Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/CaHgxxuygYg
ICEBREAKER
Object Lesson
Items Needed:
2 Packets of Microwave popcorn
A Bowl
A Microwave
Start by holding up a packet and asking if anybody wants some popcorn. More than likely, you’ll get a lot of yes’s.
You say, “All right, let me get you some.” And you take a packet and rip it open. Inside you’re going to find a bit of a mess of oil, and kernels, and salt. Then you ask “All right, whose hungry?, Anyone interested?”. I’m pretty sure nobody is going to want to eat it. Ask why not? And the answer’s obvious. It’s not popped. It’s not ready. And you say “Exactly. It needs to undergo a transformation first before it’s ready, before it’s appetizing. Is the potential there though? Yes."
"This is like us" you explain. "God has given all of us the necessary ingredients to become a certain kind of people. We all have the potential to become good—the best version of ourselves, with delicious lives. But in order to make that happen, we need to undergo a transformation, a conversion. And that’s only going to happen with power. Not our power, but God’s power. (At this moment, I point to the microwave). However, I have to make the conscious decision to place myself within his power, to recognize the wisdom of his commandments and his plan for my life, to entrust myself to his mercy and his guidance through the Spirit. (Here you place the other unopened packet into the microwave and turn it on). Now something miraculous can happen. However, it may take some time, and patience before we really begin to recognize the results."
David A. Bednar said:
"For many of us, conversion is an ongoing process and not a onetime event that results from a powerful or dramatic experience. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”
(CR, October 2012)
You say "When we are willing to place our lives into God’s hands, and trust his power and grace, what will he cause to happen in our lives. (The popcorn should begin popping at this point). A transformation will start to take place. We’ll become different. Better. Happier. More able to face challenges and temptations of mortality."
When the popcorn is done popping, you can pull it out and open the bag and pour it into the bowl. The smell should permeate the room and mouths will begin to water. You may even want to eat a little in front of them and say. "Hmmm, this is much better than trying to eat it before the change. All of us, whether we are born into the church or not need to undergo this change, this conversion. And when you do, I believe you’ll notice how much better life is converted. God doesn’t intend us to be kernels our whole lives. We either need to be popped or eventually go bad.”
At some point during the lesson, you may want to share some popcorn with the class.
TRANSITION
Today we’re going to take a look at a group of people that changed, that underwent that phenomenal transformation. In the church, we use the words conversion and convert. Conversion is the process of changing or causing something to change from one form to another. Usually, we use the term convert to describe those who encounter the restored gospel later in life. But don’t we all need to be transformed by the gospel? Whether we are lifelong members or we just met with the missionaries for the first time yesterday, we need to be popped.
The questions I want you to ask yourself today are:
Have I been converted by God’s power yet?
And How will I know when I have?
I can’t think of a better people anywhere in the scriptures that show us what true conversion looks like—in their attitudes and in their hearts—than the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. They are a great standard by which we can measure our own conversion. They are going to show us what it means to be truly converted.
There's something in Alma 23:6 that I believe all missionaries would love to say about those they teach, that all parents would love to be able to say about their children, all teachers about their students, all church leaders about their congregations, and what God would love to say about all of yes.
Can you see what it is?
They never did fall away. That’s the kind of conversion we want to instill in those we love. That’s deep conversion. It's the kind of conversion the Anti-Nephi-Lehies exemplify.
In my study of Alma 22-29 I’ve identified seven different attitudes of the deeply converted that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies show us. The seven habits of highly effective converts. I’m sure there are more, but let’s just focus on these seven. And as we go through each, consider your own conversion. My hope is that this will help inspire all of us in some way today to deepen our conversion.
ATTITUDE #1
The first attitude of true conversion is shown to us by the King of the Lamanites. King Lamoni’s father. What was he willing to give for the gospel’s sake?
Alma 22:15
The attitude of true conversion here? A willingness to give everything for God’s kingdom.
Now that sounds fairly extreme, doesn’t it? Give away all your worldly possessions to follow Christ. And how many examples can you give me whether in scripture or church history where God actually called in that payment. Where he actually asked somebody to give up all that they had to follow him. I bet you wouldn’t find many. One such instance though is the story of the rich young ruler in the New Testament. This young man asked a similar question to Lamoni’s Father, didn’t he? (Luke 18) What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus’s answer was to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and follow him. And you may remember that that young man went away sorrowing because he had great possessions. Now personally, I believe that this was really just a test. That Jesus probably would not have really required of this him. Joseph F. Smith once suggested that. And think about it, in order to be a temple worthy member of the church, do we have to give away all our worldly wealth, give it to the poor, and serve in the church continually? No, God doesn’t require that of us. What is required, though, the willingness to give all. That’s true conversion, to be willing to do so.
Are we willing to give all? How will we, and God know? I think to figure this out we only need to ask ourselves one question. Am I willing to give up the things that he has asked of me? To make the sacrifices that are less than giving all. So God says “I didn’t require that you give away all your financial gain for my kingdom, but I did ask for 10%. Were you willing to do that?” I didn’t require that you dedicate your entire life to full-time missionary service, but I did ask for two years. Were you willing to give that?” I didn’t require that you spend all your waking hours in church worship and gospel study, but I did ask you for two hours each week on Sunday, were you willing to give that? I didn’t ask you to give up all forms of media and entertainment, but I did ask you to give up certain kinds, were you willing to do that? And on and on. And the implication is, if we were willing to give up the smaller things that God required, then that’s a fairly good indication that we would be willing to give all if he asked it. But if we aren’t willing to abide by the smaller requests, it stands to reason that we probably wouldn’t comply with a greater one.
So attitude #1 A willingness to give all that God asks.
ATTITUDE #2
22:18 King Lamoni’s father again. What’s he willing to give up here? Something even more precious than all his worldly wealth.
18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead.
Here’s the real sacrifice we have to make. Giving up all our worldly possessions is nothing compared to what giving up what Lamoni’s father is willing to give. In order to obtain God’s kingdom, we will need to sacrifice our most precious things. And what are our most precious things? Our sins. And I know that sounds strange to label our sins as precious, but that’s what they are if we consider precious to be, that which we will hold on to above all else. Are many individuals willing to give up great blessings in order to hold onto their sins? Yes. People will sacrifice their health in order to hold onto their addictions. People will sacrifice their families and relationships in order to hold onto their moral sins, such as pornography or adultery. People will sacrifice their sense of peace in order to hold onto their hatred and anger. People will sacrifice the companionship of the Spirit in order to hold onto their distasteful movies and music. People will give up eternal life in order to hold onto their beloved sins. But the truly converted individual recognizes that what God has to offer, in the long run, is far greater than anything the world or sin can give.
I love the story that CS Lewis tells in his delightful book “The Great Divorce”. It’s about a group of sinners from hell who take a bus ride up to heaven and are told that they are welcome to enter heaven just over the hills and stay if they would now, knowing what they know about hell, be willing to change the things about themselves that sent them to hell in the first place. The interesting thing about the book is that most of the characters, for one reason or another, decide that they can’t or won’t change and end up getting back on the bus to return to hell. But there’s one man with a red lizard on his shoulder. The lizard was Lewis’s symbol for sin. We all seem to have our little pet sins that we carry around with us. Things that part of us finds embarrassing and wishes were gone, but another part of us can’t bear to part with. The lizard speaks to the man and whispers in his ears and tells him what to do. Well in the story, an angel approaches the man and asks if he’d like to go to heaven. The man says, of course, but you know, I don’t think I could go with this little guy. And the angel says, you’re right, so shall I kill it for you. And what follows is this fascinating exchange and wrestle between the man, the angel, and the lizard. Finally, the man gives the angel permission and he reaches out and rips the lizard from his shoulder, that digs it`s claws in as he’s pulled. The implication being that repentance and letting go of our pet sins can be painful and difficult. King Lamoni’s father asks to have the wicked spirit rooted out of his breast. That’s a graphic word. Have you ever pulled weeds before? You want to get at the root, or it will just eventually come back. But to root it out, requires digging, and pulling, and twisting and clawing. And God can’t do that for us against our will. We have to give him permission to kill our sins. And the angel pulls the lizard free from his shoulder, kills the lizard, and the man crumples to the ground in pain. But then an amazing transformation takes place as the man begins to radiate with light, and his shoulder wounds close up and he stands up shining with glory. Something happens to the lizard too. It transforms and changes into a beautiful white stallion, perhaps symbolizing that God can take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. The man mounts his horse and rides triumphantly into heaven. I think, in a symbolic way, that’s what’s happening here, and what needs to happen to all of us. We need to allow God to root the wicked spirits out of our breasts, and rip the lizards from our shoulders. If you have the time, I encourage you to read that little story in Chapter 11 of “The Great Divorce”.
The truly converted can do this. They have a willingness to give away their sins in order to know God. They know what has a higher value in the grand scheme of things. That’s attitude #2.
ATTITUDE #3
There’s a phrase that's repeated many times in these chapters regarding the Anti-Nephi-Lehies that describes their conversion. Let’s see if you can find it in the following verses, and I encourage you to mark it in a unique color every time you find it.
Alma 19:16, 19:31, 22:23, 23:6, 23:8, 23:13, 24:6
What’s the phrase? They were converted unto the Lord. Now that’s a significant phrase there. They weren’t just converted, but converted unto the Lord. Why is that an important distinction? Because I believe there are other types of conversion we may encounter. People sometimes end up converted to people or things rather than the Lord.
Some examples.
As a missionary, I knew of people who stopped attending church as soon as the missionaries that initially taught them had left. Who were they converted unto? They were converted unto the missionaries
When Joseph Smith died, some members left the church, and couldn't accept Brigham Young as a new prophet. Who were they converted unto? They were converted unto Joseph Smith, unto the charisma of a church leader.
When the practice of polygamy was stopped, some members continued to practice it without the consent of the prophet and even formed their own churches to continue living it. What were they converted unto? They were converted unto a specific practice or policy.
Maybe someone leaves their community or country and goes somewhere where the church isn't well established, where there are no programs, no social support, no other members. Maybe nobody even knows that they are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, and they fall away. They were converted unto the programs of the church or the social structure.
But what kind of disciples never fall away? Those that are converted unto the Lord. There are certain things we’ll do for the Lord that we won’t do for anyone else. Christ is unchangeable and unfailing. If we’re converted unto him, then missionaries can leave, policies can change, people can apostatize, leaders can falter, and we can remain true. Because we've built our faith upon the Rock of our Redeemer—on Christ. The only sure foundation on which to build. A rock “whereon if men build they cannot fall” as Helaman taught us. So attitude #3 of the deeply converted. They are converted unto the Lord.
Attitude #4
We talked about this attitude extensively in my Alma 1-4 video where we compared the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to the Amlicites so we’ll only cover it briefly here. It comes from 23:16 and 27:27 where we discover how they distinguished themselves. They distinguished themselves by name, refusing to call themselves Lamanites and all that entailed, and took upon themselves the names of Nephi and Lehi. Individuals they wished to pattern their lives after. They were also distinguished by their zeal towards God and all men, their honesty, and their faith. The truly converted wish to be distinguished from the world in righteous ways. Not aloof, or separate, or feel like they're better than, but distinguished. They understand that a commitment to Christ meant being a different kind of person. They seek to distinguish themselves by their character and not in the outward ways of the world. They distinguish themselves by their character.
ATTITUDE #5
Is an attitude of repentance. Even the deeply converted err and falter. But they approach their imperfections and their mistakes in a specific way. What do you notice from the following verses:
Alma 24:11
Alma 24:15
Alma 24:18
Alma 27:8
These people were guilty of some fairly serious sins. Murders even before they were converted. But how do they approach those past sins? They are willing to do all they can to repent. To do as much as they can do. They wish to repair the past as much as possible. I really love 24:18 where they seek to balance their past sin with present good works. And they match up. Rather than taking life, they are willing to give up their own. Instead of taking things, they give, and instead of being idle, now they labor abundantly. This is a perfect illustration of the principle of restitution. Rather than just getting rid of the bad in their lives, they seek to fill its place with good. We would be wise to remember that in our own efforts to repent. Don’t just stop sinning, start doing good things to fill that void that sin leaves behind. If we really struggle to get sin out of our lives, then we fill them with good deeds and we’re anxiously engaged in a good cause. Then, there won’t be any room for it.
And since they approach their errors with this attitude, the atonement covers them! Is the blood of Christ’s atonement even powerful enough to cleanse the blood of murder? Under certain circumstances, yes. And it did in these circumstances. I love how they described themselves as the most lost of all mankind. I can’t imagine any of us would fit that description. But if the atonement can cleanse the most lost, certainly it can cleanse us.
So attitude #5, They do as much as they can to repair the damage of their sins.
ATTITUDE #6
Is a second attitude related to repentance and is probably the act the Anti-Nephi-Lehies are most known for. What they were willing to do with what 23:13 calls the weapons of [their] rebellion, their swords and cimeters? They were willing to bury them deep in the earth. This is the attitude of “Not only am I going to seek to repair the damage caused by my sins, but I’m also going to do everything in my power to prevent myself from even coming close to doing what I once did.” Now they could have just hidden their swords in their closets or under their beds. But where is the wisdom in burying them deep in the earth? Well if I hide my sword in my closet, what might I be tempted to do in a moment of weakness or when a battle arises? It’s not too difficult to grab my sword out of my closet or from under my bed. But if it’s buried deep in the earth, it’s nigh impossible for me to get to it. I’ve distanced myself significantly from my temptations. Sometimes when it comes to abandoning sin, restraint may not be enough. Sometimes we need to place constraints in our lives to overcome them. We would be wise to do this same kind of thing with our weapons of rebellion. If we truly wish to repent, it’s wise to place the instruments of our rebellion as far from ourselves as possible. We may need to burn some bridges and cut some ties.
BURY THEM DEEP CASE STUDY ACTIVITY
Give the following individuals advice on how they could bury the "weapons of their rebellion" deep.
I’ve decided to quit smoking but I know it’s going to be difficult. How can I keep myself from returning to my addiction?
The friends I hang out with swear, talk about inappropriate things, listen to bad music, and get into a lot of trouble. I’m starting to notice myself doing the same things. What do I do? I don’t have any other friends and I like them, we have a good time.
I have trouble looking at pornography on the Internet, I don’t want to do it anymore but I can’t just throw my computer away, I need it for school. What do I do?
I realize that I’ve been a jerk to a lot of people for a long time. I’ve made fun of others who are different or poorer. I guess I’ve just thought that I’m better than they are because I have more money and more friends. How can I change?
I have one more thought on burying your sins deep in the earth. There’s an alternate way of looking at that action. When we’ve repented and buried our sins, we need to allow Christ’s atonement to cover them. We need to give Christ his victory over our sins. He paid a great price so that he could say the words “I forgive you”. Sometimes we hold onto our guilt and continue to carry our sins with us even after forgiveness has been granted. What good is forgiveness if we're constantly pulling our sins out and examining them and condemning ourselves anew. C.S. Lewis said "I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal (or judge) than Him.” So when you repent, bury your sins deep and find joy in Christ’s forgiveness. Bury the past. Let it go. Look back in verse 10. They say that God had "taken away the guilt from their hearts”. They weren’t holding onto their guilt, they let Christ take it away. I suggest we allow Him to do the same for us as well.
So Attitude 6. They bury the weapons of their rebellion deep.
ATTITUDE #7
I think it’s important to consider the circumstances under which the Anti-Nephi-Lehies are burying their weapons of war. They weren’t just acting at any random time or just as a reaction to their past sins. At this particular time, they are under threat of attack. The unbelieving Lamanites aren’t too thrilled about this sudden change of heart in their leaders and they plan to go to war against them, spurred on by the apostate Amalekites and Amulonites. So, this isn’t a very opportune time for them to bury their swords. When they do it, they know full well what's likely to happen. But that doesn’t deter them. In verse 19 we see that they
19 And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer
even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.
They'd rather die than commit sin. And a large number of them do. At the end of chapter 24, 1005 of them are slain by the attacking Lamanites while they are in the act of calling upon God, putting up no resistance. That’s true conversion. That’s commitment to righteousness. Interestingly, the attacking army is so moved by this display of faith and sacrifice, that they throw down their weapons and more people join the Church of God that day than were lost. The Lord works in mysterious ways. And In the face of this tragic ordeal, look at the attitude in the words of the king. What do you notice?
8 And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts, that we have opened a correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites.
9 And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed.
10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.
Look at how many times he expresses gratitude. The truly converted are capable of feeling gratitude in the face of trial. They recognize that following Christ does not guarantee a problem and pain-free life. In fact, our discipleship may even create pain and hardship. This may be one of the hardest attitudes to cultivate as a disciple of Christ. Discipleship may not guarantee us freedom from opposition, pain, sorrow, or tragedy, but it does guarantee us mercy, light, truth, comfort, and eternal salvation. So our final attitude. The truly converted demonstrate gratitude even in the face of opposition.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Well, there you have it. A shining example of true and deep conversion. Now to liken the scriptures to ourselves. Of the seven attitudes of true conversion that we’ve discussed here, which do you feel you most need to develop? Pick at least one that connected with you on a deeper level and then consider the accompanying question or challenge from this list.
Think of a God-requested sacrifice that you previously have not been willing to make. Start making it this week and note what happens.
Is there a sin you’ve been holding onto? Will you give it away in order to know God better?
If you don’t feel that you are converted unto the Lord, think of one way you could make Christ a stronger foundation for your faith?
Make a goal to more fully develop a Christlike quality that will distinguish you from the world.
Think of something you could do to repair the wrongs your misdeeds have caused.
Think of one of your weapons of rebellion and devise a plan to “bury it deep”.
Cultivate gratitude regardless of your circumstances by expressing thanks to God every morning this next month.
CONCLUSION
I hope these suggestions help. I’m sure you’re accustomed to hearing people pray “Help us to apply this lesson to our daily lives”. Well, do we actually end up doing that? Do we really seek to apply what we've learned? If we wish to become true converts to the gospel, then we must seek to make real changes in our lives. We are all meant to be converted and transformed. The potential lies in all of us. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies set an inspiring example for us to follow. They were willing to place themselves within God’s power and mercy, and therefore they were converted deeply and made into something far greater. I hope that your conversion will grow and deepen as well. And like them, hopefully, it can also be said of us, and our students, and our children, “they never did fall away”.
THE ULTIMATE HOMECOMING TALKS
ICEBREAKER
Another message from these chapters. For an icebreaker on this next section, if you served a full-time mission, share your thoughts and testimony of how your missionary service blessed you. If you didn’t, perhaps consider asking a class member beforehand to share their feelings with the class. Or, have either you or a class member share a missionary experience that they’ve had as a member of the church and how it has blessed them or you.
TRANSITION
Then let that experience segue into a discussion of two chapters in the Book of Mormon that I would dub “The Ultimate Homecoming Talks”. In Alma 26 and 29, we get to hear the thoughts and feelings of some of the greatest missionaries of all time as they reflect on their efforts to preach the gospel, Ammon, and Alma. There they express what their missionary service has taught them and how they feel about it. Ammon asks a poignant question at the beginning of his address in 26:2
2 And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?
That’s the question we want to answer today. What is the worth of the work? And knowing that will help us to have “desires to serve God” and to “thrust in our sickle” and take part in the “marvelous work” of the gathering of Israel.
SEARCH
Now in your personal study, you should read the entire chapters. But as a teacher, it may be better to just focus on some of the highlights. I’ve pulled out some specific power phrases from these chapters and I invite you to ponder what they teach you about the blessings of missionary work. As a teacher, I would then ask class members to share which of these was their favorite and why they chose it.
So here are the phrases.
:3 How many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God”
:3 we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work
:5 ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor.
:9 these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us.
:12 I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak . . . in his strength I can do all things.
:27 When our hearts were depressed . . . behold, the Lord comforted us.
:28 we have been patient in our sufferings . . .relying . . .upon the mercies of God.
:37 I will give thanks unto my god forever.
:3 The first blessing he mentions after asking that question was to recognize how many people had been changed by the power of the gospel. I like that. We don’t do missionary work for the selfish reason of bringing blessings to ourselves. The focus is outward. It’s not about us. Although there are great blessings to the missionary, and that should help motivate us, hopefully, our major motivation is to see other’s lives change for the better. Watching that light enter into their lives causes that same light to shine more brightly within us.
:3 One of the blessings of missionary work is to become an instrument in the hands of God. You get the privilege of being guided by him, utilized by him, and become an extension of him and his power. Doctors and Dentists use instruments, Builders use instruments, Engineers use instruments. These things allow the master to do his work more efficiently and effectively. What a trusting and generous God that allows us to work with him and aid Him in his work.
:5 Work. Missionary work teaches you to do just that. It’s called labor in the vineyard for a reason. It’s labor, like farming labor, yard work. The kind of work that makes you sweat and your muscles ache. Missionary service will teach you the value and the satisfaction of hard honest work.
:9 Love. You will experience love and how to be loved in missionary work. You feel a deep love for those you teach and they love you. There is a special, everlasting bond that forms between missionary and convert, between shepherd and the lost sheep, between rescuer and the saved. And I imagine that bond will continue throughout eternity.
:12 Humility and reliance on God. Missionary work will humble you. It will make you realize that on your own, you are nothing, but with God, you are everything. Without God’s help, we are nothing, but with it, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.
:27 Comfort. Missionary can certainly be discouraging at times. I imagine that most individuals that seek to teach and change others will face great opposition and disappointment in their efforts. There will be times when you may want to turn back, give up, or throw up your hands in exasperation. You may feel like you’re not doing any good. It’s at those moments where the comforting power of the Holy Spirit can enter into your heart and console you.
:28 Patience. Missionary work will teach you patience. As I said last week, people don’t usually change overnight. Missionary work will teach you patience with others, patience with God, and hopefully, patience with yourself.
:37 Gratitude. Missionary work will make you more grateful. Grateful for the truth you understand. Grateful for the opportunity you have to teach that truth. Grateful for what you leave behind and sacrifice in order to serve others. Grateful for the people who listen to you and grateful to the God that supports you. Missionary work will fill you with the spirit of thanksgiving daily.
And then, there is one set of words or idea that seems to come up more than any other in these chapters. It’s all over them. In fact, it’s the very first thing Ammon mentions and it's in every single one of the following verses.
26:1
26:4
26:10
26:11
26:13
26:16
26:30
26:35
26:37
27:16
27:17
27:18
27:19
27:26
28:8
28:12
28:14
29:9
29:10
29:13
29:14
29:16
The idea is joy. Missionary work brings rejoicing. The word joy is found 134 times in the Book of Mormon, and 1/3 of those “joys” are in connection with the Sons of Mosiah.
Now we won’t review every verse but a few that stand out.
In 26:16 Ammon’s joy is so great that he says he cannot say the smallest part of which I feel. I know I felt that way when I saw the power of the gospel change lives while serving my full-time mission. I’ve felt that way as I’ve seen members return to full activity. I’ve felt that way as I’ve worked and taught students and seen their testimonies bloom and grow. It’s hard to even express how wonderful it is.
In 27:15 Ammon’s joy is so great that he is overpowered by it and falls to the ground. It’s kind of a thing with Ammon, he’s always passing out.
In 28:8 it’s referred to as incomprehensible joy.
Missionary work = Joy.
So take a look at that list again. The decision to serve as a missionary, whether full-time or as a member, should be one of the easiest decisions we ever make. Just look at the promises. Look at the blessings. Any effort you expend, any sacrifice you make will be worth it.
ALMA’S SOUL (Alma 28-29)
Let’s conclude with a quick look at 28-29. I feel they are a fitting end. Starting in verse 10, Alma laments the tragedies that he’s beheld in his life. In the past 15 years, what has he witnessed? Destruction, an awful scene of bloodshed. Mourning, fear, endless wo, inequality, transgression, the power of the devil, his cunning plans ensnaring people. Isn’t that just like our day? Don’t we see the same thing? That’s all we seem to hear. Bad news, and a lot of it. But in the midst of all that badness and death and hatred came four idealistic boys and their companions who were willing to sacrifice and work and serve and teach. This is also our answer back to the evils, and the destruction, and the bloodshed of the world. Verse 14.
14 And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life.
So what’s the solution to the world’s evils? How do we fight back? We labor in the vineyard. That is the solution. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing powerful enough to fight sadness, pain, inequality, bloodshed, and the cunning plans of the devil. So if we look around us and all we find is discouragement and sorrow and bad news, is there anything we can do about it? We can share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our fellowmen.
This thought of the power of missionary work to cure the world’s evils causes Alma to exclaim his greatest desire in Alma 29. And Alma 29 is so pure and from the heart. There are a few chapters in the Book of Mormon where you really get to see inside the soul of the author, where they open themselves up and show the innermost parts of their hearts. Nephi in 2 Nephi 4, Enos, Moroni in Mormon 8. And here you really feel of Alma the Younger’s character and soul.
Sometimes I like to ask my students if they could have any superpower, what would it be. And then I ask them to compare it with Alma’s in 29:1. What superpower does he wish he had?
1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
Of all the superpowers he could wish for, Alma just wants to be a better missionary. He wishes that he could speak with the tongue of angels. A few weeks ago we talked about the different voices of God. The still, small voice, the voice of his servants, and the voice of nature. It sounds like Alma wishes he could tap into that third voice, that voice of thunder and earthquake. If he could just teach with that same power, maybe he could save more souls. Maybe he would be able to convince some more to change. After all, it was the voice of an angel that had the power to shake the earth that saved him. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, he dreams, if all could be provided that opportunity.
And with that voice, perhaps he could eliminate some of that sorrow and darkness upon the earth. In the rest of the chapter, like Ammon, he too expresses his joy over his part of the work. But what’s more. Something that I really admire about Alma in this chapter. His exceeding joy at his friends’ success. In the success of the Sons of Mosiah.
He says:
14 But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi.
15 Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!
16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.
That is sometimes hard for us to do. It’s so human and natural for us to feel envious of the success of others. Or if not envious, discouraged with ourselves or our circumstances because we haven’t been given the same. That’s not Alma’s attitude. He is able to feel joy at their success. Now he’s had his own success, and I hate to even bring up a comparison, but what Ammon, and Aaron and the Sons of Mosiah have done is huge! It’s huge. The magnitude of this miracle cannot be understated. They’ve converted almost the entire Lamanite nation. Nothing like it has ever happened. Others had tried but failed Nephi couldn’t do it with Laman and Lemuel. Enos says that they tried. Zeniff tried or at least sought friendship with them. But not until the sons of Mosiah come along do we see that eternal hatred overcome. And how does Alma feel about it? Exceedingly great joy in what they have accomplished. Sometimes that’s hard for us to do. When we see the success of others or witness their talents, or they get called to a certain position, or they are blessed in abundance more than we are. It’s so easy to compare. I almost think it’s easier to mourn with those that mourn than it is to rejoice with those that rejoice. But we can do both.
LIKENING THE SCRIPTURES
What blessings have you experienced as a result of your missionary efforts?
What blessings of missionary work would you most like to experience?
What are you willing to do to show you are deserving of them?
Whose successes do you need to rejoice in?
CONCLUSION
Well, that concludes some of the greatest chapters in all scripture on the power and beauty of missionary work. I know that it has re-energized me to put more effort into this work as I’ve studied it. There are certainly people in my sphere of influence that I could do more for. Missionary work is worth it! And I don’t think I can say it any better than Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16.
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
That we experience that joy, is my prayer and desire for all of you.
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