Alma 13-16

A TEAM OF WITNESSES


Have you ever thought about why there are two of so many things?  Missionaries always have a companion.  Why?  Just to keep them out of trouble?  Just for safety under the "buddy system?"  Why are there also two home teachers, and two visiting teachers, two parents and two grandparents (in the ideal situation)?  In each instance, they are a team of witnesses, and this is how a team of witnesses works:  One testifies, and the other establishes or verifies the words of the first, and then he expounds upon them, or explains things beyond (Alma 12:1).  One visiting teacher gives a little lesson from the Ensign or the Liahona, the other visiting teacher adds to it.  One parent states a family rule that is in line with a gospel principles, and the second parent backs it up.  The Lord's various systems of helping His children almost always involve the law of witnesses.

Picture from MormonMissionaryPrep.com

Alma and Amulek were one of the Lord's great missionary companionships.  When they were challenged by a wily lawyer named Zeezrom, they withstood him as a team of witnesses.  They knew that Zeezrom knew the truth and was denying it in order to get gain.  First Amulek warned Zeezrom that he was headed towards becoming a "child of hell" (Alma 11:23).  He warned that the devil was working to "encircle" him about with the chains of hell (Alma 12:3-6).  Zeezrom began to be entertain the possibility that they were right (Alma 12:7).  At this point (Alma 12:8) he "began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God."  Now he was asking sincere questions.  Alma taught him about the plan of redemption, and presented before him his options of repenting or continuing in evil (Alma 12:34-35).

THE DISCUSSION ON PRIESTHOOD

A lot of other people were listening as well. Following this discussion, Alma seemingly changed the subject and suddenly launched into the topic of the priesthood (Alma 13:1).  All of chapter 13 is about the priesthood.  Pretty random, right?  But it's always a mistake to assume something in the scriptures is random, so instead we want to ask, why did he find this relevant to explain at this important teaching moment?

Well, the Ammonihahites had claimed at the outset not to recognize his authority, since they had broken themselves off from the church.  They had the scriptures, although they twisted them for their own use.  With these remarks about the priesthood, Alma was establishing his authority as being the same authority that Melchizedek had in their scriptures.  They had been led astray by priestcraft, the devil's method of leadership, based on selfishness.  They needed to return to priesthood, the Lord's leadership method of love and service.

So Alma reminded them of Melchizedek, the great high priest, to show them that he had the same calling and authority and was doing the same service (preaching repentance) that Melchizedek did (Alma 13:17-18 first sentence).  Not only was Melchizedek an excellent example of a high priest, but the people of Salem were an excellent example of people who were very wicked (like those of Ammonihah), entrenched in the selfishness of priestcraft, but who turned completely around and became so righteous that they may have been taken up into heaven like the City of Enoch (second sentence of Alma 13:18).  (Very little remains in our Bible about Melchizedek and Salem, but there is more in JST Genesis 14.  The Nephites certainly would have had more in their brass plates than we do now because they had passed through fewer hands than the Bible has.)  Alma counseled the people to follow this example (Alma 13:14).

THE WAKE OF ZEEZROM'S WICKED PAST

Some of the people were inspired by these teachings and wanted to change.  One of them was Zeezrom himself.  However, the majority of the people were murderously angry with Alma and Amulek.  They tied them up and took them before the chief judge, another crooked person.  They testified against them in another court and Zeezrom was present to witness this (Alma 14:6).  Alma and Amulek had both warned Zeezrom that he would be "encircled about by the pains of hell."  They were prophets and they had "forth-told" about this.  They didn't need to actually see the future to see that this would happen.  They knew the principles upon which happiness is based, and they knew that Zeezrom's actions were contrary to them.

Zeezrom tried to reverse his negative influence, but couldn't (Alma 14:7).  When we make big mistakes, yes, we can always repent and learn from them, but our sins always leave a wake.  Others are affected by our actions and example, and we often cannot reverse those consequences, as much as we might desire to do so.  The realization of this brings great suffering, such as Zeezrom experienced, when we realize the "blindness" of others' minds, "which [we have] caused."

THE MASS MARTYRDOM

The evil people threw all the believing men out of the city, casting stones at them.  Then they took the wives and children left behind and threw them into a fire, along with scriptures (Alma 14:8-9).  Alma and Amulek were forced to watch all these innocents burn to death.  Even though Alma and Amulek knew that "death is sweet if [you] die unto [Christ], " (D&C 42:46), and they knew that those being killed were, in the long run, much better off than those killing them, it was still something that--how could you get over it?  As Amulek said to Alma, "How can we witness this awful scene?"  (Alma 14:10)

Which brings us to one of the great and dividing questions of all time:  Why would a loving God allow this to happen?  Of course, these innocent women and children could have been easily saved with His power!  Why did he constrain Alma not to exercise his priesthood? (Wait for class response.)

God must let a people ripen in iniquity before His judgments can be just in destroying them.  People will not be judged for what they might have done.  (Alma 11:41; 41:3-4)

THE IMPRISONMENT

After this, Alma and Amulek were cast into prison.  They were left there for many days and served as an entertainment for the people, who came continually to spit upon them and taunt them and slap them.  They were given no food or water or clothing, and were tightly tied up (Alma 14:22).  Continually the people mocked them with question such as, "If you have such mighty priesthood power, why don't you free yourselves?" but Alma and Amulek did not answer a word.  Why do you think they didn't?  (Class response)

Finally, Alma stood up and offered a mighty prayer from deep within his heart (Alma 14:26).  His prayer was immediately answered, and he and Amulek received Incredible Hulk-type strength to stand--remember they had been starved and beaten for days--and break their bands.  This caused a realization on the part of the accusers that they had committed a really big "oops"; they had never intended to actually receive the sign from heaven they had kept demanding.  They ran for the prison doors, but the earthquake didn't wait for them to get there (Alma 14:27-28).

Even after this miraculous occurrence, those on the outside who were still alive did not have any desire to listen to Alma and Amulek, but sent them out of the city (Alma 15:1) where they found asylum in the land of Sidom.

SURVIVING TRAGEDY

Here they found all the men who also had been thrown out of Ammonihah, and they related the horrifying story of the gruesome deaths of their families (Alma 15:1-2).  Imagine being one of these men.  What did they feel?  How did they go on?

Unfortunately, like the missionaries of Ammonihah, there are righteous people today all over the world who must witness awful and senseless crimes where the ravings of the devil are unleashed upon innocent people.  How can they carry on?  By believing, as did Alma, that if they survived the tragedy, their mission is not complete and the Lord will help them carry it out (Alma 14:13).  As John Bytheway counseled the Columbine, Colorado seminary students after the 1999 massacre at their high school, "Don't let tragedy define your life.  You have your own mission to accomplish and you should not be deterred."  (See John Bytheway, When Times Are Tough: 5 Scriptures That Will Help You Get Through Almost Anything, published by Deseret Book)

(By the way--sorry, John, I couldn't avoid the pun--here are the 5 scriptures in case you want to branch off on this topic: "[We] know that [God] loveth his children" [1 Nephi 11:17]; We know that God allows evil to exist in the world [Moses 7:26-33]; "Our work is not finished" [Alma 14:13]; The Atonement is not just for sinners [Alma 7:11-12]; One day the Lord will reveal all things [D&C 101:32-36] )

The Lord offers victims comfort:

"All they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory.  Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full.  Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul.  And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life."  (D&C 101:35-37)

You can, even after a tragedy, still have a fulness of joy!  How is this possible?  Through the Atonement.  The Atonement is not just for sinners, but for every kind of suffering (Alma 7:11).  Because of the Atonement, Christ knows "how to succor his people" (Alma 7:12).

What about those whose actions cause the sufferings of others?  The story of Zeezrom tells us that the Atonement also is available for them.

Zeezrom was in this same city in Sidom--he had fled here when he was cast out of Ammonihah--and he lay here sick and dying of a fever, brought upon him by his anguish of conscience.  There was no way that he of himself could get over the terrible sickness of mind and body that his wickedness had caused.  Alma knew that the only way out of such a situation of guilt is the same and only way that he got out of it and that we can get out of it.  Once again, it was through the Atonement of Christ.  He had experienced it himself (Alma 36:17-20).  He could see that Zeezrom was just a mirror of himself, and he knew what to do about it (Alma 15:8-12).

AMULEK'S SACRIFICE

We make covenants in the temple that we would be willing to sacrifice for the gospel, but have any of us ever had to sacrifice much?  There are people in the world who sacrifice greatly for their testimonies, such as Amulek did.  Amulek lost everything he had except for the most important thing, his testimony of Christ (Alma 15:16).  Although he was a great missionary, he was also a homeless beggar.  But he had a new family in the gospel (Alma 15:18).  We must always follow the example of Alma in succoring new converts who have sacrificed to join the Church.

Was it worth the sacrifice?  Well, King Benjamin had taught that you can never be in debt to the Lord.  No matter how much you give Him, He will give you more back.  It is always true, if not always instant.  And it was true for Amulek in this life as well as in the life after, which "life after" came much later for him than it did for those who cast him out.

THE DESOLATION OF NEHORS

Amulek had warned the people of his home town that the presence of the righteous among them was preserving them (Alma 10:22-23).  It is still true today.  Spencer W. Kimball wrote, "There are many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction."  (Ensign, June 1971, p. 16)  When the Ammonihahites cast out the righteous, they sealed their own fate.

In the following year, word came that the Lamanites were on the warpath.  The city of Ammonihah was the first thing in that path, and before an army could be gathered, that city was massacred.  There were many prisoners of war taken from the surrounding cities.  The chief captain of the armies, Zoram, was a God-fearing man, and he knew that Alma had a testimony of Christ (the spirit of prophecy), so he asked him to exercise that testimony and call upon God, through the spirit of revelation, to know how to get these prisoners back.  Alma inquired of the Lord and received very specific instructions on where to find the Lamanites and what to do.  Zoram followed these instructions and was 100% successful in rescuing the prisoners and scattering the armies of the Lamanites (Alma 16:5-8).

But it was all too late for Ammonihah, whose devastation was 100%.  The judgments of God had to be executed upon them, because they were just (or fair) judgments.  The Lord had said they would be destroyed, and he is a God of truth (Alma 16:9-11).

THE HAPPY ENDING

With the influence of the Nehors gone, Alma and Amulek were free to preach the gospel to a very receptive audience of Nephites  (Alma 16:15-16, 21).

Here is where we find the good news in this story:  Thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone who is true to the faith, no matter what trials they have to go through, gets to live happily ever after.  In this life, things are seldom fair.  Wicked people sometimes prosper; righteous people sometimes suffer.  Martyrdom is not that uncommon in the history of the Lord's people.  But the Lord's people will always be more than compensated ("All things work together for good to them that love God," Rom. 8:28), and all will eventually be made more than fair.  In the short term, Amulek suffered as the Nehors prospered, but he always had the peace of the gospel, which they refused, and in the end, his life was spared when theirs were not.

Alma 8-12

You may want to have some missionary-related visual aids, such as pictures of missionaries from your area, pictures from your own mission, a globe, missionary name tags, ties, etc.  Or use the many fabulous pictures now available from the just-barely-updated LDS Media website!  It's so great!!!  (The images posted here come from that source.)

  

IN-CLASS STUDY

If you have a large class of adults, have two tins of small treats--one which just has the treats, and the other which has 11 treats with scripture references taped to them.  Tell the class if they read (past tense) the assignment at home, they can take a treat from the treat-only tin.  If they didn't, this is their opportunity to delve into the scriptures.  But always give them an out--if they would rather die than participate (sometimes you have even adults who will not come back to class if you ask them to read aloud because it's too difficult for them) tell them they can give their assignment (and its treat) to someone else.  

If you have a small teenage class, just hand out the snacks and the references to those willing to read.  (Give the super-small ones to the challenged or less confident readers.)

Allow one minute for the students to look up and study their references.  

• Mission Area:  Read Alma 6:1-4
• Mission Area:  Read Alma 7:26
• Mission Area:   Read Alma 8:4-5
• Mission Area:   Read Alma 14:1-2
• Mission Area:   Read Alma 15:13-14 
• Missionary Tool: Read Alma 8:4
• Missionary Tool:  Read Alma 8:10
• Missionary Tool:  Read Alma 8:24 (first four lines)
• Missionary Tool:  Read Alma 8:14-15; Alma 10:7; Alma 10:10
• Missionary Tool:  Read Alma 10:7
• Missionary Tool:  Read Alma 9:2,6; Alma 10:12

OBJECT LESSON

If I hold a piece of paper up high in the air, and I let go of it, what is going to happen to it?  (Demonstrate.)  Of course, it will always fall to the ground.

Richard L. Evans made a very profoundly obvious statement:  "If we don't change direction, we will arrive at where we're going."  (April 1970 Conference Report)

Depending on which direction we are going, this is either a great encouragement or a terrible threat.  (Drop paper again.)  Is there anything I can do to prevent the paper from falling to the ground at my feet?  (Fold the paper into an airplane.)  If someone changes  it, its course will change.  (Fly the paper airplane.)  Of course, paper has no agency, so we can make it change.  People are different, and because of that, this is kind of a depressing lesson.

OVERVIEW OF ALMA'S MISSION AREAS

Alma, as you recall, retired from his position as chief judge in order to serve a full-time mission.  Over a period of a couple of years, we have record of his teaching in five cities.  Our five ill-fated class members are going to tell us what they are and give us a very brief report on how successful Alma was in each place.

Cheat Sheet for teachers:

1. Alma 6:1-4  Zarahemla--Somewhat successful
2. Alma 7:26  Gideon--Successful
3. Alma 8:4-5  Melek--Highly successful
4. Alma 14:1-2  Ammonihah--Some success/Much miserable failure  
5. Alma 15:13-14  Sidom--Highly Successful

 Today's topic is the mission area that was the most miserable failure of all of these:  Ammonihah.

As one of the greatest missionary companionships of all time, Alma and Amulek did everything possible to help the people of Ammonihah change direction from the collision course they were on.  Many great tools for conversion were in place which worked in the other cities and would have worked here were it not for the one thing missionaries have no control over: the agency of the people.

TOOLS FOR MISSIONARY WORK (HELPING OTHERS TO CHANGE)

Have the class members with Missionary Tool scriptures tell what tool they each discovered from their scriptures.  There is no particular order.  Write them on the board.

• Alma 8:4--Authority.  This was very effective in Melek, but was this tool effective in Ammonihah?  (Read aloud the first three lines of Alma 8:12.)
• Alma 8:24--Testimony.  Here is another chance to earn more treats:  If you were paying attention last week, do you remember where to find the definition of the spirit of prophecy?  (Rev. 19:10)  What about the spirit of revelation?  (D&C 8:2-3)
• Alma 8:14-15; Alma 10:7; Alma 10:10--Angelic Visits.  The work of angels in conversion has many interesting parallels here.  Alma was very rebellious, but the visit of an angel convinced him to allow Christ to change him.  Now he received a very different visit from an angel.  (Alma 8:15)  This angel directed him to return to Ammonihah after having been thrown out of the city forcibly.  In Ammonihah there is another man who is rebellious:  Amulek.  (Alma 10:4-7)  An angel directs Amulek to receive Alma into his home.  Could Alma's mighty prayer for Ammonihah have brought about the angelic vision and conversion of Amulek?  Very possibly.  Are there any more angelic visitations involved in this mission?  (10:10)  Alma spent significant time tutoring Amulek (Alma 8:27) and helping his testimony to grow, and angels helped with this process.  Imagine what kind of an experience it would be, if you were the least bit receptive, to have the prophet of the Lord living in your home, and angels dropping by to visit!  This must have been necessary, because Amulek would need a very strong testimony to endure what lay ahead in the mission field.
• Alma 10:7--Fasting.  "[Alma had] fasted many days because of the sins of the people."
• Alma 9:2,6 and Alma 10:12--Two witnesses.  Alma was at first preaching alone (Alma 9:2,6).  When Amulek began to testify to the people, he first established his lineage (10:1-3), then his worldly authority and perspective (just what they had asked for:  someone like themselves) (10:4-5), and then he testified of the authority of Alma as a source of truth, whom they had already heard and rejected (10:7-10).  He told them what joy Alma had in store for them.  (Read aloud 10:11.)  The people were astonished that there really were two witnesses (10:12).  This was what they had asked for.  But did it work to change them?  No.  They had already made up their minds not to change, regardless of what happened.

THE TRIAL

Amulek called the people to repentance and testified that they would be destroyed if they didn't repent. (Read aloud Alma 10:21-22.)  "There are many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction."  (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, June 1971, p. 16)

The people of Ammonihah did not care much for this kind of rebuke.

(Read aloud Alma 10:31-32.)  Now this idea of lawyers "getting gain according to their employ" does not seem weird at all to us, but it was a new thing at the time.

"Ancient judges were not paid professionals.  In the Old World, kings were...responsible for the administration of justice...  Prior to Mosiah's new law introduced around 91 BC it is unlikely that any judges were paid...in Nephite society.  As well-intended as Mosiah's program was, it quickly led to abuse...(Lawyers] soon made it a 'business' and sought to 'get gain' through this system" (FARMS, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 39)

Zeezrom, then, was quite motivated by money, and assumed everyone else was.  He was also quite crooked, and assumed everyone else was.  So he attempted to bribe Amulek with six onties of silver to deny Christ.  (Alma 11:22)  This was the equivalent of a judge's wage for 42 days, or 42 measures of barley.  Of course, this had no effect upon Amulek: he would not sell his testimony for money.  Amulek condemned Zeezrom for denying his own testimony.  (Read aloud Alma 11:24.)  Amulek then answered Zeezrom's trick questions about God, and taught about life after death.

When Amulek was finished, Alma stepped up.  (Read aloud Alma 12:1.)  This is how missionaries, or teams of witnesses, work.  One testifies, and the other establishes the testimony of the first.  So first Alma expounded upon Amulek's testimony that Zeezrom was doing the work of the devil.  Then he expounded upon Amulek's teachings of the resurrection and judgment.

THE LAST MISSIONARY TOOL

After giving the people the choice between the course of destruction they were presently on, and a new one they might have if they repented, Alma exercised a final tool for effecting change in others, a tool always used by the prophets and apostles in their conference talks, a tool always used by the Apostle Paul in his epistles:

• Encouragement.  In the next chapter, next week's assignment, he finished his speech by telling them about people who magnified their calling in the Priesthood, and by encouraging them to follow that example.  (Read aloud Alma 13:14, and Alma 13:27,30.)

CONCLUSION

There may be a lot of wickedness in many parts of the world today, many people headed down the wrong path.  (Drop the piece of paper again.)  The preaching of the Word by the missionaries may change that as it did in Melek and Sidom and Gideon, if the people are receptive.  (Show the paper airplane again.)  But only we as members of the Church  have the capacity for messing up as badly as did the people of Ammonihah.  (Read aloud Alma 9:19-23, paying attention to the word "having" in this passage.  Class members may want to underline that word because it itemizes the privileges they rejected.)  This is such a danger that it is put in a kind of boldface in the temple endowment ceremony:  rejecting great blessings and covenants, such as those made in the temple, puts you directly into the devil's hands.  If you willfully reject great blessings, great opportunities to become like Christ (crumble the paper airplane into a ball and drop it), you fall much faster than if you had never had the gospel in the first place.

Next week we'll see how this happened in Ammonihah.  You people who like horror novels, be sure to read it.  It's an easy assignment--only 4 chapters--and very fascinating.  (Alma 13-16) 

Alma 5-7

Alma 5-7

SEEING THE DIVINITY IN OTHERS

“When I was 18, as I was preparing to serve a mission, my bishop called me to teach the Sunbeams. I had never before learned to love others more than myself until I had served those children in such a simple assignment. With time and patience I learned how to keep those seven children in their seats and listening to a simple lesson.

“One day I invited Mike(name changed) to come to church and sit in my class. Mike was my age but had stopped attending church completely by the time he was 12. We had remained friends over the years as I had served as the deacons quorum president, the teachers quorum president, and first assistant to the bishop in the priests quorum. He had been the topic of many fellowshipping discussions and was often part of my prayers as the years had passed. Once in a while Mike would accept my invitations to come to an activity. It always surprised me when he did, so I kept inviting him.

“At that time, Mike had long, black hair and a beard. His complexion was dark and pleasant. I don’t remember when I invited him to my Primary class, but one day he showed up.

“’Class, I would like to introduce you to my friend Mike,’ is how I began my lesson. ‘He is visiting us today.’

(This image is available in the May 2000 print New Era)

“Mike sat next to me in front. The children sat in a semicircle with their eyes fixed on him. They were much quieter than usual. I was about five or six minutes into the lesson when one little boy got up from his chair and walked across the room and stood directly in front of my friend. The boy paused for a moment and then climbed onto his lap. I continued with the lesson as I watched the two of them from the corner of my eye.

“The boy sat looking into Mike’s face. Mike was quite uncomfortable but did not interrupt the lesson or turn the boy away. The other children watched the two of them for a few minutes.

“Then one of the girls climbed off her seat and approached Mike. I was intently interested in seeing how Mike would react and did not want to instruct the two children to return to their seats. The girl stood with her hand on Mike’s knee looking into his face.

“Then it happened. The boy on Mike’s lap reached up with both hands and turned Mike’s face directly to his. I stopped my lesson to see what was about to unfold.

“With the innocence of a child, he said to Mike, ‘Are you Jesus?’

“The look on Mike’s face was total surprise. It seemed, as I glanced at the children’s faces, they all had the same question on their minds.

“Mike looked at me as if to say, Help, what do I say?

“I stepped in. ‘No, this is not Jesus. This is His brother.’

“Mike looked at me as if in shock.

“Then without hesitation the boy in Mike’s lap reached up and wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck. ‘I can tell,’ the boy said as he hugged Mike.

“The rest of the children smiled and nodded in agreement as their simple question was answered. Mike blinked back the tears in response to the love he felt from this small Sunbeam. The lesson went on, but that day the teacher who taught the most was a three-year-old child.

“Mike spent more than a year getting ready to serve a mission. It thrilled me to learn that he left for the mission field a few months before I returned. I still think of the scripture in Matthew 18:5 [Matt. 18:5]: ‘And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.’  (Ken Merrell, New Era, May 2000)

The children saw something in Mike that he hadn’t seen in himself.  This initiated a change in him toward actually becoming a disciple of Christ.  This is the same way that Alma viewed the people of Zarahemla.  He saw beyond the surface of their errors and their arrogance to their divine potential.  They had forgotten who they were, and Alma, like the children in the Sunbeam class, successfully reminded them.  This caused them to change themselves.

President Benson said, “The Lord works from the inside out.  The world works from the outside in….  The world would mold men by changing their environment.  Christ changes men, who then change their environment.  The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”  (Ensign, Nov. 85, p. 6)

DRAWING OUT THE DIVINITY IN OTHERS

We all have (or should have) the desire to draw out the divine nature in those we see who have lost touch with it.  Alma’s work among the people of Zarahemla can be a good guide for our similar work.  It was not Alma who changed them; he inspired them to come to Christ that He might change them.  How did he do this?  Because they were “raised in the church,” he did not have a lot of teaching to do; mostly what he did was remind.

1.      Reminding them of their spiritual heritage. First Alma helped the people remember the Lord’s blessings to the previous generation, because of their repentance and faith.  (Alma 5:4-7 up to “…the everlasting word.”)

2.      Reminding them of their own spiritual rebirth.  Alma asked the people three questions, which were really the same question:  Do you remember gaining your spiritual witness and getting on the Path?  (Alma 5:14)

3.      Asking them to assess their faithfulness since.  He asked them two more questions, which were also the same question:  Have you continued on that path?  (Alma 5:15)

4.      Helping them to see the eternal perspective.  First, Alma helped them visualize the experience the righteous will have that the judgment bar.  (Alma 5:16)  Then he helped them imagine what the future may hold if they continue down the wrong path.  (Alma 5:18-19)

5.      Showing them that they are not beyond hope.  (Alma 5:33-35)

6.      Placing the responsibility on their shoulders.  He “put the ball in their court” by placing the options before them and asking them what they planned to do now.  (Alma 5:53-55; 60)

7.      Bearing testimony.  Throughout his discourse, Alma bore testimony of the truthfulness of his words.  (Alma 5:48)

HOW TO GAIN A TESTIMONY

In bearing his testimony, Alma told the people how this change was wrought upon him.  It’s interesting that he did not mention his overpowering experience with the angel.  Perhaps, it being Zarahemla where this occurred, they already were familiar with the story.  But perhaps he just wanted to focus on the part of his conversion that was relevant to them, that was similar to what they could expect.  (Alma 5:45-47)

Three elements of Alma’s conversion are obvious here:

1) Desire/effort.  He "fasted and prayed for many days."  He may have done this many times, the first of which would have been while he was paralyzed and in the depths of despair after the angel's visit.  (Alma 36)

2) The Spirit of Revelation

3) The Spirit of Prophecy

Our previous lesson focused on the importance of the element of desire in gaining a testimony, so we will focus here on the other two elements.  The Prophet Joseph Smith testified, “Testimony is always attended by the spirit of prophecy and revelation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 148).

THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY

Can you recite off the top of your head the scripture that gives us the definition of the spirit of prophecy?  “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10)  Prophecy is not about telling the future nearly so much as it is about testifying of Christ.  The purpose of all scripture is to testify of Jesus Christ.  As Jacob said, “None of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.”  (Jacob 7:11)  Alma had access to the prophecies of both the living prophets of his day who had and bore testimonies of Jesus, and to the prophecies of the Brass Plates and the Plates of Nephi and Lehi, and the Plates of Ether.  The spirit of prophecy has an effect on us when we find the Savior through the testimony of others.

The spirit of prophecy was evident in the development of Alma’s father’s testimony.  (Alma 5:11).  The spirit of prophecy was also evident in the development of Enos’ testimony.  (Enos 1:1,3-4)  This is one element of testimony that parents and leaders can plant in our children and students.  It can be there and waiting for them when they are ready to add the other ingredients.

“When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently…other areas of activity [in the church] will automatically come.  Testimonies will increase.  Commitment will be strengthened.  Families will be fortified.  Personal revelation will flow.”  (Ensign, May 1986, p. 81)

Such is the power of the spirit of prophecy!

THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION

Can you recite the scripture that gives the definition of the spirit of revelation?  “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.  Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation.”  (D&C 8:2-3)

The spirit of revelation takes those testimonies of Jesus which we hear and read, and through the catalyst of our desire, tells us personally, straight from God to us, that they are true.  This is when we can say, as Alma did, “I know of myself,” independent of any outside influence (Alma 5:48).  (See also Enos 1:5.)  Moroni’s famous promise confirms how these three elements combine to build a testimony in Moroni 10:3-4: 

1.      Prophecy:  “Remember how merciful,” “and when ye shall receive these things”

2.      Desire:  “Ask,” “sincere heart,” “real intent”

3.      Revelation:  “He will manifest the truth of it unto you.”

For most of us, this conversion process takes place by degrees.  As Elder McConkie wrote, “Repentant persons become alive to one spiritual reality after another, until they are wholly alive in Christ and are qualified to dwell in his presence forever” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:401).  Moroni tells us that we may use this process again and again.  (Moroni 10:5)

SUMMARY

We can each use these teachings of Alma’s to remind ourselves and others of the eternal perspective and to build our testimonies.  It’s a good opportunity to reassess ourselves.  Can His image be seen in your countenance?  And can you see the possibility of His image, the divine potential, in those people you teach and serve?

Mosiah 29-Alma 4

Mosiah 29, Alma 1-4

Preparation:  Print up and cut out the sentences below and place them in a paper bag.  Have class members each draw one out as they come into the room until they are all gone.  Instruct them to fill in the blank and hang onto the paper until they are called upon to read it.

1)      King Mosiah was getting old.  He sent a message throughout the land to his people, asking them who they like to be their next _______.  (Mosiah 29:1)

2)      The people voted for Mosiah’s second son, ________ (Mosiah 29:2)

3)      Unfortunately, Aaron could not do it because he was on a mission to the Lamanites in the Land of _________.  (Mosiah 29:3)

4)      In fact, ______ of Mosiah’s sons was willing to become the king.  (Mosiah 29:3)

5)      Mosiah counseled the people: “Now it if were possible that you could ___________ men to be your kings, everything would be okay.” (Mosiah 29:13)

6)      A just king would establish the laws of ________, and judge the people according to his ________. (Mosiah 29:13)

7)      “But all men are ______ just, so this doesn’t always work out.” (Mosiah 29:16)

8)      “Behold, how much _____________ doth one wicked king cause to be committed, and what great __________!”  (Mosiah 29:17)

9)      So Mosiah said, “Let us be __________ and plan ahead.”  (Mosiah 29:10)

10)   “I will be your king the remainder of my days, but let us appoint _____________ to judge the people according to our law.”  (Mosiah 29:11)

11)   So Mosiah asked the people to vote for __________ to judge them according to their laws which were correct, having been given to their fathers, by the hand of _____________. (Mosiah 29:25)

12)   _________ the Younger was appointed to be the first chief judge. (Mosiah 29:42)

13)   _________ the Younger was also the High Priest. (Mosiah 29:42)

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in Providence, Utah three blocks away from our church-house which was famous for its bright blue shingled roof.  Inside, blue was the main color as well.  The Relief Society room was furnished with blue-cushioned folding chairs, situated wall-to-wall, with an aisle down the middle.  Gospel Doctrine was taught in this classroom.  During one class period, our former bishop, Art Olson, was seated right next to the wall, nodding off to sleep, and my mother was seated right behind him with my baby brother Gordon.  Gordon was getting restless—Gordon was not a placid toddler—so Mom handed him her car keys to jingle. 

Right underneath Bishop Olson’s overstuffed blue folding chair was something that caught Gordon’s eye: an electrical outlet. 

I don’t even have to tell you the rest of the story; you can figure it out yourself.  The bishop did not get his nap that day!  Gordon, miraculously, stuck two keys in the outlet at the same time, thereby creating a circuit and making an enormous noise and a huge puff of black smoke, but not electrocuting himself or Bishop Olson.  (Do NOT try this at home!!!)

Electricity is a wonderful power.  Think where we’d be without it.  Is there anything in your house that is functional when the power is out?  Could you even be reading this lesson without electricity?  When it is properly harnessed, it provides many wonderful services to us, and greatly enhances and even saves life. 

However, being in an open area during a thunderstorm (or plugging keys into an electrical outlet) will teach us that electricity out of control is very frightening and destructive.

Like electricity, political and religious power can be a wonderful blessing and service to everyone it reaches, or it can be a mighty destructive force, mowing down everything in its path.  Our discussion today is on the use and misuse of power. 

Write POWER on the chalkboard.

THE PROPER USE OF POLITICAL POWER: THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF THE JUDGES

Have class members with sentences 1-4 read them.

This made Mosiah stop and think.  Would it really have been a good idea to make Aaron the king anyway?  Glenn Latham, the author of Christlike Parenting, is fond of a saying that pertains to parenting:  “Today is not forever.”  This is reminder to parents that their child will not always be like he is today.  Sometimes this is a comfort!  A rebellious teen may find God after all and turn his life completely around, just as Aaron and his brothers did.  On the other hand, a grown child, married in the temple, serving in a leadership position, may turn his back on his family and the Church when confronted with a theological challenge or an overwhelming temptation.  You never know what the future can hold, and Mosiah recognized this truth.  “What if my son goes back to his wicked ways?  Is it really a good idea to give one person that much power?”  He realized there was no guarantee that his son would always handle the power righteously, no matter how righteous he was at the moment.

Have sentences 5 read.

How exactly did Mosiah define a just king?

Have sentence 6 read.

So who are some of the just kings we have come across so far in the Book of Mormon?  (Nephi [in Jacob 1], Mosiah I [in Omni], Benjamin [in Mosiah 1-3], Limhi [in Mosiah 19-22], and Mosiah II whom we are talking about today)

Have sentences 7 and 8 read.

Who are some of the unjust kings we have come across in the book of Mormon?  (King Noah [in Mosiah 11], several Lamanite kings [one in Mosiah 20])

Have sentences 9-13 read.

THE IMPROPER USE OF RELIGIOUS POWER: PRIESTCRAFT

Alma’s father, when he was the new High Priest, had to deal with the new problem of apostate members.  Now the younger Alma, in his new role as high priest also had a new problem: priestcraft brought to them by a person named Nehor.  Nehor’s teachings would plague the Nephite people for generations to come.

The general principles of Nehor’s theology were very basic.  The first is found in Alma 1:3—Preachers ought to be paid.  Why on earth, when Alma and the other leaders were serving the people for free, would anyone go for this idea?  They went for it because they liked the second principle, found in Alma 1:4—All mankind should be saved, regardless of belief or action.  The people were willing to pay Nehor to remove their guilt and give them free reign to do what they wanted.  Jacob had warned them, however, generations earlier, “Do not spend your money for that which is of no worth,” (2 Nephi 9:51) and false religious principles—also known as “lies”—are of no worth.

Write PRIESTCRAFT on the board

What are the elements of priestcraft?  (2 Nephi 26:29)

1)      Pride                They elevate themselves…

2)      Power              …to get gain and praise…

3)      Selfishness      …with no regard for the welfare of those they claim a stewardship over.

The most basic element of priestcraft is selfishness.

THE PROPER USE OF RELIGIOUS POWER: PRIESTHOOD

The direct opposite of priestcraft is the priesthood, God’s power, and it operates under the basic principle of love. 

Write PRIESTHOOD on the board, opposite to PRIESTCRAFT

Every one of the elements of priestcraft is in direct opposition to Christ’s divine directive, the great commandment to love.  Christ is the perfect example of the correct use of power.

1)      Humility        He yielded himself to be abased (1 Ne. 19:9). 

                       That’s what we call the condescention of God.

2)       Service         He offers salvation free (2 Ne. 26:25).  No person

                       on the earth has earned and paid for it himself.

3)       Love              Everything he does is for the benefit of the world

                        (2 Ne. 26:24), even to the laying down of his life.

In the end, Nehor proves himself to be a servant of the devil when he kills an innocent old man, much weaker physically than himself, in a dispute over doctrine.

TIE-BACK

Now these same truths apply to political power.  Remember that King Mosiah said a righteous king would operate according to the commandments of God.  King Benjamin, King Limhi, King Nephi, all were motivated by love, service and humility.  King Noah and King Laman were motivated by selfishness.

APPLICATION TO GENERAL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Although we do not all officiate in the priesthood, we all participate  in it, if we are members of this Church.  The Church operates under the power of the priesthood, and the priesthood operatues by love.  This truth is taught in D&C 121 as well as many other places in the scriptures.

Let’ go back in time to the Land of Helam, where Alma organized the Christian Church after hearing Abinadi, in Mosiah 18.  He gave the injunction to everyone entering the Church to follow th pattern of Christ.  (Read Mosiah 18:8-9 until “stand in need of comfort.”)

There is an excellent example of Church members doing this very thing in that same time period but among a different group of people.  Remember the rescue party of 16 men, led by Ammon, who came from the Land of Zarahemla to the Land of Nephi and found the people of King LImhi?  (Mosiah 21:29-31,36)  Ammon and his people sympathized and did not judge, and they also actually took the burden upon themselves as well.  By going into the Land of Nephi, they now were also in bondage to the king of the Lamanites.

Alma’s instructions to his Church in Mosiah 18 give us several details about how priesthood power should function.  (Mosiah 18:17-29)

Coming back now to the reading assignment for this week, Alma the Younger and the righteous people who followed him lived the code taught by Alma the Elder.  (Alma 1:26-28)  Operating upon these principles can bring us peace within, even when there is not peace without.  That is truly great power!  (Alma 1:29-31).  So some of the people endured both persecution and prosperity well by living the correct principles of the priesthood.

Unfortunately, many people could not handle the power of prosperity.  It seems that having money often leads men to focus on money, which puts them right back into the priestcraft/selfishness mode.  (Alma 4:12-13) 

This was very discouraging.  How did Alma react?  (Alma 4:15)  The Spirit of the Lord did not fail him!  That is so great!  But what does it mean?  It means Alma asked for guidance in dealing with the problem and he received it.  He implemented the inspired plan right away and had another man appointed to be Chief Judge.  He then resigned and went full-time into Church service to reactivate members who had fallen away.  “He confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God…” (Alma 4:20)   In other words, his focus was what? 

Point at the board: Humility, Service, Love

Humility, Service, and Love.  The only forces under which the greatest power there is—priesthood power—can function.  We will see boundless evidences of that in our study of Alma over the next few weeks.

Mosiah 25-28 (+ Alma 36)

Mosiah 25-28, Alma 36

This block of scripture includes four powerful prayers involving two men, Alma the Elder and Alma the Younger.

FIRST PRAYER

The father Alma was a mighty man.  He was the priest who listened to Abinadi, taught the gospel and organized the Church among hundreds of followers in the Land of Nephi, went through exile and bondage for his testimony, returned to the Land of Zarahemla and organized the Church there under the instruction of King Mosiah, and was appointed by King Mosiah (who had formerly been both king and church leader) to the position of president of the Church, in a separation of church and state.  He was Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Thomas S. Monson all rolled into one.

In this new capacity as Church president, he had a serious problem.  Many people were going apostate, and it was now his job to deal with them.  He had no previous experience with this kind of challenge and it troubled him great.  So he took his desire to the Lord in prayer.  (Mosiah 26:13-14.  Pay special attention to the word after.)  Even the president of the Church was required to “pour out his whole soul” to receive the answer to his prayer.

The answer he received was fabulous.  It surely brought great peace and joy to his soul, in addition to answering very specifically the question that he had.  It is recorded in verses 15-32.  (Mosiah 26:15-18)  Alma was told, in no uncertain terms, that he was right with God.  He was also told what to do about dissenters (Mosiah 26:29-32).  Alma’s action following this prayer is in verses 33-34.

Have you ever had a difficult question like this, and only God knew the answer?

SECOND PRAYER

Another serious problem came up that was distressing to Alma the father.  (Mosiah 27:8)  Alma’s son was not only rebelling from the Church on his own, he was leading many others astray as well.  So Alma had a great worry both as a parent and as the leader of the Church.  Alma undoubtedly had tried everything he could with his son over many years, and had prayed for him many times.  The need had become huge.  Finally this second prayer of Alma’s was answered.  (Mosiah 27:11,14,19,20)

Have you ever faced a situation like this which seemed beyond hope of repair?

THIRD PRAYER

Alma called the people together for a specific reason.  (Mosiah 27:21)  Not so they could see the judgments of God upon his wicked son, but so they could witness the mercies of God upon his wicked son.  He felt sure that this experience was going to be for his son’s benefit.  But Alma did not just sit and wait; this was not the end of the need for prayer.  Now the people combined their prayers with Alma’s, asking for three things (Mosiah 27:22):  1) that Alma might be able to speak, 2) that his paralysis might be lifted, and 3) that the eyes of the people might be opened to see God in this experience. 

The prayer was answered mightily.  (Mosiah 27:23-24)  Many people gained testimonies of the power of God, or had their testimonies strengthened, through the younger Alma’s experience at that time and afterwards, since he immediately became a mighty missionary for the truth and spent the rest of his life in that pursuit.

Alma the Younger later told the people about the fourth prayer—his own prayer that led to his conversion.

Have you ever seen the works of God in answer to the combined prayers of a family, a ward, or another group of believers?

FOURTH PRAYER

This conversion story was recorded by Alma in chiastic form, a type of poetry common in the Old Testament and designed to teach a truth.  In chiasm, each phrase leads to a central point, and then the phrases are reversed.  For example, the first point and the last point both have to do with words.  The 2nd point and the 2nd-to-last point are exactly the same.  The points can also be opposites, such as in number 22 below.  We read this beautiful Hebrew poem in Alma 36. Here is the layout of the chiasm as given in The God-Inspired Language of the Book of Mormon, by Wade Brown:

1-Give ear to my words (v.1)

 2- Inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God

       ye shall prosper in the land

  3-Ye should do as I have done (v.2)

   4-remembering

    5-the captivity of our fathers

     6-for they were in bondage

      7-none could deliver them

       8-except it was the God of Abr., Isaac & Jacob

        9-and he surely did deliver them

         10-my son (v.3)

          11-I do know

           12-whosever shall put their trust in God

            13-shall be supported in their trials

             14-I know of myself…not of the carnal mind,

                   but of God (v.4)

              15-if I had not been born of God, I could not have

                   known (v.5)

               16-God has made these things known unto me

                17-I went about seeking to destroy the Church

                     (v.6)

                 18-I arose and stood up (v.8)

                  19-neither had I the use of my limbs (v.10)

                   20-the angel spake unto me (v.11)

                    21-tormented with the pains of hell (v.13)

                     22-the pains of a damned soul (v.16)

                      23-as I was thus racked with torment (v.17)

                       24-harrowed up by the memory of my sins

                        25-I remembered

                         26-Oh Jesus, thou Son of God,

                          have mercy on me! (v.18)

                        25-I could remember (v.19)

                       24-I was harrowed up by the memory of my

                             sins no more

                      23-oh what joy, what marvelous light I beheld

                           (v.20)

                     22-joy as exceeding as was my pain

                    21-so bitter as were my pains (v.21)

                   20-numberless concourses of angels (v.22)

                  19-my limbs did received their strength again

                       (v.23)

                 18-I stood upon my feet

                17-I have labored without ceasing, that I might

                      bring souls unto repentance (v.24)

               16-because of the word which he has imparted

                     unto me (v.26)

              15-many have been born of God and know of

                    these things

             14-I do know; and the knowledge I have is of God

            13-supported under trials and troubles of every kind

                 (v. 27)

           12-I do put my trust in Him

          11-I know (v.28)

         10-our fathers

        9-he has delivered them out of bondage and

            captivity from time to time

       8-brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem

          (v.29)

      7-he has delivered them

     6-out of bondage

    5-and captivity

   4-I have always retained in remembrance

  3-ye ought to know as I do know (v.30)

 2-inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God

    ye shall prosper in the land

1-according to his word

Hopefully, we have all prayed prayers begging forgiveness, and have been blessed with "joy as exquisite as was our pain."  If not, the time is now.

THE PROCESS OF PRAYER

DESIRE.  (Alma 36:12-16)  His father’s prayers and the prayers of the Church resulted in a visit by an angel which was terrifying enough to show Alma the Younger the awful truth of his current state.  This brought an overwhelming desire into Alma’s heart to escape the agony of sin.

FAITH.  (Alma 36:17-18)  Once again, as in the case of Enos, parental teachings planted seeds of faith which laid dormant for years, but were there when needed.

REMISSION OF SINS/PEACE.  (Alma 36:19)  The cleansing of his sins through the Atonement of Jesus Christ made Alma worthy to house the Holy Ghost.  (3 Nephi 12:6) 

JOY/LOVE.  (Alma 36:20-21) The presence of the Holy Ghost always brings joy and love.  (Alma 36:24) Immediately this great love made Alma focus on bringing the joyous news of the gospel to others.

THE ELEMENT OF DESIRE IN PRAYER

Desire is essential in order to pray sincerely and receive an answer to prayer, but the size of the answer generally meets the size of the desire.

Perhaps as a child we want to know if the Church is true, but we’re not really worried about it; we love Primary, we love Family Home Evening, we know the scriptures, we believe our parents and teachers, and so we offer a prayer with only a Dixie cup full of desire. 

It is a sincere prayer, and subject to the promise of the Lord given in Moroni 10:4, but the answer need only be a quiet feeling of peace, a sense that what we are doing is right.  Dixie cup prayers are great as long as we don’t expect the Lord to fill them with Niagara Falls.  Just a cupful of Living Water will do.

At other times when we are meeting terrible challenges, when our hearts are breaking, when our sin seems unbearable, we meet the Lord in prayer having dug a huge pit of desire. 

In this case, the Lord can fill that void with the ocean of his mighty power.  The greatest latter-day example is found in the story of the First Vision. 

For months Joseph Smith had researched church after church, asked questions of ministers, watched different family members join different churches or refuse to join any, discussed religion around the fireplace, and read the Bible.  His desire had grown and grown until finally he read James 1:5 and determined to pray for an answer.  His prayer was not only sincere, but his desire was enormous, and therefore the Lord answered that prayer with a personal appearance, an answer to prayer that changed the world.  (See Joseph Smith—History)