that is "wrestling in mighty prayer" or not. Perhaps we all need to be like Enos and like Alma, taking our troubles to the Lord, and seek opportunities as we struggle with the problem to kneel before him in "mighty prayer".
In spite of Alma's efforts, the people of Ammonihah treated him badly; they denied his former secular authority, defied his spiritual authority, and kicked him out of their city. Imagine how this must have felt! As he traveled on toward his next destination, weighed down in sorrow for the people he tried to serve, an angel appeared to him. Alma is surprised when the angel tells him "Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city...say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them. For behold, they do study at this time that they may destroy the liberty of thy people..." (Alma 8:15-17). The Lord's way of lifting Alma's spirit was to send him back into the fire... Little did Alma know the things that this assignment would bring; what it did bring to Alma, though, was hope. Need hope in your life? Do the tasks that the Lord has given to you.
Alma returns to Ammonihah and is immediately meets Amulek, whom the same angel commanded to take care of a holy man. After dwelling with Amulek and his people for a number of days, the Lord commanded that Alma should again preach repentance and destruction to the people; the Lord also commanded that Amulek accompany him. In a later chapter we hear Amulek tell the people that he was instructed by the angel to find Alma and take care of him. We learn that Alma, rather than being a burden to Amulek's people, blesses them all with his presence, his teachings, and his testimony. Amulek becomes thoroughly converted and accompanies Alma on this assignment and others in the chapters ahead.
If you do what the Lord directs you to do, will you be protected, comforted, free from harm or danger? Not always. If you do what the Lord directs you to do, will you be blessed with the peace and comfort that only His spirit can bring? Yes, always. May we each follow the Lord's direction; may we each have His spirit with us.
Don
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Alma's Ministry - Alma 6 - 7
After calling the people of Zarahemla to repentance, and re-staffing the church adequately, Alma proceeds to the city of Gideon. There he finds that the people have been more in tune with God than the people he just left. This provides Alma with the opportunity to teach them advanced principles of the Gospel, rather than spending his time correcting them. This begs the question for each of us: Are we striving to be righteous, readying ourselves for spiritual knowledge when the opportunity arises? Or will the Spirit of the Lord have to spend precious time breaking down walls?
Fortunately for the people of Gideon, Alma was able to teach them instead of chastising them. There are some great truths in these chapters to be read and pondered. Here are a couple that I gleaned:
I already mentioned being ready for truth and knowledge so we may receive it properly when it comes. Alma tells the Gideon people that he received information and direction from the Holy Ghost: "...he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they [the Zarahemlites] are established again in the way of his righteousness. And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; ... But behold... I trust... that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come." (Alma 7: 3-6). Moreover, Alma tells them that he received guidance from the Spirit of the Lord: "But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight..." (Alma 7:9). The point is, Alma received guidance and instruction from the Holy Spirit, just we can if we are walking circumspectly.
Alma taught the people about the coming of the Savior. He taught: "For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people." (Alma 7:7).
He gave specifics of the Savior's coming and of his mother's circumstances: "And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." (Alma 7:10).
Alma taught the people of Gideon about the Savior's ministry: "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities... the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance..." (Alma 7:11-13)
What a powerful testimony of the Savior, of His mission on earth, of His magnanimous love and charity toward us. Alma's testimony of the Savior is an example for us; we should pursue such a testimony. We MUST have such a testimony if we want to survive the attacks of the adversary. Such a testimony comes from active seeking and active doing. Alma showed us this by his example. He was willing to give up being the most important leader of his country to do the Lord's will exclusively.
Alma continues with his address to the Gideonites by urging them to be humble, to serve, to submit themselves to the Spirit's guidance, and concludes by blessing them "And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever." (Alma 7:27). This reminds me of every general conference, and the final address from the prophet. The people of Gideon were blessed by Alma's presence and by his stirring admonitions. We are blessed twice a year by such a man, the prophet of our days, President Thomas S. Monson. May we treasure this great gift.
Don
Fortunately for the people of Gideon, Alma was able to teach them instead of chastising them. There are some great truths in these chapters to be read and pondered. Here are a couple that I gleaned:
I already mentioned being ready for truth and knowledge so we may receive it properly when it comes. Alma tells the Gideon people that he received information and direction from the Holy Ghost: "...he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they [the Zarahemlites] are established again in the way of his righteousness. And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; ... But behold... I trust... that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come." (Alma 7: 3-6). Moreover, Alma tells them that he received guidance from the Spirit of the Lord: "But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight..." (Alma 7:9). The point is, Alma received guidance and instruction from the Holy Spirit, just we can if we are walking circumspectly.
Alma taught the people about the coming of the Savior. He taught: "For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people." (Alma 7:7).
He gave specifics of the Savior's coming and of his mother's circumstances: "And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." (Alma 7:10).
Alma taught the people of Gideon about the Savior's ministry: "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities... the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance..." (Alma 7:11-13)
What a powerful testimony of the Savior, of His mission on earth, of His magnanimous love and charity toward us. Alma's testimony of the Savior is an example for us; we should pursue such a testimony. We MUST have such a testimony if we want to survive the attacks of the adversary. Such a testimony comes from active seeking and active doing. Alma showed us this by his example. He was willing to give up being the most important leader of his country to do the Lord's will exclusively.
Alma continues with his address to the Gideonites by urging them to be humble, to serve, to submit themselves to the Spirit's guidance, and concludes by blessing them "And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever." (Alma 7:27). This reminds me of every general conference, and the final address from the prophet. The people of Gideon were blessed by Alma's presence and by his stirring admonitions. We are blessed twice a year by such a man, the prophet of our days, President Thomas S. Monson. May we treasure this great gift.
Don
Monday, October 10, 2011
Aftermath of war: Alma 4 - 5
Alma chapter 4 sets the stage for Alma's great oration to the people of Zarahemla. The people have come through a tremendous civil war - a battle between Amlici and those who wanted him to be their king versus those who wanted to have the freedoms of a elected government. The battle was very costly to the Nephite nation. Alma 3 indicates "...now the number of the slain were not numbered, because of the greatness of their number..." (Alma 3:1). The Lamanite and Amlicite dead was also great although not mentioned in this reference.
I compare this costly war to the battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War. What happened at the three-day battle at Gettysburg?
-- Union Forces Engaged: 82,289
-- Confederate Forces Engaged: 75,000
-- Casualties: 51,112 (23,049 Union and 28,063 Confederate). This constitues almost 1/3 of the troops engaged in the battle!
(source: http://www.civilwarhome.com/Battles.htm)
Alma chapter 3 gives further indication of how many were lost: "...And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world..." (Alma 3:26). In addition to warrior casualties, there were other losses: "Now many women and children had been slain with the sword..." (Alma 3:2). War is always costly to the armies and to the population as well. The Nephite nations suffered greatly as a result of one man who wanted power.
The aftermath of this catastrophe rested on the leaders of the Nephite nation, most notably Alma, who was both Chief Judge of the nation as well as the high priest over the church. I can imagine what challenges this dual role brought to Alma. Over the next 3 years, his duties of chief judge kept him busy. He saw that many of the people in and out of the church were becoming less and less aligned with the things that Alma's father had taught. Alma, in his frustration, determined that one of his responsibilities had to go. He decided to leave the chief judgeship and devote himself to the needs of the church. By the voice of the people, Nephihah was chosen to be the new chief judge of the land.
And so it was that Alma began to focus on the people of the church to stir them to become true to their faith. Alma starts with the church at Zarahemla; Chapter 5 contains his passionate plea to the people to be righteous. Here are some of the highlites that meant much to me.
Authority: Alma cites the authority that he holds by which he admonishes the people of Zarahemla. "I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things..." (Alma 5:3). When speaking on someone else's behalf, one must be authorized to do so. I can't speak for the Queen of England, for instance, because I don't have the right to do so.... I haven't been given that authority. I can't spend Donald Trump's money, I don't have the authorization for it. Is it so hard to believe that an education doesn't give authority and that God would want to choose who speaks for him?
History: I liked how Alma reminded the people he addressed of the history of their people and the roots of the church. Given that they had just gone through political upheaval, it is fitting that Alma reminds them of the state that king Noah left his people in. Alma probably feels like the people have moved close to this state themselves.
Delivery of the message: I like the poetic way that Alma delivers his points home: "Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not." (Alma 5:7-8). Alma first teaches them a truth - God changed our fathers' hearts (and by logic, can and will change our hearts). He then uses similes then to emphasize this point. I see this as nothing less than poetry.
Content of the message: The theme of Alma's entire address can be summed up in verses 11-13, which is this: through faith we gain a change of heart. Through this change we become humble. Through humility we begin to trust in the Lord and his offerings. This trust enables us to be valient and to endure to the end. What a great message!
To me, parts of this address seemed like giving the people of Zarahemla a temple recommend-style interview. "...have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? 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 corruption braised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?" (Alma 5:14-15). Some of the things Alma then asked were more of a negative nature, geared to what they were doing wrong (like being called on the carpet) - see Verses 17 to 25. I may be making judgments from this portion, but I think it's significant that Alma had to devote more time to chastising the Zarahemla church members than teaching them about spiritual things. What do we learn from this? I think that they needed to change their ways. Perhaps we need to take our spiritual temperature... If we use Alma's questions, are we ready to stand before God?
Alma gives the Zarahemlites the keys to getting on track in verses 27 through 33.
-- Keep yourselves blameless before God
-- Humble yourselves
-- Strip yourselves of pride
-- Remove envy from your life
-- Avoid things that would drag you down (he specifically mentions mockery; it sounds like this problem was pervasive in the church).
There are many things in this address that I have not discussed, but the entire message to the people of Zarahemla is worth understanding and applying to ourselves. May we read this chapter with a spiritual mirror. May we each benefit from the things we read in these chapters and elsewhere in the Book of Mormon. May we each rejoice with one another in the presence of the Lord.
Don
I compare this costly war to the battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War. What happened at the three-day battle at Gettysburg?
-- Union Forces Engaged: 82,289
-- Confederate Forces Engaged: 75,000
-- Casualties: 51,112 (23,049 Union and 28,063 Confederate). This constitues almost 1/3 of the troops engaged in the battle!
(source: http://www.civilwarhome.com/Battles.htm)
Alma chapter 3 gives further indication of how many were lost: "...And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world..." (Alma 3:26). In addition to warrior casualties, there were other losses: "Now many women and children had been slain with the sword..." (Alma 3:2). War is always costly to the armies and to the population as well. The Nephite nations suffered greatly as a result of one man who wanted power.
The aftermath of this catastrophe rested on the leaders of the Nephite nation, most notably Alma, who was both Chief Judge of the nation as well as the high priest over the church. I can imagine what challenges this dual role brought to Alma. Over the next 3 years, his duties of chief judge kept him busy. He saw that many of the people in and out of the church were becoming less and less aligned with the things that Alma's father had taught. Alma, in his frustration, determined that one of his responsibilities had to go. He decided to leave the chief judgeship and devote himself to the needs of the church. By the voice of the people, Nephihah was chosen to be the new chief judge of the land.
And so it was that Alma began to focus on the people of the church to stir them to become true to their faith. Alma starts with the church at Zarahemla; Chapter 5 contains his passionate plea to the people to be righteous. Here are some of the highlites that meant much to me.
Authority: Alma cites the authority that he holds by which he admonishes the people of Zarahemla. "I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things..." (Alma 5:3). When speaking on someone else's behalf, one must be authorized to do so. I can't speak for the Queen of England, for instance, because I don't have the right to do so.... I haven't been given that authority. I can't spend Donald Trump's money, I don't have the authorization for it. Is it so hard to believe that an education doesn't give authority and that God would want to choose who speaks for him?
History: I liked how Alma reminded the people he addressed of the history of their people and the roots of the church. Given that they had just gone through political upheaval, it is fitting that Alma reminds them of the state that king Noah left his people in. Alma probably feels like the people have moved close to this state themselves.
Delivery of the message: I like the poetic way that Alma delivers his points home: "Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not." (Alma 5:7-8). Alma first teaches them a truth - God changed our fathers' hearts (and by logic, can and will change our hearts). He then uses similes then to emphasize this point. I see this as nothing less than poetry.
Content of the message: The theme of Alma's entire address can be summed up in verses 11-13, which is this: through faith we gain a change of heart. Through this change we become humble. Through humility we begin to trust in the Lord and his offerings. This trust enables us to be valient and to endure to the end. What a great message!
To me, parts of this address seemed like giving the people of Zarahemla a temple recommend-style interview. "...have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? 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 corruption braised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?" (Alma 5:14-15). Some of the things Alma then asked were more of a negative nature, geared to what they were doing wrong (like being called on the carpet) - see Verses 17 to 25. I may be making judgments from this portion, but I think it's significant that Alma had to devote more time to chastising the Zarahemla church members than teaching them about spiritual things. What do we learn from this? I think that they needed to change their ways. Perhaps we need to take our spiritual temperature... If we use Alma's questions, are we ready to stand before God?
Alma gives the Zarahemlites the keys to getting on track in verses 27 through 33.
-- Keep yourselves blameless before God
-- Humble yourselves
-- Strip yourselves of pride
-- Remove envy from your life
-- Avoid things that would drag you down (he specifically mentions mockery; it sounds like this problem was pervasive in the church).
There are many things in this address that I have not discussed, but the entire message to the people of Zarahemla is worth understanding and applying to ourselves. May we read this chapter with a spiritual mirror. May we each benefit from the things we read in these chapters and elsewhere in the Book of Mormon. May we each rejoice with one another in the presence of the Lord.
Don
Monday, October 3, 2011
Political Upheaval - Alma 2 - 3
At this rate, I should be able to reach the end of the Book of Mormon by 2018 :).
I have read and re-read these chapters as questions popped into my mind about them. Re-reading the chapters like this always seems to bring more insight about the things I wonder about. I would urge you, as you read the scriptures, to re-read parts that puzzle you or pique your interest, then ask for guidance from the Lord as you ponder. I believe this is how we reconcile what is in the scriptures to our lives; this is how we apply what happened in a scriptural context to our real life. (ok, off my soap-box).
I can see the events depicted in Alma 2 and 3 happening in any society. The time-frame setting of these chapters is the fifth year of the reign of the Judges. The government is still brand new; kinks in the system were still getting worked out. I believe that in any societal situation there are people who, hungry for power, look for some way to advance themselves. The Nephite nation was assailed by power-hungry Amlici, a man who wanted to be crowned king. Amlici was a smooth talking flatterer who gained support with many of the people to the point that it was a real possibility that he would achieve his goal. It all came down to a vote - the people cast their say in the matter and Amlici's attempt was defeated.
I guess Amilici was a sore loser... He convinced his followers that they should make him king anyway and then arm themselves for civil war. What followed this treasonous act was wide-spread bloodshed within the Nephite nation. To make matters worse, Amlici allied himself and his people with the Lamanite army and tried to subject his Nephite people to forceful obeisance. In the end, the freedom-loving Nephites prevailed, but at a terrible cost; many Nephites were slain; many, many Nephite families suffered loss of loved ones; the Nephite nation had been dealt terrible blow.
Thoughts about these events:
++ The voting process: It appears there was a voting procedure in place. This process was probably the same process that was used, when Mosiah proposed the judges system of government, to choose the judges in the first place. It must have been adequate and trusted by the people; we don't read of any debate over the validity of the vote. We only read that Amlici's rejection of the results.
++ Amlici's desire to be king was not a result of his concern for the people or for their society. He incited displeasure for the current system among his followers and pushed for a monarchy which would give him power over all of the people. When things didn't go his way, he pushed his followers into treason. He rejected any concern for the people by arming his followers for civil war. I believe that he corresponded with the Lamanites and made a compact with them before he started warfare. This would explain how there happened to be a large Lamanite army right where Amlici and his followers could join up with them. This would explain how there happened to be not one but two Lamanite armies. Amlici was a traitor to his people and would have them become part of the Lamanites just so he could be called a ruler over the people.
++ The divisiveness that Amlici sowed became very costly to the Nephite nation. Any group of people - families, wards, cities or nations - will fracture from divisiveness. Divisiveness tears down, ruins, destroys. "And Jesus ... said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" (Matthew 12:25). Unity brings people together, makes them strongly bonded, builds them up and provides a vehicle for happiness. More importantly, it is what God wants. "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them" (Moses 7:18). We must strive for unity in our families, in our churches, in our communities.
++ It is interesting that when war preparations were made, there was a list of weapons that the people armed themselves with: "...they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war" (Alma 2: 12). It looks almost like a checklist.... Swords? Check. Cimeters? Check. Weapons of war of every kind? Check. I don't know why that fascinates me..... Maybe because I'm a boy? :)
.
++ There is a lot of details about the war and battles. In fact, the book of Alma has what is sometimes called the "war chapters". Why is war described in detail in this book, which contains such powerful spirit and numerous witnesses of it's divine origin? There are several good answers to this question, but I think they boil down to this: We are to learn a spiritual lesson from what is written here. The spiritual lesson from the "war chapters" is just as important as the spiritual lesson from Jacob's olive tree allegory or from Nephi's narrative about the tree of life. As I re-read these chapters with this in mind it occurred to me that in several places the Nephites are strengthened by the Lord. "...Nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites..." (Alma 2:18). "Nevertheless, the Nephites being astrengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies..." (Alma 2:28). "And it came to pass that Alma... cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people. Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened..." (Alma 2: 30-31). The crux of this lesson, the one that to me is important enough to appear at least 3 times in this chapter, is that the Lord supports His people. We can call on the Lord for strength in our time of need. We must be prepared spiritually to be able to rely on His aid when we need it.
++ The effects of this brief but bloody war cannot be appreciated until you have read the beginning of chapter 3. Verse 1 tells us that they could not count all of the dead for sheer volume. Verse 2 tells us that there were many women and children that were slain. This sounds like near-annihilation of the Nephite civilization. I don't think that it is possible for us in this time to visualize what an experience this must have been. It is a history lesson to us on how a proud, power-hungry, ambitious man can inflame people into a out-and-out disaster. For us personally, how devastating is it to a person's life when a little sin is allowed to erupt into a full-fledged moral conflict.
As a side-note, I always pause at the phrase "...now the number of the slain were not numbered, because of the greatness of their number..." (Alma 3:1). I wonder if this alliteration is the literal translation of a Nephite phrase, or if the phrase we see is Joseph Smith's interpretive wording. In either case, the message is correct and very clear, there is no doubt.
++ Last note: There is a lot of attention to why the Lamanites were marked. This follows a description of how the Amlicites had marked themselves, which they did to distinguish themselves from the Nephites, or the people of God. Unwittingly the Amlicites were fulfilling God's prophesy that anyone who rebelled against Him would be marked. How convenient that they did it to themselves! Anyone who pulls away from church activity and from living the Gospel standards marks themselves subtly. They may not recognize the difference, but those who hold true to the Gospel can observe the difference. The countenance of the person is different - almost like a light has left them. This happened to the Amlicites. It happens to people today and can happen to anyone who does not actively live the Gospel standards and obey God's commandments.
There is richness of wisdom in the Book of Mormon. May we learn from it's passages and apply the lessons to our lives.
I have read and re-read these chapters as questions popped into my mind about them. Re-reading the chapters like this always seems to bring more insight about the things I wonder about. I would urge you, as you read the scriptures, to re-read parts that puzzle you or pique your interest, then ask for guidance from the Lord as you ponder. I believe this is how we reconcile what is in the scriptures to our lives; this is how we apply what happened in a scriptural context to our real life. (ok, off my soap-box).
I can see the events depicted in Alma 2 and 3 happening in any society. The time-frame setting of these chapters is the fifth year of the reign of the Judges. The government is still brand new; kinks in the system were still getting worked out. I believe that in any societal situation there are people who, hungry for power, look for some way to advance themselves. The Nephite nation was assailed by power-hungry Amlici, a man who wanted to be crowned king. Amlici was a smooth talking flatterer who gained support with many of the people to the point that it was a real possibility that he would achieve his goal. It all came down to a vote - the people cast their say in the matter and Amlici's attempt was defeated.
I guess Amilici was a sore loser... He convinced his followers that they should make him king anyway and then arm themselves for civil war. What followed this treasonous act was wide-spread bloodshed within the Nephite nation. To make matters worse, Amlici allied himself and his people with the Lamanite army and tried to subject his Nephite people to forceful obeisance. In the end, the freedom-loving Nephites prevailed, but at a terrible cost; many Nephites were slain; many, many Nephite families suffered loss of loved ones; the Nephite nation had been dealt terrible blow.
Thoughts about these events:
++ The voting process: It appears there was a voting procedure in place. This process was probably the same process that was used, when Mosiah proposed the judges system of government, to choose the judges in the first place. It must have been adequate and trusted by the people; we don't read of any debate over the validity of the vote. We only read that Amlici's rejection of the results.
++ Amlici's desire to be king was not a result of his concern for the people or for their society. He incited displeasure for the current system among his followers and pushed for a monarchy which would give him power over all of the people. When things didn't go his way, he pushed his followers into treason. He rejected any concern for the people by arming his followers for civil war. I believe that he corresponded with the Lamanites and made a compact with them before he started warfare. This would explain how there happened to be a large Lamanite army right where Amlici and his followers could join up with them. This would explain how there happened to be not one but two Lamanite armies. Amlici was a traitor to his people and would have them become part of the Lamanites just so he could be called a ruler over the people.
++ The divisiveness that Amlici sowed became very costly to the Nephite nation. Any group of people - families, wards, cities or nations - will fracture from divisiveness. Divisiveness tears down, ruins, destroys. "And Jesus ... said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" (Matthew 12:25). Unity brings people together, makes them strongly bonded, builds them up and provides a vehicle for happiness. More importantly, it is what God wants. "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them" (Moses 7:18). We must strive for unity in our families, in our churches, in our communities.
++ It is interesting that when war preparations were made, there was a list of weapons that the people armed themselves with: "...they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war" (Alma 2: 12). It looks almost like a checklist.... Swords? Check. Cimeters? Check. Weapons of war of every kind? Check. I don't know why that fascinates me..... Maybe because I'm a boy? :)
.
++ There is a lot of details about the war and battles. In fact, the book of Alma has what is sometimes called the "war chapters". Why is war described in detail in this book, which contains such powerful spirit and numerous witnesses of it's divine origin? There are several good answers to this question, but I think they boil down to this: We are to learn a spiritual lesson from what is written here. The spiritual lesson from the "war chapters" is just as important as the spiritual lesson from Jacob's olive tree allegory or from Nephi's narrative about the tree of life. As I re-read these chapters with this in mind it occurred to me that in several places the Nephites are strengthened by the Lord. "...Nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites..." (Alma 2:18). "Nevertheless, the Nephites being astrengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies..." (Alma 2:28). "And it came to pass that Alma... cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people. Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened..." (Alma 2: 30-31). The crux of this lesson, the one that to me is important enough to appear at least 3 times in this chapter, is that the Lord supports His people. We can call on the Lord for strength in our time of need. We must be prepared spiritually to be able to rely on His aid when we need it.
++ The effects of this brief but bloody war cannot be appreciated until you have read the beginning of chapter 3. Verse 1 tells us that they could not count all of the dead for sheer volume. Verse 2 tells us that there were many women and children that were slain. This sounds like near-annihilation of the Nephite civilization. I don't think that it is possible for us in this time to visualize what an experience this must have been. It is a history lesson to us on how a proud, power-hungry, ambitious man can inflame people into a out-and-out disaster. For us personally, how devastating is it to a person's life when a little sin is allowed to erupt into a full-fledged moral conflict.
As a side-note, I always pause at the phrase "...now the number of the slain were not numbered, because of the greatness of their number..." (Alma 3:1). I wonder if this alliteration is the literal translation of a Nephite phrase, or if the phrase we see is Joseph Smith's interpretive wording. In either case, the message is correct and very clear, there is no doubt.
++ Last note: There is a lot of attention to why the Lamanites were marked. This follows a description of how the Amlicites had marked themselves, which they did to distinguish themselves from the Nephites, or the people of God. Unwittingly the Amlicites were fulfilling God's prophesy that anyone who rebelled against Him would be marked. How convenient that they did it to themselves! Anyone who pulls away from church activity and from living the Gospel standards marks themselves subtly. They may not recognize the difference, but those who hold true to the Gospel can observe the difference. The countenance of the person is different - almost like a light has left them. This happened to the Amlicites. It happens to people today and can happen to anyone who does not actively live the Gospel standards and obey God's commandments.
There is richness of wisdom in the Book of Mormon. May we learn from it's passages and apply the lessons to our lives.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Reign of the Judges - Alma 1
The first chapter of the book of Alma sets the stage for things that will come shortly after. Alma has taken the office of chief judge and is administering the affairs of the Nephite nation. We don't really hear about the establishment of the office, or of the pains of defining the roles of the state administrators. We aren't given the details of taxation, law enforcement, military provisions, or other details of the country's new government. I think these details would be interesting, but in the context of the purpose of the Book of Mormon, these details are irrevelant. I'm sure they weren't irrelevant to Alma, though; while he was overseeing the myriad problems of setting up the new governmental system, he also was serving as the high priest over the church.
We learn of an event that occurred during the first four years of Alma's term in office. A man by the name of Nehor begins preaching what would become a very popular set of beliefs. In a nutshell, this is what he taught the people:
-- Every priest and teacher should be popular
-- Priests and teachers shouldn't labor for the own support; they should be supported by the people
-- Everyone would be saved at the last day, no matter what. The Lord had created all and had redeemed all, so all would receive eternal life
-- People don't have to humble themselves, all can rejoice (as an extrapolation, this would mean that it didn't matter what you did, you would be saved in the end; humility, kindness, service, etc. was unnecessary)
Let me say that these doctrinal points, like all of Satan's lies, have a grain of truth.
-- Several Gospel Doctrine class teachers I have known were immensely popular. People would crowd themselves into the classroom so that they could participate in the lesson. This, however, was usually because of the spirit of learning and the Spirit of God that accompanied the teacher - brought on by loving the Gospel, careful Gospel study, and by spiritually preparing for the lesson.
-- All people can be saved: "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (Pearl of Great Price, Articles of Faith, #3)
-- What you do in life does matter ; consider these scriptures: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts." (Psalms 10:4). "For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence" (Alma 12:14).
As a contrast, consider this: "And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:20-21). Godly traits can only be obtained by Godly behavior. There are no shortcuts - indeed there is no other way.
Needless to say, Nehor's teachings were popular among some of the people. But among the faithful people there was a man who Nehor couldn't convince; in fact, Nehor became so irritated with the man who withstood him that he drew his sword and began to smite the man. This faithful man was Gideon, who escaped with the people of Limhi from the land of Nephi - Lehi. Gideon was aged now, and could not withstand Nehor's blows; Gideon was slain. This became Nehor's undoing. He was taken to the chief judge. Alma condemned Nehor to die for Gideon's murder. Moreover, Alma declared that Nehor's attempt to enforce priestcraft by violence was an example of what could become the new nation's undoing.
Nehor must have done some major soul-searching, for just prior to his execution, he acknowledged to all present that the things he had taught were contrary to God's law. Sadly, this was overlooked by his followers, who pursued these popular points of doctrine and the lifestyle they supported. As we read on in the book of Alma, we hear more of Nehors followers and their separation from the people of God.
My observation of our times, with the lens of Alma chapter 1 is this: People everywhere, in all walks of life and in all religions, tend to interpret what is right or wrong by adapting their tenets of faith to what they desire. This sounds pessimistic, I know. There is a formula, however that can be both a remedy and an ounce of prevention. This the formula:
-- Read the scriptures regularly; try to understand what they mean to your betterment as a spiritual being.
-- Pray regularly and often. Seek to know that the scriptures are true. Ask how they can benefit your life. Ask for blessings upon others. Ask for guidance in your life.
-- Listen to the guidance the Lord gives you and act upon it. Do what you are led by God's whisperings to do.
These are simple steps, but they are powerful. They will bring us unity with our Heavenly Father and peace to our lives.
Don
We learn of an event that occurred during the first four years of Alma's term in office. A man by the name of Nehor begins preaching what would become a very popular set of beliefs. In a nutshell, this is what he taught the people:
-- Every priest and teacher should be popular
-- Priests and teachers shouldn't labor for the own support; they should be supported by the people
-- Everyone would be saved at the last day, no matter what. The Lord had created all and had redeemed all, so all would receive eternal life
-- People don't have to humble themselves, all can rejoice (as an extrapolation, this would mean that it didn't matter what you did, you would be saved in the end; humility, kindness, service, etc. was unnecessary)
Let me say that these doctrinal points, like all of Satan's lies, have a grain of truth.
-- Several Gospel Doctrine class teachers I have known were immensely popular. People would crowd themselves into the classroom so that they could participate in the lesson. This, however, was usually because of the spirit of learning and the Spirit of God that accompanied the teacher - brought on by loving the Gospel, careful Gospel study, and by spiritually preparing for the lesson.
-- All people can be saved: "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (Pearl of Great Price, Articles of Faith, #3)
-- What you do in life does matter ; consider these scriptures: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts." (Psalms 10:4). "For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence" (Alma 12:14).
As a contrast, consider this: "And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:20-21). Godly traits can only be obtained by Godly behavior. There are no shortcuts - indeed there is no other way.
Needless to say, Nehor's teachings were popular among some of the people. But among the faithful people there was a man who Nehor couldn't convince; in fact, Nehor became so irritated with the man who withstood him that he drew his sword and began to smite the man. This faithful man was Gideon, who escaped with the people of Limhi from the land of Nephi - Lehi. Gideon was aged now, and could not withstand Nehor's blows; Gideon was slain. This became Nehor's undoing. He was taken to the chief judge. Alma condemned Nehor to die for Gideon's murder. Moreover, Alma declared that Nehor's attempt to enforce priestcraft by violence was an example of what could become the new nation's undoing.
Nehor must have done some major soul-searching, for just prior to his execution, he acknowledged to all present that the things he had taught were contrary to God's law. Sadly, this was overlooked by his followers, who pursued these popular points of doctrine and the lifestyle they supported. As we read on in the book of Alma, we hear more of Nehors followers and their separation from the people of God.
My observation of our times, with the lens of Alma chapter 1 is this: People everywhere, in all walks of life and in all religions, tend to interpret what is right or wrong by adapting their tenets of faith to what they desire. This sounds pessimistic, I know. There is a formula, however that can be both a remedy and an ounce of prevention. This the formula:
-- Read the scriptures regularly; try to understand what they mean to your betterment as a spiritual being.
-- Pray regularly and often. Seek to know that the scriptures are true. Ask how they can benefit your life. Ask for blessings upon others. Ask for guidance in your life.
-- Listen to the guidance the Lord gives you and act upon it. Do what you are led by God's whisperings to do.
These are simple steps, but they are powerful. They will bring us unity with our Heavenly Father and peace to our lives.
Don
Saturday, September 17, 2011
A New Government: Mosiah 28-29
The sons of Mosiah, after turning their lives around and after laboring to repair the harm they had done, were moved to serve a mission to the Lamanite people. Why would they want to do this? "Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever" (Mosiah 28: 3-4)
They needed their father's support. They didn't go to him and say "this is what we are going to do", they went to him and pled with the king to be allowed to serve their mission. I'm sure that Mosiah didn't want his sons to go. This would be a dangerous journey; they would be gone an underminate amount of time. Mosiah saw that they were anxious to do this thing and understood their motivation. He did what every parent would (or at least should) do: He turned to the Lord for guidance. The Lord's response was this: "Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites" (Mosiah 28: 7). Mosiah granted that they could go according to their desires.
Being a parent, I think that this would be very hard to do. Would I trust the Lord's promise enough to allow my children to go as Mosiah did. It would be very comforting to know that the Lord would preserve their lives as well as change the lives of others. This is really what happens to families in the church all the time: they send their young men out into the mission field, trusting in the Lord to watch over them, to guide them and to bless them with success. Parents let their sons go knowing that they will not see them for 2 years. Having done this, I can somewhat understand Mosiah's decision. Imagine, though, that you're sending your son off to a place where they are likely to be killed, imprisoned, abused, taunted or injured. Imagine you sent them off for an unspecified amount of time. Imagine they are on their own with no plans for housing, meals, or care. It would be very hard. Mosiah's trust in the Lord must have been very high.
As it turns out, Mosiah's sons were gone for 14 years, and suffered many of the things I mentioned above. Why did they do this? Mosiah 28:3-4. What is our motivation for being members of the church? What moves us to perform our callings, to show compassion, or to help others. Ideally it would be similar to the motivation of the sons of Mosiah.
Mosiah's decision to allow his sons to go on their mission had an indirect but high cost: He was left without an heir to the kingdom. (We really don't know about any other of Mosiah's family members; could it be that he had 4 sons and that was it? Could there have been other younger brothers or any sisters? No way to tell). I believe Mosiah knew this when he granted them permission to leave. As parents, there are times when we do something in spite of inconvenience to ourselves or our family because it will benefit others. Again the question, Why? Mosiah 28:3-4.
We don't read of any complaining from Mosiah; I believe he wasn't that type of person anyway. Instead, he conceived of a system of government that would provide for the Nephites' future and give them the freedom that he wanted them to have. I am speaking of the system of judges to govern the Nephite society that was proposed by Mosiah and accepted by the people. I can't help but wonder if Mosiah patterned this system after the judges of Israelite history.
Once Mosiah had planned the framework of his proposed government, he gathered the people together and presented it to them. In this gathering, Mosiah pointed out several things he wanted the people to consider:
-- A system of governers that would provide leadership and dispute resolution by ordinary people that were chosen by the people themselves.
-- A hierarchy of leaders to allow elected leadership, ranging from local leaders to national leaders.
-- The wisdom of avoiding monarchy that could lead to bad or sinful leadership.
This system allowed the people greater freedom than they had ever had before. It is likely that this is one of the first truly representative forms of government to appear on the earth. Of course there were governments that had representation of the people. Rome and Greece for instance, had these; but the representatives were at the behest of a monarchical sovereign. The system of judges adopted by the Nephites included election of the highest leader, intermediate leaders, and local leaders. They were all chosen by the voice of the people.
Mosiah also helped formulate the laws of the land that the judges and the people would live by. Going forward in the Book of Mormon there are several scriptures that refer to the laws given to the Nephites by king Mosiah.
An interesting thought came to me as I read this: Mosiah discussed how wicked kings could make the people become wicked and stray from God. It seems to me that parents have that same power upon their families. Parents have a great deal of influence upon their children, including the attitudes they have for serving others, fulfilling their callings, studying the Gospel, and living good lives. Children pick up on these things; they also pick up on their parents' language, bad attitudes and other not so great traits. I believe there are many people who are not acquainted with the Gospel because their parents or their grandparents strayed. In these cases, the children or grandchildren are paying for their parents' mistakes. "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7). We need to be mindful of our actions in our families because our family's future depends on what we say and do.
One last note: Mosiah died at age 65, in the year 91 B.C. He had reigned for 33 years. The narrative in the book of Mosiah about his reign didn't convey (to me, at least) that Mosiah served as king for such a long time. Alma the elder died in the same year at the age of 81. My guess is that Alma the younger was probably in his 30s when he became the leader of the church and was also elected the chief judge. Doing the math on his father, it appears to me that he was about 26-27 years of age when he heard Abinadi deliver his last sermon to king Noah and his priests. May we each serve the Lord for as long a time or longer, as did Mosiah. May we each be motivated by the truth of the Gospel as was Alma the elder in his youth.
Don
They needed their father's support. They didn't go to him and say "this is what we are going to do", they went to him and pled with the king to be allowed to serve their mission. I'm sure that Mosiah didn't want his sons to go. This would be a dangerous journey; they would be gone an underminate amount of time. Mosiah saw that they were anxious to do this thing and understood their motivation. He did what every parent would (or at least should) do: He turned to the Lord for guidance. The Lord's response was this: "Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites" (Mosiah 28: 7). Mosiah granted that they could go according to their desires.
Being a parent, I think that this would be very hard to do. Would I trust the Lord's promise enough to allow my children to go as Mosiah did. It would be very comforting to know that the Lord would preserve their lives as well as change the lives of others. This is really what happens to families in the church all the time: they send their young men out into the mission field, trusting in the Lord to watch over them, to guide them and to bless them with success. Parents let their sons go knowing that they will not see them for 2 years. Having done this, I can somewhat understand Mosiah's decision. Imagine, though, that you're sending your son off to a place where they are likely to be killed, imprisoned, abused, taunted or injured. Imagine you sent them off for an unspecified amount of time. Imagine they are on their own with no plans for housing, meals, or care. It would be very hard. Mosiah's trust in the Lord must have been very high.
As it turns out, Mosiah's sons were gone for 14 years, and suffered many of the things I mentioned above. Why did they do this? Mosiah 28:3-4. What is our motivation for being members of the church? What moves us to perform our callings, to show compassion, or to help others. Ideally it would be similar to the motivation of the sons of Mosiah.
Mosiah's decision to allow his sons to go on their mission had an indirect but high cost: He was left without an heir to the kingdom. (We really don't know about any other of Mosiah's family members; could it be that he had 4 sons and that was it? Could there have been other younger brothers or any sisters? No way to tell). I believe Mosiah knew this when he granted them permission to leave. As parents, there are times when we do something in spite of inconvenience to ourselves or our family because it will benefit others. Again the question, Why? Mosiah 28:3-4.
We don't read of any complaining from Mosiah; I believe he wasn't that type of person anyway. Instead, he conceived of a system of government that would provide for the Nephites' future and give them the freedom that he wanted them to have. I am speaking of the system of judges to govern the Nephite society that was proposed by Mosiah and accepted by the people. I can't help but wonder if Mosiah patterned this system after the judges of Israelite history.
Once Mosiah had planned the framework of his proposed government, he gathered the people together and presented it to them. In this gathering, Mosiah pointed out several things he wanted the people to consider:
-- A system of governers that would provide leadership and dispute resolution by ordinary people that were chosen by the people themselves.
-- A hierarchy of leaders to allow elected leadership, ranging from local leaders to national leaders.
-- The wisdom of avoiding monarchy that could lead to bad or sinful leadership.
This system allowed the people greater freedom than they had ever had before. It is likely that this is one of the first truly representative forms of government to appear on the earth. Of course there were governments that had representation of the people. Rome and Greece for instance, had these; but the representatives were at the behest of a monarchical sovereign. The system of judges adopted by the Nephites included election of the highest leader, intermediate leaders, and local leaders. They were all chosen by the voice of the people.
Mosiah also helped formulate the laws of the land that the judges and the people would live by. Going forward in the Book of Mormon there are several scriptures that refer to the laws given to the Nephites by king Mosiah.
An interesting thought came to me as I read this: Mosiah discussed how wicked kings could make the people become wicked and stray from God. It seems to me that parents have that same power upon their families. Parents have a great deal of influence upon their children, including the attitudes they have for serving others, fulfilling their callings, studying the Gospel, and living good lives. Children pick up on these things; they also pick up on their parents' language, bad attitudes and other not so great traits. I believe there are many people who are not acquainted with the Gospel because their parents or their grandparents strayed. In these cases, the children or grandchildren are paying for their parents' mistakes. "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7). We need to be mindful of our actions in our families because our family's future depends on what we say and do.
One last note: Mosiah died at age 65, in the year 91 B.C. He had reigned for 33 years. The narrative in the book of Mosiah about his reign didn't convey (to me, at least) that Mosiah served as king for such a long time. Alma the elder died in the same year at the age of 81. My guess is that Alma the younger was probably in his 30s when he became the leader of the church and was also elected the chief judge. Doing the math on his father, it appears to me that he was about 26-27 years of age when he heard Abinadi deliver his last sermon to king Noah and his priests. May we each serve the Lord for as long a time or longer, as did Mosiah. May we each be motivated by the truth of the Gospel as was Alma the elder in his youth.
Don
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Rising Generation - Mosiah 26-27
This is an interesting development in the Nephite/Zarahemla history. King Benjamin's address, given just before his son Mosiah was made king, profoundly touched the hearts, minds and lives of his people. They were touched so deeply that they (almost unanimously) made covenants with God and took upon themselves the name of Christ. Their society became one of peace. They faithfully kept God's commandments and served on another. Into this society came Limhi's and Alma's people, who took upon themselves the same convenants.
Fast forward a few years, though; some of the young children who were too young to understand King Benjamin's words were now rebelling. They "...did not believe the tradition of their fathers. They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ" (Mosiah 26: 1-2). In considering this situation, it occurs to me that this scenario plays out over and over in humanity. There are many examples of young people rejecting the beliefs or traditions of their parents. I don't think it is necessarily a generational thing, though. Many people want to think their own thoughts or to be their own person. Nothing wrong with that as long as the baby isn't thrown out with the bathwater, so to speak. Verse 1 of chapter 26 says that many of the rising generation "could not understand" Benjamin's words. It goes on to say, though, that "they did not believe" what their parents believed. There is a distinction that I want to point out.
-- Not understanding: I don't get it for some reason, not my fault.
-- Not believing: I don't accept it for whatever personal reason I have, it's my choice.
This is a problem for people, no matter what age they are. There many things we may not understand about the Gospel or about God's plan. We must seek the spirit in these matters to guide us; perhaps we may never fully understand, but at least the spirit will prevent our lack of understanding from becoming a spiritual stumbling block. We must not allow a lack of understanding to be a barrier to a testimony in all other areas of the gospel. Sadly, this happens too often. Think of people who disagree with something that a general authority has said and who let it drive them from activity in the church. This happens too often!
Using Satan's old tried-and-true methods, those young unbelievers flattered anyone who would hear them away from the church, and they persecuted those who would not listen to them. Among this group were, notably, King Mosiah's four sons as well as Alma's son. Think of how gleeful this must have made Satan, capturing the children of the religious leader and of the king of the land! In a way, I think of this as Satan trying to fend off the potential these five had for serving the Lord's purposes. He desperately wanted to keep them from doing the good works that they eventually did!
Have you ever been caught doing something that you knew to be wrong? You can imagine how Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah must have felt when they were visited by an angel of the Lord. "...the angel ...descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood; And again, the angel said... ...why persecutest thou the church of God? I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God... And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God." (Mosiah 27: 11, 13-15).
If you sometimes feel that your prayers are in vain, think of what the angel said to these wayward sons: "Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come..." (Mosiah 27: 13-14).
Alma and his compatriots were getting in deep, but the Lord knew their value and He took miraculous steps to change things. His servant, Alma (and I believe Mosiah too, as well as other) were pleading for a miracle that would affect these boys. Can we petition the Lord for a miracle? I believe we can. I know of instances in families where a family member or members were totally on the wrong track, looking like there was no hope of them turning back. For reasons I don't know, these people did turn around, and obtained their own testimony. As the Lord said to Abraham: "Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14). Certainly the Lord can do all things, and He will do all things within His wisdom.
The end result of the angel's visit: Alma and his brethren repented and went about trying to undo the harm they had caused. In the end, there probably could not be anyone who was more dedicated to the Lord's purposes than these five young men. I have to think that there were many who would never have believed it possible. We really can't fathom how the Lord's miracles will work in peoples lives; we can only work to accept His will in our lives, live examples for others to follow, and pray faithfully for those who needs the Lord's blessings. These are the things that make a society spiritually rich.
Don
Fast forward a few years, though; some of the young children who were too young to understand King Benjamin's words were now rebelling. They "...did not believe the tradition of their fathers. They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ" (Mosiah 26: 1-2). In considering this situation, it occurs to me that this scenario plays out over and over in humanity. There are many examples of young people rejecting the beliefs or traditions of their parents. I don't think it is necessarily a generational thing, though. Many people want to think their own thoughts or to be their own person. Nothing wrong with that as long as the baby isn't thrown out with the bathwater, so to speak. Verse 1 of chapter 26 says that many of the rising generation "could not understand" Benjamin's words. It goes on to say, though, that "they did not believe" what their parents believed. There is a distinction that I want to point out.
-- Not understanding: I don't get it for some reason, not my fault.
-- Not believing: I don't accept it for whatever personal reason I have, it's my choice.
This is a problem for people, no matter what age they are. There many things we may not understand about the Gospel or about God's plan. We must seek the spirit in these matters to guide us; perhaps we may never fully understand, but at least the spirit will prevent our lack of understanding from becoming a spiritual stumbling block. We must not allow a lack of understanding to be a barrier to a testimony in all other areas of the gospel. Sadly, this happens too often. Think of people who disagree with something that a general authority has said and who let it drive them from activity in the church. This happens too often!
Using Satan's old tried-and-true methods, those young unbelievers flattered anyone who would hear them away from the church, and they persecuted those who would not listen to them. Among this group were, notably, King Mosiah's four sons as well as Alma's son. Think of how gleeful this must have made Satan, capturing the children of the religious leader and of the king of the land! In a way, I think of this as Satan trying to fend off the potential these five had for serving the Lord's purposes. He desperately wanted to keep them from doing the good works that they eventually did!
Have you ever been caught doing something that you knew to be wrong? You can imagine how Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah must have felt when they were visited by an angel of the Lord. "...the angel ...descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood; And again, the angel said... ...why persecutest thou the church of God? I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God... And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God." (Mosiah 27: 11, 13-15).
If you sometimes feel that your prayers are in vain, think of what the angel said to these wayward sons: "Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come..." (Mosiah 27: 13-14).
Alma and his compatriots were getting in deep, but the Lord knew their value and He took miraculous steps to change things. His servant, Alma (and I believe Mosiah too, as well as other) were pleading for a miracle that would affect these boys. Can we petition the Lord for a miracle? I believe we can. I know of instances in families where a family member or members were totally on the wrong track, looking like there was no hope of them turning back. For reasons I don't know, these people did turn around, and obtained their own testimony. As the Lord said to Abraham: "Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14). Certainly the Lord can do all things, and He will do all things within His wisdom.
The end result of the angel's visit: Alma and his brethren repented and went about trying to undo the harm they had caused. In the end, there probably could not be anyone who was more dedicated to the Lord's purposes than these five young men. I have to think that there were many who would never have believed it possible. We really can't fathom how the Lord's miracles will work in peoples lives; we can only work to accept His will in our lives, live examples for others to follow, and pray faithfully for those who needs the Lord's blessings. These are the things that make a society spiritually rich.
Don
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Alma: Mosiah 18, 23-24 - Part 2
One thing I wanted to talk about regarding these passages have to do with - what else - the time line of events... Consider this table I have prepared:
It's interesting to see the events laid out in a table this way; I think it gives a perspective that we may not have otherwise, at least to me it does. First a couple of side-notes:
I didn't realize that Noah was king for over 15 years before his unfortunate demise.... It didn't occur to me that it took him a lot of time to drag down his people as much as he did. It's interesting to me that the Lord gave Noah ample opportunity to change his ways...
I didn't have a good appreciation for how long Limhi was king after his father left. I imagine that Limhi's job was very difficult - to be the leader of the people during war time and war time occupation would be very difficult indeed. To have to right the foundering ship of social and religious values at the same time would be extremely difficult.
Now to talk about Alma and his people: I have the same comment for Alma and his people at Helam: They were there a lot longer than I realized... They also were under Lamanite occupation a much shorter time than the people of Limhi were. What lesson do we learn from this? I think that Alma's people were taken care of by the Lord sooner in their tribulation because they had learned to live Godly lives before they were tried. I think Limhi's people had not yet turned back to the Lord when their tribulations started and it took a lot of woe and suffering to bring them to the point that they realized they needed God in their lives. As an example of this, just think of how the Limhites reacted to occupation and bondage versus how the Almahites reacted... Limhi's people put up with it briefly and then demanded that Limhi take them into battle to solve their problems. The people of Helam, on the other hand, poured their souls out to God, trusted that He would take care of them, submitted themselves to be used, and felt the Lord's hand when He eased their burdens. The difference? Alma's people were relieved of their burden within the year by escaping through divine intervention.
The two best passages from this story: "And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam. Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23: 20-22).
"And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God. And [their captors] commanded them that they should stop their cries; and [they] put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death. And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." (Mosiah 24: 10-15).
Let us be prepared for trials, troubles or tribulations by already calling on the Lord, by already loving the Gospel, by already living God's commands. It's not a matter of doing the right things so God will know who we are; it's a matter of doing the right things so that we will know who God is, how to recognize Him and where to look for Him. May we be able to know God daily - in all things and in all seasons.
Don
|
Date
|
Land of Zarahemla
|
Land of Lehi/Nephi
|
City of Helam (Alma)
|
|
200 B.C.
|
Zeniff and people leave for Lehi/Nephi
|
Zeniff is made King
by his people in Lehi/Nephi.
|
|
|
~180 B.C.
|
Benjamin, son of Mosiah,
becomes king of Nephites at Zarahemla
|
|
|
|
160 B.C.
|
|
Noah, son of Zeniff,
becomes king of Lehi/Nephi. He and his
people become wicked
|
|
|
150 B.C.
|
|
Abinadi comes to the
land, prophesies against the king and his ways, flees for his life
|
|
|
148 - 147 B.C.
|
|
Abinadi again prophesies,
teaches about the coming of the Savior.
Abinadi is put to death for his efforts by Noah and his evil priests.
|
Alma believes Abinadi, and
has to flee. He writes Abinadi's words and secretly begins teaching them to
people in Lehi/Nephi.
|
|
147 B.C.
|
|
|
Alma baptizes the
believers in the Waters of Mormon
|
|
145 B.C.
|
|
King Noah hears of a new
movement in his land, discovers Alma is preaching, sends his army to destroy
Alma and his followers
|
Alma is warned by the
Lord, takes his people (about 450 souls) and journeys into the
wilderness. They create the land of
Helam.
|
|
~145 - 144 B.C.
|
|
Gideon and his supporters
battle with Noah and his priests.
Lamanites attack, Noah orders his men to flee with him. Noah is put to death by fire. Limhi, Noah's son, is made king.
|
|
|
124 B.C.
|
Mosiah, Benjamin's son,
becomes king of Nephites at Zarahemla
|
After years of battles
and subjugation, the people of Lehi/Nephi are in complete bondage to the
Lamanites
|
|
|
121 B.C.
|
People want to know about
Zeniff and his people. They continually worry King Mosiah about them. Mosiah sends Ammon and his men to find
Lehi/Nephi. Mosiah and the people of
Zarahemla welcome Limhi's people to their lands.
|
Limhi receives Ammon and
his men, make preparations to travel and miraculously escape the Lamanites.
Limhi and his people, led by Ammon, return to Zarahemla and are received
there.
|
Lamanite army who pursued
Limhi discover the surviving priests of Noah as they try to find their way
back to Lehi/Nephi. Together they find
Alma's people in Helam and subject the righteous people of Alma to bondage and
torture.
|
|
120 B.C.
|
Mosiah and his people
welcome Alma and the people who followed him to Zarahemla.
|
|
The Lord prepares Alma
and his people to flee the Lamanites.
The Lamanites pursue them but are stopped. Alma's people are welcomed by Mosiah at
Zarahemla.
|
I didn't realize that Noah was king for over 15 years before his unfortunate demise.... It didn't occur to me that it took him a lot of time to drag down his people as much as he did. It's interesting to me that the Lord gave Noah ample opportunity to change his ways...
I didn't have a good appreciation for how long Limhi was king after his father left. I imagine that Limhi's job was very difficult - to be the leader of the people during war time and war time occupation would be very difficult indeed. To have to right the foundering ship of social and religious values at the same time would be extremely difficult.
Now to talk about Alma and his people: I have the same comment for Alma and his people at Helam: They were there a lot longer than I realized... They also were under Lamanite occupation a much shorter time than the people of Limhi were. What lesson do we learn from this? I think that Alma's people were taken care of by the Lord sooner in their tribulation because they had learned to live Godly lives before they were tried. I think Limhi's people had not yet turned back to the Lord when their tribulations started and it took a lot of woe and suffering to bring them to the point that they realized they needed God in their lives. As an example of this, just think of how the Limhites reacted to occupation and bondage versus how the Almahites reacted... Limhi's people put up with it briefly and then demanded that Limhi take them into battle to solve their problems. The people of Helam, on the other hand, poured their souls out to God, trusted that He would take care of them, submitted themselves to be used, and felt the Lord's hand when He eased their burdens. The difference? Alma's people were relieved of their burden within the year by escaping through divine intervention.
The two best passages from this story: "And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam. Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23: 20-22).
"And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God. And [their captors] commanded them that they should stop their cries; and [they] put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death. And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." (Mosiah 24: 10-15).
Let us be prepared for trials, troubles or tribulations by already calling on the Lord, by already loving the Gospel, by already living God's commands. It's not a matter of doing the right things so God will know who we are; it's a matter of doing the right things so that we will know who God is, how to recognize Him and where to look for Him. May we be able to know God daily - in all things and in all seasons.
Don
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Intermission: Just a moment for a disclaimer....
A preamble to my comments in this post (probably more like pReAMBLE). I am constantly occupied with the concern that this blog should provide insights to the Book of Mormon that will uplift and enrich you, my blog readers. I want you to know that I know that the Book of Mormon is true.
Let me define what I mean when I use the word "true" in this instance: This book is truly a record of groups of people that originated in Jerusalem and were led to what we know as the American continents. The record was kept by men of God who recorded the lessons and trials that were faced by people who lived Godly lives. It also records the consequences that these ancient people faced when they rejected godliness. The events that are recorded in the book actually happened. They were preserved by the hand of God for the purpose of convincing us, the people of the latter days of earth's history, that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that He lived and died to save mankind. When I say the Book of Mormon is true, this is what I mean.
Some of the things I write about in this blog stem from questions that I have when I read the Book of Mormon. I don't wish to have my questions become stumbling blocks that hinder belief for someone who may not have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. If you don't have testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon, please, please, please read from the Book of Mormon and then pray about what you have read. I promise the same thing that the prophet Moroni promised, which is found at the end of the book: "...when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them ...remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things... And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10: 3-5). To reiterate: Read these things; Ask God in the name of Jesus if they are true; Receive a manifestation from God.
In researching answers to the questions that pop up in my head about the Book of Mormon, I start with the knowledge that what is written is true. This rules out the possibility that what was written was fiction, myth or an out and out lie. This opens many faith-promoting possibilities of answers to my questions. In my reading and pondering I feel I have been led to conclusions (albeit sometimes speculation) that are in harmony with truth. Let me say this, though: my speculations and conclusions are my views and you, the reader, are free to accept them as possibilities as well. I think that once we are past the veil, we will understand all things and any questions we may have will be answered.
Ok, I told you it was going to ramble. I will soon finish my discussion of Alma and his people. Until then, please read and pray.
Don
Let me define what I mean when I use the word "true" in this instance: This book is truly a record of groups of people that originated in Jerusalem and were led to what we know as the American continents. The record was kept by men of God who recorded the lessons and trials that were faced by people who lived Godly lives. It also records the consequences that these ancient people faced when they rejected godliness. The events that are recorded in the book actually happened. They were preserved by the hand of God for the purpose of convincing us, the people of the latter days of earth's history, that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that He lived and died to save mankind. When I say the Book of Mormon is true, this is what I mean.
Some of the things I write about in this blog stem from questions that I have when I read the Book of Mormon. I don't wish to have my questions become stumbling blocks that hinder belief for someone who may not have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. If you don't have testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon, please, please, please read from the Book of Mormon and then pray about what you have read. I promise the same thing that the prophet Moroni promised, which is found at the end of the book: "...when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them ...remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things... And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10: 3-5). To reiterate: Read these things; Ask God in the name of Jesus if they are true; Receive a manifestation from God.
In researching answers to the questions that pop up in my head about the Book of Mormon, I start with the knowledge that what is written is true. This rules out the possibility that what was written was fiction, myth or an out and out lie. This opens many faith-promoting possibilities of answers to my questions. In my reading and pondering I feel I have been led to conclusions (albeit sometimes speculation) that are in harmony with truth. Let me say this, though: my speculations and conclusions are my views and you, the reader, are free to accept them as possibilities as well. I think that once we are past the veil, we will understand all things and any questions we may have will be answered.
Ok, I told you it was going to ramble. I will soon finish my discussion of Alma and his people. Until then, please read and pray.
Don
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Alma: Serving God - Mosiah 18, 23, 24
There was one convert to Abinadi's valiant and moving testimony, and that was Alma, one of wicked king Noah's priests. The holy spirit must have testified strongly to Alma; he was so moved by Abinadi's words that Alma stood up to the king's court and plead that Abinadi should be released and allowed to depart. This angered the king, who had Alma removed from his service and then sent his servants after him to kill him. We can thank Alma for his willingness to speak up and we can be thankful that Alma managed to escape; it was Alma who wrote down Abinadi's sermon and testimony, and it was Alma who probably was able to relate the entire incident that we have in these chapters. Some of Noah's people were also indebted to Alma... He proceeded to preach the things that Abinadi spoke of: the the need for men to repent, the need for an atonement for mankind, the coming of Christ, and Christ's sacrifice on behalf of all men that all might be redeemed.
Alma's teaching resonated with some of the people and they began to meet regularly to hear the message of salvation and to worship together. They met at a place known as Mormon which was described as a secluded, wooded and unpopulated area which gave them a private place to gather together. On one occasion Alma challenged those with him: "Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life- Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?" (Mosiah 18:8-10). Alma's challenge has been echoed many times in our day at baptismal meetings and in countless missionary discussions. Look at the things he mentions in these 3 verses:
-- A desire to join with "the fold of God", who are like minded people that serve the Lord,
-- A willingness to be known as the Lord's people.
-- A desire to help others: to bear others burdens and to mourn with and comfort others. In other words, to be Christ-like in dealings with other people.
-- To "stand as a witness" of God at all times, in all places.
-- To receive baptism as a token of being willing to serve the Lord and keep His commandments.
-- Stand ready to receive His spirit.
These are things that any member of the church of Christ, then or today, should continually use as a measure of their testimony and faithfulness. We should ask ourselves: Am I willing to show that I am a faithful member of Christ's church? Am I helping those who need my help? Am I standing up to testify that God's church is on the earth today? Am I furthering righteousness by my actions? Am I keeping myself ready to receive inspiration?
Some of the wording of Alma's challenge has always puzzled me: "...what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord..." (Mosiah 18:10). It almost sounds like a question to me - what have you against... Sort of like someone saying "what have you got against me?" However, I realize that Alma wasn't asking a question... he was inviting those who desired to join the church using the colloquialism of his time. Today we might say it like this: "...If you have a testimony of the Gospel, why don't you be baptized in the name of the Lord...". It's not a question... it is gentle direction.
Alma's challenge did not go unanswered: "...when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts" (Mosiah 18:11). He baptized over 200 people in the Waters of Mormon on that occasion. It's not clear to me if this occasion was the first time his followers were baptized into his church, or if there were others before. In either case, they were a church devoted to the coming of the Savior and the precepts that had been taught by Abinadi and were now taught by Alma, and the were known as the church of God. Chapter 18 discusses the church's organization, teachings and the interactions of the people, both ordained priests and the members, in accordance with the Gospel they had received. I find it notable that Alma, who made a living in the king's cadre of priests, was very specific that the ordained priests of God's church should labor for their own support. The only pay they should expect for teaching the Gospel was the joy they received from the conversion and spiritual experiences of those they taught.
So king Noah discovered this movement and sent his spies to find out what was going on... where they met, who was participating, etc. He sent his army to destroy this movement, but Alma and his people were warned to flee, and flee they did. Alma took his people - now numbering about 450 souls - with their possessions and journeyed into the wilderness for 8 days, putting them beyond the reach of the king's armies.
In a beautiful land they called Helam, they began to put down their roots. We learn that the people tilled the ground, built buildings, were industrious and labored for their welfare. It is evident to us that they were living righteously, for they prospered in the land and multiplied there. They loved Alma, their leader and wanted to make him their king. Alma declined the honor, and taught the people an important truth. He said "Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another... Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king. But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests... ye have been oppressed by king Noah... And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds... even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you" (Mosiah 23:7-9,13). This wise counsel given by Alma to his people is applicable to us today on a couple of levels. Firstly, when we place people into a position of government, we give them power that we submit to. We must be sure that they represent goodness and will do what is right for their constituents. Nobody can determine who WE think is the right person. It requires that we do our homework on the person we wish to vote for to determine if they represent the values we hold dear. Once a person is in power, it is often difficult to unseat them. On another level, it is important that we not allow improper habits, passions or desires in a position of power over us. Removing bad habits or immoral tendencies can be as costly as removing a wicked king from power. Leaving such habits or passions in their prominent position in our lives can be even more costly. We must choose wisely who and what rules over us.
Alma also warned his people in choosing their teachers and ministers: "And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments" (Mosiah 23:14). Another way of saying this: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" (Matthew 7:16, also see v.20 and 3 Nephi 14:16, 20). I urge each of us to 1) live so that we can be judged worthy of ministering to others; 2) use the Holy Ghost in wisely choosing by whom we will be taught. Heavenly Father wants to guide us. He has given us the ability to receive His guidance and has also given us the ability to make our own choices. Seems like these match up well together, don't you think?
In my next post we will continue with Alma and his people.
Don
Alma's teaching resonated with some of the people and they began to meet regularly to hear the message of salvation and to worship together. They met at a place known as Mormon which was described as a secluded, wooded and unpopulated area which gave them a private place to gather together. On one occasion Alma challenged those with him: "Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life- Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?" (Mosiah 18:8-10). Alma's challenge has been echoed many times in our day at baptismal meetings and in countless missionary discussions. Look at the things he mentions in these 3 verses:
-- A desire to join with "the fold of God", who are like minded people that serve the Lord,
-- A willingness to be known as the Lord's people.
-- A desire to help others: to bear others burdens and to mourn with and comfort others. In other words, to be Christ-like in dealings with other people.
-- To "stand as a witness" of God at all times, in all places.
-- To receive baptism as a token of being willing to serve the Lord and keep His commandments.
-- Stand ready to receive His spirit.
These are things that any member of the church of Christ, then or today, should continually use as a measure of their testimony and faithfulness. We should ask ourselves: Am I willing to show that I am a faithful member of Christ's church? Am I helping those who need my help? Am I standing up to testify that God's church is on the earth today? Am I furthering righteousness by my actions? Am I keeping myself ready to receive inspiration?
Some of the wording of Alma's challenge has always puzzled me: "...what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord..." (Mosiah 18:10). It almost sounds like a question to me - what have you against... Sort of like someone saying "what have you got against me?" However, I realize that Alma wasn't asking a question... he was inviting those who desired to join the church using the colloquialism of his time. Today we might say it like this: "...If you have a testimony of the Gospel, why don't you be baptized in the name of the Lord...". It's not a question... it is gentle direction.
Alma's challenge did not go unanswered: "...when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts" (Mosiah 18:11). He baptized over 200 people in the Waters of Mormon on that occasion. It's not clear to me if this occasion was the first time his followers were baptized into his church, or if there were others before. In either case, they were a church devoted to the coming of the Savior and the precepts that had been taught by Abinadi and were now taught by Alma, and the were known as the church of God. Chapter 18 discusses the church's organization, teachings and the interactions of the people, both ordained priests and the members, in accordance with the Gospel they had received. I find it notable that Alma, who made a living in the king's cadre of priests, was very specific that the ordained priests of God's church should labor for their own support. The only pay they should expect for teaching the Gospel was the joy they received from the conversion and spiritual experiences of those they taught.
So king Noah discovered this movement and sent his spies to find out what was going on... where they met, who was participating, etc. He sent his army to destroy this movement, but Alma and his people were warned to flee, and flee they did. Alma took his people - now numbering about 450 souls - with their possessions and journeyed into the wilderness for 8 days, putting them beyond the reach of the king's armies.
In a beautiful land they called Helam, they began to put down their roots. We learn that the people tilled the ground, built buildings, were industrious and labored for their welfare. It is evident to us that they were living righteously, for they prospered in the land and multiplied there. They loved Alma, their leader and wanted to make him their king. Alma declined the honor, and taught the people an important truth. He said "Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another... Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king. But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests... ye have been oppressed by king Noah... And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds... even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you" (Mosiah 23:7-9,13). This wise counsel given by Alma to his people is applicable to us today on a couple of levels. Firstly, when we place people into a position of government, we give them power that we submit to. We must be sure that they represent goodness and will do what is right for their constituents. Nobody can determine who WE think is the right person. It requires that we do our homework on the person we wish to vote for to determine if they represent the values we hold dear. Once a person is in power, it is often difficult to unseat them. On another level, it is important that we not allow improper habits, passions or desires in a position of power over us. Removing bad habits or immoral tendencies can be as costly as removing a wicked king from power. Leaving such habits or passions in their prominent position in our lives can be even more costly. We must choose wisely who and what rules over us.
Alma also warned his people in choosing their teachers and ministers: "And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments" (Mosiah 23:14). Another way of saying this: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" (Matthew 7:16, also see v.20 and 3 Nephi 14:16, 20). I urge each of us to 1) live so that we can be judged worthy of ministering to others; 2) use the Holy Ghost in wisely choosing by whom we will be taught. Heavenly Father wants to guide us. He has given us the ability to receive His guidance and has also given us the ability to make our own choices. Seems like these match up well together, don't you think?
In my next post we will continue with Alma and his people.
Don
Saturday, August 6, 2011
...Comes Around Mosiah 19-22, Part 2.
Previously we saw how the people of king Noah had slid off the path of righteousness, how Noah's perversions were repaid to him, and how his son Limhi became the king. We saw that the people began to be smitten for their collective sins and for actively (or even passively) participating in the martyrdom of a prophet. Limhi's people battled the Lamanites who unfairly and incorrectly accused them of stealing away some of their daughters, but through an act of wisdom and kindness, spared the Lamanite king, who helped Limhi's people avoid being exterminated.
Once this debacle was behind them, though, they were still in subjugation to the Lamanites, who took every opportunity to harass the Nephites. I can see this happening - I would think that, although the Lamanite king was convinced that Limhi's people had nothing to do with the stealing of Lamanite girls, the Lamanites would still hold a grudge against the Nephites. Think of the sentiment against all Muslims in this country after 9/11. Think of the sentiment against the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. I don't think the Lamanites, being human beings, would have been any different. At any rate, the Lamanites were "stirred up in anger against the Nephites and they began to come into the borders of the land round about" (Mosiah 21:2). According to their king's command, they couldn't kill the Nephites, but they "...would smite them on their cheeks...exercise authority over them, and...put heavy burdens on their backs and drive them as they would a dumb ass..." Mosiah 21:3).
Why did God allow this to happen? These are words that have been spoken by people throughout the ages, by people of faith and by people who have little or no spiritual beliefs at all. I'm sure Limhi's people asked this question at this time as well. In their case, some already knew the answer. Mormon, in his abridgment of these records, declares: "Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled... " (Mosiah 21:4). Limhi, himself, spoke of the iniquities of his people under Noah's rule: "Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity. For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves. And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations..." (Mosiah 7: 24-26).
It is interesting to think about the time line that is involved: Noah's reign was about 15 years (160 B.C. to 145 B.C.). Abinadi appears after 10 years (150 B.C.), and he was killed 2 years later (148 B.C.). 3 years later Noah flees from his own people and from the Lamanites and is killed (145 B.C.). Limhi rules for 24 years (from 145 B.C. to 121 B.C.) and during that time his people are in bondage to the Lamanites and suffer humiliation, brutality and loss of life at the hands of their oppressors. Note how much quicker they fell from God's good graces than for them to return to His favor. Mormon comments about this: "And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities..." (Mosiah 21:15). This is a good lesson for us, one that I think we may already know: It is easier (and better) to refrain from sin than it is to repent from sin. I have seen this during my lifetime, as I have observed my actions and from observing others. This is a truth that we need to keep in our minds and hearts on a daily basis.
A question pops up in my mind: Does this make the Lord vindictive, vengeful and uncaring? Certainly some of the people didn't agree with Noah, or his ways, and probably did not participate in his debauchery. Was it fair to them? Why did the Lord ignore their suffering? For that matter, why did the Lord make the people in general suffer for so much longer than they (as a society) were astray?
First of all, I don't believe the Lord turns away from His children... It pains Him when they commit sin. It pains Him when they suffer consequences that sinful actions bring on. I believe the Lord truly sees all and knows what goes on. I have to believe that Limhi's people were not ready to put their sins behind them until so much time had passed, and the Lord sent Ammon and his men to find them. Limhi's people needed to "humble themselves even in the depths of humility and ...cry mightily to God, yea, even all the day long...unto their God..." (Mosiah 21:14).
We should remember that God is not a vending machine where, when we need blessings, we drop in a couple of prayers and out pops the blessing we asked for. God is a real, living being who knows our needs and our actions. He is full of mercy but is bound by justice. He wants what is best for us but has to look on when bad choices are made. He is bound by freedom of choice; I said "bound by" but I should have said that He is a strong, strong proponent of freedom of choice because of the love He has for us. Before Limhi's people could be accepted into the righteous Zarahemla society, they had to want to live as righteous beings. To not wait until this refinement took place would have been to invite serious difficulties for Limhi's people as well as for the rest of the Nephites in Zarahemla.
Committing a sin takes us away from the Lord faster and easier than the return trip will take. The return trip will be more costly to us as well. Wisdom would dictate that we avoide the outward journey in the first place. Oh, that we were always wise...
So the Lord DID send Ammon, and with his arrival, Limhi and his people found new hope; Ammon's arrival was the catalyst to the people's escape from Lamanite rule. A couple of interesting things to mention:
"...it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage...they could find no way to deliver themselves...except it were to take their women...children...flocks...herds...tents, and depart into the wilderness" (Mosiah 22:1-2). After 24 years they put their heads together and decide that they could leave? I am reminded of the movie "The Wizard of Oz"; Dorothy wanted to go home, and Glenda, the good witch, told Dorothy that she already knew how to; she knew it all along... This comes back to what I said earlier... Limhi and his people were not yet ready and the Lord knew they weren't until they had become humbled, repentant. Until they were ready.
The people, acting as one body, hastily prepared themselves to flee and then somehow were able to escape from under the (drunken) Lamanite guards noses. They were a united body of people, united in a purpose, united in desire and (most importantly) united in faith. An ember, removed from the fire, dies out quickly, but when united with the other embers, remains hot and glowing. We are better when we are united in righteousness with our family, our friends and our society.
So Limhi's people escaped. Although the Lamanites pursued them, they were successful in evading the Lamanite armies until they had made it to the land of Zarahemla (good thing Ammon's party kept good notes on the journey to Lehi-Nephi).
I think there are good lessons to take to our hearts in this story. We have the right to make choices for ourselves. With that right comes the responsibility for our choices. No matter how much we may sometimes wish otherwise, we are solely responsible for any bad choices we make and the consequences that follow. The Lord wants what is best for us. He doesn't abandon us when we turn from Him. He allows us to return to Him through any difficulties our choices have brought, and He loves us when we strive to make our lives right. I know this is true.
Don
Once this debacle was behind them, though, they were still in subjugation to the Lamanites, who took every opportunity to harass the Nephites. I can see this happening - I would think that, although the Lamanite king was convinced that Limhi's people had nothing to do with the stealing of Lamanite girls, the Lamanites would still hold a grudge against the Nephites. Think of the sentiment against all Muslims in this country after 9/11. Think of the sentiment against the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. I don't think the Lamanites, being human beings, would have been any different. At any rate, the Lamanites were "stirred up in anger against the Nephites and they began to come into the borders of the land round about" (Mosiah 21:2). According to their king's command, they couldn't kill the Nephites, but they "...would smite them on their cheeks...exercise authority over them, and...put heavy burdens on their backs and drive them as they would a dumb ass..." Mosiah 21:3).
Why did God allow this to happen? These are words that have been spoken by people throughout the ages, by people of faith and by people who have little or no spiritual beliefs at all. I'm sure Limhi's people asked this question at this time as well. In their case, some already knew the answer. Mormon, in his abridgment of these records, declares: "Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled... " (Mosiah 21:4). Limhi, himself, spoke of the iniquities of his people under Noah's rule: "Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity. For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves. And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations..." (Mosiah 7: 24-26).
It is interesting to think about the time line that is involved: Noah's reign was about 15 years (160 B.C. to 145 B.C.). Abinadi appears after 10 years (150 B.C.), and he was killed 2 years later (148 B.C.). 3 years later Noah flees from his own people and from the Lamanites and is killed (145 B.C.). Limhi rules for 24 years (from 145 B.C. to 121 B.C.) and during that time his people are in bondage to the Lamanites and suffer humiliation, brutality and loss of life at the hands of their oppressors. Note how much quicker they fell from God's good graces than for them to return to His favor. Mormon comments about this: "And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities..." (Mosiah 21:15). This is a good lesson for us, one that I think we may already know: It is easier (and better) to refrain from sin than it is to repent from sin. I have seen this during my lifetime, as I have observed my actions and from observing others. This is a truth that we need to keep in our minds and hearts on a daily basis.
A question pops up in my mind: Does this make the Lord vindictive, vengeful and uncaring? Certainly some of the people didn't agree with Noah, or his ways, and probably did not participate in his debauchery. Was it fair to them? Why did the Lord ignore their suffering? For that matter, why did the Lord make the people in general suffer for so much longer than they (as a society) were astray?
First of all, I don't believe the Lord turns away from His children... It pains Him when they commit sin. It pains Him when they suffer consequences that sinful actions bring on. I believe the Lord truly sees all and knows what goes on. I have to believe that Limhi's people were not ready to put their sins behind them until so much time had passed, and the Lord sent Ammon and his men to find them. Limhi's people needed to "humble themselves even in the depths of humility and ...cry mightily to God, yea, even all the day long...unto their God..." (Mosiah 21:14).
We should remember that God is not a vending machine where, when we need blessings, we drop in a couple of prayers and out pops the blessing we asked for. God is a real, living being who knows our needs and our actions. He is full of mercy but is bound by justice. He wants what is best for us but has to look on when bad choices are made. He is bound by freedom of choice; I said "bound by" but I should have said that He is a strong, strong proponent of freedom of choice because of the love He has for us. Before Limhi's people could be accepted into the righteous Zarahemla society, they had to want to live as righteous beings. To not wait until this refinement took place would have been to invite serious difficulties for Limhi's people as well as for the rest of the Nephites in Zarahemla.
Committing a sin takes us away from the Lord faster and easier than the return trip will take. The return trip will be more costly to us as well. Wisdom would dictate that we avoide the outward journey in the first place. Oh, that we were always wise...
So the Lord DID send Ammon, and with his arrival, Limhi and his people found new hope; Ammon's arrival was the catalyst to the people's escape from Lamanite rule. A couple of interesting things to mention:
"...it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage...they could find no way to deliver themselves...except it were to take their women...children...flocks...herds...tents, and depart into the wilderness" (Mosiah 22:1-2). After 24 years they put their heads together and decide that they could leave? I am reminded of the movie "The Wizard of Oz"; Dorothy wanted to go home, and Glenda, the good witch, told Dorothy that she already knew how to; she knew it all along... This comes back to what I said earlier... Limhi and his people were not yet ready and the Lord knew they weren't until they had become humbled, repentant. Until they were ready.
The people, acting as one body, hastily prepared themselves to flee and then somehow were able to escape from under the (drunken) Lamanite guards noses. They were a united body of people, united in a purpose, united in desire and (most importantly) united in faith. An ember, removed from the fire, dies out quickly, but when united with the other embers, remains hot and glowing. We are better when we are united in righteousness with our family, our friends and our society.
So Limhi's people escaped. Although the Lamanites pursued them, they were successful in evading the Lamanite armies until they had made it to the land of Zarahemla (good thing Ammon's party kept good notes on the journey to Lehi-Nephi).
I think there are good lessons to take to our hearts in this story. We have the right to make choices for ourselves. With that right comes the responsibility for our choices. No matter how much we may sometimes wish otherwise, we are solely responsible for any bad choices we make and the consequences that follow. The Lord wants what is best for us. He doesn't abandon us when we turn from Him. He allows us to return to Him through any difficulties our choices have brought, and He loves us when we strive to make our lives right. I know this is true.
Don
Monday, August 1, 2011
What goes around... Mosiah 19 - 22
I have skipped over a couple chapters - 17 and 18 of Mosiah; I will circle back and talk about those soon.
I'm going to try to cover 4 chapters by relating basic events. Here are the hi-lights.
King Noah has lived the high life. He has been king for about 15 years and his debauchery has spread through a lot of his society - although not all. There are some of his people who dislike Noah's effect on them, so much so that in chapter 19 we read that there is contention in their kingdom. One man who disapproves of Noah is Gideonl; he vowed to remove Noah from office. When Gideon fights Noah and begins to prevail, Noah is saved by the sudden appearance of a Lamanite army. Using this turn of events to his advantage, Noah cries "Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us...yeah, they will destroy my people" (Mosiah 19:8). Of course, Noah was only concerned for his own skin: "...the king was not so much concerned about his people as his own life..." (Mosiah 19:8). (I have to laugh about Mormon's commentary sometimes; I think he was my kind of guy). Noah then orders his people to flee and when that isn't good enough he orders the men to leave their families and flee with him. Many of the men refused, but many went with him and left their families behind.
I can't help but wonder why a man would leave his wife and children behind to possible annihilation. Why would a good man do that? In asking this question, I guess I'm showing my intolerance - or at least some might say that. I don't have a good experience base to really know how I would act in that circumstance; however, my gut tells me that I couldn't abandon my family so that I might save my skin.
Noah got his just reward (considering what he has done to his people and what he caused to happen with Abinadi). The men who left with him decided to return to face the same fate as those left behind. Noah ordered them to stay and they turned on him and put him to death by fire... just as Abinadi predicted. When Noah's priests tried to intervene, the men went after them as well, but they escaped. The men returned to find that, happily, their families had been spared.
Noah's son, Limhi, is declared king, and Limhi is a better man than his father. Limhi sought to bring the kingdom back to more stolid ways. It is a tribute to Limhi's governance that the people were able to enjoy some peace after the stormy period they had just gone through. It is a tribute to the love of the Lord that peace could come to this people after such a difficult experience. We learn that the Lord's peace is upon all of His children who seek to be in harmony with His ways.
The peace didn't last for the Nephites; Noah's priests stirred up trouble for Limhi and the kingdom when they kidnapped a group of Lamanite daughters. Why? Probably because they wanted them, probably because they could, and probably because they had no respect for the likely outcome. The Lamanite king blamed Limhi's people and came in his wrath to punish Limhi and his people. Because Limhi was diligent in keeping watches, the Nephites had enough warning to prepare for battle. The Nephites prevailed because "...they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight" (Mosiah 20:11). What cause do we fight for? For that matter, what cause do we live each day for? If our priorities are set properly, there is no question that we would prevail in our daily struggles because we would be expending our daily exertions in the right cause.
After driving the Lamanites out, Limhi's people find the injured Lamanite king among the Lamanite dead. Limhi has them treat his wounds and then questions him; he finds that the Lamanites broke the treaty because their daughters had been carried away, and everyone blamed Limhi's people. Talk about jumping to conclusions! This is a good lesson for us; Often we make decisions - sometimes life-altering ones - based upon our own impressions, knowledge or experience. We need to seek the Lord's guidance when we make choices, especially when they are critical. We might know a lot - the Lord knows all. We might understand much - the Lord understands all. We might see many things - the Lord sees all. Sometimes the choice the Lord would have us make is not what we would have chosen; "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). We have to trust that the Lord's guidance will lead us to the right decision, and that the outcome from trusting the Lord's guidance is ultimately for our good.
This is interesting: Limhi and his people convinced the Lamanite king that Noah's priests were the perpetrators of the heinous daughter-snatching act. The king convinces Limhi and his people to lay down their weapons of war and accompany him to the front of the Lamanite army. Both things, miraculous by themselves, lead to the amazing halt of bloodshed - just when the Lamanites were about to overwhelm the Nephites in battle. These events all stemmed from an act of compassion and kindness and built upon a need to understand. Limhi spared the Lamanite king, even though his people wanted to finish him off. He had to know what had happened; he wanted to know what provoked the Lamanite king to break his vow. I think he also felt it wrong to slay the injured king. Mankind has advanced, technologically and spiritually, because people had to know why. People who wanted to understand things have led us to better standards of living. People who had a thirst for knowledge of the physical and spiritual world have paved the way for us. We strive to know more and thus follow in their footsteps. In turn, we prepare the way for those who come after in the same manner. There is a quote by an author whose name I don't know: "We stand on the shoulders of those who came before; We provide the shoulders for those who follow us". In knowledge - of the world and of spiritual things - we truly owe a lot to those who came before and we repay that debt to our successors.
Limhi and his people were spared destruction by the Lamanite army. Their king persuaded them to stop the bloodshed; the Lamanite army had compassion when they saw that the Nephites had come to them unarmed. Interestingly enough, this is the second time in these couple of chapters that the Lamanite army showed compassion on the Nephites. I believe that the Lord's work is being done when compassion is demonstrated by someone in a position to make a difference. Think about it... Compassion is becoming a rare quality in these times.
More about Limhi's people in my next post.
Don
I'm going to try to cover 4 chapters by relating basic events. Here are the hi-lights.
King Noah has lived the high life. He has been king for about 15 years and his debauchery has spread through a lot of his society - although not all. There are some of his people who dislike Noah's effect on them, so much so that in chapter 19 we read that there is contention in their kingdom. One man who disapproves of Noah is Gideonl; he vowed to remove Noah from office. When Gideon fights Noah and begins to prevail, Noah is saved by the sudden appearance of a Lamanite army. Using this turn of events to his advantage, Noah cries "Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us...yeah, they will destroy my people" (Mosiah 19:8). Of course, Noah was only concerned for his own skin: "...the king was not so much concerned about his people as his own life..." (Mosiah 19:8). (I have to laugh about Mormon's commentary sometimes; I think he was my kind of guy). Noah then orders his people to flee and when that isn't good enough he orders the men to leave their families and flee with him. Many of the men refused, but many went with him and left their families behind.
I can't help but wonder why a man would leave his wife and children behind to possible annihilation. Why would a good man do that? In asking this question, I guess I'm showing my intolerance - or at least some might say that. I don't have a good experience base to really know how I would act in that circumstance; however, my gut tells me that I couldn't abandon my family so that I might save my skin.
Noah got his just reward (considering what he has done to his people and what he caused to happen with Abinadi). The men who left with him decided to return to face the same fate as those left behind. Noah ordered them to stay and they turned on him and put him to death by fire... just as Abinadi predicted. When Noah's priests tried to intervene, the men went after them as well, but they escaped. The men returned to find that, happily, their families had been spared.
Noah's son, Limhi, is declared king, and Limhi is a better man than his father. Limhi sought to bring the kingdom back to more stolid ways. It is a tribute to Limhi's governance that the people were able to enjoy some peace after the stormy period they had just gone through. It is a tribute to the love of the Lord that peace could come to this people after such a difficult experience. We learn that the Lord's peace is upon all of His children who seek to be in harmony with His ways.
The peace didn't last for the Nephites; Noah's priests stirred up trouble for Limhi and the kingdom when they kidnapped a group of Lamanite daughters. Why? Probably because they wanted them, probably because they could, and probably because they had no respect for the likely outcome. The Lamanite king blamed Limhi's people and came in his wrath to punish Limhi and his people. Because Limhi was diligent in keeping watches, the Nephites had enough warning to prepare for battle. The Nephites prevailed because "...they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight" (Mosiah 20:11). What cause do we fight for? For that matter, what cause do we live each day for? If our priorities are set properly, there is no question that we would prevail in our daily struggles because we would be expending our daily exertions in the right cause.
After driving the Lamanites out, Limhi's people find the injured Lamanite king among the Lamanite dead. Limhi has them treat his wounds and then questions him; he finds that the Lamanites broke the treaty because their daughters had been carried away, and everyone blamed Limhi's people. Talk about jumping to conclusions! This is a good lesson for us; Often we make decisions - sometimes life-altering ones - based upon our own impressions, knowledge or experience. We need to seek the Lord's guidance when we make choices, especially when they are critical. We might know a lot - the Lord knows all. We might understand much - the Lord understands all. We might see many things - the Lord sees all. Sometimes the choice the Lord would have us make is not what we would have chosen; "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). We have to trust that the Lord's guidance will lead us to the right decision, and that the outcome from trusting the Lord's guidance is ultimately for our good.
This is interesting: Limhi and his people convinced the Lamanite king that Noah's priests were the perpetrators of the heinous daughter-snatching act. The king convinces Limhi and his people to lay down their weapons of war and accompany him to the front of the Lamanite army. Both things, miraculous by themselves, lead to the amazing halt of bloodshed - just when the Lamanites were about to overwhelm the Nephites in battle. These events all stemmed from an act of compassion and kindness and built upon a need to understand. Limhi spared the Lamanite king, even though his people wanted to finish him off. He had to know what had happened; he wanted to know what provoked the Lamanite king to break his vow. I think he also felt it wrong to slay the injured king. Mankind has advanced, technologically and spiritually, because people had to know why. People who wanted to understand things have led us to better standards of living. People who had a thirst for knowledge of the physical and spiritual world have paved the way for us. We strive to know more and thus follow in their footsteps. In turn, we prepare the way for those who come after in the same manner. There is a quote by an author whose name I don't know: "We stand on the shoulders of those who came before; We provide the shoulders for those who follow us". In knowledge - of the world and of spiritual things - we truly owe a lot to those who came before and we repay that debt to our successors.
Limhi and his people were spared destruction by the Lamanite army. Their king persuaded them to stop the bloodshed; the Lamanite army had compassion when they saw that the Nephites had come to them unarmed. Interestingly enough, this is the second time in these couple of chapters that the Lamanite army showed compassion on the Nephites. I believe that the Lord's work is being done when compassion is demonstrated by someone in a position to make a difference. Think about it... Compassion is becoming a rare quality in these times.
More about Limhi's people in my next post.
Don
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