Mosiah 25

In all the emotions the Nephites went through when King Mosiah read the record of Zeniff and Alma, they never felt hate or revenge. That says a lot about the people. And about King Mosiah and how he presented it.

I love the description of many churches being one church. And I love that people talk about church that way, that anywhere you go to church it is always the same and you know what is going on. What a beautiful thought that you can find home anywhere in the world.

Mosiah 25

Mosiah 24

You can see the Lord laying the foundation for the missionaries that were coming in another generation as Amulon and the other priests taught the people to understand the Nephite language. I am sure to the Nephites then it didn’t look like spiritual progress, just as, to me, it looks like there is no progress on the gospel going to all the world. But I am sure there is, the Lord’s ways are not my ways and His time is not my time. I feel like in our struggles lately the Lord has told me that great things are coming. Part of having faith in that promise is that things are working together now for the greater good, even when it looks like no progress at all. I just need to be more patient

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Why did Alma believing Abinidi still make Amulon mad? Why do people who are making worldly choices always feel mad about spiritual ones?

I’ve always found the contrast between this story and Daniel in the Lion’s Den interesting. Why did Daniel need to pray out loud but it was okay for Alma and his people to pray in their hearts? I get the pray in the hearts more than I get that Daniel needed to pray out loud. But I guess the stories are very different, because Daniel’s prayer softened the king’s heart, and helped a whole nation of believers. It seems unlikely that Amulon’s heart would have been similarly softened. I guess it all goes back to, again, needing to be able to hear and follow the Spirit rather than relying on pre-set rules in life.

Sometimes I feel like a whiner, but I desire to be the person that submits patiently and cheerfully to the all the will of the Lord.

The Lord was able to deliver them because of their faith. I am sure it took a lot of faith for them to gather their flocks and get ready to leave when they hadn’t gotten the Lamenites drunk or done anything themselves to make escape possible. Yet before they even knew how it could happen they trusted the Lord and made preparations. Do I exercise that kind of faith, or do I need to see how it will work first? I guess this move took that kind of faith. I am grateful for that reminder, that I’m not as bad as I sometimes think.

I also think, the Lord had to help them in this way for them to escape. For the other people who had fled, getting the Lamenites drunk had been an option. But now they knew that trick and it wouldn’t have worked again. The Lord lets us do the work we can do and helps us with what we can’t. I need to do be better about allowing my kids to do what they can do. I always want to step in and help before it is probably necessary. Though I do it because I love them, I feel like it’s not the best teaching and parenting I could be doing for them. I’ve been feeling that a lot lately, and this scripture story has made me feel and remember that again today. I need to act on this prompting.

Mosiah 24

Mosiah 23

It’s comforting to me that if things get to dangerous for the people of the Lord, he warns them and sends them away. He didn’t tell Alma and his people to stay “in the world” in this case, but to flee. It helps me to keep moving forward with faith and trust that He will keep us from harm. But it also makes me realize I need to be more diligent in doing those things that keep me close to the Spirit and able to feel and hear those warnings. Especially in times of turmoil, like right now as we are trying to figure out how to change our life. In order to go where He wants us to go, we have to be able to hear Him to know what that means.

When they fled, the Lord strengthened them to be able to flee and stay ahead of King Noah. Do we need to pray for strength instead of change?

I’m reading a biography about Thomas Jefferson right now. He talks a lot about hard work, and he was a hard worker. It’s been on my mind a lot lately as I read. When Alma and his people got to the beautiful land, they were industrious and did labor exceedingly.  I feel like this is a challenge for me sometimes, to value working. But I know that for me, I am happiest when I am not idle. And this scripture reminds me that work is also valued by the Lord. It is what he wants for us.

I love how Alma talks about the importance of a government of freedom here. 

These next two verses are something I really need to ponder. It is sometimes the Lord who sends trials to test our patience and faith. Our life has felt like that a lot this past year and a half. It’s been very difficult, especially for Omar. These verses describe what it has felt like for me, and what I believe about it. That we can do hard things, and in the end, all will be well. But some things definitely are very hard. I think, for me, the harder it is to hold on, the tighter I hold and keep enduring, the stronger my faith becomes. But I can see how if you aren’t strong enough to hold as tight as the winds are blowing, it makes you feel buffeted and weak. My prayer is to help those who are losing their grip and lend them strength and support so they don’t lose their way. I know that I’ve had that help when I’m about to lose it.

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. 

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.