Carry On!

Alma 27

The Lord commands Ammon to get the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety. The Amalekites had great influence over the Lamanites and they would eventually destroy those who had laid down their weapons of war. The Anti-Nephi-Lehi's left the land and in their travels ran into Alma. Oh what a glorious reunion! Ammon is so overjoyed he falls to the earth. They talk with the Nephites who willingly give them the land of Jershon to inhabit and tell them they will protect them if they will help to support their armies.

This is a great chapter to help us know how strong we must be to keep from falling into our old patterns of evil and picking up our swords of destruction again. I've never carried a real sword, but I have been destructive to myself and probably to those around me in my behavior in the past. Once I found the gospel, my fear of returning to that old way of living was intense. I stayed as far away from it as I possibly could. Many times in the last 35 years I have had to pull back on some worldly behaviors to keep from going there. When I see it, I move quickly. The fear is real and intense.

What are the characteristics of a zealous person? In V27-30, it is spelled out quite clearly:

Perfectly honest

Upright in all things

Firm in faith of Christ

Look upon shedding of blood with abhorrence

Could not be swayed (prevailed upon) to take up arms against their brethren (aka righteousness)

Death was not a fear or terror

Hope of the resurrection

This is a list that we should examine regularly. In order to keep ourselves safe from Satan's influence we must be perfectly honest. What does it mean to be upright in all things? Webster says “marked by strong moral rectitude”. Other words are: conscientious, scrupulous, honorable, strict regard, stern, honest, truthful, candor, fair, conscious choice, regular practice. It governs all one's actions and efforts, firm. This list is long and very clear.

And as in all things, it is a process. We pick one thing and become the best we can possibly be in it. Then we move on to the next.

I've seen several of my loved ones lose hold of the iron rod. At that point, it becomes a slippery slope and Satan is better able to influence. The iron rod is the word of God. We must constantly be seeking our guidance from this book and all the scriptures to continue to enjoy the blessings of the gospel, or as it is put in this particular chapter – the protection of the Nephites from the destruction of the Lamanites.

How does this apply to me today. Carry on!