When Alma is giving the wicked people his evidences of God
it makes me think of The God Who Weeps and how it talks about how you can argue
for or against God reasonably, making it more fully a choice to believe. I
wonder how powerful, to an unbeliever, the unembarrassed testimony of a
believer is. Does the courage of standing up and declaring that you believe
make it possible for some people to see that it is also a reasonable choice, to
take away the stigma of foolishness?
When Alma talks about how the Lord is merciful with the
Lamenites because their sins are due to the traditions of their fathers, it
makes me more sure in my belief that we can’t judge each other because we are
all working with different parameters, and those parameters matter to the Lord.
I am grateful that is what the Lord teaches, it seems so much more fair and
loving. I am grateful that the God I love and worship is a merciful and loving
God.
When Alma is telling the people about all the great
blessings they have received from God as a people, I can see such a strong
parallel with membership in the Church, and our history and living reality. I
am grateful for the reminder of how amazing these blessings are. Sometimes I
forget how amazing it all is because it is how it has always been. But we have been delivered by the hand of God,
conversed with angles, seen mighty miracles, and are blessed to be led by an actual
prophet of God. Truly it is amazing!
The people were angry with Alma because he told them they were
sinners. It’s hard to know when it is the right thing to do, because it does upset
people. But in order to call people to repentance you do have to tell them about
their sins. I guess the important part is staying in tune with the Spirit and doing
it only when it is your responsibility to do so.
I am struck by how brave Amulek was. He had heard Alma preach,
and see the people’s angry reaction, wanting to throw Alma in prison. And even so,
then he stood up and began to preach. I have felt the bravery that comes, or more
like strength and fearlessness, when you are filled with the love of God. He must
have been such an amazing man!
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