Welcome to Day 46...
Alma pleaded, "Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things." (Alma 39:9)
"Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 41:10) And his was the voice of experience.
Enjoy reading about the final judgment, restoration and resurrection in Alma 41 today!
- Opening Song: "I Stand All Amazed"
- Begin study session with prayer
- Scripture Study: Alma 38-41 (listen)
- Study Guide: (here)
Video: "Wickedness Never Was Happiness"
Video: "Alma's Counsel to His Sons"
"Bridle all your passions..." The purpose of a bridle is to control and direct the horse, not to torment or destroy it. That is the meaning of the counsel to “bridle” our passions. “Is self-denial wise because something is wrong with our passions, or because something is right with our passions? Alma taught his son: ‘See that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.’ He did not say eliminate or even suppress your passions, but bridle them—harness, channel, and focus them. Why? Because discipline makes possible a richer, deeper love” (Bruce C. Hafen and Marie K. Hafen, The Belonging Heart [1994], 302) Alma 38:12
"And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness." Alma 38:9
“The invitation to repent is an expression of love…If we do not invite others to change or if we do not demand repentance of ourselves, we fail in a fundamental duty we owe to one another and to ourselves. A permissive parent, an indulgent friend, a fearful Church leader are in reality more concerned about themselves than the welfare and happiness of those they could help. Yes, the call to repentance is at times regarded as intolerant or offensive and may even be resented, but guided by the Spirit, it is in reality an act of genuine caring” (“The Divine Gift of Repentance,”Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 39).
"Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.
15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all." Alma 41: 14-15
“Spirituality comes through prayer and study, service to others, generous tithes and offerings. These are not new principles. These are some of the 'small things' that are prerequisites to that which is great... It is our hearts and our minds that must be made new. We each have our failings, our weaknesses, our less-than-perfect attitudes. The Lord asks us to open ourselves to Him, holding nothing back... The newness of heart comes when we do and give all we can, then offer our heart and will to the Father. As we do this, our Father promises us that our lives now and in eternity will be abundant. We need not fear.”--Sister Kathleen H. Hughes
Record thoughts and favorite verses in your journal
Close study session with prayer
"Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.
15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all." Alma 41: 14-15
“Spirituality comes through prayer and study, service to others, generous tithes and offerings. These are not new principles. These are some of the 'small things' that are prerequisites to that which is great... It is our hearts and our minds that must be made new. We each have our failings, our weaknesses, our less-than-perfect attitudes. The Lord asks us to open ourselves to Him, holding nothing back... The newness of heart comes when we do and give all we can, then offer our heart and will to the Father. As we do this, our Father promises us that our lives now and in eternity will be abundant. We need not fear.”--Sister Kathleen H. Hughes
Record thoughts and favorite verses in your journal
Close study session with prayer
Random Musings on Alma 35:15 and I Corinthians 13
ReplyDeleteAlma reports that the hearts of the people began to wax hard and, because of this, they were “offended by the strictness of the word.” This is a good litmus test of how our hearts are doing. How can we keep our hearts soft throughout our lives? I believe that being willing to suffer, feel remorse, for our sins can help us soften our hearts and make us more submissive to God and more loving toward our fellowman. This suffering is mandatory, not to pay for our sins, because Christ has already done that, but to bring about the needed change in us.
If we seem to never change much through the years, perhaps it is because we have not humbled ourselves sufficiently to truly suffer for our sins. We can white wash and gloss over our sins in order to avoid that painful remorse, but, by doing so, we deny ourselves the transformational power of the Atonement. We may go through the motions of righteousness, as Paul describes so aptly in I Cor 13, and accomplish many impressive things, but our hearts may still be holding back because of fear or pride; consequently, our precious sins hang on, keeping us from being filled with charity, the pure love of Christ. If we do not have this charity in our hearts, we will often lack the virtues that Paul describes as being characteristic of charity. We find ourselves unable to suffer long and always be kind. Sometimes we will envy others' successes and sometimes we will put ourselves before others. Perhaps, when we are really irritated, we will behave unseemly; and, our thinking may become all about us. We may want to look out for just our own interests; and, we may be easily provoked, especially if we think someone is finding fault with us. We may be plagued with evil thoughts or rejoice when we feel justified in our worldly ways rather than rejoicing in the truth. We may feel that the requirements of the Lord are hard to bear; we may begin to doubt and become cynical; we may lose hope, and we will not be able to endure our trials.
All the activity in the Church and commandment keeping we have done in the past do not seem to be enough when trials become particularly bitter. If we have not allowed charity into our softened hearts, all else will fail us. Intellectual props will begin to fall away, for “we know in part and we prophesy in part...But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away...” When we are untried in Gospel principles, we are as children in spiritual things; we “speak as a child; we understand as a child.” But when we mature by truly repenting and softening our hearts so that charity can operate in our souls, we “put away” childish ways of thinking and feeling.
For now “we see through a glass darkly...and we now know in part.” But eventually we will see clearly, as someone who looks “face to face.” Now we know in part, but eventually we will truly know and be known. Until that day comes, it is charity that will see us through. Faith, hope and charity are all vital virtues, but the crowning virtue, the one which will never fail us, is charity. And the Lord tells us that charity only comes to us through humility which includes “recognizing our dependence upon God and desiring to submit to His will.” We must be willing to repent and feel remorse for our sins so that our hearts will not harden. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) so we must ever be willing to repent daily, keeping our hearts softened and open to the Lord's will in our lives.