Alma 5: An Interview With You

I love Alma 5. There is something very personal about this chapter. Alma asks question after question, and the farther I read, the harder it becomes to imagine that he is talking only to the people of Zarahemla.

He is talking to me.

Do you remember?

Alma asks his people if they remember the captivity of their fathers and how the Lord delivered them by His power.

I remember my own captivity to a life that had no meaning. I remember the Lord's mercy in delivering me. The chains of hell were loosed for me as well—and quite literally, I have sung redeeming love ever since.

If I'm not writing music, I'm humming it. Music became a huge part of my life when I began walking toward Jesus Christ. It seems to have become my second language.

Have you experienced this mighty change in your heart?

I have.

My life was forever changed. I was changed. The things I desired changed. It was somewhat gradual, but when I look back, I am in awe at both the process and the progress.

I still have plenty of improving to do. These days, much of my struggle is with thoughts—being judgmental or thinking things that aren't fitting in the Lord's eyes. I get frustrated when I get in my own way, but I try to recognize it, correct quickly, and keep moving forward.

I think that's repentance.

Have you been spiritually born of God?

When I returned to the covenant path, I was different. I looked different, acted differently, and even spoke differently. An acquaintance at work noticed something had changed and tried to figure it out. Had I lost weight? Changed my hair?

No.

Nothing on the outside had changed. Something on the inside had.

Then comes one of Alma's questions that I think may be the most important:

“Can ye feel so now?”

That's the question, isn't it?

It isn't enough that I once experienced a mighty change. Am I still being changed?

Am I still trusting Him?

Am I still repenting?

Am I still singing the song of redeeming love?

By the time I finished Alma 5, I realized that this entire chapter is an interview with YOU.

Alma asks the questions. We supply the answers.

And if we don't like some of our answers, there is good news: we can turn around.

Christ is calling.

Turn toward Him. Turn your life over to Jesus Christ. He can make so much more of it than you ever could on your own.