Alma 12:10

And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

We can know everything we want to know that will contribute to our salvation. God will show us everything he showed Moses, Enoch, the brother of Jared, and Joseph Smith. It is all available.

Alma 12:9

And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

God teaches us only as fast as we obey. He gives line upon line, one line at a time. When we respond positively, he gives a little more. If we do not act on what we have received, he holds back until we are ready to proceed, lest he overload us and curse us with more than we are willing to accept. Our agency determines how quickly we progress in our relationship with God.

Alma 12:8

And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God. And he said unto Alma: What does this mean which Amulek hath spoken concerning the resurrection of the dead, that all shall rise from the dead, both the just and the unjust, and are brought to stand before God to be judged according to their works?

The difference is significant between asking idle questions and inquiring diligently. When we really, genuinely want to know something, God will reveal it or provide a way to find it out. He knows the intent of our hearts, and when we are truly intent on getting an answer, he responds. Without real intent, however, we get nothing. We cannot trifle with the Lord.

Alma 12:3

Now Zeezrom, seeing that thou hast been taken in thy lying and craftiness, for thou hast not lied unto men only but thou hast lied unto God; for behold, he knows all thy thoughts, and thou seest that thy thoughts are made known unto us by his Spirit;

God knows all our thoughts. Why would he bother to tap into my every thought if he did not love me? He is not trying to catch me in my sinful thoughts so he can punish me or put a black mark on my record. He wants to catch me in my good thoughts because they bring him joy. He is so interested in me that he wants to know all about me, including every idle and mundane thought that passes through my head. That the Supreme Being in the universe, who could have anything and do anything and be anywhere he wants, pays attention to me, astounds me and humbles me. Surely I must be worth saving. Why else would God notice me?

Alma 11:37

And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.

Christ saves us from our sins, not in our sins. He will take our sins from us but only if we are willing to give them up. The reason most of us are not fully redeemed, reborn and sanctified in this life is that we refuse to give up every sin. We have a few we just cannot bear to part with. It may take a long time for us to give up every pleasant little sin. But we start where we are, and Christ will help us along the way.

Alma 11:24

Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him.

Knowing God lives and loving him are two different things. The definition of wickedness is knowing about God but acting against his will, knowing about the things of God but loving the things of the world more, knowing God's power but trusting in worldly power instead. Why would we settle for worldliness when we can have godliness?

Alma 10:25

But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?

Note throughout this chapter the continual references to agency. Satan blinds the eyes of the wicked because they yield themselves to him. They "will not" hear the words of truth spoken to them. We choose blindness or sight, darkness or light. We make that choice every day.

Alma 10:22

Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.

A little leaven raises the whole lump. A righteous few can avail much in securing society. But we must all do our part. We must share goodness and hope wherever we go and wherever we are.

Alma 10:6

Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.

The state of wickedness cannot be stated any more plainly than this. Amulek knew better, but he chose to ignore God and worship the world. Satan didn't have to work hard to win over Amulek because he had willingly jumped into his chains and snapped the fetters shut all by himself. He was sure he could be happier without God. Until he got a message from God, he had convinced himself that God didn't care about him or what he did. He thought his life was his own to live any way he pleased. But that is not true. It wasn't true for Amulek, it wasn't true for Alma, and it's not true for us.

Alma 9:19

For he will not suffer you that ye shall live in your iniquities, to destroy his people. I say unto you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all his people who are called the people of Nephi, if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions, after having had so much light and so much knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God;

Once we have the truth of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are under a heavier burden of responsibility than are those who do not have the gospel. God expects more of us: more obedience, more faith, more service, more humility, and more charity. He is not going to just save us, he is going to exalt us. That is a higher standard, which requires a higher level of life.

Alma 9:17

And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name.

We all have hope. If we call upon God in sincere repentance, he will have mercy on us. No one is beyond his mercy if we are willing to try.

Alma 8:31

And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound in bands and cast into prison. Now, this was done that the Lord might show forth his power in them.

We learn over and over that bad things happen to good people. Being obedient and faithful does not give us a free pass through a carefree life. It is true that bad things can happen because of our bad choices or the bad choices of others. When troubles come, it does not mean that God has abandoned us or is angry with us. (Although when we are sinning he may let bad things happen to get our attention.) But even when we are doing our best, he may give us trials to strengthen us, to test us, to teach us patience, or to emphasize our dependence on him. In the case of Alma and Amulek, God let bad things happen so he could show forth his power in rescuing them. God always has a plan, and it is always calculated to save as many of his children as possible.

Alma 8:15

Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.

When we look at our troubles through mortal eyes, it is easy to get discouraged. But if we can see things with God's eyes, we get a whole different perspective on our trials. We can rejoice and find peace even in the midst of our trials, because we know we are on God's plan for happiness. We don't need to be discouraged because God never abandons us. His plan is to exalt us, and he won't be satisfied with anything less. Whatever road we are on, however rough it may be, it's the road to God. In that we can always rejoice.

Alma 8:10

Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance.

Just as Jacob and Enos wrestled before the Lord, so Alma also had to wrestle. Now, God does not have to be tackled and wrestled to the ground to force a blessing out of him. But he sometimes has to wrestle with us until our hearts are right before him.  The wrestle is with ourselves to get our will to align with God's. God's will is always right, but we often don't understand it. Our mighty prayers do not get God to change his mind but to get him to change our mind.

Alma 8:9

Now Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah; therefore they would not hearken unto the words of Alma.

Satan had great hold on the city because the people had invited him in and given themselves over to him. Nevertheless, Satan cannot control anything we do not willingly give to him. He wants us to think we have lost our agency when we step into his camp, but we always retain the ability to choose. It may get locked in a heart as hard as concrete, but God will bring a jackhammer if we invite him in.

Alma 7:27

And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever. And thus I have spoken. Amen.

The peace Alma promises is a gift from God, for which we qualify through a combination of faith and good works. It comes not from either alone, but from the two attributes working together in us. Faith moves us to good works, and good works builds our faith. With both oars in the water we row a straight course toward God.

Alma 7:22-23

And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

The disciple's creed. If we could live by these simple principles, we would go far in approaching a Christ-like life.

Alma 7:20

I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round.

Christ is totally trustworthy. We need never fear that he will change his mind, or withdraw his promises, or withhold his love. He never gets distracted or tired. We never have to wonder about him. Thus he is the Rock, immovable, unchanging, anchored, steadfast, solid to the core. Even if the seemingly eternal mountains are worn away by time and erosion, the true Rock will stand forever. That is the One in whom we trust.

Alma 7:11-13

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Many aspects of Christ's atonement are described in these few verses. Christ suffered not only for our sins, but he suffered all things that we experience in mortality. He can help us in our troubles and afflictions because he has experienced them, endured them, and overcome them. He could have learned about us by the power of the Holy Ghost, but he wanted to know us directly so he could even better understand us and help us. He knows every temptation, and he knows how to resist it. He even knows how to overcome death. He is ready, able and willing to help us with everything we face in this life. We have but to ask.

Alma 7:8

Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of his dwelling in his mortal tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit hath not said unto me that this should be the case. Now as to this thing I do not know; but this much I do know, that the Lord God hath power to do all things which are according to his word.

God has the power to do everything he needs to do. One of the very definitions of God is a being of supreme power.  No one and no thing are more powerful than God. If anything in the universe is more powerful than God, he would cease to be God. We can put ultimate and unconditional trust in God because we can know that he can keep every promise and deliver every blessing. 

Alma 5:50

Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.

Christ has power and might.  His glory demonstrates his power, and because of his power, he has dominion, which is the power to rule and control the earth and all of its inhabitants. We will be witnesses of his power when he comes again. He will have the power to cleanse the earth and set all things right.  He will have the power to banish Satan from among us.
 
Though he has all power, we know be will never use it unrighteously or force people to act against their wills. He may remove their opportunity to act contrary to his will, but he will never force them to do his will. We can trust Christ to always use his power correctly. The more we trust him and become like him, the more of his power he will share with us.

Alma 5:37

O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!

Here is the most important mistake--the fatal mistake--people make: ignoring the Lord when they hear him. Jesus called out few sins with more vehemence than hypocrisy.  He calls after us continually. We need to develop the ears to hear and then the determination to follow.

Alma 5:34

Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;

The bread and water of life - Christ's love and mercy - are gifts. No amount of pious works from us can buy them. We cannot earn salvation. We cannot pay the price. But we must choose the gift that is offered on the conditions by which it is offered, and those conditions are by doing our best and humbly repenting when we fail.

Alma 5:33

Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

It doesn't matter how disobedient we have been if we sincerely repent and invite the Savior into our life. He will be merciful. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared this thought: "Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it." (General Conference, April 2012)

Alma 5:27

Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

To keep ourselves blameless before God is to do our best to keep the commandments and to repent quickly when we make mistakes. When we are pardoned, we are blameless. So if we repent continuously, we can be blameless continuously.