Thought:
Joseph Fielding Smith- “I started to read the Book of Mormon
before I was old enough to be a deacon, and I have been reading it ever since,
and I know that it is true. … It seems to me that any member of this Church
would never be satisfied until he or she had read the Book of Mormon time and
time again, and thoroughly considered it so that he or she could bear witness
that it is in very deed a record with the inspiration of the Almighty upon it,
and that its history is true. … “These records [the Book of Mormon,
Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price] are
priceless. … Through their teachings we are permitted to come nearer unto God,
get a better understanding of our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ,
become closer acquainted with them and to know more in regard to the wonderful
plan of salvation which they have given unto us and unto the world if it will
receive the plan that will exalt us in the kingdom of God to become his sons and
his daughters, receiving the fulness of that kingdom. …“I want to bear
testimony to you … that I know that the Book of Mormon is true; that Joseph
Smith received it from the hand of God through an angel that was sent to reveal
it, the same angel who, while living in this world, finished the record and
sealed it up to come forth in this Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.” (Improvement Era, Dec. 1961, pp. 925–26
Books
of the Week: The Book of Mormon -It Begins with a Family- Various authors from Ensign articles 1976-78.
Alma, The
Testimony of the Word-Various articles compiled
by BYU Religious Studies Center.|
Jacob 1:19
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One of the most scary verses in all of scripture.
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Jacob 2:18-19
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A great lesson on priorities.
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Jacob 3:1
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To those who are pure in heart living in a world of impurity.
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Jacob 4:10
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Another reminder that we should pray to get direction, not to
give it.
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Jacob 5:75
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I believe this verse is written to us. A thank you card written
thousands of years ago.
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Jacob 6:12
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The verse my son chose to use when he left on his mission. A
nice little message.
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Jacob 7:11
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What good is a prophet who doesn't testify of Christ?
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Enos 1
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My goal is to have my offspring be able to quote this verse in
reference to their father.
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Jarom 4
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If I am not stiffnecked I am entitle to communion with the Holy
Spirit.
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Omni 26
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A great invitation to come unto Christ
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Wds. of Mormon
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I want the Lord to work in me to do according to His will.
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Alma
39 - Chapters in the 1830 edition were longer, in part because the
Book of Mormon was printed in narrative rather than verse form—what we would
expect from a historical record. The text was first arranged into its present
verses in the 1879 edition to facilitate the location of particular passages.
Modern readers may be interested to see how the sections of the Book of Mormon
were divided in the 1830 edition, which are divided along broad conceptual
lines. For example, all of Jacob’s speech in Jacob 2–3 and all of Alma’s
blessing to his son Corianton in Alma 39–42 were single chapters. (Charting the Book of Mormon) 1 Nephi
8/22; 2 Nephi 15/33; Jacob 5/7; Mosiah 13/29; Alma 30/63; Helaman 5/16; 3 Nephi
14/30; Mormon 4/9; Ether 6/15; Moroni 10/10.
Contributing factors to Corianton's sin
1. Feelings
of self-sufficiency - "I can handle it" (39:2) My friend older than
I.
2. Forsook
ministry - Wrong places at right times. (39:3) One of the best reasons to be on
a mission.
3. Bad
associations (39:3-4) Issur Yahud
4.
Misunderstanding of Heavenly Father's plan and a weak testimony (Alma 40-42)
Three
Biggest Sins-
1. Deny the
Holy Ghost - Unpardonable- A sin that is unpardonable cannot be paid for either
by the atoning blood of Christ or by the personal suffering of the sinner.
(Alma 39:6; Matt. 12:31-32; D&C 76:31-35, 45-48; TPJS p. 357-8; Jacob 7:19;
Teaching of Spencer W. Kimball p. 23; History of the Church v. 6:314.)
2. Murder -
The deliberate and unjustified taking of human life. Unforgiveable
3.
Fornication and Adultery- See, For the Strength of Youth booklet also "The
Three Most Abominable Sins" by H. Dean Garrett in "Alma, the
Testimony of the Word".
Within the LDS Church, chastity
means more than abstinence from sex. It means to be morally clean in
"thoughts, words, and actions." It also means sexual relations are
only permitted between a husband and wife. The church teaches its members that
"no one, male or female, is to have sexual relations before marriage.
After marriage, sexual relations are permitted only with our spouse. Mormons
believe that sexuality between man and woman lawfully married is divinely
appointed and has two purposes: to "multiply, and replenish the
Earth" (Genesis
1:28) as commanded by God to Adam
and Eve, and to strengthen the bond between man and woman that they might
"become one flesh" (Mark
10:8). A church handbook for leaders states that married couples
should be made aware "that sexual relations within marriage are divinely
approved not only for the purpose of procreation, but also as a way of
expressing love and strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband
and wife." The church has made its views clear in many publications and in
recent news releases that "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained
of God". While opposing homosexual behavior, the Church reaches out with
understanding and respect to individuals who are attracted to those of the same
gender. Sexual relations are proper only between a man and a woman who are
legally and lawfully wedded as husband and wife. Any other sexual relations,
including those between persons of the same gender, are sinful and undermine
the divinely created institution of the family. The Church accordingly affirms
defining marriage as the legal and lawful union between a man and a woman.
(Wikipedia)
Vs. 9 - The no porn plea - How do we teach our children? Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul - Holland
April 2010 General Conference. See LDS . org combating Pornography.
Vs. 11- Everyone is an example.
Vs. 13 - A significant step in Repentance
Vs. 15-19 - The Atonement worked before it happened except the
Resurrection.
Chapter 40
Alma could see that his sons misconduct was due in part to a lack
of testimony and a misunderstanding of some basic doctrines. Note verse 1 in
chapters 40 (resurrection) , 41(Injustice in the world), and 42 (the punishment
of the wicked.
Vs. 2 - Nobody gets resurrected until the 1st fruits.
Vs. 3 - We don't know everything. Don't lose faith in the things we already know because of the things we
do not yet know.
Vs. 11-15 - Alma is taught about the Spirit World by a citizen!
President
Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained that Alma did not necessarily mean
that we are brought
back into
God’s presence: “These words of Alma[40:11] as I understand them, do not intend
to convey the thought that all spirits go back into the presence of God for an
assignment to a place of peace or a place of punishment and before him receive
their individual sentence. ‘Taken home to God’ [compare Ecclesiastes 12:7]
simply means that their mortal existence
has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits, where they
are assigned to a place according to their works with the just or with the unjust,
there to await the resurrection. ‘Back to God’ is a phrase which finds an
equivalent in many other well known conditions. For instance: a man spends a
stated time in
some foreign
mission field. When he is released and returns to the United States, he may
say, ‘It is wonderful to be back home’; yet his home may be somewhere in Utah
or Idaho or some other part of the West” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp.
Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:85).
President
George Q. Cannon (1827–1901) of the First Presidency explained that Alma “does
not intend to convey the idea that they are immediately ushered into the
personal presence of God. He evidently uses that phrase in a qualified sense” (Gospel
Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, sel. Jerreld
L. Newquist [1987], 58).
Vs. 16 - See
Mosiah 15:22
VS. 23 - My
green verse in this chapter. Great to read when your body is hurting.
Vs. 26 - The
cup in ancient scripture was sometimes symbolic of experiences of
suffering...Dregs are sediment, the bits of matter that settle to the bottom of
a container of liquid, they are the worthless, least desirable part. (Ogden)
Chapter
41 -
The message
of this chapter is "The Law of the Harvest" It is a great chapter to
those who are concerned about the injustice in the world. Read vs. 3, 8, 10,
13, 14, 15.
Chapter
42
- The Justice and Mercy Chapter
Vs. 1 - What
do we try to suppose?
Justice and
Mercy Scripture Chain
1. D&C
130:20-21 - God Makes Laws 2. Alma
42:13 - If God doesn't obey laws - He quits being God.
3. Moroni
8:12; Alma 7:20 - God is impartial & consistent. He can't play
favorites. 4. Alma 41:2-3 - We are
restored to what we are. 5. 2 Nephi
9:6-9 - If we were subject to Justice alone, we would all be damned. 6. Alma 42:15 - God inserts Mercy with its
ability to "overpower" Justice.
7. Alma 34:15-16; Alma 42:24-25 - Justice demands that only the truly
penitent and those who accept Christ's sacrifice for them are saved. 8. Alma 60:13 - Death of righteous does not
ruin God's plan. 9. Alma 12:15 - Nobody
gets rilpped off!
“Let me tell you a story—a parable. “There
once was a man who wanted something very much. It seemed more important than
anything else in his life. In order for him to have his desire, he incurred a
great debt. “He had been warned about going into that much debt,
and particularly about his creditor. But it seemed so important for him to do
what he wanted to do and to have what he wanted right now. He was sure he could
pay for it later. “So he signed a contract. He would pay it off
some time along the way. He didn’t worry too much about it, for the due date
seemed such a long time away. He had what he wanted now, and that was what
seemed important. “The creditor was always somewhere in the back
of his mind, and he made token payments now and again, thinking somehow that
the day of reckoning really would never come. “But as it always
does, the day came, and the contract fell due. The debt had not been fully
paid. His creditor appeared and demanded payment in full. “Only
then did he realize that his creditor not only had the power to repossess all
that he owned, but the power to cast him into prison as well. “
‘I cannot pay you, for I have not the power to do so,’ he confessed. “ ‘Then,’ said the creditor, ‘we will exercise the contract, take
your possessions, and you shall go to prison. You agreed to that. It was your
choice. You signed the contract, and now it must be enforced.’ “
‘Can you not extend the time or forgive the debt?’ the debtor begged. ‘Arrange
some way for me to keep what I have and not go to prison. Surely you believe in
mercy? Will you not show mercy?’ “The creditor replied, ‘Mercy
is always so one-sided. It would serve only you. If I show mercy to you, it
will leave me unpaid. It is justice I demand. Do you believe in justice?’ “ ‘I believed in justice when I signed the contract,’ the debtor
said. ‘It was on my side then, for I thought it would protect me. I did not
need mercy then, nor think I should need it ever. Justice, I thought, would
serve both of us equally as well.’ “ ‘It is justice that demands
that you pay the contract or suffer the penalty,’ the creditor replied. ‘That
is the law. You have agreed to it and that is the way it must be. Mercy cannot
rob justice.’ “There they were: One meting out justice, the
other pleading for mercy. Neither could prevail except at the expense of the
other. “ ‘If you do not forgive the debt there will be no
mercy,’ the debtor pleaded. “ ‘If I do, there will be no
justice,’ was the reply. “Both laws, it seemed, could not be
served. They are two eternal ideals that appear to contradict one another. Is
there no way for justice to be fully served, and mercy also? “There
is a way! The law of justice can be fully satisfied and mercy can
be fully extended—but it takes someone else. And so it happened this time. “The debtor had a friend. He came to help. He knew the debtor well.
He knew him to be shortsighted. He thought him foolish to have gotten himself
into such a predicament. Nevertheless, he anted to help because he loved him.
He stepped between them, faced the creditor, and made this offer. “
‘I will pay the debt if you will free the debtor from his contract so that he
may keep his possessions and not go to prison.’ “As the creditor
was pondering the offer, the mediator added, ‘You demanded justice. Though he
cannot pay you, I will do so. You will have been justly dealt with and can ask
no more. It would not be just.’ “And so the creditor agreed. “The mediator turned then to the debtor. ‘If I pay your debt, will
you accept me as your creditor?’ “ ‘Oh yes, yes,’ cried the
debtor. ‘You save me from prison and show mercy to me.’ “
‘Then,’ said the benefactor, ‘you will pay the debt to me and I will set the
terms. It will not be easy, but it will be possible. I will provide a way. You
need not go to prison.’ “And so it was that the creditor was
paid in full. He had been justly dealt with. No contract had been broken. “The debtor, in turn, had been extended mercy. Both laws stood
fulfilled. Because there was a mediator, justice had claimed its full share,
and mercy was fully satisfied” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1977, pp. 79–80; or Ensign,
May 1977, pp. 54–55).
In short, our key to understanding those last
twenty-one chapters of Alma lies in Mormon’s assessment of Moroni, man and
military leader. That assessment is a valuable one for all of us, who, like
Mormon, look for models to guide our lives through the conflicts of the present
world.
74 B.C. to 60 B.C. The time divides itself into three periods: a sudden,
savage outbreak of war and rebellion that lasted two years, a five-year respite
of peace and preparation marred only by a single internal difficulty, then
seven exhausting years of siege, insurrection, battle.
We first meet Moroni in the crisis of the Lamanite
attack under Zerahemnah. In a pattern Mormon notices throughout Nephite
history, the warfare was instigated not by the Lamanites themselves but by
dissenting Nephites.
“And they rehearsed unto me the words of their
mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Alma
56:44–48.)
Helaman thus paid one of the greatest compliments in
all scripture to those courageous women who had once faced death in passive acceptance in order to stop bloodshed—but had
given their sons the valiant faith to face death as well in active resistance to bloodshed. That faith was rewarded,
for they “fought as if with the strength of God
Let me suggest some of the lessons Mormon wanted us
to learn from this tale of carnage and villainy, of fighting prophets and
peace-loving captains:
1. War most often comes to a
people because of their unrighteousness and internal dissensions.
2. No matter how it comes,
there is no single morally right response to the threat of violence.
3. Even when we take the awesome
step of going to war, there are righteous limitations that must be observed:
(Eugene England, Moroni and his Captains,
Ensign, September, 1977 and "The
Book of Mormon-It Begins with a Family"
"Reading the Captain Moroni chapters in the
book of Alma through the lens of the “covenant” allows us a better grasp of the
mind and heart of this great servant of God, a chance to see as he saw, and to
feel as he felt. We can liken these classic stories of the “war” chapters in
Alma, such as the raising of the “Title of Liberty,” to us when we study them
within the context of the ancient covenantal perspective. One of Mormon’s many
editorial summaries makes it clear that he meant these chapters to be
understood this way. Noting the Nephite prosperity and strength in the
twenty-first year of the reign of Judges, Mormon attributes these blessings to
the mercy and justice of the Lord, “to the fulfilling of all his words unto the
children of men” (Alma 50:19). He cites a revelation from the Lord to Father
Lehi indicating that “inasmuch as they [Lehi and his posterity] shall keep my
commandments they shall prosper in the land. But inasmuch as they will not keep
my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord” (v 20).
Mormon then testifies: (vv 21–23)." (Thomas Valletta, "The Captain
and the Covenant" in Alma The Testimony of the Word")
There is another principle taught in these chapters that
seems significant to me. It is that we must continually be preparing to better
defend ourselves and our families against the Adversary. His tools of
temptation are better than they have ever been before. In Alma 43 -protective
armor was sufficient, but the Lamanites countered with armor of their own in
Alma 49, but the Nephites had prepared their weakest cities in a manner that utterly astonished the Lamanites.
This was not enough. Turn the page to chapter 50 and see that the preparation
had to continually improve; vs. 1-4, 7, 12, 19, 21, 22, 23.
