Alma 23-29
What's up fam, happy independence day! I am so grateful for this country and all the freedoms I inherited just by being born here. I do not take it for granted. Just like the countless sacrifices made during the revolution allow me to enjoy my freedom, we learn in these Book of Alma chapters about the sacrifices made by prophets so that their people could enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin and sorrow.
Let's get it.
V16 Let us bury our swords and keep them bright as a testimony that we have never used them
It's almost like his understanding of forgiveness is evolving, or trying to help his people evolve their understanding. At first, it's "let's bury them to show we have not sinned since we learned of our sin."
But the atonement is infinite and eternal right? It goes forever in both directions on the timeline, wiping out sin.. even wiping out the stain of sin. A stain is something left behind as evidence that something happened. So if the atonement wipes away even the stain of sin, it's as if the sin never even happened. It's as if the Anti-Nephi-Lehies never even used them.
Now, we know better. Our guilt is swept away, not our memory. We know we committed that sin. But God, omniscient and omnipotent, chooses to sweep away his memory of it.
Picture this conversation between you and God at the judgement seat:
You: so basically, ever since you forgave me, I've done really well!
God: Forgave you? Forgave you for what?
You: well you know.. The time that I……
God: I don't know what your talking about. I the Lord remember them no more.
You: I mean it's nice of you to say that.. But You know that I did. I cannot lie and say I never did them.
God: Well I do know a lot.. Omniscience does describe me. But I have no recollection of that sin. Maybe it's time for you to do the same.
It takes faith to go from a "I've been clean since ___" to a "clean forever". From a "not since then…" to a "never at all".
V17 they did bury their swords deep in the earth. If these weapons are your temptations, don't leave the handle sticking out. Don't just cover them with some dirt. Bury them deep and don't leave an "X marks the spot".
What's really interesting about this battle, is that there were so many deaths, but no victims. Anti-Nephi-Lehies took that power away from Lamanites. A person becomes a victim when you are harmed against your will. You cannot be a victim when you submit yourself. I love the parallel here with the lamb headed to the slaughter.
V27 The Lord works in mysterious ways. 1005 righteous people died so that over a thousand could become converted.
V30 None of these converts were Amalekites or Amulonites (former Nephites, of the order of Nehor). Once you fully embrace the Gospel, you have left neutral ground forever. If you leave the church, you usually can't leave the church alone. You might be thinking, "I know plenty of Mormons who don't care in the slightest about the church".. But they were probably never fully converted in the first place.
The staunchest antagonists to the Church are almost always ex-members of the Church.
Alma Ch 23
This is kind of a recap chapter, talking about all that has happened among the lamanites.
V15 they did repent and come to the knowledge of the truth
Aka: they had a change of behavior, and a change of belief.
A new perspective on the world, and a new desire to live within that perspective. True conversion requires a changed mind and a changed heart.
V17 So we have this group of Lamanites that no longer want to be called Lamanites, but they're not descendants of Nephi so they probably don't want to be called Nephites either.. So they come up with a new name: Anti-Nephi-Lehies. A little strange I know, why be Anti to the group you are trying to be like? One possible explanation is that the word Anti could come from an Egyptian word "enti", meaning to be a part of. Or, if we leave it as the common meaning "against", maybe they are "against" the Nephites, but not in opposition, more like facing them. (Every man pitched his tent facing the temple.) I don't really know, just speculating.
Ch 24
V7-11 The King addresses his people, thanking God for:
- sending them the sons of Mosiah (missionaries),
- sending his spirit to soften their hearts,
- for convincing them of their sins,
- "granting unto them that they might repent"
- for forgiving them
- and taking away their guilt
This king lays out their conversion process beautifully. I want to pay special attention to the 4th bullet point, "granting unto them that they might repent". It's a humble thought. I know I've prayed a thousand times thanking him for forgiving me, but how many times have I thanked him just for granting me the opportunity to repent? Repentance after all is a gift, paid in full with the blood of Christ.
In these next two verses, the king says the same thing with a very slight difference.
V15 Let us hide our swords and keep them bright as a testimony that we have not stained our swords since he imparted his word V16 Let us bury our swords and keep them bright as a testimony that we have never used them
It's almost like his understanding of forgiveness is evolving, or trying to help his people evolve their understanding. At first, it's "let's bury them to show we have not sinned since we learned of our sin."
But the atonement is infinite and eternal right? It goes forever in both directions on the timeline, wiping out sin.. even wiping out the stain of sin. A stain is something left behind as evidence that something happened. So if the atonement wipes away even the stain of sin, it's as if the sin never even happened. It's as if the Anti-Nephi-Lehies never even used them.
Now, we know better. Our guilt is swept away, not our memory. We know we committed that sin. But God, omniscient and omnipotent, chooses to sweep away his memory of it.
Picture this conversation between you and God at the judgement seat:
You: so basically, ever since you forgave me, I've done really well!
God: Forgave you? Forgave you for what?
You: well you know.. The time that I……
God: I don't know what your talking about. I the Lord remember them no more.
You: I mean it's nice of you to say that.. But You know that I did. I cannot lie and say I never did them.
God: Well I do know a lot.. Omniscience does describe me. But I have no recollection of that sin. Maybe it's time for you to do the same.
It takes faith to go from a "I've been clean since ___" to a "clean forever". From a "not since then…" to a "never at all".
V17 they did bury their swords deep in the earth. If these weapons are your temptations, don't leave the handle sticking out. Don't just cover them with some dirt. Bury them deep and don't leave an "X marks the spot".
Remember, this is the generation that raised the 2000 stripling warriors. If you want to raise stripling warriors, bury your temptations.
V19 Weapons of peace.
Let's apply this to our time. During the cold war, there was a term called "Mutually Assured Destruction". Both sides kept stock piling nuclear warheads, not necessarily with the intent to use them, but with the intent to deter the other side from using theirs. Each side wanted the other to know that if you kill us, we have the power to kill you. In an odd way, these were weapons of peace. Or as Mormon clarifies, weapons of war, for peace. And yet what did the Anti-Nephi-Lehies do with them? They buried them, saying if there is to be any destruction, it will come from you, not us. Can you imagine our country doing the same??? Not going to lie, I would be terrified. But can you also imagine the affect this would have on the other country? V20-27 shows one possible outcome.
To bring it even more close to home… I see a lot of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.
When I first read this as a kid, I thought to myself, "I get it, don't use your swords, but that doesn't mean you have to give up and let them kill you! Run! Run like Joseph in Egypt!"
And if they would have, I don't think God would have viewed them any less. But running doesn't change the heart of the attackers. If anything it will egg them on even more in the heat of the chase. These people chose, at their own peril, to declare:
I will not run from you so that you can run from your conscience
I will not hide from your violence so that you can hide from your sins
I will not fight you, because you're the one that has to fight yourself
If I have to give my blood so that you can change, so be it. Christ has already given his for me.
This is why in Alma 26:23 Ammon says "there has never been so great a love in all the land".
V19 Weapons of peace.
Let's apply this to our time. During the cold war, there was a term called "Mutually Assured Destruction". Both sides kept stock piling nuclear warheads, not necessarily with the intent to use them, but with the intent to deter the other side from using theirs. Each side wanted the other to know that if you kill us, we have the power to kill you. In an odd way, these were weapons of peace. Or as Mormon clarifies, weapons of war, for peace. And yet what did the Anti-Nephi-Lehies do with them? They buried them, saying if there is to be any destruction, it will come from you, not us. Can you imagine our country doing the same??? Not going to lie, I would be terrified. But can you also imagine the affect this would have on the other country? V20-27 shows one possible outcome.
To bring it even more close to home… I see a lot of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.
When I first read this as a kid, I thought to myself, "I get it, don't use your swords, but that doesn't mean you have to give up and let them kill you! Run! Run like Joseph in Egypt!"
And if they would have, I don't think God would have viewed them any less. But running doesn't change the heart of the attackers. If anything it will egg them on even more in the heat of the chase. These people chose, at their own peril, to declare:
I will not run from you so that you can run from your conscience
I will not hide from your violence so that you can hide from your sins
I will not fight you, because you're the one that has to fight yourself
If I have to give my blood so that you can change, so be it. Christ has already given his for me.
This is why in Alma 26:23 Ammon says "there has never been so great a love in all the land".
What's really interesting about this battle, is that there were so many deaths, but no victims. Anti-Nephi-Lehies took that power away from Lamanites. A person becomes a victim when you are harmed against your will. You cannot be a victim when you submit yourself. I love the parallel here with the lamb headed to the slaughter.
V27 The Lord works in mysterious ways. 1005 righteous people died so that over a thousand could become converted.
V30 None of these converts were Amalekites or Amulonites (former Nephites, of the order of Nehor). Once you fully embrace the Gospel, you have left neutral ground forever. If you leave the church, you usually can't leave the church alone. You might be thinking, "I know plenty of Mormons who don't care in the slightest about the church".. But they were probably never fully converted in the first place.
The staunchest antagonists to the Church are almost always ex-members of the Church.
Ch 25
V6 Compare this verse to Alma 21:12. At first we thought of Aaron's early missionary attempts as a total failure, but it looks like he planted some seeds that took some time to grow.
V16 Life hack - you can usually substitute the words "Law of Moses" with "works". So salvation does not come by works, but works do serve to strengthen our faith in Christ. They reconcile our will with God's.
That's why in the end, it's not about what we've done. It's about who we have become.
Ch 26
This chapter is like Ammon's missionary homecoming talk, a little break in all the action.
V5 Classic missionary metaphor used throughout the scriptures. I like this particular one because it speaks of "gathering them into the garners, that they are not wasted." A garner is a place where you store wheat; once it makes it in their, rest assured it will not be wasted. Today, a garner could be a temple. Once a convert makes it to the temple, the chances of them making it to the celestial kingdom sky rocket.
V12 Love it. Print it out. Post it on your wall. "In his strength I can do all things."
V16 Sometimes I wish we had a little more southern baptist "Sing and Shout" at our church. We may have more truth than them, but they sure take this verse to heart! BTW it's totally okay to have a little spiritual envy.
V17 Watch for this word used throughout the book of Mormon; snatched. We often have to wade through our repentance and tribulation, but we are always snatched in forgiveness.
V22 Low-key awesome verse alert.
"reveal things which never have been revealed" ?? Well i'm not a prophet so i don't think this applies to me.. WRONG. God can reveal things that have never before been revealed to that person, in that way. This happens when you walk away from church or institute and think to yourself "I've never seen it like that before", or "that was a new insight, a deepened perspective for me".
How do we receive these revelations? REPENT, exercise FAITH, bring forth GOOD WORKS, and PRAY CONTINUALLY, and the MYSTERIES OF GOD will be REVEALED UNTO YOU.
V34 Love the sinner. Hate the sin.
V36 Ammon would've been a big Bon Jovi fan. "It's my life", "livin' on a prayer".
V37 God is aware of your situation.
Ch 27
V7 Sincere heart and real intent
V26-27 Not distinguished by their skin, but by the content of their character
Ch28
V11-12 It's interesting that when the Nephites were slaughtered, there was a tremendous mourning. While when the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were slaughtered in chapter 24, and again in 25, there was at least no mention of mourning. Simply put, "there was not a wicked man among them", "they've all been taken home to God". Not to demean anyone who mourns for a loved one, but to highlight how these converted people really were distinguished by their zeal, hope, and faith.
V13 Mormon's take away from this story is the inequality of man. Inequality not from poverty, education, race, etc., but from sin. There is a great inequality among man between the spiritually ignorant and those who know the truth. Those in the bondage of sin and those who know the freedom of redemption.
V14 That inequality is the "great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing - sorrow because of death and destruction.., and joy because of the light of Christ unto life."
Ch29
This is Alma's homecoming talk, like Ammon did in Chapter 26. Ammon went international to preach to the Lamanites, while Alma stayed state side to teach his own people.
V3 This verse is odd. At first glance it looks like his wish is sinful. But if his wish, to be an angel and enlarge his circle of influence to be able to teach more people about repentance, is a sin? Then my wishes fail in comparison. But it's not the content of his wish that is the sin. He simply teaches a lesson of being content with what God has allotted to us. Maybe we received this calling instead of that calling. This mission instead of that mission. This body instead of that body. This family instead of that family.
Whenever you start to grapple with those comparisons, ask yourself: "What have I done with what God has given me?".
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