Day 73: Alma 42-43

How grateful I am for my Savior, Jesus Christ, atoning for my sins and weakness, my pains and sorrows. Should I not feel so inclined to share my gratitude to others? Should I not feel so inclined to show my gratitude to God by keeping His commands? Yes!

"As justice is the child of the fall, so mercy is the offspring of the atonement.” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie,The Promised Messiah, p. 245)

“We are being tested every minute of the day by the choices we make, by the reactions we have, by the things we say, by the things we think about. It's like the ancient Christian doctrine of the two ways, the way to the right and the way to left, whichever they are. You must make the choice, and you may have made the wrong choice every day of your life up until now, but as long as you are here it is still not too late. You can still make the right choice-every minute you can make the right choice. It's never too late to make the right one…We have a time to repent; ‘therefore this life became a probationary state.’ Well, it can't be anything else; it's a time to prepare to meet God. That's why we need the gospel here.” (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Lecture 48, p. 327)

Day 72: Alma 40-41

How fitting we read in Alma 41 about desires and appetites following a wonderful CES fireside with Elder Ballard. He asked us to look within ourselves and be honest with where we are, and where we want to be, then make changes now. Below is a quote from Elder Ballard from a previous talk given 31 years ago:

“If you have a bad habit, do you think death is going to change it? Do you think that habit will simply dissolve in some miraculous way and will no longer be with you? I believe that the Lord impresses upon you and me the need to repent and live the law, keep the commandments, and keep our lives aligned to the celestial goal; because it is when we are here in mortality that the body and the spirit can learn together.

For example, when a man who smokes dies and his body is placed six feet into the ground, is there any reason for us to believe that when his body comes back up out of the ground it will no longer have the desires that it had when it was laid down? I do not think so. I think that the body will rise in the resurrection with the same desires and that the body and the spirit together must work out this matter of eternal salvation." (Elder M. Russell Ballard, B.Y.U. Speeches of the Year, 1979, pp. 157-8.)

In order to help break habits we have formed that are not becoming of a disciple of Jesus Christ, we must set goals, pray for assistance, study the scriptures; in essence of what Elder Ballard said Sunday evening: "Always give the Lord equal time!"

We are in this together and can help one another.

Day 71: Alma 37-39

Alma reminds his son, Helaman, of the blessings from the Lord to their ancestors. He spoke of the Liahona which worked according to faith in God, and obedience to His commands. Alma states: "...by small means it did show unto them marvelous works..." but if they did not exercise faith in the Lord, and keep His commandments, they "...did not progress in their journey..."

So with us, when we fail to pray at least morning and night, study our scriptures daily, attend our church meetings, and become complacent in our obedience and faith, our progression is stopped. When we feel we are "doing well", or "okay", then we are in danger and need to reflect on what we are lacking in our life.

Small course corrections in our lives are easier than breaking large habits and temptations.

Day 70: Alma 36-37

“’There could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains.…On the other hand there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.’ Perfect parallelism. And incidentally, when he says, ‘O Jesus,’ (v. 18) any Moslem or Jew would say, ‘Well, why not call on God directly? Why call on Jesus?’ Well, that's the point of the whole thing. It was God he had offended.

The last person in the world he wants to meet is God. He has offended God. What he wants is a kind person who will feel with him and know what he is going through. And, of course, that's the Lord, that's Christ. He descended below all things. He suffered all these things, so he knows. Alma appeals to the one he can appeal to. He's scared; he doesn't want to go to God. I'd sooner be extinct than have to face him [he feels]. But there is Jesus; he will get me out. He is the Savior-he knows. So he appeals to him, and then his work is really beginning.” (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 56, p. 458)

Soon after receiving forgiveness, Alma does everything he can to prove himself before the Savior; to prove his repentance is true! O remember, remember to call upon the Lord in good times and bad, in thanksgiving, but also in repentance. He's waiting; prepared to run out and wrap His arms around you in His love once He sees your heart and willing mind.

Day 69: Alma 34-35

I love this month - to focus on our blessings and give thanks for who we are and what we possess. We should have these feelings all year, but this is a great time to slow down and reflect over the year. How appropriate we read today of the infinite atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I love the wording in 34:15-16; "the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice". The most deep portions of the heart and soul of the Lord have mercy enough to overcome justice. We can only tap into this mercy based on our willingness to repent. But even knowing of this sacrifice from our beloved Brother, we are prompted to repent and change. Once we repent, this mercy "encircles [us] in the arms of safety".

Since I was raised in Florida, I was privileged to view many space shuttle launches and landings. Thanks to the countless hours, calculations, and gifts from the Lord, we have been able to take man out and back into the atmosphere without tragedy. Heat plates are placed on the underside of the shuttle for re-entry for protection from the heat of entering the atmosphere. In like sense, when we repent and come back to safety, the fires of temptations, as well as eternal torment, are overcome by the arms of mercy. We are encircled about in safety and the arms of His love.

Day 68: Alma 32-33

Faith is to be had in every walk of life - it is the center around something unknown, but true.
- Goes beyond confirming evidence.
- Step into darkness/unknown.

"If everything has to be certified, then there is no room for faith. Faith moves people to action, but it takes gradual growth. The philosophy of the world states: Seeing is believing, but the spiritual philosophy states: Believing is seeing.

Spiritual belief preceds spiritual knowledge. When we believe things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith." - Elder Boyd K. Packer

Plant the seed of faith today as you study from the scriptures and go before the Lord in humble prayer.

Day 67: Alma 31-32

Alma makes a crucial observance early in his mission to the Zoramites noted in 31:9-10. The Zoramites stopped doing the little "big" things to keep them in remembrance of the Lord. Truly by small and simple things are great things brought to pass, so it goes with losing love and faith; little by little. C.S. Lewis said: "The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

Another point to make is found in 31:38. We will have trials in life; no doubt about that. But if we are true and faithful, our sorrows will be swallowed up in Christ; His love and hope. We should look at trials - large and small - and opportunities to give thanks to the Lord, and increase our faith in Him.