lds gospel doctrine book of mormon lesson 20

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MY SOUL IS PAINED NO MORE Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 20 Mosiah 25-28, Alma 36

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MY SOUL IS PAINED NO MOREBook of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 20

Mosiah 25-28, Alma 36

INTRODUCTION➤ When you think of the word “snatch”

what comes to mind?

➤ Will, standing in front of a swing at the park

➤ Violet, reaching for a hot pot on the stove

➤ Jack, stepping into traffic

➤ All cases cause me to forcibly tear my kids away from danger.

➤ They’re unaware and see my action as too dramatic/painful.

➤ Once I explain the danger, they are grateful.

➤ Today we’ll talk about Alma the Younger. He was ‘snatched’ from misery by the hand of the Lord.

BACKGROUND OF ALMA THE ELDER

➤ A compelling part of the Alma the Younger story was the role his Dad played. His prayers brought miracles.

➤ Historical background of Alma the Elder

➤ He was a “wicked” priest of Noah (younger than the others)

➤ Had concubines, strong drink

➤ Lived riotously off the people

➤ Taught the people to sin

➤ He had to go through a repentance process alone, without a guide (Mos 18:1, Mos 23:9-10)

➤ He immediately left his sins and began to teach (like Saul)

➤ How would this impact his patience and devotion toward his own son?

LIME & ALMA’S PEOPLE JOIN MOSIAH’S PEOPLE IN THE LAND OF ZARAHEMLA

➤ There are now 4 groups of people living in Zarahemla

➤ Limhi’s people (descended from Zeniff)

➤ Alma’s people (broke away from Zeniff group during Noah)

➤ The Nephites who had remained in Zarahemla

➤ The Mulekites (the original residents of Zarahemla)

➤ All of these people combined to be the Nephites - they numbered less than half of the Lamanites

➤ Mos. 25:5-6, Mosiah is the Ruler, he reads the records

➤ Mos. 25:7-11, What was his purpose? Unity through struggle

➤ He invites Alma to speak to the people about repentance

➤ Mosiah separates Church and State. Alma establishes “wards”

MANY CHURCH MEMBERS ARE LED INTO SIN BY UNBELIEVERS➤ Mos. 26:1-4

➤ These were the little kids who had heard the words of King Benjamin. What happened?

➤ 26:3, Their unbelief made it impossible for the spirit to teach them

➤ How do we combat this problem in our youth?

➤ Henry B. Eyring on the importance of teaching youth

➤ “No charge in the kingdom is more important than to build faith in youth. Each child in each generation chooses faith or disbelief. Faith is not an inheritance; it is a choice. Those who believed King Benjamin learned that. Many of their children chose later not to believe. The scriptures give as a reason, ‘for they would not call upon the Lord their God’ (Mosiah 26:4)” (“Inquire of the Lord” [remarks at an evening with Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Feb. 2, 2001], 1, www.ldsces.org).

➤ Boyd K. Packer on the risk of neglecting this calling

➤ “When a generation of young people grows to maturity without a proper doctrinal foundation – whether because of parental negligence or through rebellion on the part of the youth – then a foundation has indeed been laid, a foundation, unfortunately, for faithlessness and immorality.”

ALMA SEEKS TO CORRECT THE UNBELIEVERS

➤ Alma is distressed. It’s causing contention in the Church.

➤ Alma takes them before King Mosiah. They are sins (not social wrongs) so they are passed back to Alma.

➤ Mos. 26:13, Alma seeks counsel from the Lord. Why would this be hard for him?

➤ Remember his past. Also, he is relatively new in town and a fairly recent convert.

➤ Mos. 26:14, only “after he poured” did the answers come, prophets work for revelation

➤ Mos. 26:15-21 (summarize). The Lord doesn’t answer his question right away, he reassures Alma of his standing.

➤ Why does the Lord do this? How can we apply it with our families?

➤ Mos. 26:29-31, What is the counsel?

➤ Mos. 26:33, Why did he write it down?

➤ Maybe he had times of doubt in his own repentance, maybe he wanted to be able to teach it sufficiently. He saw how his written words of Abinadi made an impact.

ALMA THE YOUNGER AND THE SONS OF MOSIAH ARE VISITED BY AN ANGEL

➤ King Mosiah mandates against persecution

➤ Unbelievers continue to quietly destroy the Church

➤ Who are these unbelievers? The sons of the King and Prophet

➤ Mos. 27:8-10, Alma the Younger is probably not a teenager.

➤ His dad dies a few years later at age 82. He is described as an ‘idolatrous man’. The people listened to him and followed him.

➤ How does this change the narrative?

➤ His sins were not young mistakes. They were deliberate, mature attempts to thwart the Church.

➤ How does this impact the way you view Alma the Elder?

➤ How must it have felt to have his son tear away converts he had taught one-by-one in their homes?

➤ How did he maintain his love for his son through such trial and heartache?

ALMA THE YOUNGER AND THE SONS OF MOSIAH ARE VISITED BY AN ANGEL

➤ Mos. 27:11-14, Why did they receive an angelic witness?

➤ There was no other way…

➤ Wilford Woodruff: “The Lord had sent angels to men from the creation of the world, at different times, but always with a message or with something to perform that could not be performed without.”

➤ Mos. 27:18-19, What was the result?

➤ Mos. 27:20, How did Alma react? He had been through this process himself, why would he rejoice?

➤ The priests fast for him publicly (a little risky, there was no guarantee that he would convert)

➤ Mos. 27:24,28-29 (snatch, to save)

➤ Mos. 27:32, How must he have felt? What motivated this work?

“Alma the Younger’s conversion was brought about by his father’s persevering faith. Despite the profound depths of worldly wickedness into which his son had sunk, Alma did not give up on the son he loved. Here is a case where a righteous man surely loathed the sin, but dearly loved the sinner. He diligently, hopefully, fervently prayed for his son. The angel messenger who visited Alma the Younger told him that he had “come to convince [him] of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.” (Heroes From the Book of Mormon, p. 93)

-Joseph B. Wirthlin

ALMA’S OWN WORDS ABOUT HIS CONVERSION TO HIS SON HELAMAN

➤ Alma 36:9-11, He was given a choice to listen (11). Laman and Lemuel also saw an angel, they chose to ignore it

➤ Alma 36:12-15

➤ Racked: an instrument of torture where the body is stretched

➤ What caused this feeling of being ‘racked’? (vs 14)

➤ His fear of coming into the presence of God (vs 15)

➤ What would a perfect knowledge of our sins really feel like?

➤ Harrow: a sharp tool used to break up dry earth

➤ Alma 36:17-18

➤ He’s afraid to see God, what does his mind catch hold on?

ALMA TEACHES HELAMAN ABOUT HIS CONVERSION

➤ Mos. 36:19-22

➤ Have you experience this joy through pain? How much do you long for Heaven?

➤ Joy = the fruit of the presence of the Holy Ghost

➤ Mos. 36:23-25, Where does his Joy come from now (vs 25)

➤ Spencer W. Kimball, “To every forgiveness there is a condition. The plaster must be as wide as the sore. The fasting, the prayers, the humility must be equal to or greater than the sin. There must be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. There must be ‘sackcloth and ashes.’ There must be tears and genuine change of heart. There must be conviction of the sin, abandonment of the evil, confession of the error to properly constituted authorities of the Lord. There must be restitution and a confirmed, determined change of pace, direction and destination. Conditions must be controlled and companionship corrected or changed. There must be a washing of robes to get them white and there must be a new consecration and devotion to the living of all of the laws of God. In short, there must be an overcoming of self, of sin,and of the world.” (Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 353)

ALMA AND THE SONS OF MOSIAH DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO PREACHING THE GOSPEL

➤ Mos. 27:33-35

➤ Their immediate reaction is to share, despite persecution. Why?

➤ ATOT: Trying a new recipe. I can’t wait to share it.

➤ Mos. 27:36-37

➤ What was their reward?

➤ How would it feel to be an instrument (tool) in the hands of a master?

➤ ATOT: Watching Court fix my drywall. He used the same tools but the results were amazing.

➤ How do we do it?

➤ Don R. Clarke Talk in 2006

➤ 1. Love the Lord with all they heart, mind and strength

➤ 2. Love thy neighbor as thyself

➤ 3. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone (teach the Lamanties)

➤ 4. Fast and pray for help (sons of Mosiah)

ALMA & THE SONS OF MOSIAH DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO PREACHING THE GOSPEL

➤ Mos. 28:1-2, The want to preach to the Lamanties

➤ They only ask, after they have made amends with their own people

➤ “Perhaps”, they know their odds are slim

➤ To them, the Lamanties are kids stepping into traffic. There is urgency!

➤ Mos. 28:3-5

➤ It could have caused a war (the Lamanites outnumbered them)

➤ These are all of Mosiah’s sons, he finally got them back. How hard would it be to let them go?

➤ Mos. 28:6-8, Mosiah’s testimony must have been rock solid

CONCLUSION, EZRA TAFT BENSON➤ “We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more

godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant, as it were: Alma the Younger, Paul on the road to Damascus, Enos praying far into the night, King Lamoni. Such astonishing examples of the power to change even those steeped in sin give confidence that the Atonement can reach even those deepest in despair.“But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. They are like the Lamanites, who the Lord said ‘were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.’ (3 Ne. 9:20; italics added.)” (“A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, 5).