Alma War Chapters - Maybe they are worth something after all! Part Two: Your Response is Your Choice

The first time I ever sat down to really read from the Book of Mormon was at a church campout years back. They challenged us to read Alma chapters 43 through 63. This covers a whole series of battles between two ancient American people. At the time, I was a high schooler and was just pleased that the scriptures actually had some cool action. In these chapters, I learned that there were some people who were both God fearing and still pretty cool. In high school, that was about all I needed to know.

Later, I started loving doctrine. Therefore, I started dreading the war chapters of Alma. I wanted to learn, not just be entertained. 

This time through the Book of Mormon, though, I'm realizing how silly I am.

In the next few posts, I want to discuss some real doctrines and lessons that I have learned by applying the stories of the Alma War Chapters into my life.

For Part One of this series, click here.

Your Response is Your Choice

After nearly 20 years of war, we can only assume everyone, Nephite and Lamanite alike, was sick of war. Can you really blame them? Sons and husbands had died in battle. Daughters and wives had been massacred at home. Lives had been altered, ruined, and ended. The fighting had gone further than just nation against nation; even at home, the kingmen and freemen were in a constant feud. Virtually everyone had been affected in one way or another.

This brings up one of the most powerful lessons of all the war chapters. While we may not choose what happens to us, we can certainly choose how to respond. 

"But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility" (Alma 62:41).

See that? Everyone was worn out. They were sick of putting up a fight. Everyone. The fight left people hardened. "If there really is a loving God out there, my son would be alive... My house would be standing... My life would be easier," they might have said. Have you not said the same thing? Have you never looked at your circumstances and been left remarkably disturbed by what you see? I would be lying if I said I had not.

People leave the church over this all the time. They abandon God and cannot accept the existence of a higher power who would allow such sorrow. They, as President Eyring said, create a pavilion, blocking themselves from feeling God's love.

Perhaps the wiser question we could ask, though, would be to say little more than, "Father, since you are out there, then why?"

This is the question the second group of people must have asked. These are they who were softened. They responded with the exact opposite reaction of the first group. They humbled themselves before God and

Alma War Chapters - Maybe they are worth something after all!

The first time I ever sat down to really read from the Book of Mormon was at a church campout years back. They challenged us to read Alma chapters 43 through 63. This covers a whole series of battles between two ancient American people. At the time, I was a high schooler and was just pleased that the scriptures actually had some cool action. In these chapters, I learned that there were some people who were both God fearing and still pretty cool. In high school, that was about all I needed to know.

Later, I started loving doctrine. Therefore, I started dreading the war chapters of Alma. I wanted to learn, not just be entertained. 

This time through the Book of Mormon, though, I'm realizing how silly I am.

In the next few posts, I want to discuss some real doctrines and lessons that I have learned by applying the stories of the Alma War Chapters into my life.

Part one: Don't fight yourself!

Up until chapter 51, most of the emphasis is on the Nephites fighting the Lamanites. The Nephites want to

protect their land, liberty, children, wives, religion, and everything else you could list. The Lamanites are portrayed as wanting little more than power. Suddenly, we learn in chapter 51, that not everything was quite so happy at home in Nephite-land!

A group of Nephites, later named the kingmen, "desired that a few particular points of the law should be altered" (Alma 51:2). Pahoran, the chief judge of the Nephites, refused these changes, since they hinged on reinstituting a king over the Nephites, and he was joined by "the freemen [who] had sworn or covenanted to maintain their rights" (Alma 51:6).

Really, this story could just be a great allegory of patriotism and liberty. But I'm not going to go there. All that really matters here is to know that there began to be quite a bit of contention back at home. Now, let's really narrow in on a few verses:

"But behold, this was a critical time for such contentions to be among the people of Nephi; for behold, Amalickiah had again stirred up the hearts of the people of the Lamanites against the people of the Nephites, and he was gathering together soldiers from all parts of his land" (Alma 51:9).

So not only is there confusion back home, but it's basically at the worst time imaginable. Moroni, the captain of the Nephite army does everything he can to "put an end to the stubborness and the pride of those people who professed the blood of nobility" (Alma 51:21). The consequence? Well, let's read:

"Behold, it came to pass that while Moroni was thus breaking down the wars and contentions among his own people, and subjecting them to peace and civilization, and making regulations to prepare for war against the Lamanites, behold, the Lamanites had come into the land of Moroni, which was in the borders by the seashore. And it came to pass that the Nephites were not sufficiently strong in the city of Moroni; therefore Amalickiah did drive them, slaying many. And it came to pass that Amalickiah took possession of the city, yea, possession of all their fortifications" (Alma 51:22-23; emphasis added).

Now then, let's make this apply.

Neal A. Maxwell said this:

"Someday, when we look back on mortality, we will see that so many of the things that seemed to matter so much at the moment will be seen not to have mattered at all. And the eternal things will be seen to have mattered even more than the most faithful of the Saints imagined."

How often have you ever been distracted by things that seem to matter so much at the time, only to look back in regret later? I can definitely say I fall into the trap all the time. I'll get caught up in weird doctrines that I don't understand fully and get so immersed with them, I don't feed my faith. I ignore what matters most and

Ready for General Conference??

In the Face of Doubt

In all my learning over the years, I have always been one to ask questions. You can ask my mom. I had

figured basic algebra out in first grade because I didn't like the way I was supposed to do them with little counters. But whether it has been in elementary math or in my love for politics, I have always grown the most when I ask questions that make me push deeper and deeper.

This pattern has continued in my study of the gospel. It's tricky, because as important as my first grade math classwork was, eternal life wasn't in play. Sometimes, my questions have really troubled me. I have given countless hours of study and pondering to issues that, in the end, frankly don't end up mattering. After reading another blog this morning (I am Mormon, and I Have Questions), I thought I would share some of what I have learned in dealing with my own questions, and how I've managed to keep these questions from turning into doubts.

First, we must recognize that these questions - and even doubts that stem from questions - are normal. Even more than normal, they can be quite useful! Peter taught that we should meet trials of faith with rejoicing, because they are "much more precious than of gold that perisheth" (1 Peter 1:6-7). In the same vein, Paul plead with the saints to "cast not away therefore your confidence" and have patience, because "endur[ing] a great fight of afflictions" has happened since the day those to whom he was speaking declared their allegiance to the Savior (Hebrews 10: 32, 35-36). Difficulties and trials are not signs that your faith is amiss!

Satan's main goal against us to make us miserable (2 Nephi 2:27), and unfortunately for us, he is very good at doing so. A mission has opened my eyes to what trials are like. I have seen people and families go through things I knew happened, but had never witnessed actually happening. My trials, in some ways thankfully, have never been so physical, so real. My trials have always been aimed at my investigative, I-need-to-understand-EVERYTHING side. Elder Paul V. Johsnon said something that I love, though:

"At times it may seem that our trials are focused on areas of our lives and parts of our souls with which we seem least able to cope. Since personal growth is

Christ Carries the Weight to Heaven

Too often, we look at sin as a simple setback. It's as if we can "Two steps forward, one step back" our way into heaven. When we look at it that way, repentance and forgiveness aren't much more than drawing the "Advance to go" Chance card in Monopoly, simply allowing us to get back to when we were perfect.

The bottom line is that no mortal has reached the standard of perfection demanded of Jesus of Nazareth in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

That level of perfection does not come in an instant. It is not constantly attained each time we ask for forgiveness. It comes as a result of effort on our part, and our cooperation and agreement to the terms of the grace, justice, and mercy of God.

To illustrate the point I'm trying to make in a much more clear way, imagine your ship just went down, and you see an island off in the far distance. Naturally, you are going to swim with all your energy to get there. Perhaps if you are in the right condition, you could actually have the energy to make it!

Yet, for some reason, every now and then, you take a weight and tie it to the end of a rope; the other end of the rope is tied to you. Your swimming is going to get tougher and tougher, and is going to be utterly impossible. Try as you might, the weight is just going to be far too much, and you will be exhausted well before you can make it that ever-so-appealing island, where you can finally stay and rest.

That is what sin does to us. It weighs us down. It makes our progress all but impossible. Any progress we