Day 52: Alma 5-7

Out in the deserts of life we wander,
stranded from sin and pride;
Sometimes we know the way to go,
But choose not for we see not yonder.

Like sheep we persist in following,
The way so wide and inviting,
Without knowing the dangers around,
We continue in danger wallowing.

But the good shepherd cometh nigh so oft,
And calls after you each day.
Do we choose to listen and obey,
Or do we on our sins of rocks aloft?

If we but hear and hearken to His call,
And call on Him each day,
He will bring you into His fold,
And train you again to avoid another fall.

Day 51: Alma 5

The Great Check!

Alma 5 is all about a personal inventory to ourselves and to God. When one answers truthfully the questions posed by Alma, then progress can begin. We are all works in progress, so there is no shame in setting goals to be better. That first step is the biggest and far more reaching because so many do not even try...

“Remembering and counting our many blessings can humble us by reminding us of all the reasons we have to be thankful to God-not just today's reasons, but those relating to all our yesterdays…If we fail to stir remembrance of blessings received, the human tendency is to say, in effect, whether to one's God or to one's fellows, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ It is best to cultivate our ‘remembering’ capacity now and to be guided accordingly, since at judgment day we will have ‘perfect remembrance’ (Alma 5:18).” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "A Wonderful Flood of Light", p. 51)

Speaking of another principle, C. S. Lewis described the pride of comparison when he said: "Pride is essentially competitive. . . . 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. Lewis called pride ‘the utmost evil’ and ‘the complete anti-God state of mind,’ because this kind of comparison leads men to enmity and oppression and every other kind of evil. This insightful Christian saw that every person should look up to God as ‘immeasurably superior’ to him or her. He continued: Unless you Know God as that--and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison--you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." (Mere Christianity [New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1960], pp. 109-11.)

Let us not be drawn off the straight and narrow path by our self righteousness. By giving to those in need, we become more rich in the Spirit of charity...the greatest of all!

Day 50: Alma 3-4

“The Book of Mormon tells of a time when the church of God ‘began to fail in its progress’ because ‘the people of the church began to . . . set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world’ (Alma 4:8,10). Those who set their hearts upon the things of the world usually focus on some combination of that worldly quartet of property, pride, prominence, and power. When attitudes or priorities are fixed on the acquisition, use, or possession of property, we call that condition materialism.

In descending order of intensity, materialism may be an obsession, a preoccupation, or merely a strong interest. Whatever its degree, an interest becomes materialism when it is intense enough to override priorities that should be paramount.

From the emphasis given to this subject in the scriptures, it appears that materialism has been one of the greatest challenges to the children of God in all ages of time. Greed, the ugly face of materialism in action, has been one of Satan's most effective weapons in corrupting men and turning their hearts from God.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Pure In Heart", p. 73)

“The central feature of pride is enmity- enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowman. Enmity means hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition. It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us. Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God's.’ In addition, ‘the proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others.’ President Benson warned: ‘God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble.’” (President Ezra Taft Benson, CR, April 1989, pp. 3-7)

Day 49: Alma 1-2

My how times flies; into Alma and almost halfway complete!

The book of Alma begins with a hot-head Nehor who tries to enforce his priestcraft by force - partially because he could not shake the righteous Gideon. Arguing to defend the Gospel and winning, Nehor then killed Gideon.

Because of Nehor's teaching, essentially to get gain by the wrong motives, many fell away from the Church and began to persecute other members. This was a great trial of their faith. Many of us will be tried the same way as others persecute us because of our faith. Our position is not to defend through arguments, but through our example - to be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

While others spend their time tearing down the Church and its leaders, we an build up by "bearing with patience the persecution that may come...impart of [our] substance...to the poor and needy, and the sick, and the afflicted." After all, as King Benjamin taught, "Are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God..?"

Day 48: Mosiah 29 - Alma 1

Throughout the Bible and Book of Mormon we read of the importance of appointing God-fearing men, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials.

It was the original intent of the Founders that the Godly, and thereby Godly principles, remain intimately involved in the political, judicial, and educational realms. Our Founders believed that only the Godly would understand the unalienable rights and liberty provided by God would protect them in our form of government. They never intended that Christian principles be divorced from public affairs.

As Mosiah 29:13 states: "to establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments" will bring peace, prosperity, and freedom to our country. Let us therefore pray for our elected leaders, and pray for God-fearing men to be elected. One's private life is ever as important in public life, because the private life usually shows the true character of a person, than that of public life.

Day 47: Mosiah 27-29

As we repent of our sins, no matter how grievous, one important step is restitution which involves removal and substitution. When we try to rectify our sins, we return that which was stolen, ask forgiveness from the offended party. But this is not all.

We need to completely remove that section of our lives and replace with something good; something to prove to the Lord our repentance is sincere, and we love Him and want to serve Him. Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah do this by "zealously striving to repair all the injuries". And in addition was filled with the love of God that they were "desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish."

"In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them. He may need to come to hate the spotted garments and loathe the sin. He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that he has changed the situations surrounding the sin. He should avoid the places and conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most readily breed it again. He must abandon the people with whom the sin was committed. He may not hate the persons involved but he must avoid them and everything associated with the sin. He must dispose of all letters, trinkets, and things which will remind him of the "old days" and the "old times." He must forget addresses, telephone numbers, people, places and situations situations from the sinful past, and build a new life. He must eliminate anything which would stir the old memories." Spencer W. Kimball The Miracle of Forgiveness, p.171

Day 46: Mosiah 25-27

Mosiah 25:10 talks of the Nephites recognizing the Lord's hand in delivering Alma and his people from the Lamanites. The fact the wording says "immediate" is no accident. As we read earlier in Mosiah 2:24, once we commit to and begin to keep the Lord's commands, He doth immediately bless us. Countless other scriptures back up this true principle.

Though times may be difficult, and trials and tribulation seemingly dam up the way, if you look close enough, you will see the immediate blessings of the Lord in your life. I chose not to write "hard" in place of "close" because we can train ourselves to recognize the Lord's hand in all things; thus when times are tough, the small and simple tender mercies of the Lord are easily found as we look close and deep.

*One other though from 26:39 regarding the command to "pray without ceasing". Elder Neal A Maxwell once said: "Prayer, in fact, is to be a reflection of our attitude toward God and life. In this sense, we can always be praying." (All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, p.94)