Alma 43-52

Alma 43-52

Why do you think Mormon included so much information about war in the Book of Mormon?  One answer would be to teach us how to remain Christ-like in times of conflict.

BACKGROUND ON MORONI

• Moroni was 25 years old when appointed captain (we would say "general") of the combined Nephite armies (Alma 43:17).
• The Nephites had half as many soldiers as the Lamanites did at the battle with Zarahemna (Alma 43:51).
• Moroni used innovative preparation ideas, particularly the use of armor (Alma 43:19-21) and the fortifying of cities (Alma 49-50).  The word "prepared" is emphasized over and over in chapters 49 and 50.  (You might suggest class members underline it each time it appears.)
• Moroni used clever strategem rather than full-front attack (Alma 43:30-33).
• Moroni had complete integrity and mighty faith (Alma 48:11-13).  Wouldn't you like this said at your funeral or engraved on your tombstone:  "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto (your name here), 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."  (Alma 48:17).  It's definitely something to aspire to.  (It might be fun to make a little placard for each class member with this saying to encourage them to emulate Moroni throughout their lives.)

VIDEO SEGMENT "FIRM IN THE FAITH OF CHRIST" (15 minutes long)

This is from the Church's Gospel Doctrine Book of Mormon video and is a really great little movie, especially for youth Sunday School classes.  It is also available at lds.org (although I myself cannot get it to upload from there) and you can also access it from YouTube. 

CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES FOR CONFLICT LEARNED FROM MORONI
(Your class members may come up with others as well.  Go ahead and list them all on the board.)

• There must be a righteous purpose.  "Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.  And they were doing that which they felt was the duty with they owerd to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies." (Alma 43:45-47)  When was the first time in the Book of Mormon that the Nephites initiated a battle not in self-defense?  It is in Mormon chapter 4, at the end of the record and signals the Nephites' fast descent into decadence.  "And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them."  (Mormon 4:4)
• We must not hate our enemies. "Now they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all--they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God." (Alma 48:23)
• We must trust righteous leaders.  "...Moroni...knowing of the prophecies of Alma [the High Priest] sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites." (Alma 43:23)
• We must trust the Lord.  "And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them.  And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts--yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage.  And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage.  And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and the fled even to the waters of Sidon." (Alma 43:48-50)

THE SECOND BATTLE: MORONI VS. AMALICKIAH

•  Moroni gained his position of authority by appointment (Alma 43:17).  Amalickiah gained his by deceit (Book of Mormon Index, p. 9-10 gives a quick overview; it's a fascinating story).
• Moroni allowed prisoners of war to defect to his side if they made an oath in defense of freedom.  Forgiveness was always a possibility, and oaths in the Book of Mormon were serious.  But if they refused, they were put to death. (Alma 46:35).  Later, when a group of Nephites refused to defend liberty, Moroni obtained the legal right to exercise capital punishment upon them (Alma 51:15-20).  Amalickiah coerced the Lamanites who did not want to fight to join the battle by trickery (Alma 47:3)  (Although I'm not treating it specifically here, the manner in which Amalickiah achieved this is a great parable for how Satan tricks us to come over to his side, and could make a great lesson all by itself.  See chapter 47.)
• Moroni rallied his troops with the noble Title of Liberty (Alma 46:12-13). Amalickiah published hateful propaganda.  "And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites." (Alma 48:1)
• Moroni's purpose was the defense of liberty (Alma 46:12).  Amalickiah's was power and bondage of others upon which to glut himself (Alma 48:4).
• Moroni lived by the principles of faith and service.  "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.  Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites..." (Alma 48:7-8).  Amalickiah's principles were deceit and selfishness.  "...He did care not for the blood of his people..." and did not even lead them into battle, but stayed home in comfort (Alma 49:10-11).
• Moroni prepared his army (Alma 48:4-10)
• Moroni and his people thanked God for delivering them (Alma 49:28).  Amalickiah cursed God and vowed revenge because he didn't win (Alma 49:27).

PRESENT-DAY APPLICATIONS:  SEEKING THE LORD AS NATIONS

• Relying on the Lord.  "When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God...We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us...or he will fight our battles for us." (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, June 1976, p. 6)
• The real enemy.  "No matter how wicked and ferocious and depraved the Lamanites might be,...they were not the Nephite problem.  They were merely kept there to remind the Nephites of their real problem, which was to walk uprightly before the Lord."  (Hugh Nibley, Since Cumorah, p. 376)
• Draft-evaders.  Moroni had no tolerance of them.  He exercised capital punishment on those who refused to fight, except the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who had made a religious covenant not to take up arms. "Someone asked me once how I felt about amnesty for the draft card burner and the deserter.  I told him I thought every one of them should be taken before General Moroni to be judged."  (Vaughan J. Featherstone, October 1975 General Conference)  Eight of our Apostles today served in the military at wartime.  Only seven served missions as young men, thanks to being young men during times of peace for their country.  (See a listing at a a previous post.)
• "In God We Must Trust."  In the United States, President Abraham Lincoln had the foresight to put the words "In God We Trust" on the very thing that could so easily become our idol: our coinage.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower made it the official national motto in 1956 (which had previously been e pluribis unum or "out of many, one"--also a lovely motto which is still found on the Great Seal of the United States) and added it to the paper currency. It appears over the entrance to the Senate chamber and above the Speaker's dais in the House of Representatives. (Associated Press article, published the Herald Journal, July 25, 2000).  The House reaffirmed this motto in a 396 to 9 vote in November of 2011 (Daily News, November 3, 2011).  The origin of the motto is thought to be the lyrics of what is now the U.S. National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," written for the War of 1812, which contains the words "Then conquer we must when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: In God is our Trust."  For those who worry about the motto being removed from our currency, it is required by law to be on all coins that have previously had it printed on them. (See Wikipedia article "In God We Trust".)  In fact, yes, even the new dollar coin contains the motto, even though it was not legally required; it's just along the edge instead of on the front. (See Snopes.com.) Many other countries have similar mottos--you should check to see if yours does.  Wikipedia has an entry listing dozens of countries' mottos (which seriously distracted me for an hour).  Here are a few of my favorites: 
• Denmark: "God's Help, The People's Love, Denmark's Strength." 
• Nicaragua: "In God We Trust"
• American Samoa: "Let God be First."  
• Grenada: "Ever Conscious of God, We Aspire and Advance as One People"
• Morocco:  "God, The Country, The King"  The motto of the royalty of Morocco is: "If You Glorify God, He will Glorify You"
• Tonga:  "God and Tonga are My Inheritance"
• Dominican Republic:  "God, Country, Liberty"
• Equador:  "God, Country, Liberty"
• Tuvalu (South Pacific Island):  "Tuvalu for the Almighty"
• Vanuatu (South Pacific island):  "Let Us Stand Firm in God"
• Tokelau (atolls of New Zealand):  "Tokelau for the Almighty"
• Saudi Arabia's is the Muslim creed:  "There is No God But Allah, and Mohammed is His Prophet"  (Allah is the same Heavenly Father we worship.  See a previous post.)
• Tristan da Cundha (South Atlantic Island):  "Our Faith is Our Strength"

 THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM

Freedom is worth fighting for.  Jesus Christ fought a war in heaven and the cause was freedom vs. slavery.  But it is the only cause worth fighting for.  As Mormon wrote, "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 aginst an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.  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; 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..."  (Alma 48:14-16).  We do not have to live in the Americas to qualify for this blessing of protection, because every land wherein the Saints of God live, gather, and worship Him is a Promised Land.

Alma 39-42

ALMA'S COUNSEL TO CORIANTON (CHAPTERS 39-42)

This lesson consists of the instruction Alma gave to his son Corianton.  Corianton was supposed to be serving a mission, and instead wandered off into dark paths.  Alma provided us with an excellent example in helping the "willfull and wayward" in his treatment of Corianton.  He pointed out the gravity of Corianton's sin and how he needed to change, and then he taught the truths that Corianton needed to better understand in order to make that change. Corianton's behavior needed changing in the worst way. His father taught him in a unique and highly effective way.

First, Alma pointed out what the wrong behavior was (sexual sin; see verses 3-11) and what caused it or led up to it  (not following the example of his older brother/senior companion [verse 1], and boasting in his own strength [verse 2].)  Considering that viewing pornography is a type of sexual sin, and this is serious problem for us today, along with the actual acts of fornication and adultery so common in our society, this chapter is perfectly relevant to us and should be carefully studied.  Disregarding the counsel or example of an older Brother (or of The Brethren) because we think it doesn't apply to us, leads to danger.  "Boasting in our own strength" or thinking that we are immune to the problems pornography or flirtatiousness would present if we engaged in them, leads to becoming ensnared in the grasp of evil.

Next Alma spelled out how the behavior needed to change.  Corianton needed to turn to the Lord with his whole being--no "double life" allowed--and confess his errors.

"And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me:  Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities; that ye turn to the Lord with all your mind, might, and strength; that ye lead away the hearts of no more to do wickedly; but rather [remember the importance of the word rather to the Anti-Nephi-Lehies in lesson 26?]  return unto them, and acknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done." (Alma 39:13)

What a difference there was between Alma's treatment of a child's misbehavior and the Old Testament prophet Eli's!  (See Bible Dictionary, p. 663) And what a better result Alma achieved than the misery and destruction that fell upon Eli's family and people!

After clearly spelling out Corianton's errors and their gravity, Alma gave Corianton hope, as he himself had received from the words of his own father:

"And now, my son, I would say somewhat unto you concerning the coming of Christ.  Behold, I say unto you, that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world; yea, he cometh to declare the glad tidings of salvation unto his people.

"And now, my son, this was the ministry unto which ye were called, to declare these glad tidings unto this people, to prepare their minds; or rather that salvation might come unto them, that they may prepare the minds of their children to hear the word at the time of his coming..."  (Alma 39:15-16) 

Here is where Alma's great insight as a spiritually in tune parent came into play.  He was inspired to understand that Corianton's testimony was weak on the subject of salvation, and that was the root of the problem.  President Boyd K. Packer has said, "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.  The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."  (October 1986 General Conference)  Alma re-taught Corianton the doctrines he had not internalized (which we will study next week), counseled him strongly to repent (Alma 42:29-30), and then he gave Corianton a better purpose in life to replace the sinful one.  (Remember the tennis ball in the pickle jar from a previous lesson?

"And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people.  And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them.  And may God grant unto you even according to my words.  Amen."  (Alma 42:31)

What a great example for all of us in our roles as adults leading children!  When children make errors, it is because they somehow did not learn something, even if we were teaching it.  So rather than just criticizing, we can teach it again.  And if it doesn't "take," we teach it again.  And if they slip, we teach it again.  And sometimes, as in the case of Corianton, our love for them combines with our teaching and with the influence of the Holy Ghost to touch their hearts and help them to change.

Savannah and Gary jamming in 1998

(I'm super happy to note that multiple sets of scriptures 

are in clear view--proof we actually read the scriptures as a family,

even if we didn't always put them away.)

HOW ALMA TAUGHT CORIANTON



Look at the first verse of each of these three chapters.  What do you find in common?  They each begin with "I perceive."  How did Alma perceive Corianton's concerns?  Through the Spirit, the only safe way to teach.

The three questions Alma perceived that Corianton had:

1. Resurrection (chapter 40)
2. Restoration (chapter 41)
3. Justice (chapter 42)

RESURRECTION (Chapter 40)

• Resurrection is not immediate after death (verse 6).
• During the interim period, the righteous go to a state of happiness, the wicked to "outer darkness" (verses 12-13)  (This is not THE outer darkness where the sons of perdition will go permanently.  It is Alma's term for the temporary spirit prison.)
• When resurrection happens, the body and soul will be reunited in perfection (verse 23)
• Then there will be a final judgment after which the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God (verse 25) and the wicked will be cast out (verse 26)

 Alma mentioned that there were several things he did not know about death and resurrection (verses 2-5, 8, 19-21).  What can we learn from the fact that Alma testified of the doctrine of resurrection even though he did not know all the details about it?  (We can receive a workable testimony about a concept with only a partial knowledge.  We can also bear testimony [teach] with only a partial knowledge.  It's okay to say "I don't know.")

RESTORATION (Chapter 41)

Who judges us at the initial "restoration"?  In other words, who determines whether we go to paradise or spirit prison?

"I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order." (verse 2)

"The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil..." (verse 5)

"...and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.  Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved."  (verse 7-8)

How is it that we are "our own judges?"  We chose whether to do good or evil in this life, and thus we chose who we become and therefore what we will be restored to after death.

(You may want to do this little object lesson:  Have two long dowels.  Tape a label "righteousness" on one end of one stick, and "happiness" on the other end.  Tape a label "sin" on one end of the other stick, and "misery" on the other end of it.  Ask a class member to choose a stick to pick up.  He can only pick up one stick. If he chooses "sin," of course, he will also be picking up "misery."  Tell him you don't want him to be miserable, so ask him to pick up "sin" without "misery," or pick up "sin" and "happiness."  Of course, it is impossible.  When we choose our actions, we also choose their consequences.  It is impossible to separate the two.)

"Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness.  Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."  (verse 10)

Happiness is a very confusing concept to people in the world today.  People pursue happiness in many different ways.  It's hard to tell from the outside whether someone is happy or not.  It is helpful to remember that there are different kinds of happiness.  Pleasure is a temporary happiness; joy is a deeper and lasting happiness.

"Laws do not change.  A law, like truth, 'abideth and hath no end' (D&C 88:66).  A theory is tentative, subject to change, and may or may not be true.  A theory is a means to an end, not the end in itself...Laws governing spiritual things were irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation of the earth (D&C 130:20).  Often young people fail to accept moral and spiritual laws because the laws are not measured by methods they have been accustomed to using.  Physical or natural laws are much easier to demonstrate, and can be useful in teaching about spiritual things.  Let me illustrate.  At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes and changes from a liquid to a solid.  At 212 degrees Fahrenheit it turns into a gas.  Your students know that and there isn't anything they can do about it--they can't change it.  It can be described accurately or inaccurately, in complicated measurements in Fahrenheit or centigrade or anything else, and nothing that is said about it is going to change it because it operates according to law.  It will freeze or evaporate according to the law.  It should not be difficult to understand that there are basic spiritual laws that have always existed, that never change, that beget consequences, and we can't change them.  The wonder is that we can depend on these spiritual laws.  'Wickedness never was happiness,' and anybody that has tried to find out, has found out.  It is a law."  (Boyd K. Packer, CES Symposium, August 10, 1993, quoted in K. Douglas Bassett, Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon, p. 344-345)

So what will Corianton's reward be?  The same as for everyone else:  a restoration.

"Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.  For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all."  (verses 14-15)

JUSTICE AND MERCY (Chapter 42)

(Show the church video, "The Mediator," available at lds.org (where I can't get it to load--but look at the comments below; another reader found a better link) or on YouTube.

"It has been described this way:  'It really isn't fair that one person should suffer for the sins of others.  It isn't fair that some people can commit horrible crimes and then be completely forgiven and cleansed without having to suffer for them.  It isn't fair that those who labor for only an hour will get the same reward as those who labor all day.  (See Matt. 20:16.)  No, the gospel sometimes isn't fair, but that is actually part of the good news.  It isn't fair--it's merciful, and that God it is so, for no human being can stand acquitted before the demands of absolute justice."  (Stephen E. Robinson, quoted in Ensign, June 2000, p. 32)

"And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.  And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption."  (Alma 34:15-16)

"The choice before us is mercy or justice.  Either choice can be accommodated, and either choice is compatible with the nature and plan of God, but, as in the choice between the Lord and Satan, there are no third alternatives.  Again, life has default settings, and they are set for justice.  We can choose the mercy that is offered through the gospel covenant, but if we refuse that mercy, we will receive justice.  (Stephen E. Robinson, Believing Christ, p. 60)  (This is THE best and simplest book for understanding the Atonement.  Everybody over age 12 really should read this book.) 

"Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.  If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God."  (Alma 42:27-28)

Only one of these choices will lead us to the Celestial Kingdom.  Exaltation is only available through the mercy of Christ (Alma 38:9).  "I once wondered if those who refuse to repent but who then satisfy the law of justice by paying for their own sins are then worthy to enter the celestial kingdom.  The answer is no.  The entrance requirements for celestial life are simply higher than merely satisfying the law of justice.  For that reason, paying for our sins will not bear the same fruit as repenting of our sins."  (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart, p. 7-8)

JUSTICE AND MERCY IN OUR OWN CHARACTERS

"Neither the justice nor the mercy of God can be understood, enjoyed, or emulated without also understanding--and practicing--the charity that is their essence."  (Lance B. Wickman, "Justice and Mercy in the Warm Glow of Charity," Ensign, June 2000, p. 32)

"These principles that are at the heart of the great plan of redemption are also the very essence of the higher law of personal behavior taught by the Savior.  He sought to teach that law in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5-7) and repeated it for the Nephites (see 3 Ne. 12-14).  He sought to call us in our daily living from pedestrian plodding through what is merely just--that is, from giving to each what is due--to the stratospheric flight of mercy.  He has called each of us to give to each person our love whether or not it is due.  Unless we understand this, His mandate to 'be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect' (Matt. 5:48) is subject to gross misunderstanding...Truly, loving others more than self is the essence of the gospel of Christ.  It is the soul of mercy."  (Wickman, p. 33-34)

"God loves us not because we're so lovable he can't help himself--he loves us because his nature is loving, because God is love."  (Robinson, p. 65)  In order to become like God, we need to stop worrying about whether any person around us "merits" our love, and realize that extending charity to others is a product of our character, not theirs.

CONCLUSION


Maybe Alma's counsel to Shiblon would be good counsel for us as parents teaching our children.

"And now, as ye have begun to teach the word [to your children] even so I would that ye should continue to teach; and I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things.

"See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength.

"Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love..."  (Alma 38:10-12)

I challenge you to read these verses every day this week, and allow them to guide your family and/or leadership roles.
  

 My dad's hand with a baby grandson's in 2000

My dad has since died of Alzheimer's Disease

Alma 36-38

Alma 36-39

Post on the board before class:  "What is the best counsel your father/mother ever gave you, and how has it affected your life?"

Alma had spent nine years teaching the people of Nephi, enjoying throughout that time greater or lesser degrees of success.  At the end of this time, many of the people began to return to their old ways, and he felt very downhearted.

"Now Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodsheds, and the contentions which were among them; and having been to declare the word, or sent to declare the word, among all the people in every city; and seeing that the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful." (Alma 35:15)

So what did he do about this situation?  He redoubled his efforts in his own home and with his own family.

"Therefore, he caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge, separately, concerning the things pertaining unto righteousness.  And we have an account of his commandments, which he gave unto them according to his own record." (Alma 35:16)

This is a very good example for us of what we can do when the world around us seems almost beyond improvement: Do what we can at home.  The importance and the far-reaching effects of teaching the gospel to our own children and grandchildren in our own homes cannot be overemphasized.

Since I don't have any pictures of Alma with his sons, 

I'm shamelessly substituting pictures of 

my own cute husband and kids.  

(I didn't ask his permission; I'll ask forgiveness instead.)  

This is our oldest son Nick, third son Andrew, and Gary, 

at Cirque of Towers, Wyoming on a Scout "high adventure" trip, 2002.

THE VALUE OF A PARENT'S COUNSEL

 Invite all class members to be thinking about the question on the board, whether they decide to share their answer with the class or not.

Hopefully everyone in class had at least semi-good parents, but there may be some people in every ward who suffered at the hands of abusive parents.  In that case, it is good to remember the words from the movie "God's Army:"  "At least you've always got your Real Father."  We all have the blessing of the counsel of our Real Father through the scriptures and prayer and other means of revelation.  So hopefully, this lesson does not exclude anybody, and we will be able to learn from the good counsel others have received in our ward and in the scriptures so we can pass that along to our children.

Alma knew the value of a parent's teaching.  He himself, in the depths of despair over his sins, remembered his father's words, and they saved him.   (Alma 36:17)  When he really wanted to know what to do, those words came back to him.  And so Alma wanted to give that blessing to his own sons.  He called them all together, but gave each individualized counsel.

There were three sons:  Helaman, Shiblon and Corianton.  Chapters 36 and 37 are to Helaman, chapters 39-42 are to Corianton, and Shiblon at first glance seems overlooked, a real "middle child syndrome" situation, with only one little chapter of his own, chapter 38.  But if we examine these more closely, we can see exactly what Alma was trying to accomplish.  We can see that he was a very wise parent.

COUNSEL TO HELAMAN (CHAPTERS 36-37)

First, to his oldest son, Helaman, Alma gave the great chiastic poem about his conversion, which we have already studied in a previous post.  (You may want to give handouts of the chiasm to class members who may have been absent that day.)  This must have been carefully worked out and written down as something that would be passed on to future generations because of the complexity of it.

Ask:  What impressed you about the counsel to Helaman?

Alma reminded Helaman to counsel with the Lord, words which every Latter-day Saint should have underlined in his or her scriptures:

"O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

"Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day."  (Alma 37:35-37)

The rest of the counsel to Helaman involves, for the most part, one subject and that is the scriptures.  Helaman was the new steward over the scriptures, as we see in 37:1.  His father's counsel could have left no doubt in his mind about the importance of preserving the holy words.  In verse 8 we can read, "the [records] have enlarged the memory of this people."  Remembering is so important!  All through his counsel to all three sons, Alma keeps emphasizing, "Remember!  Remember!"  We should study the scriptures in order to remember the goodness of the Lord to his people throughout history, and we should keep our own writings, our own journals, in order to remember his goodness to us in our own lives.  If we record spiritual experiences, our journal can be a real faith-strenthener to us in times of trial.  Without writing them down, we tend to forget, or to trivialize them later.

Helaman, as the new keeper of the records, also was going to be the new prophet.  So the words Alma gave to him were in this context:  for the benefit of the whole church.

COUNSEL TO SHIBLON (CHAPTER 38)

Ask:  What did you like best about the counsel to Shiblon?

Although Shiblon got the smallest chapter of all, his is the most personal and the most complimentary.

"And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.

"I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites.

For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word's sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee." (Alma 38:2-4)

 Gary with our second son Nate on his priesthood ordination day

Alma's only counsel to Shiblon was to do in the future what he had done in the past:

"And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."  (Alma 38:5)

Alma then told how he knew this, giving a condensed version of his conversion story to Shiblon, who undoubtedly had heard it many times before.  And then he counseled Shiblon to continue as he had begun (verse 10), and to stay away from pride, passion, idleness, and self-righteousness.  His final word (well, almost the final word) of counsel is a curious one to those who are concerned with "building their child's self-esteem":  "acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times." (verse 14)  Why is this so important?  We'll see when we study Alma's words to his third son, Corianton.



(All of the photographs on this page were taken by me, and I hold the copyright, but you may copy them for personal, home, or church use if you so desire.)

Alma 32-35

THE ZORAMITE CRAFT


In order to understand why Alma taught what he did in these chapters, we need to understand the interesting method of worship practiced by the Zoramites.  They had a tower in the church called a Rameumptom, and only one person could climb it at a time.  This was allegedly the only place they could worship.  They said their prayer out loud in front of the congregation, and it was a set prayer.  There apparently was a fee or a status or something to belong to the church, because the poor were excluded.  The Rameumptom itself was a symbol of their entire church society.  What were some of the elements involved in worship via Rameumptom?  Competition, exclusivity, self-elevation, etc.  It was a type of priestcraft.  The method of their so-called worship was just a reflection of their society, not an improvement upon it, as religion should be.

Looking over the prayer uttered upon the Rameumptom (Alma 31:15-18), we learn more.  They believed God was just a spirit, there was no Savior, some (namely, themselves) were elected over others, and no faith was necessary.

As Alma was trying to preach the true gospel to these self-centered people, some of the poor came to him and asked how they were supposed to worship without access to the Rameumptom.  Alma could see that they were experiencing great trials which had humbled them.  He said something which must have really struck them as odd:  "I behold that ye are lowly in heart; and if so, blessed are ye." (Alma 32:8)  Why would it be a blessing to be "lowly in heart?"  Well, isn't that the same as saying "poor in spirit?"  This is the first step in the very important process of coming to Christ.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."  (3 Nephi 12:3) 

Poor in Spirit    +   Come unto Christ     =    Kingdom of Heaven

They had the first part of the formula!  The greatest missionary in the world cannot convince anyone of the truth if that person lacks this vital component.  Alma said to the poor Zoramites, "It is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues that ye may be humble that ye may learn wisdom."  Neither of these (humility or wisdom) was possible to achieve at the Zoramite church, because it functioned under priestcraft.

ALMA TAUGHT FAITH FIRST

Alma then began to teach them this most important concept that was lacking from what the Zoramites taught:  The need to come to Christ.  But in order to teach them about Christ, he had to teach them that they could believe in something they couldn't see.  In other words, he had to teach them about faith.  He began by first telling them what faith isn't (Alma 32:17-18,21)--it isn't knowledge.  So if faith is not absolute knowledge about something, if faith means you don't see the Atonement yourself, how does faith help you know something is true?

Alma taught the people that they could find out truth by experimenting.  The analogy he used was a seed.  But let's be careful to establish what the seed is.  The seed is not faith.  The seed is the Word.  And what is the Word?  The doctrine of Christ and his Atonement--the "word" or communicative connection, defense, and reconciliation between us and God the Father. So here is the experiment:

THE EXPERIMENT, PART ONE

(Alma 32:28-36)

IF...

1. ye give place (let the desire work in your heart)
2. it be a true seed
3. ye do not cast it out

THEN...

     it will swell in you

So, by virtue of empiricism (personal experience), pragmatism (producing the desired result--see verse 31), and revelation (see last week's lesson for an explanation of epistemology, or of ways of knowing things):

THE CONCLUSION IS...

     "It must needs be that this is a good seed."

BECAUSE...

1. It enlarges the soul
2. It enlightens understanding
3. It becomes delicious (or causes you to crave more of it) 

As Alma explained (Alma 32:35-36 beginning with "is your knowledge perfect?"), this experiment does not give you a perfect knowledge of everything, but it establishes just one thing.  All through this section, look for the word "know."  It appears six times, emphasizing the point that you gained a concrete knowledge of one truth.  That truth is:  "The seed is good."  In other words, "The Atonement (the Word) is real--Christ is real."  That is the first part of the experiment.

THE EXPERIMENT, PART TWO

(Alma 32:37-43)

Now you have a sprouted seed.  The next part of the experiment is:

IF...
 
      you nourish it with great care

THEN...

1. It will get root
2. It will grow up
3. It will bring forth fruit

If you don't do this, the seed will not grow and produce the fruit, but will wither and die away, not because there is anything wrong with the seed.  The goodness of the seed has already been established in the first part of the experiment.

 My then 4-year-old son planted this bean seed

in preschool, nourished it, and was not at all surprised--

despite what the rest of us had predicted--

when a blossom and then an actual bean

appeared on it, 

in the screened-in kitchen window sill!

Now, an important question is, What does nourishing consist of?  There are three things involved in nourishing.  They are so important that they are mentioned three times in the next few verses:

1. Faith (expecting success)
2. Diligence
3. Patience 

"And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst" (Alma 32:42).

So what is the fruit?  The best commentary on scripture is always other scripture. Is there another analogy in scripture with these same symbols, a fruit that is sweeter and whiter than any other?  This one is a perfect match with Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life (1 Nephi 8:10-11, 11:21-22).

Gospel Principle            Lehi's Vision                Alma's Analogy
WORD                         Rod of Iron                 Seed
LOVE OF GOD           Fruit                            Fruit
EFFORT                       Holding the Rod         Nourishing the Seed
FAILED FAITH           Letting Go                   Barren Soil

So the second part of the experiment establishes that the seed (the Gospel of the Atonement), if nourished in us, will bring us the Love of God, and Eternal Life.

ALMA'S EXPLANATION

(Alma 33)  Alma taught the people of Zoram that the simplest step, the beginning step, in nourishing the seed is prayer.  Prayer requires

1. Faith
2. Diligence
3. Patience

Since these people had only heard the Rameumptom prayer, Alma gave them an example of a personal prayer, offered by the prophet Zenos, from their scriptures.  Zenos prayed about the practicalities of his own life:
     Verse 4--His fears
     Verse 5--His work
     Verse 6--His family
     Verse 7--Himself
     Verse 9--His "ward" or "branch"
     Verse 10--His enemies

Six times in his prayer Zenos thanked God for being merciful to him.  Nine times he recognized that God heard him.  The Zoramites also taught that God heard them and that God was merciful to them (only them).  But what was different here was the addition of the reason that God was merciful.  It is found in verse 11: "Because of thy Son!"  In verse 16, another prophet, Zenock also stated that mercy from God comes "because of thy Son."

So it's an interesting circular concept:  Prayer is the most elementary way to nourish the seed or bring the Atonement into effect in our lives.  And, on the other end, the Atonement is what makes prayer effective. Our words in prayer bring the effects of The Word upon us. The two are inextricably connected.

Alma told the people just what the Atonement was and what it would do.  "Christ will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works" (Alma 33:22) .

And in closing, Alma did what all apostles do at the ends of their talks:  He encouraged the listeners by telling them that they could really do what he just taught them, and that it would be a great blessing to them. 

" And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith.  And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life.  And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son.  And even all this can ye do if ye will.  Amen" (Alma 33:23).

AMULEK ESTABLISHED ALMA'S WORD

Amulek, the missionary companion, the second witness, stepped in to add his testimony to Alma's, Zenos's, Zenock's and Moses's (Alma 34:7) that the Atonement is real and can save us.  He established Alma's word.

Alma already explained what the Atonement is; now Amulek explained why it is needed.

(Alma 34:9)  He expounded upon Alma's words.  This is what a second witness does.

Then Amulek shared his own testimony about prayer and how personal it should be (verses 17-27).  And one more thing that the Zoramites taught incorrectly:  Prayer by itself is not true religion  What is true religion? Our good works prompted by prayer. (See James 1:27.)

"And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith" (Alma 34:28).

THE ATONEMENT BLESSES US NOW

In verse 31, we find an interesting truth. "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you" (Alma 34:31).

 Notice the word "immediately."  What does it mean that "immediately" the great plan of salvation will be brought about in us?  Certainly it doesn't mean that as soon as we repent, we will die and be brought before the judgment bar!  And it probably doesn't mean that as soon as we repent, we will have our calling and election made sure and be guaranteed Eternal Life.

Part of the purpose of Christ's Atonement was to make him able to succor his people "according to the flesh" (Alma 7:12). In both the vision of the Tree of Life, and in the Analogy of the Word as a Seed, we are told that we can reach the fruit of the tree in this life.  The fruit is the Love of God manifest through the Atonement.  "And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son"  (Alma 33:23).  The Atonement, then, is not just for Judgment Day, but for every day.  As Zenos said in his prayer, the mercies of God help him, through the Atonement, in every aspect of his life.

The Atonement also has the power to change us, bit by bit, day by day, to become the Children of Christ. 
(One of my awesome readers "The Brown Family" posted the following bit in the comments.  For convenience, I have cut and pasted the information here.  Thanks, Browns!!!)  "The Chinese characters for repentance are hui gai 悔改. The first character, hui means 'regret, repent or feel sorrow for.' The second character, gai means 'to change, alter or transform.' The first character, hui is made up of two simpler characters: xin and mei 心 and 每. Xin is 'heart' and mei is 'every,' commonly used in 'every day'. So the meaning of the characters for repentance can be: 'with your heart, every day, change.'"

We need all the time we can get for this process; we shouldn't wait to repent (Alma 34:34-35).  This is what we call "working out your salvation (verse 37):  It requires effort on your part.  There is an effort in holding to the iron rod through mists of darkness and taunting of others.  There is an effort in nourishing a plant from a seed to a full-grown tree (Alma 34:38-39).

You might end with this YouTube reading of Ruth Krauss's charming children's story, The Carrot Seed.

Alma 30-31

Post the following equation on the board:  

1 + 0 = 10

Could I fool anyone into believing this equation?  I might be able to fool someone unfamiliar with mathematics, for example a small child.  I could show him that if you just put the 1 and the 0 together, it looks like a 10, so it is a 10.  Since I am an adult and therefore an expert in his mind, he might believe me.  And it sort of makes sense, if you don't understand the rules of math.


But imagine a doctor using this kind of logic.  Suppose I go to a check-up and my doctor finds that I am diabetic, but he doesn't want to upset me, so he says, "You are perfectly healthy (write 'healthy' under the 1), so you need no medical intervention (write 'no help' under the 0), and everything will work out fine (write 'happy ending' under 10)."  I may be glad that I'm okay and that I don't need any lifestyle change or medical procedures, but the truth is, I am probably not going to enjoy the happy ending, because this equation is false.  I was not healthy, and I did need medical help to produce a happy ending.

Imagine I am buying a new home.  The building inspector finds that the chimney is not fire-safe, but being a close friend, and knowing that I don't want any more hassle or expense, he says, "This building is perfectly sound (write 'sound' under the 1) and needs no improvement (write 'no change' under 0) and everything will work out fine (write 'happy ending' under 10)."  I may be relieved for the time being knowing that I have nothing more to take care of, but the truth is, when I light a few fires in the winter, my home and my family will be in grave danger.  The equation was not based on truth.  1 + 0 does not equal 10.

(Erase the two example equations, leaving the original.)

Today we are talking about the anti-Christ philosophy, which is very prevalent today.  This philosophy acts on the same false basis as this mathematical equation.  Anti-Christs say, "you are fine and whatever you are doing is fine (write 'OK' under the 1) and therefore you need no religion or savior (write 'no savior' under 0) and everything will be fine (write 'happy ending' under the 10)."

The true mathematical equation is, of course, 1 + 9 = 10 (write on board), and the true spiritual equation is found in the first Beatitude:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit (write 'fallen, imperfect' under the 1) who come unto me (write 'repent through Atonement' under the 9), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (write 'happy ending' under the 10)" (3 Nephi 12:3).  This procedure causes some discomfort or even pain because repentance and change are no picnic, but without it there can be no happy ending.

As C.S. Lewis wrote, "If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: If you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth--only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair" (Mere Christianity, p. 39).

ANTI-CHRISTS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON

President Benson has told us that the Book of Mormon not only teaches the doctrine of Christ, but also exposes the enemies of Christ. "The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon is similar to the type we have today."  (Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, p. 3)  Just as the Lord gives us two or three witnesses in most everything, he has given us three witnesses (so far) of the methods of anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon, so that we know how to recognize and deal with them:  Sherem, Nehor, and Korihor.  That we know about anti-Christs is very important.  In fact, it is interesting to note that chapter 6 of the book of Jacob sounds very like a final farewell.  The last words of that chapter are, "Finally, I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear.  Amen."  (Jacob 6:13)  But, apparently, years after he thought he was through writing, this incident came up involving Sherem and his negative doctrine.  Jacob as the prophet of the Lord saw that it would be very valuable information for us to have, and therefore tacked it on to the end of his record, and then added another farewell.  (Jacob 7)

Sherem and Korihor both taught the philosophy illustrated by this false equation.  Nehor taught that there would be a Christ, but that he would save everyone unconditionally.  The resulting premise was the same: there was no need for change or repentance.  We can find both philosophies abounding all around us today, and even though they make as little sense and are about as far from the truth as 1 + 0 = 10, anti-Christs are very successful at convincing people that they are true.

Listen to these two familiar modern philosophies:

"Whether we ought to follow a moral principle or not would always depend upon the situation....In some situations unmarried love could be infinitely more moral than married unlove.  Lying could be more Christian than telling the truth....Stealing could be better than respecting private property....No action is good or right of itself.  It depends on whether it hurts or helps....There are no normative moral principles whatsoever which are intrinsically valid or universally obliging.  We may not absolutize the norms of human conduct."  (Situation Ethics: True or False? A Dialogue between Joseph Fletcher and John Warwick Montomery, quoted in Gerald L. Lund, "Countering Korihor's Philosophy," Ensign, July 1992, p. 20)

"We believe that traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions that place revelation, God, ritual, or creed above human needs and experience do a disservice to the human species....Traditional religions often offer solace to humans, but, as often, they inhibit humans from helping themselves or experiencing their full potentialities....Too often traditional faiths encourage dependence rather than independence."  ("Humanist Manifesto II," The Humanist, quoted in Gerald L. Lund, ibid.)

In other words, according to these philosophies, there are no rules; there is no standard to be measured against.  This is a frightening and damning philosophy.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTI-CHRISTS

Anti-Christs of the Book of Mormon times or of today have many characteristics in common.

Negative.  First, their doctrine is usually a doctrine of negatives.  Their aim is to tear down other beliefs.  Much like the anti-Mormon literature of today, they offer nothing to replace or build upon the doctrine they seek to destroy.  They never say, like President Hinckley often did, "Bring with you what is good and let us add to it." 

There are at least seven negatives in Korihor's philosophy (found in Alma 30) (seven established beliefs he wants to destroy) and he does not replace them with anything better.

1. No Christ (verse 12)
2. No prophecy (verse 13)
3. No faith (verse 15)
4. No Atonement (verse 17)
5. No laws (verse 17)
6. No life after death (verse 18), and therefore
7. No accountability (verse 18)

Demeaning Speech.  Another inherent characteristic of an anti-Christ is a complete lack of respect for others' religions, since the anti-Christ "religion" is only based upon disproving other religions.  Their speech is inflammatory and angry.  Look at the hostile, demeaning words Korihor uses for Christians:  "foolish," "frenzied," "deranged" (verses 13-18).  Verses 22-23 sound very similar to the words of apostates today in their criticism of Church leadership.  Korihor was likely a church member who had apostacized, since "there was no law against a man's belief" (verse 11), and therefore he wasn't punished by the political leadership, but he was brought in each land he entered before the high priest in a church court.

Lying.  Of course, all anti-Christs are liars.  They ignore the truth they could find deep within themselves if they searched for it (verse 42). Korihor's lies were evident in his condemnation of the church leaders.  He said the purpose for which they taught their doctrine was to bind men down and to glut themselves upon their labors.  He knew very well, as did everyone around, that the church was lead by a lay ministry, volunteers who worked without pay.  As Alma said in verse 33, "notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine for my labor."

Seeking for Proof.  Sherem and Korihor both demanded signs, allegedly to prove whether the Christian doctrine was true.  It may be well to pause here for a minute and talk about epistemology.  Epistemology is a word that I had never seen in my life before preparing this lesson.  It is a branch of philosophy that studies how we know things.  There are several systems of epistemology.  (Write on board "Epistemology or Ways of Knowing Things.")  To briefly state some of them that apply here:

• Empiricism means we know something is true because of personal observation or experience. 

 OBSERVATION

• Rationalism means we know something is true because it is logical.

 LOGIC

• Authoritarianism means we know something is true because experts told us it was so. 

 EXPERT TESTIMONY

• Pragmatism means we know something is true because it produces the desired results. 

 RESULTS

• Another method we as church members also use regularly is Revelation.  We know something is true because the Spirit told us.  (Write "Holy Ghost.")

(Sorry...couldn't find a picture of the Holy Ghost...)

  

(For more detail on epistemology, refer to Gerald Lund's article.)

False philosophies always claim to use some of these epistemological methods as their proof, but there is always some contradiction.  For example, Korihor said that he knew there was no God because there could be no personal observation of something that was not in the present and visible world (verse 15).  He said there was no logic in an Atonement because a child is not guilty of what his parents do (verse 25).  He said there were no experts to testify of God, only "deranged" people (verse 16).  He said that the results of these beliefs were that the people were ignorant and downtrodden (verse 23, 27-28, 31).  And, of course, he didn't believe in revelation at all (verses 14-15).  But every one of these points had a contradiction:

• Observation:  There are so many things to observe in the world around us that point to the existence of God, yet it is impossible to prove that there is no God.  One would have to go everywhere in the universe at once and not find Him there to prove that He doesn't exist.  Without doing that, a researcher would break his own scientific rules of proof (verse 40).
• Logic:  Korihor's statement that nothing is inherently a crime defies logic (verse 17).  In even the most base societies, there are certain things known to be criminal.  "Think of a country where people were admired for running away in battle, or where a man felt proud of doublecrossing all the people who had been kindest to him.  You might just as well try to imagine a country where two and two made five.  Men have differed as regards what people you ought to be unselfish to--whether it was only your own family, or your fellow countrymen, or everyone.  But they have always agreed that you ought not to put yourself first.  Selfishness has never been admired.  Men have differed as to whether you should have one wife or four.  But they have always agreed that you must not simply have any woman you liked."  (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 19) Laying this aside, if Korihor truly thought that nothing a man did was a crime, why did he care what the church leaders did?
• Expert Testimony:  Korihor had the testimonies of his brethren of the church, all the holy prophets, the scriptures, the motion of the planets, and in fact everything around him that there is a God (verse 41,44).  All of these he was willing to overlook.
• Results:  Korihor's claim that the people were downtrodden and ignorant as a result of their belief is just as false today as it was in his day, yet detractors of the church often state this as a claim.  Alma countered, "If we are deceiving the people, why are they filled with joy?" (See verse 35.)  That the gospel produces peace and joy in people who live it is another evidence that it is true and good.
• Revelation:  Korihor knew in his heart that Christ was real (verse 42,46,52).  This knowledge is available through the Light of Christ to any soul who will obey the call to "be still and know that I am God."  (Psalm 46:10)

Despite the fact that all of these ways of knowing the truth were easily in place for Korihor, Korihor did not think it was enough, and he asked for a sign (verse 43).  Sadly, when all the evidence is already clear and still a person asks for a sign, the sign given must be a curse because "faith precedes miracles".  Korihor and Sherem both were stricken with physical ailments that eventually led to their deaths (verse 50; Jacob 7:14-15,20).

Joseph Smith was, of course, intimately acquainted with the Book of Mormon and the truths and patterns found there.  Knowing how the Lord dealt with the sign-seekers Sherem and Korihor must have given him the precedent to deal with similar situations in his own time.

"I recollect a Campbellite preacher who came to Joseph Smith...and said that he had come a considerable distance to be convinced of the truth.  'Why,' said he, 'Mr. Smith, I want to know the truth, and when I am convinced, I will spend all my talents and time defending and spreading the doctrines of your religion, and I will give you to understand that to convince me is equivalent to convincing all my society, amounting to several hundreds.'  Well, Joseph commenced laying before him the coming forth of the work, and the first principles of the Gospel, when [the minister] exclaimed, 'O this is not the evidence I want, the evidence that I wish to have is a notable miracle; I want to see some powerful manifestation of the power of God, I want to see a notable miracle performed; and if you perform such a one, then I will believe with all my heart and soul, and will exert all my power and all my extensive influence to convince others; and if you will not perform a miracle of this kind, then I am your worst and bitterest enemy.' 'Well,' said Joseph, 'what will you have done?  Will you be struck blind, or dumb? Will you be paralyzed, or will you have one hand withered?  Take your choice, choose which you please, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ it shall be done.'  'That is not the kind of miracle I want,' said the preacher.  'Then, sir,' replied Joseph, 'I can perform none, I am not going to bring any trouble upon any body else, sir, to convince you.'"  (George A. Smith, in Journal of Discourses, 2:236, quoted in Robert L. Millet, The Power of the Word, p. 56-57)  (See Alma 30:51.)

Self-Destruction. Many people don't ever face the truth in this life, unfortunately.  Sherem and Korihor both did, but only after receiving their deadly signs (verse 52).  When people of our day refuse to accept truth that is before and about them in any topic, gospel or otherwise, they eventually unravel.  Korihor had fallen into the trap of believing his own lies, and the result of that was self-destruction (verse 53).

It is a very interesting and pathetic testimony of the epistemological concept of pragmatism (remember, that is: judging the truth of something by its result) to compare the stories of these two anti-Christs from the time of their curse-signs until their deaths.  Korihor was struck deaf and dumb, and in this impaired state was killed by the heartless Zoramites, a people who, ironically or not, believed exactly as Korihor had taught (verse 59).  Sherem's curse was apparently paralysis or some similar major disability that caused him to be completely unable to care for himself.  But, unlike Korihor, he had the good fortune to be among the Christians he had so ruthlessly condemned (Jacob 7:15).  Those he had abused kindly cared for him.  Robert Millet writes, "This act alone demonstrates Christianity at its highest and discipleship at its deepest."  The Christians bore out the truth of their belief by their works, to Sherem's benefit.  The Zoramites emulated the lies of the devil in their actions, to Korihor's demise (Alma 30:60).  Although the devil and his anti-Christs always offer an easy way and a happy ending (refer to equations on the board), as Alma taught the Zoramite poor (Alma 34:39), "[the devil] rewardeth you no good thing."

BEING UNSHAKEABLE

The interesting thing is that the truth of the gospel bears out under all these methods of finding out what is true, the very methods anti-Christs try to use to disprove it.  To quote Gerald Lund, "The gospel...is truth--truth that has stood the test of centuries, truth that can withstand rational examination, truth that is pragmatic and practical, truth that can be confirmed through personal experience.  A believer need not apologize for his or her beliefs, for these beliefs withstand every scrutiny much more efficiently than do the doctrines of Satan."  (Ensign, July 1992, p. 21)

President Benson warned, "Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use [the Book of Mormon] to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organized evolution, rationalism, humanism, and so forth...Social, ethical, cultural, or educational converts will not survive under the heat of the day unless their taproots go down to the fulness of the gospel which the Book of Mormon contains."  (Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, p. 6, quoted in Robert Millet, ibid.)

"To be able to bear witness of the truth in the face of ridicule, and to give no heed to the enticing and otherwise convincing voices of the worldly-wise is, according to President Joseph F. Smith, to have entered into the 'rest of the Lord,' that state 'born from a settled conviction of the truth.'  To enter the rest of the Lord 'means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive.'  To enter into the rest of the Lord is to enjoy 'rest from doubt, from fear, from apprehension of danger, rest from the religious turmoil of the world.'"  (Robert L. Millet, p. 54, quoting Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 58)

Jacob said of Sherem, "He had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me.  And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken."  (Jacob 7:5)

Likewise we, as Latter-day Saints, have each been ministered to by angels sent from God, either of this world or of the spirit world.  We have heard the voice of the Lord speaking to us, if not in very word, then in the still, small voice of peace and guidance.  We have access to even more revelations than did Jacob.  And the evidence of the truthfulness of the gospel is all around us in the collective lives and works of the saints of the latter-days.  If we build our testimonies upon these experiences, and sink our roots deep in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need not fear what anti-Christs may do or say:  We may rest in the Lord.

How do we do this?  Tune in next week!  The story of Korihor and his false ways of looking for truth is immediately followed in the Book of Mormon by Alma's great discourse to the poor of the Zoramites in which he teaches them how to experiment to find out whether the gospel is true: the analogy of the Word as a seed.

Alma 23-29

PREPARATION

Bring the following items to class:

·         a tennis ball

·         a jar that the tennis ball can barely fit into (such as a pickle jar)

·         chopsticks

·         tongs

·         a ladle that will fit into the jar

·         a pitcher with enough water in it to fill the jar (keep this out of sight until time to use it)

·         a pie plate or cake pan

·         two cleaning sponges that you have cut into heart shapes, soaked, and then dried out so they are rough and hard

·         a towel for clean-up

THE CONVERSION OF THE ANTI-NEPHI-LEHIES

Today we get to discuss one of the most fascinating groups of people found anywhere in the scriptures:  The Anti-Nephi-Lehies,  an amazing example of the ability of God’s children to change from wrong to right, permanently.

First, let’s get a feel for what they were like before the missionaries came, when they still called themselves Lamanites.

“…For they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

“Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the curse of God had fallen upon them because of the traditions of their fathers…” (Alma 17:14-15)

 But now pay attention to the “notwithstanding” part of the verse:

“…notwithstanding the promises of the Lord were extended unto them on the conditions of repentance.” 

 There was still a chance for them, as there is for all sinners.

Six missionaries came to their land and brought the Spirit into their lives and a large number of these Lamanites were converted.  (It is apparent that there were six missionaries altogether, because in verse 1 of chapter 23, the four sons of Mosiah are named, and it also says “either of their brethren,” leading us to believe that there were two others.  These other two are mentioned by name in 21:11—Muloki and Ammah.)  So many Lamanites were converted that they are not numbered or named except by city or area—entire cities converted!  These are listed in 23:8-14: 

• The Land of Ishmael
• The Land of Middoni
• The City of Nephi
• The Land of Shilom
• The Land of Shemlon
• The City of Lemuel
• The City of Shimnilom

·         And one lone Amalekite.

The truly remarkable part of the story is found in verse 6.  Now we all know that men are prone to exaggerate.  And a man editing a large amount of records would definitely be prone to generalize.  Mormon, in his abridging, realized that we might think he was simply generalizing or exaggerating, so he added an oath to his writing, the strongest oath he could make.  This same oath was used by Nephi when he was leaving Jerusalem, carrying the brass plates, disguised as Laban, with the servant Zoram following.  When Zoram realized Nephi was not Laban but a thief of some kind, and he tried to flee back into the city, what was the phrase that convinced Zoram to stay?  Nephi swore to him that “as the Lord liveth” (1 Nephi 4:32-33) he would not harm Zoram, but Zoram would be a free man if he came with them.  That oath, “as the Lord liveth,” was so strong and so binding that Zoram knew even a robber would honor it, and he trusted Nephi and went with him.  Mormon used this same oath twice in 23:6: 

“And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—“

As if that were not enough, then he inserted his attention phrase, “yea, I say unto you,” followed by a repeat of the oath.

“…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 never did fall away!  Although the Book of Mormon is full of stories of people who were righteous for a while, then slipped for a while—in fact, that seems to be one of the major themes of the book—here is a story of a people who changed and not one of them ever slipped back.

Today we are going to study how they did this.  Their example can be incredibly useful in our own lives.

OBJECT LESSON, PART ONE: THE DIFFICULTY OF REMOVING BAD CHARACTERISTICS

(Call up a volunteer.  Explain that the pickle jar represents his life, his soul.  Set it on the table to show it is planted firmly in this earth-life experience.  Into this soul enters some sins, or addictions, or bad habits, represented by the tennis ball.  Drop the ball into the jar.  How do we get this bad thing out?  We cannot start our earth-life over, like picking up the jar and dumping out the ball.  We must go from where we are.  Offer the chopsticks to use as a tool for removing the tennis ball from the jar.  Tell the volunteer he may also use his fingers, but he may not move the jar.  Let him try for a while.  Then call up another volunteer and let him use tongs to remove the ball.  Probably neither of these will succeed, but if they do it is okay.  Call up a third volunteer to try with the ladle.  He may succeed and think he’s messed up the object lesson, but you then explain that his particular habit was smoking, and he successfully removed it from his life, but every time he is in a large crowd, someone is smoking, and he has to breathe those cigarettes again.  And some of his friends or his spouse still smoked, and that smell was just more than he could take combined with the stresses of life.  Eventually, he cracked and he started smoking again.  Drop the ball back into the jar.)

So many of the world’s bad habits are so difficult to extract, and even more difficult to keep out for good:  smoking, drinking, pornography, profanity, sexual sins, even overeating or anorexia.  Probably everyone in class has tried to change something about their life through diet, exercise, willpower, etc.  and then slipped back into the same problem.  Permanent change is extremely difficult when we try to do it on our own.

But it is not impossible.  An Apostle of the Lord has testified of the very real possibility:

“Please understand the way back is not as hard as it seems to you now.  Satan wants you to think that it is impossible.  That is not true.  The Savior gave His life so that you can completely overcome the challenges you face.  (See 2 Ne. 2:6-8.)…

“Lucifer will do all in his power to keep you captive.  You are familiar with his strategy.  He whispers: …’You can’t change; you have tried before and failed.’ ‘It’s too late; you’ve gone too far.’  Don’t let him discourage you…

“Your exercise of faith permits you to call upon the strength of the Lord when you need it.  Obedience to His commandments allows that help to be given.  The power of God will come into your life because of your faithful obedience to His commandments…

“Don’t confront your problem armed with only your own experience, understanding, and strength.  Count on the infinite power of the Lord by deciding now to be obedient to His teachings.  (See 2 Ne. 31:19-21)…”

Now notice that Elder Scott, an apostle of the Lord, issues a promise as strong as Mormon’s phrase, “as the Lord liveth:”

“I promise you, in the name of the Lord, that He will help you.  He will be there in every time of need.  He gave His life so that you can change your life.  I promise you that you’ll feel His love, strength, and support.  Trust Him completely.  He is not going to make any mistakes.  He knows what He is doing…Be obedient to His teachings, and He will bless you.  I promise you He will bless you.”  (Richard G. Scott, quoted in A. Dean Byrd and Mark D. Chamberlain, Willpower is Not Enough: Why We Don’t Succeed at Change, p. 14. , originally from April 1990 General Conference)

OBJECT LESSON, PART TWO: REPLACING BAD WITH GOOD

Now, can anyone tell me how to keep this tennis ball out of the jar? 

(Bring out a pitcher of water.  Setting the jar in a pie tin to catch spills, pour water into the jar until it is full. The tennis ball will float to the top where it is easily picked up and removed.)

 It is much easier to replace the bad in our lives with a cause that is good, than it is to simply remove the bad from our lives.  This is how Christ’s Atonement, the “living water,” changed the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.  When they were converted, they took upon themselves the name of Christ.  It filled their beings, leaving no room for their previous lifestyle.  There was not a void for the habits to slip back into. 

(Set the tennis ball gently on top of the jar to show that it cannot fall back into the jar as long as the jar is filled with water.)

BACK TO THE STORY…

Now, the original convert was King Lamoni, a lesser king over a small area.  He was impressed by Ammon’s arm-whacking adventures, remember?  Then his father, whose name we do not know but who was sort of the emperor or king over all the kings was converted.  This high king conferred the kingdom upon another son of his, whose conversion story we do not know.  (But wouldn’t we like to!)  The father renamed this king/son Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  Looking up the history of the word “anti,” it is apparent that it meant something like “reflection of,” or “in honor of.”  (I got this from Hugh Nibley, but I don’t have the exact source—sorry.)  So the point of this new name was to show that the king would try to follow in the footsteps of the great forefathers, Nephi and Lehi—a rather dramatic change for a descendant of Laman and Lemuel.  And his subjects who were believers were called by that name as a society, following him in this change of self-concept.

Anyway, this is the king we are talking about now:  King Anti-Nephi-Lehi, Lamoni’s brother.  He was the example and the leader for his people in changing.  Let’s look into details of how he and his people kept themselves filling with this living water, never to let their sins reenter their lives.

HOW THEY MADE THE CHANGE PERMANENT

The Anti-Nephi-Lehies began with the important first step of having a great desire to change.  Without this, no change can happen.  But we will here focus on what they did with that desire that was so effective.  We can clearly see five things the Anti-Nephi-Lehies did that made the change permanent:

1.       Acknowledgement of God—Gratitude.  First, as evidenced by the words of the king, they were filled with gratitude.  In other words, they did not take any credit themselves for their mighty change.  They were humble.  (Have four class members each read aloud one verse of 24:7-10 and summarize what the people were grateful for.)

a.       Verse 7:  The missionaries who taught them the Right Way.

b.      Verse 8:  The Holy Ghost which softened their hearts.

c.       Verse 9:  Awareness of their errors.

d.      Verse 10:  Forgiveness received through the Atonement of Christ.

Humility is essential to change.  Once we give up the idea that we can change on our own, and turn to the Lord for aid, we are on our way.  Gratitude is key to retaining that humility and continuously having that help.

2.        Removal of Temptation.  Next, let’s look at verse 16.   “And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.”  They had to know that the title “Anti-Nephi-Lehi” would cause a very volatile situation among the Lamanites, who had a history of blaming all their troubles on Nephi and Lehi.  They had to realize that a battle would be imminent.  And they knew that it was not only their own habit to fight, but it was the natural instinct of any man to defend himself.  So, in their wise humility, they did not trust themselves.  They put the tools of their former habit where they would be very difficult to retrieve; where there would be a delay in which they could talk themselves out of breaking their covenant.  If we don’t use this technique, it will be difficult for us to stay away from our sins as well:  It’s hard to break from pornography when it is only a click away and you have no Internet blocker on your computer.  It’s hard to keep from ingesting alcohol when you are at a drinking party.  We need to make sure the temptation is far enough removed that we have time to let the spirit command the body.

3    Support System.  Another wise move is recorded in verse 17.  “And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.”  They did it together!  That way they could all support each other and keep each other from caving in when it got tough.  The same principle is used by Alcoholics Anonymous and almost every other addiction-breaking organization.  It was first used here, in the Book of Mormon, by the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. 

4.       Replacing Wrong Ways with Right Ways.  Lastly, in verse 18, what is maybe the most important point is found.  This is where the jar and the tennis ball really represent what the Anti-Nephi-Lehies did.  Pay close attention to the words “rather than.” “…And this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.”  (Write the chart below on the chalkboard.)  Keep in mind our previous lesson on Priesthood vs. Priestcraft:  The Lord’s way is always based on service and love; the devil’s way is always based on selfishness and pride.

They would die    RATHER THAN     fight.

They would give     RATHER THAN       take.

They would work     RATHER THAN      be lazy.

SELFLESSNESS      RATHER THAN      SELFISHNESS

They did not try to just remove their evil ways; they replaced them with better ways, very specifically replacing every selfish (devilish) behavior with a loving (Christ-like) behavior planned in advance.  We can do exactly the same thing if we analyze our problem situations, identify the selfish behaviors or attitudes that accompany it, and find the diametrically opposed charitable behaviors or attitudes that we can substitute.  If we notice when the Holy Ghost is present with us, and when it is absent, and what we are doing and thinking at that time, that can give us a great clue as to which side of the chart we are on.

OBJECT LESSON TWO:  HAVING THEIR HEARTS SOFTENED

So commonly in the Book of Mormon, conversion is referred to as having “hearts softened” by the Spirit.  This changes the character and the motivations of the person. 

(Show the dried sponge hearts.)

 These hearts are both hard.  They have nothing to give us.  In their present state, they cannot so much as moisten an envelope.  They cannot cool a feverish brow.  They cannot clean a child’s sticky fingers.  All they can do is take—they can soak things into themselves. 

(Point to the selfish side of the chalkboard chart.  Pass one of the hearts around the class.)         

But once a person has his heart “softened” by the living waters of Christ and is filled with the Spirit, his whole purpose is to give and to love others.  

(Dip the second sponge heart in the water of the pickle jar until it is saturated.  Pass it around the room after the other.)

 This heart will give a little of the water to everyone it touches. 

(Point to the selflessness side of the chalkboard chart.) 

It can wash a little face.  It can clean a scraped knee.  It can even quench thirst.

HOW THEY ACTED UPON THEIR PLAN

So, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, with their newly softened hearts, set up this plan of action based upon the Lord’s way of love and service.  It’s amazing to observe how they acted upon this plan.

 “Now when the people saw that they (the other Lamanites) were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.”  (Alma 24:21)

They acted, rather than reacting.  When the hostile Lamanites came upon them to kill them, they did not run from them.  They didn’t even wait in the houses to be found cowering in a corner.  They walked right out to meet them and laid themselves on the ground, ready to be killed.  Rather than shed blood, they would die.  What a great act of love this was towards their brethren, the unconverted Lamanites.

And when “the rubber hit the road,” they called upon the Lord for strength.

5.       Praying when tempted.  It’s hard to imagine that we could commit a sin again if we were continuously praying at the moment of temptation.

What good did it do? you may ask.  After all, they ended up dying.  But although 1,005 of them were killed (verse 22), the hearts of many of the opposing warriors were also softened at their humility and commitment to the gospel, and they laid down next to their dead brethren and refused to kill anymore.  Their repentance was also sincere and permanent.  And more of them were converted than the number of Anti-Nephi-Lehies who had been killed (verse 26).

I don’t know if it felt like this to those it was happening to, but in the eternal scheme of things, this horrible massacre had a happy result:  No one was killed who was unprepared to meet God, and many were converted to the Lord as a direct result of the deaths of the righteous.

THE MORALS OF THE STORY

In this chapter, we find three important messages of eternal worth, pointed out to us by Mormon.  How do we recognize these?  They are each heralded by the important phrase “Thus we see.”

The first one is in verse 19:  THUS WE SEE that it is possible for sinners to change and remain firm in their change.   

“And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace (I think this is a typo by Mormon which he then corrected), or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.”

The second is in verse 27:  THUS WE SEE that things that are tragedies to our minds may be allowed by the Lord because they will work for the salvation of others.   

“And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.”

The third is in verse 30, where we discover that none of those who laid down next to their dead enemies were Amalekites or Amulonites (Nephite/Christian dissenters):  THUS WE CAN PLAINLY DISCERN that when people have the gospel and leave it behind, they tend to be more hardened than before.  

 “And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.”  (This is why the Lord taught in parables so that not everyone could easily understand, why we are required to have a temple recommend rather than just walk in, and why the harsh warning is given in the temple movie by the devil.  The Lord desires to protect the insincere or uncommitted.)

THE REST OF THE STORY

The Lord did not leave the Anti-Nephi-Lehies there to be continually killed by their brethren, though.  He commanded Ammon to take them back to live among the Nephites.  The Nephites took them in joyfully and provided land and housing for them.  And Ammon and his companions, and Alma the Younger and his companion Amulek all had a wonderful mission reunion at Alma’s place and bore testimony to each other.  Mormon saw fit to include Alma’s testimony in Alma’s own words, in chapter 29:  “O that I were an angel!”

Why would Alma wish to be an angel?  Because his own conversion was wrought so powerfully by the visit of an angel, bringing him afterwards incredible joy.  Why did he say that he “sinned” in this wish to be an angel?  (Alma 29:3.)  First, because he does not lack anything that an angel has, except a glorified and commanding presence.  As we have read many times in these passages, he and the other missionaries had the Spirit of Prophecy (the Word contained in the scriptures and testimonies of the prophets), the Spirit of Revelation (personal knowledge from God and of God), and the Priesthood (the power of God on earth).  (Alma 17:3).  And second, because it is not the Lord’s purpose to teach the whole world at once through one personage, as Alma desired, but to teach each nation as it is prepared to receive the word by the people of their own nation that all may rejoice together.  (Alma 29:7-8.)  And anyway, the converts viewed their missionaries as angels sent from God to save them (27:4).

We also, in our efforts at home and abroad, both by ourselves and through the works and words of our children and students, can do the work of angels.  If we do so, we can, as Alma says (29:17), “sit down in the kingdom of God” with “those who are the fruits of our labors.”  We can, through the Atonement, effect change in our lives and theirs that will be permanent, “that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever.”