Alma 8-12

Today I'm going to give two messages, at the same time... Now, I'm not an amazing writer by any means, English was always my worst subject in high school. But as it turns out, I do this every time, and so does every speaker you've ever heard at church or general conference. 

Skipping ahead for a second, Alma 12:10

10 And therefore, he that will ^aharden his heart, the same receiveth the ^blesser portion of the word; and he that will ^cnot harden his heart, to him is ^dgiven the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

The two messages I'm going to share are

1. the lesser portion of the word
2. the greater portion of the word

What determines which message you receive? The CONDITION OF YOUR HEART.

Watch out for this as you read Alma 8-12. One of my favorite talks is "A reservoir of living water" by Elder Bednar. He talks about connections, patterns, and themes found in the scriptures. This weeks readings are full of them!!

Alma 8

V9. Our first glance at the heart of the people of Ammonihah

V10. Alma wrestles with God. Not wrestling with himself like Enos. Not wrestling with the people of Ammonihah like some bible bashing missionaries. But wrestling with God on behalf of this people. Alma, a great missionary, understands that the most important work happens before and after we meet with investigators. Because what needs to happen in their hearts, needs to happen without us present. 

V14. Shows how much Alma really cares for this people. "weighed down with sorrow". "wading through tribulation". When you "wade" through something, you're probably up to your waist in it. Alma's road hasn't been easy. 

V15. An angel appears to Alma and gives him a pep talk, tells him to return and try again. Notice that there is no promise of success. 

V18. Alma returns "speedily". Act fast when you receive an answer, and maybe you'll have these experiences more often. 

He entered the city "by another way". Persistence is good, but persistence + change is better. to achieve things we have never achieved, we must do things we have never done. 

V20. If we prove to God that 

a. we will follow the spirit's guidance

b. we will open our mouths

Then of course God will place prepared people in our path. Alma saw an ordinary man and asked for food. That man turned out to be a very prepared soul, Amulek. 

V26. You want to have total control over your body instead of your body and desires controlling you? Fast. 

V30 Alma, Amulek, and the Holy Ghost go to work. This is a trio companionship. A Triceratops! ;)

Alma 9

V5. "hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people". It's hard to look up with a stiff neck. 

V12. He speaks of God visiting them in his fierce anger. 

The Lord knows the heart of his people. He knows what kind of message they need. The harder the soil, the harder the tool needed to prepare it. It was not a still small voice that spoke to Alma the younger, it was an angel who rocked him like a hurricane. 

To those who have soft-enough hearts, or soft-enough soil, God will prick their heart. (Jarom 1:12. Acts 2:37)

To those who have hard hearts or hard rocky soil, it will take more than a prick. God cuts them to the core. (1 Nephi 16:2. Acts 7:54)

The lesser portion of the word is often accompanied with the harshness of the word. 

So how do you know the condition of your heart? How do you respond when told to repent? Is it feelings of indignation or meekness? That is the condition of your heart.  

V28. The beauty is in the word choice!! "men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been," not to which they have done. It's not about what we've done when we stand before God. It's about what we've become. 

Alma 10

Amulek, one of the people, begins to preach. He has an effect that Alma never could have had, because he is able to relate to them on a deeper level. He speaks about the condition of his heart, and how Alma the prophet blessed him and helped him change. If you make room in your house for a prophet of God, he will ask things of you for sure. But irony is that you will receive so much than you could have ever given. 

Alma 11

V13. An onti was worth about a weeks worth of pay, or what a man could live off of for 7 days. 

V22. Zeezrom offers 6 onties, basically 42 days of pay, if Amulek would deny God. 

Alma 12

Alma and Amulek testify together that there is a God. In verse 8, Zeezrom begins to "inquire of them diligently". This seems to be different than before, when he was trying to cross them. Seems like his heart was pricked and has a desire to know more. 

V9-10. Alma's response to this new found desire... you will receive the portion of the word according to the heed and diligence which you give unto Him, and according the the hardness of your heart. 

The condition of your heart determines which portion of the word you get. SO DIAL IN.

The rest of this chapter is devoted to teaching the plan of salvation. 

V14-15 Alma teaches of judgement day when we are brought before God

V16-18. He speaks of a second spiritual death. Our first spiritual death (death being the separation) was when we were separated from God during the fall of Adam and Eve. "all mankind became a lost and fallen people".  

Because of Christ we will overcome that first spiritual death. On judgement day I can picture God saying something like: "Now that you are back in my presence…. Can you stay? Have you repented? Are you mine? Do you know me? Have you let me know you? If so, then stay. You're here, you've overcome the 1st spiritual death, no need to endure another. But it's your call. You choose to stay or you choose to leave."

If we still have a hardened heart when we stand before God, we will choose to separate ourselves again, creating a second spiritual death, because leaving His presence will be far easier than bearing the guilt of not living a repentant life. (see verse 14)

V17 their state "shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone"... "for they cannot be redeemed... and they cannot die". You're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. While we know from other revelations that the actual state of these people is immensely better than the life they lived here on earth, it is still like brimstone and fire in comparison to what they could have had living with Heavenly Father in the Celestial kingdom. The definition of damnation, is the inability to progress. 

V20-21 A guy named Antionah comes on the scene with a really good question. He points out that Alma has said that the soul can never die. But he also recalls how in the garden of Eden, God did not want them to eat of the fruit of life and live forever. Meaning that eternal life is not possible. 

V23-24 Alma answers saying God did not want them to live forever at that time. There needed to be a "space granted unto man in which he might repent". 

 

In that same verse, Alma says "this life became a probationary state". The probation has a different connotation in our society, like you did something bad and now you're living life with an officer in your shadow waiting till you mess up. (If there's any probation officers out there, i know, you do much more than that!) So i'm glad Alma clarifies further, "a time to prepare to meet God". 

The purpose of life is not just to be tested. Its to repent. Its to prepare to meet God. To learn to be like him. Its preparation, not probation. And God has given us everything we need to do so. 

In verses 22-33, Alma lists all the elements of agency. 

 

God has given us agency and now we get to choose how to fill this time of preparation. How will you use yours?

 

I hope we fill this time with FAITH, REPENTANCE & GOOD WORKS. In verse 30, this is the recipe for finding the answers to your questions and becoming the man or woman God intended you to become.