Reading Alma 2–4 felt uncomfortably familiar—like watching today’s headlines unfold in scripture. Factions forming, voices rising in opposition, constant agitation, and a nation teetering between peace and chaos. I found myself asking: What will it take for a people to become Zion? The question is sobering.
Alma’s world shows us that conflict is rarely just about power or territory. It is about influence—about who people choose to follow and what spirit they allow to lead them. Groups gather momentum quickly when fueled by anger, fear, or pride. That was true then, and it feels true now.
What steadies me is Alma’s response. Rather than relying solely on force, he pleads for mercy and prays that the people might be instruments in the Lord’s hands to preserve and save. That feels like the pattern to follow: humility before action, prayer before judgment.
Chapter 3 stopped me in my tracks. The Amlicites marked themselves—not because God forced it upon them, but because they chose it. I could write an entire post on marks alone. We’re taught not to judge, yet it is difficult not to notice when someone openly declares allegiance to ideas rooted in hatred or rebellion. Scripture suggests that such marks—visible or invisible—are often first written on the heart.
The reminder in verse 19 is chilling: every man that is cursed bringeth upon himself his own condemnation. These were not accidental choices. They were deliberate. And verses 26–27 are painfully clear—each person receives wages according to the spirit they choose to obey. Eternal happiness or eternal misery flows from that choice.
Then comes the pattern we know too well.
In what follows (Alma 4), wars cease. Prosperity returns. And almost immediately, pride creeps in—fueled by riches, fine clothing, flocks, gold, and silver. Here we go again. Why is this lesson so hard to learn? We are repeatedly told that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, not just theirs. Are we watching this cycle play out in real time?
I reread a note I made in 2021 that still rings true: the phrase “pride of their eyes.” Pride often begins with comparison—what I have versus what someone else has. From that same root grow two twin evils: pride and envy. Perhaps one way to interrupt this cycle is to pray to see others as the Lord sees them. When we truly remember that we are all His children, pride loses its footing.
Alma’s choice to lay aside the judgment seat and preach the word feels strikingly familiar today, as many grandparents and seasoned professionals step away from careers and comforts to serve the Lord by healing hearts and gathering God’s family.
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