Helaman 7

26 Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good 

President Ezra Taft Benson gave a stirring warning about pride in April Conference in 1989 (Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989, 4). We will never create Zion and live in peace until we can overcome pride. I include some excerpts from President Benson's address below.

The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that the Book of Mormon is the “record of a fallen people.” (D&C 20:9.) Why did they fall? This is one of the major messages of the Book of Mormon. Mormon gives the answer in the closing chapters of the book in these words: “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction.” (Moro. 8:27.) And then, lest we miss that momentous Book of Mormon message from that fallen people, the Lord warns us in the Doctrine and Covenants, “Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.” (D&C 38:39.)

Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance. (See Mosiah 3:11; 3 Ne. 6:18.) In the scriptures there is no such thing as righteous pride—it is always considered a sin. Therefore, no matter how the world uses the term, we must understand how God uses the term so we can understand the language of holy writ and profit thereby. (See 2 Ne. 4:15; Mosiah 1:3–7; Alma 5:61.)

Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.

The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.

Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them. (See Hel. 6:17; D&C 58:41.)

The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others. In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10.)

Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion. I repeat: Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion.

We must cleanse the inner vessel by conquering pride. (See Alma 6:2–4; Matt. 23:25–26.)

We must yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,” put off the prideful “natural man,” become “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,” and become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble.” (Mosiah 3:19; see also Alma 13:28.)

That we may do so and go on to fulfill our divine destiny is my fervent prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

For the full address, go to: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=d8ff27cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Helaman 6

17 For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another

When the Lord blesses us with peace and prosperity, we sometimes set our hearts on the things of the world. An attitude of gratitude prevents that. If we constantly remember from whence those blessings come, we can remain humble and use the blessings we have been given to bless the lives of others. If we set our hearts on worldly things, our faith dwindles and we are left to our own devices. On the other hand, if we seek the Lord humbly and keep his commandments, he blesses us beyond measure with "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding." This happens as we are willing to believe.

34 And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.

35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.

36 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words.

Helaman 5

The Nephite general Moronihah had abandoned any further attempt to reclaim Nephite lands lost to the Lamanites. There was no military solution.

In chapter 5, Mormon notes that "they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction." (v. 2) So, Nephi did the following:

4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;

But here is the miracle. Nephi and Lehi went to Zarahemla, the great Nephite capital which was now possessed by the Lamanites, and they baptized more than 8,000 Lamanites. They also baptized Nephite dissenters who had been so much trouble and had inspired war and conflict. Those converts returned to the land Bountiful and ministered to the Nephites.

Then Nephi and Lehi went to the land of Nephi where they were imprisoned and sentenced to die. A great miracle occurred that led to the conversion of 300 who then taught others until the majority of the Lamanites were converted. In a marvelous manifestation of the Holy Spirit, a man named Aminadab who had been a Nephite and who had fallen away, took it upon himself to teach the others what this great manifestation meant. There are many Aminadab's in the church of God. They have wandered away, sometimes with bitter hearts. But they can be returned to the fold. We need to look for the Aminadabs among us.

What military might could not do was accomplished through the power of the word of God taught by humble servants of God. 

50 And it came to pass that they did go forth, and did minister unto the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen, insomuch that the more part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received.

51 And as many as were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers.

52 And it came to pass that they did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession.

Helaman 4

12 And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—

13 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten

Prosperity leads us to believe in our own strength and ability and can tempt us to think that we are prosperous because we have "earned" it. We can forget the Lord and his goodness, including the talents and abilities he has given us that enabled our prosperity to begin with. Humbling facing adversity with faith in and dependence upon the Savior can build and strengthen us for even greater challenges. Pride leaves us "in [our] own strength." We need power today and hope in the future. That comes from trusting in God. There is no lasting hope in work, politics, diplomacy, or any other worldly pursuit. But there is hope that comes through the power of the atonement and the love of the Savior.

Elder W. Craig Zwick said in October General Conference in 2003:

"Every one of us needs to know that we can go on in the strength of the Lord. We can put our hand in His, and we will feel His sustaining presence lift us to heights unattainable alone. . .

If we will keep the commandments of God and walk hand in hand with Him in His paths, we will go forward with faith and never feel alone.

Trust in His promise of eternal life, and allow peace and hope to distill upon you.

When we connect with the Author of Peace and with His perfect and redeeming love, then we can come to know the reality of the Lord’s promise: “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying … , Fear not; I will help thee” (Isa. 41:13)."

Helaman 3

27 Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.
28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—
30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.

The word of God in the scriptures and from living prophets and apostles is a sure guide. It opens our hearts and minds to discern between truth and error. Daily study and contemplation of the word of God prepares us for the challenges we face. I led a prayer in the temple Wednesday night and was impressed to pray that we would be blessed with the strength to overcome adversity and remain faithful and endure to the end. We need all the help we can get in the days to come, and the scriptures are a great blessing that we can't afford to treat lightly.

Helaman 2

Mormon's abridgement was written for our day and time. One message that he knew was important to us is the nature and danger of secret societies. He makes a summary statement in Helaman 2 that is then illustrated in the history from that time on. And his son Moroni was inspired to add the book of Ether to the record which contains further evidence of the destructive nature and power of secret combinations. Mormon's summary statement foreshadowing what is to come is:

13 And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi.
14 Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written.

Secret societies in our day have radically altered life for billions of people. Terror cells and other kinds of secret combinations work under the ancient premise that their adherents will ultimately succeed in destroying the liberty of people and imposing their authority. The defense of liberty has never been more important than now.

Helaman 1

The Lamanites continue their war effort against the Nephites. Their king and their chief general were both Nephite dissenters. You have to wonder whether the Lamanites would have been content to leave things alone if they had not been led and inspired by men with bitterness, greed, and hatred in their souls.

The Lamanite general Coriantumr attacked the heart of the Nephite lands and their central cities rather than focus on the border cities. The Nephites did not anticipate this move.

18 And it came to pass that because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in the land of Zarahemla; for they had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla.

Satan is our enemy. We sometimes focus on the perimeter thinking that in doing that we are safe while we neglect the things at the core like prayer, meditation, scripture study, and service. Doing the things that are outwardly visible to others are important (attending church meetings, for example), but it is what happens privately in the inward man that fortifies us in the war against evil.

Alma 63

As the record of Alma and his sons Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton concludes, there is an interesting note that reminds me that redemption through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ is available to every person. Corianton, you will recall, struggled as a young man with doctrinal questions and with chastity. His father Alma tried to help resolve his faith questions and encouraged him to repent and make the most of his life. In the record it is clear that Corianton did repent. He served later as a missionary again, and in this last chapter in the Book of Alma, Mormon notes:

10 And it came to pass in the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, Shiblon died also, and Corianton had gone forth to the land northward in a ship, to carry forth provisions unto the people who had gone forth into that land.

11 Therefore it became expedient for Shiblon to confer those sacred things, before his death, upon the son of Helaman, who was called Helaman, being called after the name of his father.

The text clearly implies that the sacred records would have passed to a worthy Corianton if he had not gone off to "the land northward." I'm grateful for the power of the atonement and for the opportunity to repent and be forgiven. 

Alma 62

As this multi-year war between the Nephites and the Lamanites came to a close, the tired warriors returned to their homes. The Book of Mormon notes two different responses to the long trial the people had faced:

41 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 aafflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.

We have a choice on how we will respond to trials and challenges in our lives. Some curse God as unjust or deny that he exists. Others sense his tender mercies in the midst of their afflictions and humble themselves in gratitude for those helps in time of trial. I believe that our trials prepare us to feel more deeply the trials of others. They teach us if we are humble. Those who accepted their trials with humility and faith undoubtedly were the same ones who remembered God in their prosperity.

48 And the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to multiply and to wax exceedingly strong again in the land. And they began to grow exceedingly rich.

49 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him.

50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.

51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.

Alma 61

14 Therefore, my beloved brother, Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our words, yea, such as rebellions and dissensions, let us resist them with our swords, that we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God.

I wonder if we have the courage to resist evil as these great men did. When the members have taken strong stands for moral issues, their position has generated persecution from outside and division within. Elder Packer said "The moral values upon which civilization itself must depend spiral downward at an ever-increasing pace. Nevertheless, I do not fear the future." (Boyd K. Packer, “Do Not Fear,” Ensign, May 2004, 77) As the world we live experiences moral decline, will we have the courage to stand for truth and virtue and resist evil?

Alma 60

Captain Moroni was frustrated with the lack of support he and his armies were receiving from the central government and wrote a letter to complain to the chief judge Pahoran. One message that Moroni repeats is the need for us to do all that we can for ourselves. Self-reliance is a virtue that we should cultivate. I have heard members say that they had been praying for something to happen, but I knew from our conversation that they had done nothing else themselves to make it happen. Without any effort on their part other than to ask, they seemed to hope for a miracle.

Moroni warns against that kind of lazy approach. We should pray as if all depended on the Lord and work as if all depended on us. It is the combination of faith and work that results in miracles.

11 Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain.

21 Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?

In Moroni's words, we need to "begin to be up and doing."

Alma 59

9 And now as Moroni had supposed that there should be men sent to the city of Nephihah, to the assistance of the people to maintain that city, and knowing that it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it from them, he supposed that they would easily maintain that city.

I have heard people say that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. I suppose that may work in business or in some other setting, but it isn't true in our lives in regard to sin. It is much easier to follow the commandments of God than it is to repent and right the wrongs in our lives. I was about to write that young people sometimes think that they will sin a little now and repent later. But that kind of thinking is not restricted to youth. In April 1993 General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard said the following: 

"You must be honest with yourself and remain true to the covenants you have made with God. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you can sin a little and it will not matter. Remember, “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.” (D&C 1:31.) . . . Some youth foolishly rationalize that it is “no big deal” to sin now because they can always repent later when they want to go to the temple or on a mission. Anyone who does that is breaking promises made to God both in the premortal life and in the waters of baptism. The idea of sinning a little is self-deception. Sin is sin! Sin weakens you spiritually, and it always places the sinner at eternal risk. Choosing to sin, even with the intent to repent, is simply turning away from God and violating covenants."

Alma 58

I sometimes neglect to look to the Lord for strength. Helaman and his army were looking for help from the central government. When none appeared after a long wait, Helaman records:

10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

When we struggle to overcome some obstacle in our lives, we can pour out our souls to God, and He will bless us with "assurances." He blessed Helaman and his men with peace, great faith, and hope for deliverance in Him.

I love the 121st Psalm:

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Alma 57

We learn more about the young men who fought under Helaman's command. Their number increased to 2,060, and after another pitched battle with the Lamanites, Helaman writes that 200 were severely wounded but that they were miraculously preserved:

25 And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.
26 And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
27 Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

We learn that what their mothers taught them was that "there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power." I can imagine these faithful mothers sending their young men off to fight and promising them that if they would believe in God and not doubt that they would be spared and return to their mothers. Every mother who sends a son or daughter on a full-time mission should have this same hope and teach this same faith. 

Alma 56

46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

These 2,000 young men (Helaman says that they were all of them very young - we could speculate on their youth, but we know from the text that they had never fought) had great faith instilled in them by their mothers. Mothers have power to build a generation of faith or of doubt. President Harold B. Lee said the following:

"A mother’s heart is a child’s schoolroom. The instructions received at the mother’s knee, and the parental lessons together with the pious and sweet souvenirs of the fireside, are never effaced entirely from the soul.

Someone has said that the best school of discipline is the home, for family life is God’s own method of training the young, and homes are largely what mothers make them."
(The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 289)

Alma 55

19 But behold, this was not the desire of Moroni; he did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in the saving of his people from destruction; and for this cause he might not bring upon him injustice, he would not fall upon the Lamanites and destroy them in their drunkenness.

Warfare is only settled in victory by one party or the other. Although Moroni sought total victory over the Lamanites, he was not a man to kill for no purpose. This balance in his approach was driven by his sense of justice and fairness. It didn't matter to him that this same sense of fairness and justice was absent in his enemy. We often focus on the shortcomings of others and blame them for conflict. If only they would change, things would be all right. The way to peace in our relationships is in ourselves. As we live according to the teachings of Christ, we can be at peace no matter what others may do.

Alma 54

Ammoron suggests in his letter regarding prisoner exchange that the Lamanites had the right to govern. No one really has the "right" to govern others. Even God only asks that we surrender our will to him. He doesn't demand the right the govern our lives. He only asks that we voluntarily submit to his commandments and love him. So, when the framers of our government worked on our system, they believed that God was the true Sovereign and that our rights were given to us by him.

Alma 53

The Lamanite converts of Ammon and his brethren were pacifists. They had made a solemn covenant to never take up arms again. But their sons had made no such covenant, and in the time of general warfare they wanted to help their brethren. They made a different covenant: 

17 And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.

Mormon clearly admired these young men when he made his abridgment of the records.

20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.

What does it mean to be valiant? The word is from Middle English words meaning worthy, strong, and courageous and to be of worth.

These young Lamanite men were valiant. They had the courage to do right. They were strong in the spirit, active, and true (meaning loyal and trustworthy). They were men of truth, meaning that they were honest in all things. They were sober. I think this means that they took the truth seriously -- it was not a casual commitment for them. And they apparently gained all of these attributes because they were taught and undoubtedly studied the truth, and they were taught to keep the commandments of God.

Alma 52

Teancum, the Nephite general, is a model for leadership. He received and followed orders from Moroni, who was the chief general, but he also was creative and took initiative. He accepted Moroni's command, but he also acted on his own to do what was wise. For example, he was directed to attack and seek to take the city of Mulek from the Lamanite occupiers. He marched on the city, but after assessing the defenses and his own forces, he retreated to await reinforcements. Any priesthood leader, father, or husband, should seek to follow the directions of the prophet, but he should also listen carefully to the Spirit and use the gifts and talents given to him by the Lord to do what is right in the confines of the direction given.

Alma 51

There are always those who consider themselves superior - who believe that because of birth or family or some other circumstance they are entitled to power or authority or to be the elite. The warning of the Book of Mormon is that the idea that people are somehow better than their peers is ultimately destructive of liberty. When all men and women are alike and consider themselves children of God, they treat each other with respect and forbearance. In Alma 51, the people divide into "king-men" and "freemen" based on their support for equality under the law.

Moroni received authority to compel the king-men to fight the Lamanites or be imprisoned or killed. With that authority, he ended this rebellion:

 19 And it came to pass that there were four thousand of those ^adissenters who were hewn down by the sword; and those of their leaders who were not slain in battle were taken and ^bcast into prison, for there was no time for their trials at this period.

  20 And the remainder of those dissenters, rather than be smitten down to the earth by the sword, yielded to the standard of liberty, and were compelled to hoist the ^atitle of liberty upon their towers, and in their cities, and to take up arms in defence of their country.

  21 And thus Moroni put an end to those king-men, that there were not any known by the appellation of king-men; and thus he put an end to the stubbornness and the pride of those people who professed the blood of nobility; but they were brought down to humble themselves like unto their brethren, and to fight ^avaliantly for their freedom from bondage.

Alma 50

23 But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.

It is curious that during this time of war and conflict, of feverish construction of fortifications and preparation for armed conflict, that this would be a happy time. The key is in another verse in this chapter:

22 And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times

The Primary song for children declares

Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!

In this there is safety; in this there is peace.
He will send blessings;
He will send blessings.
Words of a prophet:
Keep the commandments.
In this there is safety and peace.

Alma 49

These chapters regarding war between the Nephites and Lamanites contain many lessons, but they also seem to me a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It's hard to imagine such a complicated history of political intrigue, military strategy, and detailed military tactics being entirely invented by a poor farm boy with little formal education.

One lesson from chapter 49, is that we need to prepare ourselves for the attacks of our adversary. We can build fortifications in our lives to protect us against temptation. The narrow entrance to the Nephite fortifications makes me think of the need to restrict the access of media to our homes. If there is only a narrow entrance and we guard that entrance, we can protect our homes from the evil that Satan makes available through cable and the internet.

President Spencer W. Kimball spoke of fortifying our homes in April General Conference, 1979:

"We need continually to fortify our homes and families and defend them against the onslaught of evils such as divorce, broken families, brutality, and abuse, especially of wives and children. We need to constantly guard against immorality, pornography, and sexual permissiveness that would destroy the purity of the family members, young and old.
"Such evils are very real and very threatening. One has but to read the headlines of our newspapers and magazines to become frighteningly aware of the crumbling, destructive influences which surround us.
Perhaps I sound like an alarmist. If so, it is because I am alarmed. I am greatly concerned, and so are my Brethren in the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles and others of the General Authorities.
"If we could but suggest you go home and lock these evils out by closing and bolting the windows and locking the doors of your homes securely, it would be a simple matter.
However, such security would be ineffective against the evils of which we speak. They come into our homes on ether waves by radio and the television screen. We find these evil forces almost everywhere we go. Exposure is almost constant. We track them into the home from the school, from the playground, from the theater, the office, and the marketplace. There are but few places we go in our everyday world where we can escape them.
"What then must be our service? What must we do? We must be constantly alert to their evil presence in our homes and destroy them as we would the germs and filth of disease. We must hunt them from the closets of our minds, freeing ourselves of such worldliness, quenching the embers of wickedness before they become destructive flames. How do we do this?
"If we would escape those deadly thrusts of the evil one and keep our homes and families free and solidly fortified against all destructive influences so rampant about us, we must have the help of the very founder and organizer of this family plan—the Creator himself. There is only one sure way and that is through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and being obedient to its profound and inspired teachings. Surely we must be made to realize that the purchase price of a family hearth free of such evil influences is the keeping of the commandments of God."
Spencer W. Kimball, “Fortify Your Homes Against Evil,” Ensign, May 1979, 4

Therein lies our greatest protection -- keeping the commandments of God.

Alma 48

Amalickiah is an amazingly clear example of a demagogue. The early 20th century American social critic and humorist H. L. Mencken, defined a demagogue as "one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." Amalickiah used propaganda and demagoguery to sway the Lamanites:

  1 And now it came to pass that, as soon as ^aAmalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to ^binspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their ^ctowers, against the Nephites.

 The Book of Mormon was written for our day. I believe these stories of political intrigue, corruption, secret combinations, etc., are meant as warnings to us. We should be extremely wary of any effort by political leaders or pundits to preach and inspire fear or hatred of others. Our commission is to take the gospel message to all the world. There are enemies of our nation, but we should constantly look to take the truth to the nations of the earth and not hope for their destruction.

The Nephites loved their enemies.

  21 But, as I have said, in the ^alatter end of the nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites.

  22 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.

  23 Now, they were ^asorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all—they were ^bsorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, ^cunprepared to meet their God.

  24 Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their ^awives and their children should be ^bmassacred by the barbarous ^ccruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and had ^ddissented from their church, and had left them and had gone to destroy them by joining the Lamanites.

  25 Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord was, if they should keep his commandments they should ^aprosper in the land. 

 

So, we should defend ourselves, our freedom, and our families, but we should also love everyone, keep the commandments of God, and reluctantly take up arms.

Alma 47

36  Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.

The most vocal opponents of the restored gospel are those who once accepted the truth. When you turn away from the truth, you have to justify your actions to yourself in some way or just not care. Some leave the fold due to apathy, but they rarely become active opponents. But those who engage in sin and seek to justify themselves in doing it often rage against the church and condemn its peaceful practitioners. All are free to believe as they choose. So, those who seek to tear down any faith should ask themselves why they feel it necessary to do that. Attacking the beliefs of others does not confirm the truth of my own beliefs.

Alma 46

Liberty is a blessing from God. Mormon wrote of Captain Moroni, the great Nephite military leader and man of God. Mormon often inserts conclusions drawn from the records he abbreviated. In Alma 46, he says of Moroni, "he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren." (v. 13) This made me think of one of my favorite paintings of George Washington kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge petitioning God for help in the cause of liberty. Mormon also comments that liberty is a "blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous' sake." (v. 10) Thomas Jefferson wrote in July, 1774,

"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time."

The United States of America is a nation based on the premise that the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are gifts from the Creator and the government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. I love this country. I was just in Argentina, and I recognized once again how blessed we are as a nation. Most Americans don't appreciate the great gifts they have. I pray we remember.

When Moroni declared liberty to the people, they "came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God." (v. 21) I pray there are still those who will rally to the cause of liberty as elements in our society chip away at it.

Alma 45

After great tribulation in their war with the Lamanites, the Nephites "were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy."

I like the idea of worshipping God with "exceedingly great joy." I think sometimes Latter-day Saints are a somber people. Of course partaking of the emblems of the Saviors flesh and blood is a sacred ordinance, and there should be great reverence during that holy time. I'm talking more about our general demeanor. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. His promise to us through his atoning sacrifice is happiness and peace in this life and eternal life in the life to come. That should fill our souls with joy, and that joy should be manifest to others as our witness of the Savior's love for all men and women.

Filling our hearts with joy and gratitude for Jesus and his love for us helps us be humble. Unfortunately, when we are so richly blessed and fail to acknowledge his hand in our lives, we can lose the light and joy.


23  And now it came to pass that after Helaman and his brethren had appointed priests and teachers over the churches that there arose a dissension among them, and they would not give heed to the words of Helaman and his brethren;
24  But they grew proud, being lifted up in their hearts, because of their exceedingly great riches; therefore they grew rich in their own eyes, and would not give heed to their words, to walk uprightly before God.

I love the Lord. I know that he lives. I feel his presence often in my prayers. I want to pattern my life after his teachings and draw near to him so that I have that presence in greater abundance, and have joy.

Alma 44

Having the Lamanites surrounded, Moroni negotiated with Zerahemnah over the terms of surrender. The conditions were simple: lay down your weapons of war and covenant to never come back to fight the Nephites again. Any who would do those two things were allowed to return in peace to their own lands. In spelling out these terms, Moroni used this phrase: "by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness." (v. 5)

The word of God is a guide to peace and happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Nephi wrote of his father's vision of the tree of life (1 Nephi 11):


25  And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

One of my favorite scriptures is from Psalms 119. It expresses my love for the scriptures, the study and application of which I know brings us to know the Author and leads to life eternal.


103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste!  yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Alma 43

We are engaged in a war that began long ago (D&C 76):


25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an ^aangel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who ^brebelled against the Only Begotten^cSon whom the Father ^dloved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
26 And was called ^aPerdition, for the heavens ^bwept over him—he was ^cLucifer, a son of the morning.
27 And we beheld, and lo, he is ^afallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!
28 And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision; for we beheld Satan, that old ^aserpent, even the ^bdevil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our ^cGod and his Christ—
29 Wherefore, he maketh ^awar with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about.

Our Father in Heaven knows that we battle with temptation and the powers of evil in this world. Every day, Satan is at work to pull us down and make us miserable like himself. But God did not leave us without armor and help in time of need. One important help he has given us is his word through a living prophet.


When Moroni wanted to determine what he should do as a military commander to defend his people in battle, he sought the prophet Alma and then did as Alma told him on faith alone.

23 But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp; and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should ^ainquire of the Lord ^bwhither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
24 And it came to pass that the ^aword of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni.
25 Now Moroni, leaving a part of his army in the land of Jershon, lest by any means a part of the Lamanites should come into that land and take possession of the city, took the remaining part of his army and marched over into the land of Manti.

I know that if we follow the counsel of the living prophet and apostles whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators, that our lives will be blessed and we will be able to withstand the evil day.

Paul wrote the following admonition to the Ephesians (chapter 6):

10 Finally, my brethren, be ^astrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole ^aarmour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we ^awrestle not ^bagainst ^cflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the ^drulers of the ^edarkness of this world, against spiritual^fwickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Alma 42

In my opinion, this chapter in the Book of Mormon may declare the atonement of Jesus Christ better than any passage in all of scripture. Alma clearly explained the principles of justice and mercy and the role of the Savior in making mercy and forgiveness possible on condition of repentance. 


  22 But there is a law given, and a ^apunishment affixed, and a ^brepentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the ^claw, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

  23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and ^amercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the ^batonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the^cresurrection of the dead; and the ^dresurrection of the dead bringeth ^eback men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be^fjudged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

  24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also ^amercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

  25 What, do ye suppose that ^amercy can rob ^bjustice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

I feel my Savior's love when I read these things. He loved me enough to suffer and die for me so that he could answer the demands of justice and pay the price for my sins if I would only love him and do my best to keep his commandments. I do love him and I'm trying to keep his commandments and be a true disciple. I know he has done his part. I pray I can do mine.

  15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself ^aatoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of ^bmercy, to appease the demands of ^cjustice, that God might be a ^dperfect, just God, and a ^emerciful God also.

Alma 41

The principle of agency is taught in great detail in the Book of Mormon. Alma teaches his son Corianton personal responsibility for our choices in this way:

3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.

4 And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other—

5 The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
 
What are the desires of my heart? What do I want? No one consciously wants misery, but we often choose evil over good. The more difficult decisions in life are sometimes choosing good over good. When the Lord offers us so much in life, we sometimes are confronted with multiple good things that we can do. If we listen to the voice of the Spirit, we can not only learn to consistently choose good over evil, we can become sensitive enough to be able to choose between good, better, and best.

Alma 40

In Alma 40, we learn that the spirits of all men - good or evil - are taken to a spirit world after death where they are in a paradise of peace and rest or where they are tormented by the lives they have led as they await resurrection and judgment.

There is an interesting statement Alma makes in passing: "all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men." (v. 8) For God, all things are present. He knows all things, and in his omniscience, there is no past, present, or future. We measure the passing seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. But our lives are very short windows in the timeline of eternity. If we had some of that eternal perspective, we might live our short earthly lives differently. Amulek taught (Alma 34):

32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

 33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
 
We should use the day of this life that we have been given to prepare for eternity.

Alma 39

11 Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots. Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words.

Corianton was a missionary who allowed himself to be lured away from his missionary labor by a wanton woman. Alma's words must have stung: "When they saw your conduct they would not believe." Our deeds speak louder than our words. Everyone observes how we act and live our lives. If they see a life of hypocrisy, they may turn from what we believe.

The epistle of James tells us that "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." You can't profess belief in one thing and then live something else and be stable and at peace. And when you live in ways contrary to the truth you know, you display the kind of hypocrisy that drives people away from the truth. It's hard to separate the message from the messenger.

Corianton is a happy example. He apparently listened to his father, repented, and is mentioned later in the Book of Mormon as a servant of the Lord. (See Alma 49:30)

Alma 38

  5 And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your ^atrust in God even so much ye shall be ^bdelivered out of your trials, and your ^ctroubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.


This promise appears again and again in the Book of Mormon. It's not a promise of safety from trials, but it is a promise of delivery from affliction. One central message of the Book of Mormon is that those who endure in faith  and in obedience to the commandments of God eventually overcome every trial.


 12 Use ^aboldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye ^bbridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.


This counsel of Alma to his son Shiblon is good counsel to all as we teach others. We can be bold in teaching the truth without being overbearing and seeking to impose our will on others. I think that's why this counsel is immediately followed with the advice to bridle all passions so that we can be filled with love for others. One of the great challenges of parenthood is to teach children with patience and love when they are exasperatingly slow to listen. Applying these principles makes the difference. I wish I had understood sooner so that I would have been a better father when I needed to be.

Alma 37

The Liahona was the brass "compass" that Lehi found at his tent door one morning early in their travel in the wilderness. It wasn't a compass that we would recognize. A magnetic compass always points one direction -- it aligns with the earth's magnetic field and points north. The Liahona pointed the way they should travel as long as they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God and following the direction of the prophet Lehi and the writing which appeared from time to time on the Liahona itself. When they were disobedient or neglectful, the Liahona did not work for them.


Alma's great analogy in this discourse to his son Helaman follows:


  43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a ^ashadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual.

  44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the ^aword of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.

  45 And now I say, is there not a ^atype in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

  46 O my son, do not let us be ^aslothful because of the ^beasiness of the ^cway; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would ^dlook they might ^elive; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

The holy scriptures are our compass -- our guide to eternal life. If we look at the map and follow it, we will find our way to peace in this life and eternal life with God.

Alma 36

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus ^aracked with torment, while I was ^bharrowed up by the ^cmemory of my many sins, behold, I ^dremembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.


Alma's account of his conversion to his son Helaman gives me hope on a number of levels. In verse 17, Alma says that when he was miserable and swallowed up in sin, he remembered the words of his father regarding the Savior and His atonement. We do the best we can to testify and teach those we love, and sometimes they appear to ignore what we believe and choose their own path. Sometimes they rebel against things that are good and right and lead lives of dissipation and sin. We can continue to pray for them and love them and recall the example of Alma the Younger who remembered "to have heard." And that example gives me hope that the day will come for those I love that their hearts will be filled as Alma's was.


20 And oh, what ^ajoy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Alma 35

  9 And he breathed out many threatenings against them. And now the people of Ammon did not fear their words; therefore they did not cast them out, but they did receive all the poor of the Zoramites that came over unto them; and they did ^anourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to their wants.


This is a wonderful example of true Christian love and charity. The people of Ammon were outcasts from their own people. They received and ministered to the Zoramites who were outcasts from their own people. The trials we face in life can help us develop great empathy for the plight of others and develop in us the finer virtues of compassion and charity.

Alma 34

32 For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors.


What is life were a single day? What would you do with that day? We live as though there will always be a tomorrow, and so we waste so much of the great gift of life we are given. Henry Thoreau wrote that "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." Our days are numbered. When you look back at life, does the day you spent seem to matter? I can count of lot of wasted days. Thoreau also famously said, "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity." So, what will you do with the day of this life?

Alma 33

After Alma had spoken of faith as a seed that could be planted and nourished, the people wanted to know  "whether they should believe in ^aone God, that they might obtain this fruit of which he had spoken, or ^bhow they should plant the ^cseed, or the word of which he had spoken, which he said must be planted in their hearts; or in what manner they should begin to exercise their faith." (v. 1)


What would we say if someone asked how they should "begin to exercise their faith?"


Alma chose three scriptural witnesses to tell them what seed to plant and where their faith should begin. He used two witnesses that are lost to us except for these passages in the Book of Mormon - a beautiful prayer by a prophet named Zenos and a single sentence from a prophet named Zenock. The reason that he used both passages is that they referred to the mercy that is available to us because of the Son of God. His third witness was the story of the children of Israel when their camp was infested with poisonous serpents. Moses fashioned a brass serpent and raised it on a staff in likeness of the eventual sacrifice of the Savior.  All who looked up at this image lived. 


Alma taught from the scriptures with examples that had meaning to the people he taught. He used the prayer of Zenos not just to teach them that ancient prophets testified of the Son of God, but to connect with their concern that they could not worship because they had been cast out of the churches they had helped build. He had a second witness from an ancient prophet Zenock, and he had a scripture story of Moses with which they should have all been familiar, but the significance of which they clearly did not understand. Teach from the scriptures as there is great power in the word.


This is a masterpiece of teaching. Alma's summary ties these things together beautifully.


  22 . . . ^abegin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to ^batone for their sins; and that he shall ^crise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the ^dresurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be ^ejudged at the last and judgment day, according to their ^fworks.

  23 And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall ^aplant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, ^bspringing up in you unto ^ceverlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your ^dburdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye ^ewill. Amen.

Alma 32

Faith starts as a small seed that we plant with hope. We hear what we hope is true - that God loves us, that families can be together forever, and that we can have peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. That  sounds wonderful. We want to believe that it's true. Now that the seed is planted, it is up to us to nourish and water it with faith and righteousness. As we do that, the seed springs up in the form of blessings that provide the evidence of things we hoped were true. Just as it takes time to nurture a seed and protect it until it sprouts, then becomes a seedling, and then finally bears fruit, it likewise takes time to experience the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ through faithfully following Him. As we do, we discover what Alma refers to as light.


34  And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?  Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35  O then, is not this real?  I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?

What a wonderful question! Is this not real? What is felt in the mind and heart is as real as the tree that grows from a small seed.