Weaknesses become Strengths

Alma 48

Amalakiah continues his war against the Nephites.  All my life I have looked at these chapters as war chapters and overlooked the lessons taught.  This chapter teaches the strength of a great man, Moroni.  It also adds that Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people.  This teaches me that those who were once weak and destructive in nature to themselves as well as the church can change!  What were some of the strengths mentioned in this chapter – strengths that I too can seek to obtain?

• Strong
• Mighty
• Perfect understanding
• Did not delight in bloodshed
• His soul joyed in liberty and the freedom of his country
• His soul found joy in freedom from bondage and slavery
• Thankful to his God for privileges and blessings  (Note he didn’t focus on what wasn’t, which was a lot.)
• He labored exceedingly for the welfare and safety of others
• Firm in the faith of Christ
• True to his covenants
• Taught his people to defend themselves against their enemies
• Taught his people not to raise the first offense

Remember, Helaman and his brothers had these same strengths.  That’s quite a list!   The Lord has told us that we should seek after the best gifts. (D&C 46:7)  The best way I know to do this is to pray that I will have these characteristics and in my own life.  Then to do all in my power to see that it happens.  How should I go about this?  Discipline myself as if I were my own child. 

Clyde had an opportunity to counsel one of our children this week that thinks she is weak.  We are all weak in our own way but we can overcome these weaknesses if we will first identify them.  Know our weak areas as well as Moroni knew which cities needed the most fortification.  After we have done that, then we are responsible to shore up those weaknesses in a way similar, as did Moroni.  If I knew I was going to be tempted to do something that would weaken my character if I were to be around certain people or certain influences, then at all costs I would avoid those people; those influences – no matter if they were life-long friends.  I would consider them to be poison to my soul and salvation for indeed they are.  Perhaps this seems a bit prudish, but remember – I know my weakness and I must protect myself against me. 

I’ve written a note in my margin (I believe it is a quote from a book by John Bytheway).  It says “We need to prepare our minds to be faithful.  This will be our strength.  Our faith will encircle us.  Make covenants; then swords.”  I believe this can be done by taking each of the strengths of Moroni and measuring myself against them.  How is this done?  Examine my weakness as if I were a nation with cities to protect then listen to the spirit to know how to turn these weaknesses into strengths.  I wouldn’t stop there.  I would pray that the Lord would help me turn these weaknesses into strengths.  I would even pray that the Lord would show me my weaknesses that they may become strengths so that I can be more serviceable to the Lord.  (Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.)

Keep the Commandments

Alma 47

This chapter relates some disturbing events in the history of the Lamanites.  Amalickiah uses cunning devices to gain the advantage and eventually be made king over the people.  Remember Amalickiah is an apostate.  He uses his cunning to talk Lehonti from his retreat in the mountain.  They were safe there, but because of his convincing ways, they came down and pretended to capture the Lamanites.  Amalickiah took second place in command but had his servants administer poison by degrees to Lehonti until he died, thus making him the leader of the entire armies.

Degrees – an interesting word.  From one who knows, this is Satan’s tactics.  He doesn’t start with the big guns.  He uses tiny temptations that don’t seem all that big at first.  Gradually, a person is lead down a path where they are committing more serious sins and find themselves trapped in his web and having lost the Spirit and their agency.

After Amalickiah had control of the Lamanites and returns to the king, he conspires to kill the king and blames it on the king’s servants who flee!  This guy must have been some smooth talker, as the next thing he’s managed to convince the king’s wife to marry him and the kingdom is his. 

It is the last verse that is disturbing: “Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites – drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.”

Why is an apostate so much more hardened and determined to undermine the things of the Lord than those who have never heard the gospel – those who have never had the same instruction as those who were raised with the gospel?  Why do they feel the need to prove something?  Why do they feel the need to collect others who believe as they do, and to actually try to convince others of their beliefs?  These are sincere questions that I can only find one answer to.  The answer is in the temple endowment.  Basically once a person ceases to keep the commandments of God and live (and desire) eternal life in God’s presence, he becomes an enemy to righteousness and God.  At that point, he is a servant of the devil and is in his control.   

That’s an interesting thought.  When we live righteously, are we in the control of someone or something?  Not!  We are free to make choices that will continue to lead us toward eternal life and bless us in this life.  As long as we make righteous choices, we have our agency.  Conversely, when we start making unrighteous choices – choices that need to be repented of quickly, we begin to lose our agency and Satan owns us.  We are his servant. 

So how does this affect me today?  On a very personal one-on-one basis, I need to do everything in my power to stay on the side of righteousness.  As one who loves my Heavenly Father and His children, I need to do all in my power to help his children see the importance of keeping the commandments and serving the Lord.  

Title of Liberty - American Covenant

Alma 46

Moroni’s Title of Liberty chapter.  Moroni is a chief commander of the armies of the Nephites.  He becomes incensed at the direction the leaders of the people are going (The Amalickiahites).  They are spreading lies and causing great dissension amongst the people.  What I found interesting, and I know I’ve seen it in the past – the people they were influencing were high leaders in the church!  (v6)

Here is this verse again:  “And thus we see”. . . .  V8 people are quick to forget the Lord their God, do iniquity and be led away by Satan.  Also the great wickedness one wicked man can cause. 

What to do?  Moroni declares war against the wickedness.  He rents his coat and commits himself to the cause of righteousness.  Others follow his lead and they cause to be put upon all the towers in the land a replica of this rent material declaring their allegiance to freedom.  (Today we could call this the American flag.)

I’ve been reading (not very fast, I’m afraid) a book by Tim Ballard called “The American Covenant”.  This is exactly what the American Covenant is:  Freedom, protection for our families and our religion and prosperity.  There’s more to it, but that is it in a nutshell as best my memory can dig up. 

We today have an obligation to fight for this same cause – our families, our right to worship according to our conscience, our liberty and prosperity.  Without freedom of religion, we will not prosper.  It is a simple formula.

So how does this affect me today?  There is an election being waged as I write.  We are in the process of choosing a Republican nominee for President.  It is critical that we elect a man or woman who understands the American Covenant.  One who will fight to the death to protect the freedoms we hole dear.  One who will be influential in convincing the nonbelievers that we have a responsibility to our God to worship Him and keep the commandments.  Our nation has deteriorated in so many ways of the world, i.e. separation of church and state has turned into a contest to eliminate religion and prayer from any government affair, Political Correctness has allowed the most evil of sins to be accepted into our society, complacency has contributed to the growth of these two lies.  It is huge to think it can be turned around, but we know the Lord is on our side and if the Lord is for us, then we can’t help but win.  I need to know what I’m talking about and be vocal as I encounter opportunities to discuss these things.  

I am the servant!

Alma 45

Alma talks with his son, Helaman, gives him responsibility for the church and records and leaves for Melek but never arrives.  It is assumed he was translated.

I’m not certain why this chapter choked me up a little this morning.  I’ll try to figure this one out.  Alma is probably one of my favorite characters in the Book of Mormon.  I relate to his history just a little.  He had a hard time getting started on his road of righteousness.  His was a little worse than mine, as he actively tried to destroy the church.  So in my eyes, I think that’s pretty bad.  I just didn’t have the faith to live it. 

So what becomes of Alma?  He has his life-defining moment when an angel appears to him and calls him to repentance – if not to save himself, then to stop damaging the church and its progress.  When Alma came out of this experience, he was a changed man.  He knew he had been saved by the grace of his Savior, Jesus Christ, and he spent the rest of his life serving him. 

We know he had a personal life because he had some pretty stalwart sons as well.  He taught them the gospel and they served in the kingdom as well.  His son Helaman was so righteous he was given the responsibilities of the kingdom before Alma died.  In other words, he too became a prophet.  We know Helaman was always righteous.

So why does this ring a chord with me this morning?  I believe it is because I feel such gratitude for my blessings.  The Lord has been so very good to me from the very moment I decided to turn my life around.  There was never a moment’s hesitation in what I knew I needed to be doing and I did it.  It wasn’t easy, but I walked away from friends, a nice home and many of the things inside that made it nice, and any influence that did not help me accomplish this commitment.   When I started dating, I was almost a prude, but I would not risk another mistake.  Clyde has joked with me often about our dating days.  I would not let him in my home.  He thought that a little over the top.  It was what I felt I needed to do to avoid any risk at all.  It worked. 

But this isn’t about me.  It’s about Alma.  I want to be like Alma, someone the Lord can count on to do what He asks me to do.  It starts with obedience.  A few other items in this chapter are gratitude, fasting and prayer (v1), believing (v3-5), obedience (v6-7) prospering in the land (v8).   We need to understand what “prospering in the land” really means.  Sometimes it is disguised and we need to have the Spirit with us to recognize it.  Most places where this phrase is written in the Book of Mormon it is followed by the opposite:  i.e. 1 Nephi 1:21 “And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.”   What does that mean to me?  I would be without the Lord’s guidance in my life.  I would be on my own.  What a frightening place to be!

There is a warning that one could almost miss in the very last verse of this chapter.  V24 “But they grew proud, being lifted up in their hearts, because of their exceedingly great riches; . . . would not give heed to [the] words, to walk uprightly before God.”  As we are blessed for serving the Lord, frequently those blessings help us prosper financially.  It is a natural consequence.  Overcoming pride is a huge deal and needs to be checked regularly.  I must remember that I am the servant and my blessings come from my Heavenly Father.  Without Him and His Spirit in my life, I’m pretty much nothing.