Alma 32

Note some of the important words and phrases Alma uses in this chapter:

Awake and arouse your faculties

Experiment upon my words

Exercise a particle of faith

Even if ye can no more than desire to believe

Let this desire work in you

Give place for a portion of my words.

Each of these phrases encourage us and motivate us to just try; start small and build; wake up to spiritual things in a way that doesn’t get us discouraged and defeated before we get going. 

The most important scripture study skill we will ever master is this: open the book!  Let me repeat, OPEN THE BOOK.  Once the scriptures are open it is surprising how easy they are to read.  But first we must summon the courage to open them.  Awake, arouse, exercise the tiniest particle of faith, desire, give the words a chance to sink in, then the miracle of the word will lead us to the Word who is Christ.

The word is like a seed.  Plant it; water it; nourish it; be patient; don’t quit; let happiness and faith spring from within your heart.  The goodness of Jesus Christ will push out doubt and fear.

Alma 31

As Alma and his brethren went forth to reclaim the apostate Zoramites, Mormon adds this commentary: “And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.”  Alma laid his hands on his companions, blessing them and setting them apart as missionaries.  As they went forth, they had many afflictions, but their afflictions were “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.”  This was due to the Alma’s prayers of faith in their behalf.  I have had the joy of standing in when my sons were set apart as missionaries for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I testify that those blessings had great efficacy in the lives of my sons.  Prayers of faith change our lives and our hearts.

Alma 30

Korihor was taught by Satan what he should say to entice the people to do evil:

1.  You cannot know something is true unless you see it.  Therefore, you cannot know that there will be a Christ.

2.  There is no such thing as sin.  There is no universal standard of what is right or wrong.

3.  People prosper by their own efforts alone.  There is no such thing as an atonement.

4.  It is impossible to know about things that will happen in the future, so you should not believe in Christ or follow the words of people who say they are prophets.

5.  Forgiveness of sin is a crazy idea that comes from false traditions.

6.  There is no life after death, so there is no need to worry about a judgment after this life.

In the end, Korihor admitted that he had taught things that were pleasing to the carnal mind.  He admitted that he knew what he was teaching was false. 

Alma preached that all things testify that there is a God.  I know, like Alma that God lives.  We are led by his prophets today.  The Atonement of Christ is real.  Forgiveness of sin is possible through repentance.  The Book of Mormon is true.

  

Alma 23

“I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.” They called themselves the “Anti-Nephi-Lehies.”

Chapter 24

The Lord speaks to the minds of the people of Alma in their afflictions: “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.” 

Chapter 23

I marvel at Alma’s faith and patience as the bitter crust of irony crushed his people’s peace and happiness.  The bumbling Lamanite army, having lost their way after not finding the people of Limhi, stumble across Amulon the worst of the wimpy priests of Noah, then upon Alma and his people who had established themselves in a place of safety.  Not only don’t the Lamanites punish the wimpy priests who stole some of their daughters, they make Amulon a captain in their army to rule over Alma.  Alma’s great faith calms his now captive people and he gives them hope through his example of courage.