Alma 56

Helaman led his 2000 sons into battle.  We know them as the “Strippling Warriors.”  When their first battle was to commence, Helaman shouted this question: “What say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle.”  And their response was, “Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth.”  After the battle, Helaman said, “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  “And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: ‘We do not doubt our mothers knew it.’”

Alma 51

Teancum and Nephi have an experience in common: They are both compelled to slay a wicked man.  Nephi slew Laban to get the Plates of Brass, thus preserving the written word of God for an entire nation.  Using a javelin, Teancum assassinated Amalickiah, the king of the Lamanites, to end his reign of terror.

Unless we are soldiers or cops, we will probably never have the Spirit direct us to kill anyone.  But we can kill the evil habits and thoughts we are beset with. Swift amputation of connections to pornography, selfishness, and pride are sometimes needed.  Wickedness never was happiness. 

Alma 48

“Moroni was a strong and mighty man; he was a man of perfect understanding…a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country…a man who was firm in the faith of Christ…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.” I see these traits in my older brothers.

Alma 43

Chief Captain Moroni: He is one of our Book of Mormon heroes.  We admire his courage, his hard-nosed valiance in leading the army.  We picture him tearing his coat and writing upon it: The Title of Liberty.  He inspired his people by reminding them that their cause was worth fighting for: family, country, faith in God.  When his army started to fear their enemy and shrink, he reminded them forcefully of their reasons for fighting.  He inspired them!  He successfully led his army because their cause was righteous.  We are in a battle for our spiritual lives.  We are “being raised in enemy territory with a declining standard of morality,” President Boyd K. Packer said.  “But as a servant of the Lord, I promise that you will be protected and shielded from the attacks of the adversary if you will heed the promptings that come from the Holy Spirit.” (Ensign, Nov. 2011, 18). 

Alma 38

Faithful Shiblon is a wonderful example to us of the ever faithful rank-and-file member of the church.  Alma praises his middle son for his steadiness, diligence, and long-suffering making specific reference to Shiblon enduring a stoning while on his mission.  As Shiblon’s father, Alma exhorts him to bridal all of his passions so that he can be filled with love.

Alma 37

Alma’s parting words to his oldest son Helaman include his exhortation to take good care of the sacred plates and to keep all of the commandments.  Helaman is reminded of the Liahona which directed Lehi and his family.  He draws a comparison to the words of Christ being a director/compass to follow.  If followed, the words of Christ will tell us all things that we should do.  

Alma 36

“Now as mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.  And now, behold, when I thought on this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.  And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain.”

With these words, Alma captures the very center of the gospel message.  Indeed, this masterful chiasmus (the whole chapter conforms to this Hebrew poetic style) is the very center of the Book of Mormon message.  Jesus is the very center of everything that is important in our lives.  He is first and last in each day we walk here.  We owe everything to him.