Even in the Midst of Trials Man are that They Might Have Joy!

March 8, 2013

This morning I was impacted by the trials the Lord permits his people to pass through in Alma 14 & 15

Verse 7 Those who believed Alma and Amulek were cast out and stoned

Verse 6-7Zeezrom is changed by the word and is also cast out with the believers

Verse 8 Their woman, children, and scriptures were cast into a fire

Verse 10 Alma and Amulek watch the believers suffer and die for their faith

Verse 11 the Lord’s delivering hand is stayed

Verse 17-18 Alma and Amulek are bound, harassed and cast in to prison for several days

Verse 22 Alma and Amulek are denied food, water, and clothing

Finally in verse 26 the Lord sees it fit to deliver Alma and Amulek by causing the prison walls to fall and kill the unrighteous in the prison.

Chapter 15 the trials continue

Verse 3 choosing to believe in Christ and follow him confronts Zeezrom with his sins and he becomes extremely sick.

Verse 10-11 Zeezrom is healed

Verse 16 Has Almuek been asked to sacrifice too much?

He gave up all his gold and precious belongings, and his friends, parents, and family rejected him all before he suffered in chapter 14.

Why does the Lord let us suffer and withhold his delivering hand for a season? The Lord sees it fit to test and try his people. By allowing suffering God removes comfort from his people, an act that reviles where his children will turn for comfort. For instance while Alma and Amulek watched the woman and children be thrown into the fire Alma stated “the Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand (14:11). Amulek than learned the God permits the innocent to suffer so the wicked can be judged. They received understanding and comfort by turning to the spirit.

Being denied food water and clothing further stripped them of physical comfort, a situation that further tested where their hearts turn for comfort. Would they get angry with God, or would they trust to the promised blessings?

Each instance of suffering is the Lord testing the individual’s faith just as peters was tested. When Peter stepped over the boat he walked on the stormy water because he was focused on answering the Lord’s call. When he looked away from the Savior and noticed the stormy sea he became afraid. The crucial moment is how peter acted when faced with fear. Would he follow his natural instinct to try and swim, or would he set aside the natural man and reach up to the savior. Trials are one way of testing whether I will turn inwardly in an attempt to swim back to the boat, an established safe place, or turn outwardly and reach up to the savior. In short, it is mine to find joy even while suffering trials in the hope that as I reach up to the Savior He will catch me in His time.

Becoming Willing to Receive the Lord's Merciful Hand

March 7, 2013

Be ye therefore perfect. Within the LDS and BYU cultures there seems to be a high tendency towards perfectionism, an ideology that I have yet to find support from the scriptures and Brothern.

“After he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures” (Alma 14:1). First believing on the word of God will lead to repenting which leads to searching the scriptures. Nowhere did it say and they did more in a more perfect manner. It does not even say they read their scriptures more but commented on how they read the scriptures, they searched them.

Alma 13 comments on rejoice and entering into the Lord’s rest.

Verse 6 understand the commandments of God

Verse 12 sanctified and made pure by the Holy Ghost

Verse 13 humble yourself before God and bring fourth fruits of repentance

Verse 16 look forward on the son of God…look forward to him for a remission of sins

Verse 20 Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction

Verse 25 I will rejoice in waiting to hear the joyful news of his coming

Verse 28-29 humble yourself before the Lord, and call on his name, watch and pray continually that you may not be tempted above that which ye can bare, and thus be led by the holy spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long suffering; having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

These verses seem to have an underlying theme of faith, whereas perfectionism insists on being good enough so that faith is not needed. Rather than worrying about if I am doing enough or if I am doing it well enough, other questions should be consider that will lead to the rest of the Lord. Am I bringing fourth fruits of repentance? Am I submissive? Do I look forward with hope for a remission of sins? Each of the verses cited becomes a meaningful question that can draw a person near to our Lord and Savior. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about becoming like Christ by becoming more willing to receive his grace through humble sincere repentance. I will never be or do things that are good enough, but I can become more willing to receive His merciful hand. However, I need to ensure that I am engaged in a good cause this is no reason to slack off.

Frustration Becomes Joy in the Strength of the Lord

Commenting on my scripture study  March 3, 2013 when I was in Chicago for Feniah’s baby blessing.

·         While reading Alma chapter 11, all the verses about money and staying out of debt stood out. 

• Verse 2 encouraged me to get and stay out of debt.

• ·         Verse 20 explains that the lawyers who withstood Alma and Amulek were seeking to get gain. They would stir up the people to get money from the suites brought before them.

• ·         Verses 21-22 Zeezrom tries to pay for Alma and Amulek to deny their testimonies. Amulek responds with: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yeldeth to no such temptations? Belivest thou that there is no God? I say unto you there is a God, but thou lovest the lucre more than him."

Zeezerum was a child of hell because he loved money more than God.

My scripture study concluded with these thoughts. I closed the book thinking my insights were a little out of place.

…

Later that evening, I started to look up my flight information, a search that did not end happily. Unable to find my flight on the airlines web page, I called customer service. The agent explained that my reservations were canceled because I purchased a round trip ticked and did not catch the initial flight. I was in Chicago without a way to get to my 2pm flight the next day in Denver for Salt Lake City. I had no other option but to purchase a ticket less than 24 hours before takeoff.

I could feel my anger raising as I thought about spending money that I did not have to spend.  While explaining the situation and venting to Joe, my brother, my thoughts turned to my scripture study. Where was my heart focused? Where was my trust? I could see parts of Zeezerm in me. I realized the Lord will provide for me even if it means a balance on my credit card for a couple months. I don’t know how, but he will provide for me even while I am in debt, or captivity like lemhi’s people. I will be delivered by degrees as I strive to pay off the ticket. With these thoughts my anger melted to calmness, and I was able to enjoy the short time I had with my family.    

I am grateful I have a Father in Heaven who knows me and loves me. Who prepares me for challenges I cannot see. For it is truly in the strength of the Lord that I find the ability to set aside anger and rejoice with family. Man are that they might have joy!

Alma 4: Active in the Church but Not Active in the Gospel

After being afflicted by several battles the people of Alma believed the judgments of God had come upon them, a belief that awakened them to a remembrance of their duty and led to 3,500 baptisms. Yet, members of the church began to wax proud and ware costly apparel because they prospered in the strength of the Lord. Their hearts being set upon the vain things of the world became scornful towards each other. They persecuted those who had different beliefs. The members of the church become more prideful than those who did not belong to the church. They set bad examples, despised others and turned their backs on the needy. in short they were active in the church but not the gospel.

In contrast those who were righteous abased themselves and succored those who were in need, they imparted what they had to the poor and needy, and suffered all manner of afflictions while looking forward to the coming of Christ and retaining a remission of sins. Their understanding of the plan gave them great joy the knowledge of deliverance

Juxtaposing the prideful with the righteous further illustrates the need to ensure personal beliefs and duties align with the will of the Lord. Being a covenant people is necessary but not sufficient for salvation. The prideful members become a stumbling block to the church because the turn the things of the world for comfort rather than their covenants. The righteous looking forward to promised blessings experienced great joy even while submitted to afflictions. Once again, seeing how the individual treats others is a good indication of the hearts condition, or activity in the gospel.

Alma, seeing the wickedness of the church, set aside the judgment seat, or the things of the world, to focus on others by preaching the word to his people. He wanted to stir them up to the same remembrance of duty that brought them to the waters of baptism. The Lord strengthens those who strive to do His duty. Alma went and testified to his people know that only the power of the word could reengage his people in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Alma 1 : Priest Craft in Active Members, 5 Virgins in Need of Oil

Nevertheless, this did not put an end to the spreading of priest craft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor. Nevertheless, they durst not lie, if it were known, for fear of the law, for liars were punished; therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief; and now the law could have no power on any man for his belief.  And they durst not steal, for fear of the law, for such were punished; neither durst they rob, nor murder, for he that murdered was punished unto death (16-18).

Those who practice priest craft were law abiding, upstanding citizens with erroneous believes.  Under the conditions of the law they were good men. Instead of considering the law of man, consider the law to be the commandments. From this perspective it follows that there are members in the church fulfilling every action, but operating under erroneous believes that prevent them from receiving the strength of the Lord. Theses would be considered the five virgins without oil when the bride groom arrives.

And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers (26)

And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had…they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely (V.27).

And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry…therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need(V. 30).

In contrast to those who practice priest craft, the people of God are described by how they act and how the act towards each other, rather than how they don’t act, or don’t break the law. The people of God prospered and received the strength of the Lord because they kept the commandments, lived off their own labor, esteemed each other equally, dressed modestly, and took care of the poor regardless of who they are.    

In striving to keep the commandments and live the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is necessary to take time and reflect upon the construct of our underlying beliefs. A good temperature check is to observe how we treat and esteem others. To ensure a lamp is full of oil, obedience to the commandments should foster a charity towards our fellow men not just an avoidance of punishment.

Mosiah 21: Change of heart by degrees

 "And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage. And it came to pass that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger" (Mosiah 21:15-16).

Although the Lord was slow to answer the prayers of King Lemhi’s people, He answered them. He softened the Lamanites’ hearts enough to stop them from going to battle, but not enough to deliver king Lemhi’s people from captivity. Rather they were delivered by degrees. All while being in bondage they were blessed with lighter burdens and they prospered so much that they could raise enough food to both pay the heavy taxes and feed all their people. In verses 24 and 28 King Limhi rejoices even though he and his people are still in bondage.

Prospering by degrees is so simple it can be easy to overlook because I am too caught up looking forward to being delivered from bondage or life’s challenges. When in reality it is possible, through the strength of the Lord, to enjoy most, if not all, the blessing of a free person while in the mists of over whelming struggles. After all King Lemhi’s flocks and fields prospered and provided enough for everyone. They also rejoiced, received an ancient record and Alma found them. Each degree of prosperity was an opportunity to see the grace of God in their lives. The importance of seeing the small tender mercies is found in verses 6 and 35. Each verse explains the condition of the people’s hearts as expressed by their desires.

"…and they began to be desirous to go against [the Lamanites] to battle. And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires" (v. 6)

 "They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts" (v. 35).

Gradually seeing the small things that came through the strength of the Lord changed their hearts from a contentious war seeking people to humble submissive people with at heart willing to make a covenant with God. Shortly after this change of heart the people were delivered from the Lamanites.  

The Lord kept them in bondage only as long as it took for their heats to change. He knew that if the people would have been delivered from the Lamanites any sooner they would have remained in captivity even while being physically free. Covenants not circumstances bring freedom.

As I seek to see the strength of the Lord in my life by degrees, rather than focusing on being delivered all at once, I have seen an increase of joy, an increase measure of faith, and my present challenges have become lighter as my heart changes.