Faith, covenants, assurance, obedience, fruits and thanks

Reading: Alma 53-63

Mormon writes to the purpose of learning from what he selected to be in The Book of Mormon, including the stories of war:
Mormon 9:30-31 -

30 Behold, I speak unto you as though I spake from the dead; for I know that ye shall have my words.
31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.  

So, we are going to learn from some of the examples of a people at war, their strategies and courage.  But what will be even more profitable for us is to look for the answer to this question: How do these war experiences help me to know our Savior better?  Because if we seek to know Him, strategy, courage and deliverance will follow.

We learn to know God better, by reading about how others come to know God.  The principle of learning by example is shown chapter 55.   This is a time when the Nephites began to be victorious in the physical war against the Lamanites, so the Lamanites began small tactics of taunting, tempting and tricking the Nephites.  One of these tactics was to poison the Nephites with bad wine.  So the Nephites put the wine to the test:

Alma 55:30-32
• They were not slow to remember the Lord their God in their time of affliction
• They tested the wine by giving the wine to Lamanite prisoners because “if their wine would poison a Lamanite it would also poison a Nephite.
• Watch those around you, learn from their actions and consequences and always, always trust God and Him for direction.

It is this amazing trust in God, that I have pondered on so much while preparing this lesson.

The stripling warriors exemplify this implicit trust which implies so much as to their belief in God and therefore their behavior and deliverance.

Helaman’s army, their parents, Moroni and Pahoran teach us a lot about how to know God, strategies we can use to be faithful in fighting our general and personal battles.

Faith in God and receiving assurances
Alma 48:14-16

14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
 16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.

HOW DID THEY COME TO KNOW THAT THEY WOULD PROSPER IN THE LAND?
• By reading the scriptures and following the prophets and leaders of the Lord


Covenant making and keeping
The Ammonites responded to the need to defend the Nephite land by offering to break their covenant with God and fight with their adoptive brethren to protect their land and liberties.

READ Alma 53:14-17 And also 56:8

There are two covenants in discussion here: The one that the Ammonites made to not kill again, even in defense.  Also, the sons of the Ammonites made a covenant to fight for liberty of the Nephites.

HOW CAN ONE GROUP COVENANT NOT TO KILL AND THE OTHER GROUP COVENANT TO KILL IF NECESSARY AND BOTH GROUPS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE RIGHTEOUS?
• Their sons learned so well about the seriousness of covenants that they entered into a covenant to not give up their liberty and fight for the Nephites
• Being so faithful to this covenant implies the complete trust, respect and an adequate knowledge of God.
• TheAmmonites took their covenant so seriously that instead of doing what they wanted to do, which was fight for their liberty and the Nephites, they were compelled to watch others die for them.
• Helaman knew that keeping their covenants would help them to be successful.
• They learned covenant making and keeping (as directed by the Holy Ghost) from their fathers and learned to trust in God, the keeper of covenants, from their mothers.

Assurance from the Lord
After exhibiting faith in God and making covenants, in their prayers they can receive assurances from the Lord.  This is shown in chapter 58, when Helaman and his armies were not receiving the support and supplies that they needed.  They didn’t know why they were receiving them and started to wonder if the Lord wasn’t sending forth the supplies because their people in other lands were becoming wicked.  They didn’t know the answers and so they turned to God, who did know the answer.

Alma 58:10-11
• They were assured they would be delivered
• Received peace to their souls
• Granted even more faith – more reasons to believe in the Lord
• Hope for deliverance IN HIM, not by their own power

After faith, covenants, and receiving assurances, our next issue is a question of our integrity. How well will we follow

Obey with exactness
Alma 57:20-21
Definition of exact: Strictly and completely in accord with fact; not deviating from truth

IS OBEDIENCE WITH EXACTNESS TOO IDEAL?  IS IT REALISTIC AND DOABLE FOR US?

An interesting caveat that is easy to read over, but important to understand in exactness:
WHAT DO THE WORDS “EVEN ACCORDING TO THEIR FAITH IT WAS DONE UNTO THEM” MEAN?  WHAT IS “IT”?

I thought about this one line and realized I usually skip over it since there are important ideas before it and after.  But I think this is actually the most important part.  "It" seems to refer to "exactness." How can exactness be done unto someone?  It occurred to me that the only way exactness can be done TO someone is for the Savior to help their efforts be exact. This was only possible through their faith in Jesus Christ.

This is a great relief to me and brings me hope, first because exactness and perfection always seem to nag at me, and this doctrine teaches that I make the efforts I can and then the Savior helps to make it exact; second because the exactness performed in this situation with these warriors doesn't seem to refer to the end of a process, but the process itself.  So, even though, by my judgment I am not being as exact as I could (because I'm not perfect), but I am always remembering the Savior, trying to be exact, and never doubting his help, my process can be exact.

After exhibiting faith, making covenants, receiving assurances, and obeying with the help of the Savior, our behavior will show if we have let all this sink into our hearts.

By your fruits
Pahoran must have received assurances from the Lord because after being censured from Moroni, he expressed gratitude instead of offense.  Moroni was angry because his troops, as well and Helaman’s armies have not received provisions or support and on top of all this, he began to have doubts regarding their success because the people had become wicked.  It seems he took out his frustration on Pahoran and accused him of being lazy, selfish and power-hungry.  My favorite stinging line delivered by Moroni: “Can ye sit upon your throne in thoughtless stupor?”  Pahoran’s reaction is evidence of a believing heart and charity – a response it seems the Lord would make because he knows Moroni’s heart.

Alma 61:9-12
• Pahoran said it doesn’t matter that Moroni censured him, partly because he received information about the situation in the field that he didn’t have before and now they can figure out what to do.  Which also make Moroni’s frustrations and quick assumptions irrelevant.
• He rejoiced in Moroni’s greatness of heart.  He found the silver lining.
• Gave Moroni assurance that the only reason he seeks for power is to help the people
• Reaffirms their goal to resist wickedness
• A crucial part of knowing God is knowing “that liberty in which God hath made us free?”  Pahoran talks about this liberty in verse 9 then expresses his willingness to be subjected to the yoke of bondage if it were requisite with the justice of God.”

THIS SORT OF LIBERTY IS MENTIONED THROUGHOUT ALMA, WHAT SORT OF LIBERTY FROM GOD ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?  CAN YOU BE IN BONDAGE AND STILL FEEL LIBERATED?

The liberty of God is the consequences of following his laws and commands.  Some people would define liberty as not following laws or commands at all.  But even if you are in bondage, whether spiritual or physical, by obeying the laws of God, you can feel liberated.

Acknowledging and thanking the Lord always
Alma 57:26

 26 And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.

Alma 57:35

 35 And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us.

Alma 62:50-51

 50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.
 51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.

Learning from wars

Reading: Alma 43-53

Chapter 43 begins what is generally referred to as "the war chapters" of The Book of Mormon, though there are many other wars throughout the book, these chapters are concerned with little else.  I read an article from the Maxwell institute today that helped me have a different perspective on why Mormon felt to include so much about wars:
Purpose of the War Chapters in the Book of Mormon

The article lists these reasons:
1. The war chapters have much less to do with wars then with deliverance from wars
2. The tactics used during the Nephite physical wars are relevant for the spiritual wars we fight today.  Seeing as how The Book of Mormon was written for our day, and though we have physical wars, the spiritual wars are much more of a threat.
3. The war chapters give us many accounts of faith concerning physical issues (war) strengthening spiritual propensity. And in so doing, indicates that God cares about both our physical and spiritual situation.
4. The Book of Mormon draws a direct correlation between the righteous having success and the unrighteous experiencing failure.  While this is not the case in all wars in The Book of Mormon, it is the prevalent correlation.
5.  The last paragraph in the short essay sums up the purpose of the war chapters:

What, then, does the Book of Mormon do concerning this latter-day warfare? It shows the fundamental nature of the battle and gives hope to the Lord's people. With accounts of the victories of small minorities against overwhelming odds (often with no lives of the righteous being lost) or of escapes from their enemies (as with the people of Lehi, Nephi, Mosiah, Alma the elder, and Limhi), it confirms the truth of President Benson's words to us, "God will provide strength for the righteous and the means of escape."

There is a passage in Chapter Alma 48, that includes impressive tactic by Captain Moroni and the Nephites. Alma 48:7-17

1. The italicized words indicate that there is much more time, energy and teaching put into defensive measures rather than offensive.  Because why would a God-fearing person want to end the life/probationary state of another person on purpose?  Save lives, if at all possible, but defend your own lives if necessary.

2. The underlined words are some of the characteristics of Captain Moroni.  Perhaps this passage is read so much within the church that it has lost its potency.  In my opinion, it should be read over and over again until it stick.  Just reading about this man makes you want to be better.

3. The bold words indicate what the Nephites believed the Lord would do for them.  When the Nephites were successful, they made sure to thank God for their protection.  I assume that when things didn't quite go their way, they also thanked God for whatever blessings they did have.  With a leader who had "perfect understanding" I'm sure whatever the outcome of the war, he helped them understand their purpose and what to learn.

 7 Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.
 8 Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land.
 9 And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
 10 And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.
 11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
 12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
 13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
 14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
 15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
 16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
 17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

Having talked about the purposes of war in The Book of Mormon, I think next week I will discuss the spiritual strategies of battle.

Resurrection, Restoration and Accountability

Alma 40-42
Book of Mormon, pg
Today we will talk about three main doctrines: resurrection, restoration and accountability.

In these chapters, Alma is talking to his son Corianton, who is in the mission field, but has been tempted and influenced by anti-Christ’s and fallen into sin.  Alma, whose father once pleaded for his son to repent and return, is now pleading for his own son to do the same by teaching him the correct doctrines of the gospel.  In fact, Alma is a great example of the instruction of teaching children that we find in section 121:41-44 of the Doctrine and Covenants:

By persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love.

In the previous chapter, Alma begins this portion of his instruction by telling Corianton that every soul is precious in the sight of God and therefore it is necessary that every soul must hear about the plan of redemption.  Because if every soul knew of and believed that life continued after what we are now, perhaps their behavior in this life would be different.  President Kimball said, that “if they knew better, they would do better.”

We are going to study why we would do better and how to do better.  Alma first talks about the resurrection in chapter 40.  He says there is a resurrection of the dead, and the time, or times, appointed for this resurrection, is only known to God, which information is sufficient for us to know.  But he then relates the information, concerning the space of time between when a person dies and is resurrected, that he has “inquired diligently” of God.

Alma 40:11-14

He goes on to explain that there are those who think the initial judgment and separation into spirit paradise and spirit prison is THE resurrection.  But it is not.  The first resurrection occurred when the Savior was resurrected and all the righteous from the days of Adam until the resurrections of Christ, were resurrected.  Alma offered this as his opinion at this time, but it is backed up by what President Joseph F. Smith saw in Section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 12-17:

12 And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality;
 13 And who had offered sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer’s name.
 14 All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
 15 I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.
 16 They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death.
 17 Their sleeping dust was to be restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy.

WHY IS THIS DOCTRINE OF SPIRIT PRISON AND PARADISE IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW?
• Continuation of spirit
• The Lord is in charge and has a plan for everything
• Awaiting the times and purposes of the Lord
• There is a purpose to all things and a purpose to your actions, in pre-judgment and final judgment, as he says in vs 26, we are consigned to partake of the fruits of our labors
• It is part of bringing forth the restoration of all things
• Brings hope and faith

This doctrine he says in vs 23, brings about he doctrine of the restoration, which he will discuss further in chapter 41, specifically addressing the twisting of doctrine that Corianton has heard of, either that this life is the only life we get so live it up, or there is no Christ who redeems for sins, so there must be no law or moral code to offend.

Alma 41:2-4
• Vs 2 talks about the physical restoration (resurrection)
• Vs 3 talks about the spiritual restoration (atonemeent)
• Vs 4 talks about everything being restored to a proper order (whose order is God’s)
• Vs 5 talks about our desires leading us to action

Alma 41:12-15
He defines restoration: if you are restoring something, you are putting it back into it’s former or original state.

WHAT STATE ARE WE TRYING TO BE PUT BACK IN?
• Being with God (we were with him in pre-mortal existence, we will be restored to His presence after this life, but only if we choose.  We will be restored to the state of being that we choose in this life: good restored to good, evil restored to evil)
• Vs 11, refers to it a the nature of happiness, meaning we make the nature of happiness become our natural state rather than a carnal state, but rather than just being in that state of happiness, we now have to choose to be in a state of happiness, or head toward it.

And the only way to be with God again is to be clean.  So, Alma admonishes Corianton that in order to be clean, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” if you want mercy, be merciful to your brethren, if you want justice, be just to your brethren.

So, taking the fact that good will be restored to good and evil for evil, what do we do about our human tendency to be stubborn and rebellious and lazy?

Alma addresses this issue especially, because Corianton seemed to be of the opinion that it’s just not fair that a sinner should be consigned to a state of misery.

As many of The Book of Mormon prophets do to explain the plan of salvation, Alma rehearsed the situation in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve having to make the choice that brought on temporal and spiritual death.  Alma said, in vs. 8, that it wasn’t expedient yet to reclaim them from temporal death, because that would eliminate our proving time, and therefore the plan of happiness.  But, he says in vs 9 that there needed to be immediate reclamation of the spiritual death because that meant they were cut off from God.  If they are cut off from God, how will they know how to return to Him.  So, they are in this state of being where the have been given commandments and laws, and they have transgressed those laws, now what?

Alma 42:12-15
• There is a plan of justice, where offenses need to be accounted for and redeemed, but how can a man redeem himself to God?
• Only on conditions of repentance during his preparatory state, so that mercy can help redeem
• Mercy can come, only through an atonement, a mediation that helps bring us back into the presence of God

Alma reviews the necessity of all components a few times:

Alma 42:22-25
1. There are laws given
2. There may be sin against the law, if so
3. There will be punishment
4. Remorse of conscience
5. Repentance
6. Mercy because of the atonement
7. Afraid to sin
8. Cleaner and closer to God – v23 “restored into his presence”
9. Resurrected
10. Judged according to works

Justice exercises his demands (answering to the stewardship of the law), Mercy claimeth her own, who are the truly penitent. Note the masculine and feminine pronouns assigned to justice and mercy.

Elder Holland talks about who Mercy claims in his book, “Christ and the New Covenant:”

Those that “mercy claimeth” as “her own” are the followers of Chrsit.  They understand, as Paul did, that they were “bought with a price” and owe something in return for the freedom.  As a consequence of the Atonement, we need not be in subjection to the devil, but we must be willing, as Jacob taught, to “become subject unto [Christ].”
What that subjection means does not involve anything slavish or restrictive nor does it require any payment of money or worldly gifts.  What that subjection means, what these people choosing redemption “owe” to Christ, their new master, is a life of discipleship, beginning with faith, repentance, and baptism and leading on to all the ordinances and covenants of the gospel and a life of loving kindness.  Clearly all of humankind is still in debt even after the full effect of the Atonement has transpired.  But fortunately he to whom we are indebted is Christ the Merciful father than Lucifer the Miserable.  We still have obligations, but they are of a much higher and happier sort.  We are in debt, but we are not in bondage.  Christ and the New Covenant , Elder Jeffry R. Holland, pg 231.

CAN MERCY BE GIVEN UNLESS ASKED FOR?
• Is this is the meaning of can “mercy rob justice?” Mercy for the law can’t be taken unless sought and asked for through the Savior.
• Vs 13 – redemption only through repentance; except it were these conditions, mercy could not take effect
• Vs 22 – mercy claimeth repentance
• Vs 23 – mercy claimeth the penitent

There is another part of the plan of redemption that we need to be aware of and that is grace.  Another of my gospel questions was answered in preparation for this lesson, and Elder Holland, I found, explained it best:

Obviously the unconditional blessing of the Atonement are unearned, but the conditional ones also are not fully merited.  By living faithful and keeping the commandments of God, we can receive a fuller measure of blessings from Christ, but even these greater blessings are freely given of him and are not technically “earned” by us.  In short, good works are necessary for salvation, but they are not sufficient.  And God is not obliged to make up the insufficiency.  As Jacob taught, “remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.” Christ and the New Covenant , Elder Jeffry R. Holland, pg 236.

I was so grateful to find these definitions of mercy and grace and justice from Elder Holland, as I don't quite understand how they work together, especially the balance of justice and mercy.  But the understanding of grace as Elder Holland defines, is that we are to ask for mercy through repentance to appease the demands of justice, so we can live comfortably with ourselves and other people in this life.  Even after all we can do (see 2 Nephi 25:21) we still don't know how to save ourselves, return to God's presence, or resurrect ourselves. We need the grace/power to complete the process of earthly life.

Small things and self-control

I'm just discovering that I didn't post on last week's reading! Here's are some quick comments:

Reading: Alma 36-39

These chapters are addressed to Alma's sons, Helaman, Shiblon and Coriantum.  The latter two are missionaries at this time.  Alma tells Helaman about his conversion, which we discussed in the Mosiah chapters and also counsels him to keep a good record of the dealings of his people, reminding him that doing so may seem like a small thing, but such a small act can make a great difference (v. 6-7):


 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

These vereses are humbling verses for me and always remind me that the seemingly small things that I do are important.  This is an especially helpful thing to remember in a world that glamorizes all the BIG things that happen or even glamorizes little things.  This scripture says to me: your little things are important and really the only person who needs to know is God.

Chapter 39 is addressed to Corianton, who while serving as a missionary, fell prey to the teachings of the anti-Christ's: 1) that this life is the only life, so when you die that's the end, so live it up now, and also 2) there is no Christ, so there must be no Savior from sin, so there must be no sin and no moral code to live by or offend.  So Corianton commited moral and spiritual sins.  Alma, whose father once implored him to repent, now find him in the same position, asking his son to repent and change.  I particularly like the word he uses to teach Corianton to stop his sinful behavior: "cross yourself:"

 9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things.

The footnote to the first "cross yourself" is a reference to the Topical Guide for "self-mastery."  In other words, have some self control.  I think self-mastery is the quest of life, as we are to overcome the "natural man" or our human tendencies to be stubborn, lazy, selfish and other behaviors of self-interest.

The next few three chapters are spent explaining to Corianton how and why to turn to Christ for help, because as verse 17 indicates, every soul is precious and needs to be clean in order to see God again.  If we follow His plan, we will be clean.