Alma Chapter 59

59:1-3 - "...after Moroni had received and had read Helaman’s epistle, he was exceedingly rejoiced because of the welfare, yea, the exceeding success which Helaman had had, in obtaining those lands which were lost. Yea, and he did make it known unto all his people, in all the land round about in that part where he was, that they might rejoice also..."
One way to boost our own faith is to see the successes of others in their own acts of faith.  This is why unity is important - to learn from and gain faith from others, and to increase faith in others through our experiences.
This is why it's important to share our experiences with others - perhaps through bearing our testimony, or sharing them in class discussion, etc.  You never know who may need that boost at that time.


59:2 - "...Yea, and he did make it known unto all his people, in all the land round about in that part where he was, that they might rejoice also..."
Moroni rejoiced and made it known unto the people so they could rejoice as well.  We rejoice in each other's successes.
This is the spirit of Zion.  We have our own successes and rejoice when other people succeed as well.  It's not a zero-sum game.  When somebody else is blessed, it doesn't mean that you are blessed less.  It's a time to rejoice for them.


59:5 - "...Moroni was thus making preparations to go against the Lamanites to battle..."
A major message of the war chapters is that Moroni was always preparing.  We must also be prepared at all times - temporally, spiritually, emotionally, etc.

Alma Chapter 58

58:12 - "...and we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty..."
This relates to Alma 47:6 - Lehonti and his army were fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not come down from the mountain and be subjected to the Nephites.  This shows how important acting in faith can be.  Helaman and his warriors worked to be obedient to the commandments and fight for their lands and wives and children (Alma 58:40-41; 57:21-22).
Lehonti took the easy route and came down from the mountain (Alma 47:10-14).
Helaman and his brethren succeeded and had the help of the Lord while Lehonti was poisoned by degrees.
We must make the correct choice and follow it.


58:15-19 - "...now this was done because the Lamanites did suffer their whole army, save a few guards only, to be led away into the wilderness..."
The Lamanites allowed Teancum to lure them out of their stronghold and take over their city.
We must not come out of our strongholds.  Satan would have us if he could - and sift us like wheat.

Alma Chapter 57

57:21-22 - "...yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness..."
These sons of Helaman were obedient with exactness to what their mothers said and also to their leader, Helaman.  It was their efforts and faith in the Lord that opened the Nephites up to being blessed with a victory.
Obedience is essential, and so is honoring parents.  They have more experience than us, and have wise insights.


57:26 - "...and now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power..."
This shows the importance in giving credit where credit is due, as well as being grateful for the help.  This will lead to humility.
When we are humble and give that credit where it is due, we will open ourselves up to seeing and recognizing more and more of the hand of God in our lives.


57:26 - "...and now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power..."
Faith is a great power.  If we have faith, we act differently.  We trust differently.  And we can be guided differently.
If we want to be guided by the Lord, we must act in faith, keeping the commandments to open ourselves up to more of the gift of faith.

Alma Chapter 56

56:10-11 - "...for behold, his army had been reduced by the Lamanites because their forces had slain a vast number of our men, for which cause we have to mourn. Nevertheless, we may console ourselves in this point, that they have died in the cause of their country and of their God, yea, and they are happy..."
Good people die, too.  Life is eternal, so death is only a small separation.  Many times people have given their life so that other people may have freedom.  We must have this attitude as we move forward, being willing to give our life for others.

56:46 - "...Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall..."
These 'sons' had faith in God.  Great faith.  They knew that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  This is the kind of faith that we need to have and teach to our own sons and daughters, and we will have that deliverance.


56:47-48 - "...now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it..."
Sister Julie B. Beck talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 76-78.  "The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance.  More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know...When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children."
We must understand true doctrine, apply it, and teach it to our children.
If I want to have a spouse who knows how to teach our children through instruction and example, I must do the same.

Alma Chapter 55

55:23 - "...and thus they saw that the Nephites had power over them; and in these circumstances they found that it was not expedient that they should fight with the Nephites..."
Not expedient...?  No kidding - you're surrounded!  The Lamanites recognized that they would not win, so they delivered up their weapons of war, asking for mercy.
Sometimes we need to realize that our situation makes it unwise to continue in our activity.  We need to realize when it is "not expedient" to continue.  Perhaps at that time we're trying to run faster than we have strength.  We must be careful to have the Spirit with us at all times so we can avoid those situations.

55:31 - "...but behold, the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in this their time of affliction. They could not be taken in their snares; yea, they would not partake of their wine, save they had first given to some of the Lamanite prisoners..."
If the wine would poison a Lamanite, it would also poison a Nephite.  We need to keep this in mind as we look at movies, music, media, an other similar situations.  If it will poison a kid, it can also poison an adult.
We need to put ourselves and our homes into situations where we will not be poisoned.


55:31-32 - "...but behold, the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in this their time of affliction..."
When we have faith in the Lord and are not slow to remember Him, then we will have the help we need to recognize and avoid temptation.

Alma Chapter 54

54:9 - "...and now behold, we are prepared to receive you; yea, and except you withdraw your purposes, behold, ye will pull down the wrath of that God whom you have rejected upon you, even to your utter destruction..."
This sounds very unpleasant!  Moroni was a firm witness of God - making sure that the Lamanites understood that they should fear God more than the Nephite armies.
Meekness is power under control, for which Moroni was a good example.  We must also be meek and bold.

54:10 - "...for we will retain our cities and our lands; yea, and we will maintain our religion and the cause of our God..."
When you're fighting for a righteous cause, it's a lot easier to have faith that you will be sustained in this cause.
We just need to make sure that if we're taking sides in a battle that we're on the Lord's side - even if that means removing ourselves from the battle.


54:21 - "...and as concerning that God whom ye say we have rejected, behold, we know not such a being; neither do ye..."
This was very similar to what Korihor taught (Alma 30:48).  It is interesting to see how much Satan tries to teach and have people teach that there is no God or no Christ.  If there is no God, there is no law, or no reason to have the law and commandments.
We must correctly understand the doctrine of the Character of God, which means that we have the potential to become like Him.  When we have this understanding, we will do what we can to keep the commandments and reject teachings that say that God does not exist and that we can't know that He is there for us.

Alma Chapter 53

53:9-10 - "...yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances..."
With the dissensions and intrigue and iniquity, they were in dangerous circumstances.  We see many examples of people, even today, trying to use secret combinations to get gain and intrigue.  This places them in dangerous circumstances, as well as those around them.
We must live the opposite lifestyle in order to come unto Christ and live in better circumstances.
Iniquity => Total Honesty
Dissension => Unselfishness, Equality
Intrigue => Proper Communication
As we live these opposites, we will see the difference in our lives.


53:15 - "...and Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls; therefore all those who had entered into this covenant were compelled to behold their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time..."
The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi put their covenants above the problems.  It's an issue of faith.  Do we trust the Lord enough to keep the covenants we make with Him?
These men had made a covenant to not lift up their swords, but were tempted to break the covenant for a seemingly good cause - to help their brethren defend themselves!
We must be careful to not break our own covenants, even if it seems to be for a good cause at the time.  Having that faith will help us to keep the rest of the covenants and commandments and help us develop more faith and obedience.


53:20-21 - "...and they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him..."
These sons of Helaman were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted, because they were taught to keep the commandments, and they did!
We must take their example and keep the commandments.  It's not enough to know that the church is true - we must also be true to the church and the Lord, who is the leader of that church.

Alma Chapter 52

52:1 - "...they also saw that Teancum was ready to give them battle on that day..."
Teancum stood ready to give battle.
We must always be ready to defend ourselves against Satan and his followers.

52:19 - "...Moroni and Teancum and many of the chief captains held a council of war..."
This shows the importance of organizational meetings.  We need a good plan of attack or plan of procedure.  Some people may complain about too many meetings, but if we are not organized before starting on a project or venture, it will take longer.


52:37 - "...now Moroni seeing their confusion, he said unto them: If ye will bring forth your weapons of war and deliver them up, behold we will forbear shedding your blood..."
Moroni was not bloodthirsty, and he had faith that if he gave them the chance, the Lamanites would choose life.
We must seek to give other people similar chances, even though these chances will most likely not mean sparing somebody's life, but giving them the opportunity to remove themselves from destructive behavior.

Alma Chapter 51

51:2 - "...there were a part of the people who desired that a few particular points of the law should be altered..."
A few points of the law to be altered??  They wanted to change the law to allow a King!  That's much more drastic than altering the law to allow, say, free trade of obsidian or something like that.
The Brother of Jared said that having a king would lead to captivity (Ether 6:23).  And it does.
We must be careful to carefully review when people say they want to change a "few particular points of the law" - that these alterations do not lead us down a path of captivity.

51:36 - "...and [Teancum] caused that his armies should stand in readiness..."
Teancum realized that the Lamanites could come upon them at any moment, so he had his armies stand in readiness.
We need to stand in readiness at all times against Satan and his followers, because temptations can come at any time.


51:36 - "...and [Teancum] caused that his armies should stand in readiness..."
This is another act of faith.  Teancum had just done what he could to break up the Lamanite leadership, and then realized that he had to stand ready in case of retaliation.  He realized that if he stood prepared that by acting in faith, the Lord would help them withstand any attacks or possibly avert them.  In this case, they avoided an attack because the Lamanites ran off.
If we act in faith and stand in readiness, we will be prepared for whatever the outcome may be.

Alma Chapter 50

50:1 - "...Moroni did not stop making preparations for war..."
This chapter shows that many smaller acts of preparation are the most effective in making weak things become strong.
If we are to be ready for whatever comes, we must prepare now.


50:1 - "...Moroni did not stop making preparations for war..."
Moroni showed his faith by doing what he could to prepare - and then by trusting the Lord to help protect the country.
We must do what we can in our power to help, but realize that we can't do everything.  We must trust the Lord and have faith in Him.


50:4 - "...he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets..."
This is reminiscent of Ezekiel 3:17 where it describes prophets as being watchmen on towers.
The prophets can see further than we can, and we must have the humility to say that the Prophets know what they are talking about and that we need to follow their counsel and direction.

Alma Chapter 49

49:5-9,14,19-20,27 - "...now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security..."
This whole chapter describes the preparation of the Nephites for war - physically and spiritually.
We also must be prepared, and the best way is to work on both spiritual and physical preparedness.


49:14 - "...but behold, to their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, yea, even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah..."
This is reminiscent of Ether 12:27, where it talks about how we can make weak things become strong.
We do this through humility and hard work.


49:28 - "...and it came to pass, that on the other hand, the people of Nephi did thank the Lord their God, because of his matchless power in delivering them from the hands of their enemies..."
Even though this whole chapter shows that the Nephites were preparing and putting in a lot of work, this verse shows that they recognized that it was the Lord who helped them.
We must have faith to act and faith to be grateful to the lord when He expands our acts.

Alma Chapter 48

48:1 - "...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..."
This shows a contrast to Alma 46:36 - here the Lamanites are speaking from the towers against the Nephites, while the Nephites hoisted the Title of Liberty on their towers.
This appears to be the "Media" of the time - much like our Television, Internet, etc.  What are we hearing all the time?  It it focusing on God, and Family, or on attacking others or other evils?  There is always opposition in all things.


48:7 - "...now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God..."
This is another good contrast - and a good question to ask ourselves: Are we trying to gain power or working to help others to be faithful unto God?


48:15 - "...And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger..."
This is a great promise, but it does require faithful action on our part.  We have to keep the commandments, and when we do, we can have assurance that the Lord will guide us to where we need to be and prosper us!


48:17-19 - "...Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God. Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words..."
If we can be like unto Moroni, or Ammon, or the sons of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, or really any of the other spiritually powerful people throughout time, we would be doing really well.
We must be examples like they were, and do what they did.


48:23-24 - "...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..."
War is not a happy thing.  Nevertheless, the Nephites could not suffer to lay down their lives and their wives and children.  There are certain things you must do and people you must defend.

Alma Chapter 47

47:6-14 - "...and they had appointed a man to be a king and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites..."
Lehonti was fixed at first with a determined resolution, but eventually went down from the mountain.  We sometimes do this too.  We need to have faith that we can stay on our spiritual and personal mountains, and then act on that faith to resist the temptation to 'come down.'


47:18 - "...and it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died..."
This is reminiscent of 2 Nephi 28:21-23, where in a similar manner, it describes how Satan seeks to lead us carefully away down to Hell.
We must watch out because Satan is continually seeking to pull us down.

Alma Chapter 46

46:8 - "...Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one..."
This reminds me of Moses 5:13, where Satan said, "Believe it not," and they believed it not.
It's sad how quickly we can turn from the Lord to the devil, but we see it with other examples, such as Nephi's brothers and Korihor.  We must watch ourselves so we do not do the same thing, but turn quickly unto God.


46:12 - "...and it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole..."
We also must defend our God, religion, freedom, peace, wives, and children.  Satan and his followers are continually on the attack, so we must be ready at all times to be effective servants of God.


46:21 - "...and it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running together..."
As it says in the 12th Article of Faith, we believe in being subject...and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
We must support our country and our leaders...even running!


46:36 - "...and it came to pass also, that he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land..."
It appears that the towers were the 'media' of the Nephites and Lamanites - in Alma 48:1, Amalakiah sent men to speak from the towers against the Nephites.
What media are we listening to?  Do we watch uplifting media or media that encourages evil behavior?

46:41 - "...but there were many who died with old age; and those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in him, as we must needs suppose..."
When we have faith in Christ, we can have faith that we will be happy in enduring to the end!

Alma Chapter 45

45:1 - "...Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy..."
Normally you would associate the act of faith of fasting as something you would do during difficult times, but the people fasted and prayed after being delivered.
We need to remember to be thanking God for His blessings, especially deliverance, through prayer and our faithful actions.


45:21 - "...for behold, because of their wars with the Lamanites and the many little dissensions and disturbances which had been among the people, it became expedient that the word of God should be declared among them..."
It is always needful to preach the word of God.  We must always renew our covenants before swords (Alma 48:7-8, Alma 31:5).

Alma Chapter 44

44:3 - "...but now, ye behold that the Lord is with us..."
Does the Lord take sides in a battle?
Sometimes he does - but it's always the right side (Romans 8:31, 2 Nephi 17:14).
We must remember that if we're looking to take a side in a battle that we must take the Lord's side, which sometimes means staying out of the battle completely.


44:3-5 - "...and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith..."
Faith is very powerful - even unto deliverance from our enemies.
This is one of the great blessings of faith.


44:5 - "...And now, Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms that we have gained power over you, by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us..."
Similar to the Tree of Life vision, where the Iron Rod is the Word of God, we see in this passage that the Word of God leads us to God, and is where we owe all our happiness.
(See also 2 Nephi 11:8, 1 Nephi 11:22).

Alma Chapter 43

43:4 - "...for behold, it came to pass that the Zoramites became Lamanites..."
This is an interesting phrase, because it appears that "becoming" Lamanites is more of a matter of belief rather than lineage.
It's not what we know - it's what we do with our knowledge that makes the difference in who we become.


43:19-20,29-30 - Comparison between Moroni and Zarahemnah

Moroni

• Strategy
• Asked of the Lord what to do (through Alma the prophet)
• Spied out the army
• Fought with compassion
• Humility - gave glory to God
• Inspired his army
• Armor, protection, and preparedness

Zarahemnah

• Had more fighters on his side
• Fought with anger
• Didn't care about people
• Natural man
• Fought for personal gain

Reviewing these comparisons helps us to better discern what side we should be on.

We must always work to be on the Lord's side.

43:47-50 - "...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..."
It is amazing what faith can do.  It can help us have the desire to be obedient to the commandments, and, in this case, it can help us know that we are fighting for the right cause.

Alma Chapter 42

42:1 - "...And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand—which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery..."
It may seem somewhat unjust that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery - wouldn't it be better to have hope in repentance and faith?
Yes, we should have hope in faith and repentance, but the point of the misery is to lead us back unto Christ.
Plus, the misery really helps us to appreciate the joy of being in the presence of the Lord.


42:2-5 - "...Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit..."
If Adam had taken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever.  This appears to be the same tree of life that is in Lehi's dream - which may give more insight into why Cherubim and a Flaming Sword was placed to guard the tree of life.
Many people in Lehi's dream partook of the fruit of the tree of life, but still needed to hold fast, because some of them fell away after partaking.  If Adam did not learn more, it seems that he would have lived forever in a state that would have been similar to falling away after partaking.
God in His mercy gave Adam the opportunity to learn and grow and progress and approach closer though the proper means.  We also have this opportunity, and must follow the commandments.


42:13 - "...Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state..."
We do have help from the Lord.  He suffered everything for us, and we can have that cover us completely.  Our job is to have faith in Him and repent of our sins...continually trying to get closer to Him.
As we act in faith, we will see those blessings, including forgiveness and the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Alma Chapter 41

41:3 - "...And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good..."
President Ezra Taft Benson has said about this, "Thoughts lead to acts, acts lead to habits, habits lead to character—and our character will determine our eternal destiny."
Our works and actions are right in the middle, and it is essential to start long before it reaches that point by keeping our desires and thoughts clean.


41:6 - "...if he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness..."
With faith, desire may come.  With desire, acting in faith and repentance will come.  As we do these things, we will be led closer and closer to Christ and be lifted up at the last day.


41:10 - "...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..."
It may look good now, but in the end, it will ensnare you and lead you carefully away down to hell (2 Nephi 28:21).

Alma Chapter 40

40:3 - "...Behold, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead. But behold, my son, the resurrection is not yet. Now, I unfold unto you a mystery; nevertheless, there are many mysteries which are kept, that no one knoweth them save God himself. But I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know—that is concerning the resurrection..."
I think the biggest thing that touched me while reading these chapters (39-42) was in Alma 40:3. In this verse, Alma is talking to his son, Corianton, about the resurrection.  First he mentions about mysteries and that there are many mysteries that are kept and that nobody knows except God.  But then Alma gives us a great key for understanding "mysteries" or doctrine that we didn't understand before.
The key mentioned by Alma is that he inquired diligently of God that he might know.  I know that we need to ask God and He will give us an answer.
Take, for example, Nephi in 1 Nephi 15:7-11.  He just had the vision of the Tree of Life, and he talks with his brothers.  They ask him a question about their father's dream/vision - the same vision that Nephi just came from seeing. Nephi asked them the key question - "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"  They hadn't, because they didn't believe that the Lord would answer.  Nephi gives a great statement in verse 11.  If we ask in faith, with a softened heart, and are diligent in keeping the commandments, we will have these things made known unto us.
Another example is in 3 Nephi as Mormon is putting in commentary about the Three Nephites.  In 3 Nephi 28:17, Mormon admits that he doesn't know if they were mortal or immortal.  In verses 36-40 he gives us the key again.  He sais in verse 37 that since he had last written that he had inquired of the Lord.  Mormon received the answer because he wanted to know and inquired diligently.
I know that if we pray sincerely and diligently, we will receive the answer.  Sometimes it takes a little longer to receive an answer, so that's where diligence comes into play.  I also learned from this reading that it is important to be humble so we don't think that the answers we receive just come from ourselves.  If we recognize that it all comes from the Lord, then we will be more humble and malleable in His hands, which is our real goal.


40:11 - "...Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life..."
President Thomas S. Monson spoke on this subject in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 21-24, telling us that "God will never forsake [us] - that He sent His Only Begotten Son into the world to teach us by example the life we should live."
We will eventually stand before the Lord and understand things a lot better, but right now it's very comforting to know that God will never forsake us. It helps us prepare for that great day!


40:25 - "...And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God..."
This is in the middle of the verses that say that the wicked will have an awful death - so we can have faith if we are doing our best, applying what we learn, and acting in faith, that we can and will shine forth in the kingdom of God.
We must have faith and not be discouraged!

Alma Chapter 39

39:1 - "...have ye not observed the steadiness of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the commandments of God? Behold, has he not set a good example for thee?..."
This is another blessing of being faithful and keeping the commandments.  We want to have the Holy Ghost, yes, but we also want to be good examples.
By showing our faith in this manner, we can be good examples.


39:11 - "...Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words..."
We need to be good examples in all times, in all things, and in all places - otherwise we can end up being in a similar situation as this passage.  We can and must set good examples (Mosiah 18:10).


39:17-19 - "...And now I will ease your mind somewhat on this subject. Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand. Behold, I say unto you, is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?..."
These things were taught so long before Jesus Christ came to this earth because God loves His children at all times.  He wanted them to have that hope and faith, even though they wouldn't live during the time that Jesus Christ came.
This helps us as well, because if He loved them enough to teach them these things, then it means that God also loves us enough to teach us these things and that we can have those blessings in our lives at this time.

Alma Chapter 38

38:11-14 - "...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..."
Watch out for pride!  In this passage of scripture, it discusses how the Zoramites would pray in a very prideful manner.  If we do not watch out, we can slowly but surely let pride seep into our lives and prayers!


38:12 - "...see that ye refrain from idleness..."
This can be a problem for many people.  We often have so much going on that we overload and burn out, and just want to be idle for a while.  It's quite ironic.
If we can just pace ourselves and not run faster than we have strength, acting in faith even when we want to be idle or just sleep - then we will have that added measure of help!

Alma Chapter 37

37:6-7 - "...now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise..."
By small and simple things are great things brought to pass - we can accomplish a lot through small things.
Elder Christoffel Golden Jr. talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 78-80.  "In the wake of our best and very limited efforts and because of the Lord's infinite goodness, 'great things [are] brought to pass' by the 'small and simple things.'...In its essentials, the gospel is simple and easy to understand and adapted to the capacity of the weakest."
We can and do accomplish great things through the help of God.


37:9 - "...yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer..."
Ammon and his brethren could not have helped the Lamanites without the scriptures.  The power of the scriptures is immeasurable.  The word of God is mightier than the sword (Alma 31:5).
We need to remember this in teaching our own families and sharing the gospel with friends/neighbors.

37:13,41 - "...o remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God...nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey..."
The commandments are strict, but we will prosper if we follow them.
When we are following the commandments, we will be able to follow the Spirit to reach out and help others - often by small and simple means.  When we are obedient, we will see great miracles occur in our lives.


37:16 - "...if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words..."
This scripture refers to the Book of Mormon, but can be also applied to many other sacred events in our lives.  If we are doing our best to show our faith and keep the commandments, we will have the Holy Ghost to guide and show us how to be sacred and how to be open to receive more of the gift of faith as well as direction in our lives.

Alma Chapter 36

36:2 - "...I would that ye should do as I have done..."
Alma is teaching his son in this chapter and encourages him to follow his example.
We also should look to our fathers and follow their righteous examples.


36:9 - "...and he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God..."
No matter how much some people may try, they cannot force somebody else to take their view.  We must also not seek to do the same, whether it's against the church or in behalf of the church.  To force others is a path of destruction.
We must convert ourselves and share our convictions and testimonies, but realize that we cannot force others to adopt the same beliefs.


36:24 - "...Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost..."
We must not become weary of doing good.  There are always people that need help, and there's something that we can do to help or prepare to help.


36:24-26 - "...that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste..."
When we receive great blessings, we must have the faith and actions to try to bring them to others.  We can exercise faith and hope that they will benefit from our actions.

Alma Chapter 35

35:15-16 - "...Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodsheds, and the contentions which were among them...he caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge..."
Alma saw the importance of teaching his own family before going back out to teach the rest of the people.  He also took his family with him to go teach again.  We should remember to do the same - make sure that we're teaching our own families first and foremost.


35:15-16 - "...having been to declare the word, or sent to declare the word, among all the people in every city..."
Alma could have given up on the Zoramites and other people - but he had the faith that there were some who would still change.  That's why he acted in faith and taught his sons, then they all went back to work.
Sometimes we have difficulties with our own work.  If we follow this example to go back in faith, we have the assurance that as we work in faith and try to do our best, the Lord will help us accomplish what we need to accomplish.

Alma Chapter 34

34:2 - "...I think that it is impossible that ye should be ignorant of the things which have been spoken concerning the coming of Christ..."
These things were not done in a corner (Acts 26:28).
We have them made known unto us, and we really have no excuse.  When you know more, you can fall further, since you can't "not know" any more.
The whole point is that it's not about what we know - but what we do with what we know.


34:9-14 - "...For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish..."
It is expedient to have this atonement, and everything points unto it.
Why?
Elder Bruce D. Porter talked about the "why" in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 31-32.  In this talk, he discusses having a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
He mentions, "The sacrifices mandated during the Mosaic dispensation pointed symbolically to the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah, who alone could reconcile sinful man with God."
It all testifies of Christ.  He's the one who paid the price.
Why, though, a broken heart and contrite spirit?  Again from his talk:

1. It brings humility.
2. It's a precondition to repentance
3. It serves as a shield against temptation
4. We have more gratitude

These great blessings come only as we prove we have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, which are great blessings as well.

34:14 - "...And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal..."
All things testify of Christ (Moses 6:63).
Everything about the law and the reasons that we keep the commandments point to Christ.  He was able to accomplish the atonement and made it possible for us to even be here.
We should also point to Christ.


34:15-16 - "...that they may have faith unto repentance..."
Having faith unto repentance allows mercy to take over.
If we do not repent, the plan of mercy cannot take hold because that is Christ's law.  And it's something that we can and should follow.


34:32-34 - "...For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors..."
We need to prepare now to meet God - by becoming the person that the Lord wants us to be.


34:41 - "...but that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions..."
We will have this rest one day, but until that time, we need to exercise our patience and faith.
The rest of the Lord is going to be a huge blessing.

Alma Chapter 33

33:11 - "...and thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity..."
The Lord wants to help us, and He will hear us because of our sincerity.  It shows the importance of being sincere with our prayers, and have a personal relationship with Him.


33:19-21 - "...behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live..."
We look unto Christ in order to live (or be healed).  The Brass Serpent represents the Christ (Numbers 21:4-9).
If we look unto Christ, we can be healed in the areas that we need it.


33:19-21 - "...behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live..."
Sometimes the way to be healed is very simple.  We just don't take the path because we expect it to be harder.
We need to have faith in the simple healing process - and follow it.

Alma Chapter 32

32:5 - "...what shall we do?"
This is a profound question that we see often in the scriptures when people have become humble enough to receive teachings from the Lord.
What we can do - is be humble, and be grateful.  Gratefulness leads to humility, and humility opens us up to being taught.


32:14-15 - "...and now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?..."
Those who truly humble themselves are more blessed than those who are forced to be humble.  There really are good things and good choices - some that are better than other good choices.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 104-108.
"As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good.  Other choices are better, and still others are best.  Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all."
We must prioritize and put greater value and emphasis on the best choices.  This will keep us motivated in making those best choices.


32:27 - "...if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words..."
We need to start with the desire, then let it work within us.
(Mosiah 26:3; 1 Nephi 10:17; 11:1; 15:1-3; Alma 32:5; Acts 2:38; Alma 22:15; Helaman 5:40).


32:39-40 - "...and thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life..."
If you want the fruit, you have to want it.
Go forward in faith.  That is how we get the fruit - by living the commandments, which opens us up to receiving more of the gift of faith, and the fruit of the tree of life.

Alma Chapter 31

31:5 - "...the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else..."
This relates to Helaman - where one missionary effort by 2 men made a greater difference than a huge military campaign.


31:38 - "...the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith..."
What a great blessing - and they received this blessing through faith.
You see the request in vs. 32-35 - and since it was a righteous desire, the Lord granted it to them.  This helps us have faith that our own righteous desires will be answered.

Alma Chapter 30

30:17-18 - "...and many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime..."
If we buy into this idea that everybody fares according to "the creature," then nothing really matters.  Law doesn't matter, so we can do whatever we want. We see a lot of people who have subscribed to this philosophy today.
With the gospel comes understanding of responsibility - that what we do really does matter, and that we will have to account for what we do before God.
We need to watch out for false teaching and take responsibility for our own actions.


30:44 - "...yea, and all things denote there is a God..."
We don't need to prove to anyone that He exists.  Everything around us testifies that He does exist (Moses 6:63).
However, we also do stand as witnesses of God, so even though we don't need to prove that God is there, we do need to prove that we are there for God (Acts 10:42-43).
We show through our actions, words, and thoughts that we believe in Christ, and that we believe Him.


30:44 - "...yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator..."
While we don't need to prove to others that God exists, we need to continually keep the commandments, which opens us up to more of the gift of faith in Him.  This does not come through signs, except to confirm the faith that we have.  This comes through consistent righteous living of Gospel Principles.
If we live the commandments, we open ourselves up to receive more faith as we do.