Sing the Song of Redeeming Love

Alma 5 (first half)

I purposely read just the first half of this chapter as I have so much on my mind and it was just a continuation of the amazing experience I had last night. I want to document it.

Alma is teaching the people about bondage, about the judgment, about standing before God some day to be judged. This is something we will all do some day.

Last night I attended a Regional training for the leaders in the YSA stakes. I was shown some amazing tools in teaching that Alma is using in this chapter. Of course, the hard part is always putting it into practice. I have a tendency to want to give the answers. I need to learn to ask questions. Alma asks question after question. Sometimes he gives the answer.

As I'm reading this chapter, I can't help but think of the message on my voice mail last night from my daughter. She wanted to know if I had called her bishop, RS president, Primary president and everyone else in her ward. Apparently, my prayers are being answered. When she first was sent home from the social singles ward and required to attend the singles ward in her area, I called the bishop to let her know she was there. It did no good at that time. However, last month when I learned the value of praying specifically for what I wanted to happen, I started praying that she would be assigned visiting teachers who would understand her and reach out to her. Could this be the beginning of this prayer being answered? Will they have the courage to hang in there through her rejections? Will she have the courage to reach out to them and let them help her? Will I have the ability to ask questions when she confronts me and will I listen to the spirit that my questions will be what she needs to ponder?

I have pasted a quote from M. Russell Nelson in this chapter: “Simply stated, testimony – real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost – changes lives. It changes how you think and what you do. It changes what you say.  It affects every priority you set and every choice you make. To have a real and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be 'spiritually born of God' to [receive] his image in your countenances and to experience a 'mighty change in your hearts'. (Alma 5:14).

Did I experience this in my own life? Absolutely! I was in bondage to habits I had acquired over nine years that affected everything I did. Once I started reading the scriptures and accepting counsel from teachers and leaders in the church, the chains of darkness began to fall and I began to change. My priorities changed, my outlook on life (and death) changed. My heart was changed and I “felt to sing the song of redeeming love”. (v26) I still feel so now. And this is what I want for my daughter. I know it can happen. But I also know it is going to be work for her. I know she will have the help if she will just ask for it. She has fallen further and harder because she was already a covenant daughter. This will make the change even greater and she will see the difference in a much more powerful way. In many ways, I'm quite excited for what her future holds – if she will just allow this change to take effect.

So how does this impact my day? It makes me want to learn to ask questions when teaching. It makes me want to remember to sing the song of redeeming love. And this reminds me that it was these feelings that created the many pieces of music I have written the last 33 years. That is how long I have been singing this song. The Lord redeemed me from a dark abyss. I have total faith it can be that way for anyone who will reach out and be rescued. There are those waiting in the wings to assist. Of this I have firm faith.