Day 49: Alma 47-49

Welcome to Day 49...

                           
Amalickiah fled Zarahemla, escaped Moroni's grasp, then used treachery, murder and intrigue to become the king of the Lamanites! Of course, his sole aim in life from that point on was to conquer the Nephites. He was as evil as they come!

Note how Amalickiah tempted Lehonti to leave his place of safety several times before Lehonti finally gave in, and how he poisoned him "by degrees." In what ways are WE spiritually "poisoned by degrees?" (See boiling frog video at the bottom of today's blog post.)  
                       
The Lord blessed the Nephites with an incredible leader at a crucial time, the mighty Captain Moroni! I LOVE this description of him: "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:17)

Moroni was blessed with wisdom from God to fortify his cities. Amalickiah, trusted in his own strength. Note how well that paid off in the end. By the end of chapter 49, Amalickiah was cursing "God, and also Moroni, swearing with an oath that he will drink [Moroni's] blood." 


Big take-home lesson for today: Good triumphs over evil in the end. Always. "Look to God and live!"

• Opening Song: "Press Forward Saints" 
• Begin Study Session With Prayer
• Scripture Study: Alma 47-49 (listen)
• Study Guide: (here)
• Video: Discussions on the Book of Mormon Alma 43-50

• Video Clip: Overview of Alma 43 through Moroni--People, places, and events (2:12)

Alma 48:11-12 "And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people." 

Elder Robert D. Hales warns us not to leave the high ground (Alma 47:10–18):                       

                   
Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that people today may try to destroy our faith and testimony by tempting us to leave our places of spiritual safety and come into the devil’s territory: “In the Book of Mormon, we read about Lehonti and his men camped upon a mount. The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to ‘come down’ and meet him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned ‘by degrees’ until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. The high ground is where the light is. … It is the safe ground. It is true and where knowledge is.”
                           
“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.” --Boyd K. Packer, Ensign May 2004, 79

                                           

Alma 48:19—“No Less Serviceable”
When we read about great heroes in scripture, we might sometimes feel that we do not measure up to their high standards or will not accomplish much to help build the kingdom of God. President Howard W. Hunter taught:

“Not everyone at school is going to be the student body president or the Relief Society president, or the teacher of the elders quorum. Not all of you are going to be like Moroni, catching the acclaim of your colleagues all day every day. No, most will be quiet, relatively unknown folks who come and go and do their work without fanfare. To those of you who may find that fact lonely or frightening or just unspectacular, I say you are ‘no less serviceable’ than the most spectacular of your associates. You, too, are part of God’s army.”

• Video: "Boiling Frog"

                 
Alma 47:18--Lehonti was "poisoned by degrees...that he died". Stop and assess your current condition. What ways may Satan may be working on you TODAY?

The frog experiment and the following scriptures popped to mind when I reflected on the phrase "poisoned by degrees.":

"O that ye would awake, awake from the deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and wo!" (2 Nephi 1:13)

"[Satan] leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever. For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness." (2 Nephi 26:22-23)

"Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God — he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark." (2 Nephi 28: 7-9)

• Record thoughts and impressions in your journal 
• Close with prayer and have a lovely, spirit-filled day!