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
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