Obey with exactness

Alma 57 – Helaman tells of success of Stripling Warriors.  Ammoron wants to negotiate with Helaman.  Helaman knows his army could take the city without prisoner exchange.  They were successful with this as well as with several other combats.  They received some wounds, but none that were life threatening.

Verse 21 – “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.”

Compare their war to the war waged with Satan.  Our covenant children are as Helaman’s warriors.  They must be taught by mothers who know.  There will be wounds.  We see this every day.  It is so sad to see our choice sons or daughters embrace worldly behavior, i.e. tattoos and piercings, language, disrespect to sacred things, etc.  However, I believe with all my heart they will have an epiphany in time and that the covenant of the parents will bring them back.

Pres. Hinckley’s quote: “When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes a quest, then we are empowered by the Lord.”  Certainly this held true for Helaman’s warriors.  It is our goal to acquire this obedience and it will hold true for us as well.

Lessons learned in this chapter:  Never negotiate with the enemy.  Obey with exactness the commandments of God.

Desires and character

Alma 56 – I read Elder Oaks’ conference talk this morning “Desire”.  I couldn't help but draw a connection between what he said and Alma 56.

Elder Oaks’ quote “Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.”

When the people of Ammon saw the afflictions of the Nephites, their desire to help them overcome their desire to keep their oath.    But Helaman’s desire to have them remain faithful over rode that desire.  The 2,000 stripling warriors were born of this desire and saved their people from destruction both spiritually and physically.

I love the quote I have posted in my book from Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Medal of Honor recipient, Battle of Round Top, Gettysburg:  We know not of the future, and cannot plan for it much.  But we can hold our spirits and our bodies so pure and high we may cherish such thoughts and such ideals and dream such dreams of lofty purpose, that we can determine and know what manner of men we will be whenever and wherever the hour strikes, that calls to noble action . . . no man becomes suddenly different from his habit and cherished thought.”

It was a good time in my scriptures this morning.  I wish I could have recorded my thoughts as quickly as they came.  This will have to do.

Liquor and testimonies; short list and eternal rewards

Alma 54-55 – It’s hard to just read one chapter because sometimes you really want to know what happened next.  Such was the case this morning.  What does Moroni do with Ammaron’s proposal to exchange prisoners?

At first Moroni was impressed to exchange a prisoner for a family.  I thought that was a great idea.  He rethought this however, and decided it not wise to strengthen the enemy’s army in such a way.  His solution has always intrigued me and is a reminder to us that liquor weakens – individuals as well as communities.  They got the enemy’s guards drunk!  At that point, there was no protection and Moroni was free to pass weapons to his people to free them.

Relate this on a personal level.  We set our standards high – i.e. righteous families, temple marriage, kingdom-building, covenant people.  How many of our finest people have been weakened and made to forget the covenants they have made by such a simple thing as a drink of wine (aka liquor)?  The road to captivity is short after this one infraction.  No wonder the Lord includes abstinence from strong drink part of the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89).  I’ve seen good people do things with liquor in their bodies that they would never have considered if sober.  It destroys lives, families and joy!

Oh, the result?  Moroni frees his people and takes an entire city.  How?  Giving free liquor to the Lamanite guards.

The Lamanites tried this same trick on the Nephites to try and weaken them.  Did it work?  No!  Why?  They remembered.

I also read Elder Samuelson’s conference talk about testimonies this morning.  A sure testimony is available to all of us.  We just have to want it bad enough to nourish it.  He called it the simple things:  daily sincere prayer, scripture study, attend all church meetings, temple worship and faithful home and visiting teaching.  The list is short; the rewards are eternal.

A checklist

Alma 53 – Moroni puts all the prisoner Lamanites to work fortifying the Nephite cities.  He spends his efforts in preparing the Nephites for war, fortifying and delivering the women and children from famine and affliction and providing food.

The Lamanites (those uncaptured) took advantage of Moroni’s absence from ward and took over some of the Nephite cities which left the Nephites in a dangerous circumstance.

What to do?  The people of Ammon nearly took up arms because of the tremendous sacrifice being made to protect them.  Remember they had made an oath after they converted and buried their weapons of war that they would not ever kill again.  The sons of these righteous people had not made this oath, as they were young.  They are at this point in time between 14-34 years of age and they chose Helaman (a prophet of God) to be their leader.  I love the description given of these young men, and it truly is a reputation we all should seek:

• Valiant
• Courageous
• Strong
• Active
• True at all times
• Men of truth
• Sober
• And now they are a great support to the cause of freedom!

How does this apply to me?  Are these traits I embrace?  Am I valiant in keeping the commandments?  How about true at all times?  Do I support the cause of freedom? A checklist for all of us to measure ourselves against.

There never was a happier time.

Alma 50 – The Nephites bring peace into the land by obeying their prophet, Moroni.  They drove the Lamanites out of their land into their own land.  Peace and prosperity continue for the most part, but the borders of the land bring some contention.

V19 – “And thus we see . . .”   Those words cannot be ignored.  Moroni is teaching us that the Lord is merciful to those who keep his commandments.  The word “prosper” is used again.  In Verse 22 – They were faithful in keeping the commandments.  They were delivered at all times”.  Those who chose not to keep the commandments were brought into bondage.

• Bondage
• Perish by the sword 
• Dwindle in unbelief
• Mingle with Lamanites (i.e. fraternize with the enemy)

I wrote in the margin:  “What holds me bondage?”  Does anything currently?  Perhaps my kids do.  Am I being faithful in keeping all the commandments? 

The next verse is sweet “. . . there never was a happier time . . .”   I know there is always room to improve.  However, if I were to put a label on life as I see it today, I would say “there never was a happier time”.  Could it be better?  The only thing that could improve it would be to know that all my children fully embrace the gospel and are faithful in keeping the commandments that they too could say “there never was a happier time.”