Mormon Life - Patience tag

FHE: Experience

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:05:00 -0700

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Every experience we have in life will strengthen and improve us - if we allow it. Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read “Waiting Upon the Lord,” by Elder Robert D. Hales, Ensign, Nov 2011, 71.

Thought:
The purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences.

(Elder Robert D. Hales, “Waiting Upon the Lord,” Ensign, Nov 2011, 71.)

Song:
“Seek the Lord Early,” Children’s Songbook, p. 108.

Scripture:
Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7)

Story:
On October 27, 1838, Governor Lilburn B. Boggs, heeding the false accusations of many apostates and enemies of the church, ordered, “The Mormons must be treated as enemies and must be exterminated or driven from the State, if necessary for the public good.” Three days later was the massacre at Haun’s Mill. By October 31 state militias had surrounded Far West, outnumbering the Saints five to one. Colonel Hinkle, the commanding officer for the Saints, betrayed the prophet and other church leaders by convincing them that General Lucas of the militia wanted to meet with them in a peace conference. Once they met the General, Hinkle surrendered them as prisoners.

On the night of November 1, 1838, an illegal court was held where the prisoners were not invited. The court sentenced Joseph and his companions to be shot in the Far West town square at eight o’clock the next morning. General Doniphan refused to carry out the sentence saying, “It is cold-blooded murder. I will not obey your order, and if you execute those men, I will hold you responsible before an earthly tribunal, so help me God!” This courageous action saved their lives. Joseph Smith and the others were then taken from one jail to another until settling in Liberty Jail for five months. It was in this setting that the Prophet wrote an important letter from which sections 121, 122, and 123 are taken. Of this letter, Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:

“It is a prayer and a prophecy and an answer by revelation from the Lord. None other but a noble soul filled with the spirit of love of Christ could have Conference Talk: written such a letter. Considering the fact that these prisoners had been confined several months; were fed on food at times not fit for a pig, and at times impregnated with poison and once being offered human flesh, evidently from the body of one of their brethren, it is no wonder that the Prophet cried out in the anguish of his soul for relief. Yet, in his earnest pleading, there breathed a spirit of tolerance and love for his fellow man. . . . It was his people for whom he pled, more than for himself.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 3:197.) Watch for how differently the Lord views our troubles from the way we view them.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Doctrine and Covenants, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p. 268.)

Lesson:
Ask family members to think of and share one of their greatest trials. Read together the story above and the section heading to D&C 121. Compare the trials mentioned by family members with those of Joseph and ask:

• When a person is suffering a great trial, what kind of questions might they ask of God?
• What kinds of questions do you think Joseph Smith might have asked of God?

Invite someone to read D&C 121:1–3 aloud and have your family identify and mark each question Joseph asked. Ask:

• What questions does Joseph ask instead of “why”?
• In what way might asking God “Why?” show a lack of trust in Him or even accuse God of not being there when needed?
• How do questions like, “Where art thou” and “How long,” show more faith than asking, “Why”?

Read together D&C 121:4–6 and look for what Joseph requested of the Lord. Ask:

• Who is Joseph requesting the most help for?
• What does it teach us about Joseph’s heart that he prays for others more than for himself?

Encourage your family to remember others during their prayers and challenge them to trust that God has a purpose behind the trials we are given.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Doctrine and Covenants, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p. 268.)

Activity:
All players, except one, are seated in a closed circle which contains one empty chair. One player is “it” and stands in the center. He tries to seat himself in the vacant chair that is continually being taken by the person next to it. “It” calls “slide right” or “slide left” and thus controls the direction the group moves. Whe he calls “slide right,” the person who finds the chair on his right empty, must slide into it. When “slide left” is called, each player is responsible for occupying the vacant chair on his left. When “it” gets a chair, the person who should have taken the chair becomes “it.”

(Alma Heaton, The LDS Game Book, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1968], p.43.)

Refreshment
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

1 (16-ounce) package Pecan Sandies Cookies, divided
1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter, melted
11 ounces cream cheese, softened (not low-fat) 2 eggs
2⁄3 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sour cream
1 1⁄4 cups strawberry jam, divided (you can also use bottled strawberry topping or canned strawberry pie filling)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, process 3⁄4 of the Pecan Sandies (reserve 6 cookies). Mix with melted butter and lightly press onto the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, and sour cream. Beat on high for 4–5 minutes. Spread half of the cheesecake batter onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Pour 3⁄4 cup of the strawberry sauce over the batter, spreading gently to cover the surface (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Spread remaining cheesecake batter over the strawberry layer and then spoon remaining 1⁄2 cup of strawberry sauce over the batter. Being careful not to cut into the surface of the cookie crust, swirl the strawberry mixture with a butter knife.

5. Bake for 25–35 minutes or until center is jiggly but not liquid. While baking, process remaining 6 cookies. During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the cookies on top of the cheesecake. Chill for at least 8 hours and cut into squares. If desired, drizzle remaining strawberry sauce over the individual squares.

(Sara Wells and Kate Jones, Our Best Bites, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2011], p. 216.)

To access the PDF version of this lesson, click here.

FHE: Patience

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:04:00 -0600

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.” -Orson F. Whitney Conference Talk:

For more information on this topic read “The Atonement Covers All Pain,” by Kent F. Richards, Ensign, May 2011, 15.

Thought:

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. ... It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.” (Elder Orson F. Whitney)

Song:

“Teach Me to Walk,” Children’s Songbook, p. 177.

Scripture:

And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

(Mosiah 24:15)

Lesson:

Ask your family members if they have ever heard the phrases “hold your horses” or “keep your shirt on.” Ask, What quality is being requested by those phrases? (Patience.)

Read this insight from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: “I believe that a lack of patience is a major cause of the difficulties and unhappiness in the world today. Too often, we are impatient with ourselves, with our family members and friends, and even with the Lord. We seem to demand what we want right now, regardless of whether we have earned it, whether it would be good for us, or whether it is right. Some seek immediate gratification or numbing of every impulse by turning to alcohol and drugs, while others seek instant material wealth by questionable investments or by dishonesty, with little or no regard for the consequences. Perhaps the practice of patience is more difficult, yet more necessary, now than at any previous time.” (Ensign, May 1987, 30.)

Ask, Why do you think Elder Wirthlin would say that having “patience is more difficult, yet more necessary, now than at any previous time”?

Have family members read Romans 5:1–5 and look for what Paul taught about patience.

Ask:

• How can we have “peace with God”?

• What did Paul say helps us learn patience?

• Whom should we learn to rely on when faced with tribulation?

• What blessing comes to us through the Holy Ghost?

Read the following by Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than his. Either way we are questioning the reality of God’s omniscience [knowledge].” (Ensign, Oct. 1980, 28.) Ask:

• How can we show our faith in Heavenly Father?

• Why is it important to recognize that God knows what is best for us?

• How might this knowledge help us get through trials?

Testify to your family that patience is one way we come to be more Christlike. Remind your family that patience gives us the hope that Christ’s Atonement will save us.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006], p. 183.)

Story:

Patience was required of Noah and his family. We talk about “forty days and forty nights” as though they had to live in the ark with all those animals for a month and a half. Well, forty days and forty nights was only a fraction of their endurance. For instance, do you remember that after they went into the ark and closed the door, they were inside the ark for seven days before the Flood began? (Genesis 7:10.) Now, would that be a test of faith or what? Would you decide, about the fifth day, that it would be awfully nice to spend the weekend picking buttercups in the meadow rather than cleaning the elephants’ stalls and that maybe Noah had made a big mistake?

Then the rains began. The scripture tells us that on the same day “all the fountains of the great deep [were] broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (Genesis 7:11-12.) It was not until the fortieth day of this torrential downpour and flooding that the water was deep enough to “lift [the ark] up above the earth.” (Genesis 7:17.) And then “the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.” (Genesis 7:24.) We’re up to 197 days so far.

The scripture doesn’t tell us how many days it took for the waters to recede, but it says that the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (Genesis 8:4), and it took until the first day of the tenth month for the tops of the mountains to become visible. If we hypothesize a month of thirty days—and I realize that there are Bible scholars who make careers out of figuring out the calendar—then we need to add another seventy-three days. Then they waited forty days to send out the raven and the dove, seven more days for the second flight of the dove, who returned with the olive branch, and a final seven days for the third flight. It sounds as if it then took another month plus twenty-seven days before they received the command of the Lord to go forth from the ark. (Genesis 8:3-6, 10, 12-14.) According to my addition, this comes to a total of 401 days. That’s a long time to be cooped up in a floating zoo—a year, a month, and six days!

So the story of Noah teaches us that there will be adversity, that it will last a long time, and that it will require reserves of patience that seem superhuman.

(Chieko N. Okazaki, Aloha!, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1995].)

Activity:

Play Patience Relay.

Separate the cards into a suit per team. Lay out the 10 number cards (including ace) in any order face down at the end of the room. One at a time the team members run up and turn over a card. If it is not the ace then they turn it face down again and run back to their team and the next player has a go. When the ace is turned up they can lay it face up. The next card needed is the two and so on. Play continues until one team has all its cards turned face up. [Note: this game can be played with Rook cards if preferred.]

Refreshment

Mango Mash-up

3 mangoes, peeled and sliced

1 tray ice cubes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3⁄4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 2-liter bottle of ginger ale

Combine mangoes, ice, lime juice, sugar, vanilla, and orange juice concentrate in the jar of a blender. Pulse until well blended. Add ginger ale until blender jar is nearly full. Blend again and enjoy. Serves 4.

(Jill McKenzie, 52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2008], p. 73.)

Click here to access the PDF version of this lesson.

FHE: Patience

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf Conference Talk: For more information on this topic read "Continue in Patience," by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign, May 2010, 56-59.

Thought: Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Continue in Patience," Ensign, May 2010, 56-59.)

Song: "Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked," Children's Songbook, p. 214.

Scripture: For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19)

Lesson: Ask your family members if they have ever heard the phrases "hold your horses" or "keep your shirt on." Ask, What quality is being requested by those phrases? (Patience.)

Have family members read Romans 5:1-5 and look for what Paul taught about patience.

Ask:

How can we have "peace with God"?
What did Paul say helps us learn patience?
Whom should we learn to rely on when faced with tribulation?
What blessing comes to us through the Holy Ghost?

Read the following by Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best - better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than his. Either way we are questioning the reality of God’s omniscience [knowledge]." (Ensign, Oct. 1980, 28.)

Ask:

How can we show our faith in Heavenly Father?
Why is it important to recognize that God knows what is best for us?
How might this knowledge help us get through trials?

Testify to your family that patience is one way we come to be more Christlike. Remind your family that patience gives us the hope that Christ's Atonement will save us.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006], p. 183.)

Story: Louise Lake

One afternoon following the start of physical therapy treatment, I was resting in bed. As the sky darkened, there was a warm heavy spring rain. That day, defying the drench of the downpour, a robin came and stood for a moment or two outside my window ledge. The amazing thing was that he was singing his song while the water pelted on him. My eyes drank in this sight. It was like a gift, a new promise of life to me. The rain and darkened skies no longer made it a dreary day.

In those hospital days I saw, as well as was the recipient of, considerate attention, patience, and forbearance. This place became my home. I like to think that nurses, doctors, and other patients felt the same way. . .

One afternoon a pretty brunette nurse said she was planning marriage following her graduation. I asked about her wedding plans. In those days hats were a "must" in fashion, a kind of special frosting for any wedding. I at once took a leap in the light.

"Could I make your 'going-away' wedding hat?" I asked.

She hesitated. I knew she was wondering (1) what will it look like? and (2) where can you find the needed muscle power in your fingers and hands?

Quickly I assured her (I was also assuring myself) that in my pre-paralysis years I had attended millinery classes while living in Portland, Oregon. Techniques in making beautiful hats, as well as the styles in high fashion, were part of my stock in trade.

She breathed with relief and said, "I would love that."

Knowing her bridal colors, we combed the yellow pages of the telephone directory for a wholesale millinery outlet. Then I clumsily wrote out a list of materials and she set out to buy them.

Soon I was surrounded with needles, thread, buckram, trimmings, and all the other sewing sprawl. It was good that there were several weeks before the appointed day.

The adventure of hat making began. I struggled with the needle to make the stitches neat and strong. The weakness of my fingers and hands was more in focus. Though it was an exhausting task, the chapeau began to take form. I tired quickly and therefore rested frequently. None of us had realized what solid therapy this self-induced pressure would bring. Then one day it dawned on me that the muscles in my fingers and hands were definitely gaining strength and they could get stronger still!

It was President Heber J. Grant, that great master spirit in the building of the Church, who so beautifully taught this truth from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do is increased."

When the hat, which was by now a hospital conversation piece, was completed, there was wild enthusiasm among the nurses. A line on the right had formed, as each girl took her turn to have a favorite hat made. It took unlimited patience, but the working hours passed quickly. At times the room looked like the backroom of a millinery shop, and three large dresser drawers were full of hat supplies. The nurses and I kept it a secret that I was working for them. The doors would quickly open and close and a nurse would remove her white cap to try on her hat before the mirror. Whenever a supervisor or someone from the administration chanced to be around, the girl would scamper out of there like a chaff in the wind.

During the remainder of the time in the hospital I made fifteen hats. The girls looked tre chic! And the energy investment had paid off for me - not in dollars, for I naturally wouldn't accept money, but in the development of human resources. I was incredibly enriched. I hope many of those nurses have become happy grandmothers by now.

(Leon R. Hartshorn, Remarkable Stories from the Lives of Latter-day Saint Women, vol. 1, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973].)

Activity: Instruct the family that on the word go you are going to start measuring one minute by the clock. They should also try to measure one minute, but without the clock. (Hint: While the time is running, talk to the family and ask them questions. It will make it hard for them to count in their heads when they have to think about what you are saying.)

When they think one minute is up they are to say "Stop." When the first person says "Stop," you look at the clock. If they are on time within ten seconds either way, they receive two points. If they are within five seconds they receive five points. If the guess was exactly right, they receive ten points.

Play for five rounds.

Ask what was difficult in this activity. One of the hardest things to do is to wait. Discuss as a family times we have to wait. One time we have to wait is when we pray to Heavenly Father. We have a hard time being quiet and waiting for Heavenly Father to answer us.

(adapted from Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard, Fun For Family Night: Book Two, Church History Edition, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p. 221.)

Refreshment Hot Spinach Dip

1 package (10 ounces) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
9 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients except half the Parmesan cheese. Spread in 9x9-inch pan, and sprinkle other half of Parmesan on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with chips or crackers.

(Lion House Classics, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2004], p. 5.)

Click here to download the PDF version of this lesson.

FHE: Patience

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "We don't acquire eternal life in a sprint - this is a race of endurance." Conference Talk:

For more information on this topic read "The Way of the Disciple," by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign, May 2009, 75.

Thought:

Brothers and Sisters, we have to stay with it. We don't acquire eternal life in a sprint - this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life.

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Way of the Disciple," Ensign, May 2009, 75.)

Song: "I Want to Live the Gospel," Children's Songbook, p.148.

Scripture:

Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you. (Alma 32:43)

Lesson:

Ask your family members if they have ever heard the phrases "hold your horses" or "keep your shirt on." Ask, What quality is being requested by those phrases? (Patience.)

Read this insight from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: "I believe that a lack of patience is a major cause of the difficulties and unhappiness in the world today. Too often, we are impatient with ourselves, with our family members and friends, and even with the Lord. We seem to demand what we want right now, regardless of whether we have earned it, whether it would be good for us, or whether it is right. Some seek immediate gratification or numbing of every impulse by turning to alcohol and drugs, while others seek instant material wealth by questionable investments or by dishonesty, with little or no regard for the consequences. Perhaps the practice of patience is more difficult, yet more necessary, now than at any previous time." (Ensign, May 1987, 30.)

Ask, Why do you think Elder Wirthlin would say that having "patience is more difficult, yet more necessary, now than at any previous time"?

Have family members read Romans 5:1-5 and look for what Paul taught about patience. Ask:

How can we have "peace with God"?
What did Paul say helps us learn patience?
Whom should we learn to rely on when faced with tribulation?
What blessing comes to us through the Holy Ghost?

Testify to your family that patience is one way we come to be more Christlike. Remind your family that patience gives us the hope that Christ's Atonement will save us.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006], p. 183-184.)

Story:

I learned a lesson in patience once on a trip to Uiha [while on my mission in Tonga]. We had left Pangai about noon with very favorable winds and made it to Uiha in just a few hours. We spent the afternoon and evening working with the missionaries and had some preaching engagements that evening, so we stayed overnight on Uiha.

Early the next morning, I was anxious to get back to Pangai for some important school meetings. We left Uiha just as the sun was rising, and I felt sure we would be back to Pangai by early afternoon. I had been up late and was tired, so after helping get us started, I lay down in the boat and went to sleep.

I slept soundly. A few hours later when I awoke, I could see an island not too far away. I assumed it was our home island and felt we had made good time, as the sun was still high in the sky. I told the others how happy I was to be so close to Pangai. The captain looked at me and said, "That's not Lifuka [the island Pangai is on], but Uiha [the island we had just left]."

I was very surprised, even upset, and said, "How come? We've been going for several hours. What have you been doing? We must be closer to Pangai than that!"

The captain just replied that that is the way things are. I then showed my palangi background by saying that we needed to do something because I had to be in Pangai soon to attend an important meeting.

When I had finished, the captain looked at me and patiently said, "The winds have been against us. Who are you going to blame for that? Are you going to curse God? Or tell Him He doesn't know what He's doing? He controls the winds and the currents, and we are in His hands. You had better calm down and learn to live within the framework He has set, and not try to force your schedule on Him."

Rather than causing me to become angry, his quiet, correct reasoning had a profound effect on me. I spent the rest of the day thinking about the implications of the truths he had spoken.

(John H. Groberg, In the Eye of the Storm, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1993].)

Activity:

Give everyone a pencil and a piece of paper.

Keep the family as quiet as possible and have them record on their paper all the sound they hear in the next five minutes. This game works especially well outside.

After five minutes are up, the person with the most things on his list is the winner. Let each person read his list.

(George and Jeane Chipman, Games! Games! Games! [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 1983], p. 26.)

Refreshment Honey-Buttered Popcorn (Joe J. Christensen)

12 qts. popped corn
3/4 c. honey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter

Put honey in a saucepan over high heat. Add salt and a stick of butter. Bring the whole batch to a lively boil, stirring constantly, until it becomes a bubbly, frothy, yellowish color. The cooking process takes about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture around on top of the popcorn and, with a long-handled wooden spoon, mix or fold it into the popcorn to assure an even distribution of the topping.

That's it - the concoction is ready for immediate consumption. We pass around bowls and napkins and each family member returns to the source for refills until it is gone. If any is left over, it is put in plastic bags and given to the families for a treat to take home. You may want to vary the amount of honey, butter, or salt used, but it is hard to have a failure. Give it a try.

(Elaine Cannon, compiler, Five-Star Recipes from Well-Known Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002], p. 259.)

Click here to download the PDF version of this lesson.

Book of Mormon Lesson 22: Have Ye Received His Image in Your Countenances?

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:30:00 -0600

by Ted L. Gibbons
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Like the Bible, [The Book of Mormon] is a volume of holy writ that speaks forth the mind and will of the Almighty. Like the Bible, it invites men to forsake the world and live as becometh saints. Like the Bible, it has such an impact upon the hearts of men that they are prepared to die in defense of their beliefs. Already the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh have left Babylon and come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy because of it. And before the end of the world, which is the premillennial destruction of the wicked, and before the end of the earth, which shall not occur until after the Millennium, the Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it. (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p.170) Introduction Alma's reform movement involved at least these four cities: Zarahemla, Gideon, Melek, and Ammonihah. These chapters deal with his ministry in Zarahemla and in Gideon. Once Alma had determined the depth of the iniquity in the Church, and had freed himself from the restraints of public office, he went forth to try and reclaim the people in the best way he knew how--by the power of his testimony. His efforts in Zarahemla and Gideon (and in Melek for that matter-see Alma 8:3-6) met with great success. 1. Alma teaches the people how they can experience a mighty change of heart (Alma 5). Notice in Alma 5:2 where the account of this sermon in Zarahemla comes from. Does it matter that our personal history contains this kind of information, or is this a concern only for the Prophet? President Kimball taught this: "Keep journals and family records. Let us then continue on in this important work of recording the things we do, the things we say, the things we think, to be in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. For those of you who may not have already started your books of remembrance and your records, we would suggest that this very day you begin to write your records quite fully and completely. We hope that you will do this, our brothers and sisters, for this is what the Lord has commanded." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.349) The multitude of questions Alma asks are worth a careful, personal look. But it seems clear that there is one question in the sermon, what might we might call the critical question, that must be answered correctly. That question is asked five different times toward the end of the sermon. The question is in verses 53-56 and it is this: if you are doing any of these things that are contrary to the teaching of the gospel, will ye persist? If you have found something in this sermon that needs your attention, or that needs repentance, will you repent? Or will you persist in rebelling against the commandments of God? And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches? Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance--Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them? And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent (Alma 5:53-57). This is a matter that receives attention other places in the scripture. For example, in Mosiah 2, Benjamin spoke of the danger of listing to obey the evil spirit. To list means to lean or incline. We all do that to some degree. All of us are sinners. But Benjamin's warning is not just for those who list, but for those who list and persist, that is, those who will not repent. Jacob warned those who seek and who love riches, and think themselves better than those who possess less stuff. And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you (Jacob 2:14). Benjamin did not use the word persist, but he addressed the concept. For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. (Mosiah 2:33) It is one thing to list. We ought not to, and if we do, we ought to repent. But is another and a much more dangerous thing to list and persist. Abinadi spoke of this to King Noah and his court: But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore, he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God. (Mosiah 16:5) The Lord says it more simply in D&C 42: And he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned if he so continue. (D&C 42:60) As you review the questions Alma has asked, take a look inside yourself. Are you willing to cease and desist, or are you more inclined to persist? As Alma concludes his sermon, he bears a powerful testimony. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true(Alma 5:45). At the end of verse 45, Alma asks an additional question: "And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?" I remember reading that question for the first time. The story of Alma the younger had thrilled me and blessed me. His confrontation with the angel was perhaps the most vivid message I absorbed my first time through the book. Thus, when I read Alma's question, "And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?" I was pretty sure that I already knew the answer. Alma was about to declare that he knew those things were true because an angel descended from the courts of glory and told him they were true. But that is not what he said. Alma had seen an angel (Mosiah 27:1`1-16), and afterward he was born of the Spirit (Alma 27:24), and he said he thought he saw God sitting on his throne (Alma 36:22). But notice what he says when he tells how he knows the truth: Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God. (Alma 5:46,47) If Alma had seen God and an angel, and had been born again before he preached his first missionary sermon, why did he have to fast and pray for a testimony? Perhaps this statement from Bishop Robert L. Simpson provides part of the answer: Testimonies built on miracles alone are at best shallow and can only be perpetuated by other miracles. Such is not the eternal process considered best for the acquisition of a testimony that can withstand ...troubles (New Era, March 1972, p. 4). But there is more to Alma's testimony than a certainty that the Church is true. Alma has been asking a multitude of questions related to the doctrine of the Church, and has just delivered a solemn warning to those who refuse to abide by those doctrines--a warning of fire. He has fasted and prayed for testimonies of the truthfulness and meaning of many of the principles of the Gospel. Elder Legrande Richards explained how valuable a man like Alma can be in a society. The story is told that there was a new minister who moved into the community where Thomas Carlisle lived, and he went to the office of Carlisle and asked this question: "What do the people of this community need more than anything else?" And Carlisle's answer was: "They need a man who knows God other than my hearsay." (Improvement Era, June 1858, p. 98) Alma was a man who knew God other than by hearsay. And he knew him because of his fasting and his prayers. His witness, based on personal experience, was the catalyst for thousands of conversions. 2. Alma and the people establish the order of the church in Zarahemla (Alma 6). Alma knew he couldn't do the work alone. Too many needed the message. All who were converted were to accept some of the responsibility for those who were not. Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God. (Alma 6:6) I remember to consecutive weeks during my teen-age years in Logan when our ward gathered together in fasting and prayer for the welfare of the bodies of some members who knew God quite well. One father disappeared over the mountains in a small plane on a business flight to Wyoming. We fasted and gathered together to pray for his safety as searchers combed the mountains. One week later we were fasting again. A retired member of the ward, who had been helping set roof joists in our new church building, fell from the scaffolding to the concrete floor below. He was in a coma in the hospital. We fasted another day and gathered to pray for him. But I do not remember ever being invited to fast for the non-members living within our ward area, nor for the inactive and indifferent members who were around us. Alma teaches us that souls are as important as bodies, and worth as least as much physical and spiritual effort. According to Alma 6:3, what characteristic kept many in Alma's day from knowing God? Ask yourself (if you are a teacher, ask your students), who is there among my family or friends or acquaintances that needs my fasting and mighty prayers? As you consider this question, remember that Alma, who must have given the commandment, had some first hand knowledge about the redemptive power of fasting and mighty prayer. His father had fasted and prayed for him when he did not know God. 3. Alma testifies of Jesus Christ. He encourages the people in Gideon to follow the Savior (Alma 7). In Gideon, Alma delivered one of the great sermons about the Savior in the scriptures. Of all the things he might have taught, he chose this one: For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all--for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people. (Alma 7:7) One way to look at this chapter is to focus on a word used four times by Alma, and to reflect on the applications associated with that word. The word is path, and it appears in verses 9, 19, and 20. But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying--Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth. (Alma 7:9, emphasis added) For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight. (Alma 7:19, emphasis added) I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round. (Alma 7:20, emphasis added) Read Alma 7 and look for the qualities of those who are trying to walk in his paths. I will give my own list below, but you might consider performing your own search before you influence your conclusions with my observations. I. Alma 7:3-Be humble
II. Alma 7:3-Continue in supplication
III. Alma 7:3-Be blameless
IV. Alma 7:6-Don't be lifted up in the pride of your hearts
V. Alma 7:6-Don't set your heart upon riches
VI. Alma 7:6-Worship the true and living God
VII. Alma 7:6-Look forward to the remission of your sins
VIII. Alma 7:9-Repent
IX. Alma 7:9-Prepare the way of the Lord
X. Alma 7:14-Be born again
XI. Alma 7:14-Be baptized
XII. Alma 714-Have faith
XIII. Alma 7:15-Come and fear not
XIV. Alma 715-Lay aside every sin
XV. Alma 715-Enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments
XVI. Alma 7:22-Awaken to a sense of your duty
XVII. Alma 723-Be submissive and gentle
XVIII. Alma 723-Be full of patience and long-suffering
XIX. Alma 723-Be temperate in all things
/ XX. Alma 7:23--Ask God for whatever you need
XXI. Alma 7:24--Always return thanks to God for what you receive
XXII. Alma 7:26-Give diligence and heed to the word
Alma encouraged the people of Gideon to walk in the Lord's paths, which are straight. They must be straight, for "he cannot walk in crooked paths." What this means is explained quite nicely in D&C 3:1-3: The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men . . . God does not get frustrated, he doesn't turn to the right hand or the left, and he doesn't vary from what he says: therefore, he cannot walk in crooked paths. Alma 7 also contains holy writ's finest description of the empathy of Christ. We are taught that he suffered in many ways so that he could understand our needs when we suffer. Listen to the language: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh . . . (Alma 7:11-13) He can help us bear our pains and our sicknesses because he has already taken upon himself our pains and our sicknesses. Because of this, he can say to us in our agony, "I understand." An amazing insight from these verses comes in the revelatory discovery that he did not have to experience our pains and temptations and sicknesses and infirmities in the flesh to know what they were like. "The Spirit knoweth all things." Scriptural evidence for this knowing without experiencing can be found in the 22nd Psalm. A thousand years before the actual event, the Savior gave through David a graphic description of the pain of crucifixion. He knew, by the Spirit, precisely what kind of experience it would be. Read Psalm 22:1,7,13-18. But even with this advance knowledge he was willing to suffer according to the flesh "that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh . . ." I believe that many of his disciples have heard his quiet whisper in times of pain or times of trouble, "I understand." I know I have. My burdens have not always been lifted, but I have received strength enough to carry on, for I knew I was loved. Conclusion Alma 7 is like a pair of spiritual contact lenses. Looking through it we see the atonement of Christ more clearly than we have ever seen it before. We are offered a unique view of what the Savior has done for us-a view unlike any other in the scriptures. Of that view, Elder Maxwell said: In the description of the exquisite suffering of Jesus in His atonement, we are told that Jesus took upon Himself the infirmities of all of us in order "that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:12) Being sinless Himself, Jesus could not have suffered for personal sin nor known what such agony is--unless He took upon Him our sins, not only to redeem us and to save us, but also in order that He might know how "according to the flesh . . . to succor his people according to their infirmities." A stunning insight! Thus the compassion of the divine Jesus for us is not the abstract compassion of a sinless individual who would never so suffer; rather, it is the compassion and empathy of One who has suffered exquisitely, though innocent, for all our sins, which were compounded in some way we do not understand. Though He was sinless, yet He suffered more than all of us. We cannot tell Him anything about suffering. This is one of the inner marvels of the atonement of Jesus Christ! (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, 35-36).