Alma 22:14

And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.

The crowning glory and achievement of God's plan is the atonement of Christ. Without the redeeming power of the atonement, we would forever remain fallen and guilty. We cannot un-break a broken law, and we all break God's law sooner or later. We make ourselves unclean and unfit to be in his holy presence. We would be forever under the weight of justice. But Christ changed the outcome of mortal life. Because he could and did keep the law perfectly and without sin, he received the power to pay for all of our sins and free us from them. He satisfied justice, which enables him to extend to us mercy. Because of him, and only because of him, we can enter the presence of God as clean and worthy sons and daughters. If you think it will take a miracle to get you into heaven, you are right. The good news (i.e.,  the gospel) is that the miracle has already been done.

Alma 22:10

And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth. Believest thou this?

Aaron knew the true nature of God, but rather than argue the technicality of whether God is a spirit, he chose to let the little detail slide in order to capitalize on the king's willingness to accept the concept of God. When we look for points of contention, we can always find them. But when we look for areas of agreement, we can be agreeable as we teach important principles. We can always sharpen the fine points later.

Alma 21:22

And he also declared unto them that they might have the liberty of worshiping the Lord their God according to their desires, in whatsoever place they were in, if it were in the land which was under the reign of king Lamoni.

A trait of true religion is religious liberty for all. When we have a true understanding of God, we understand the importance of agency. God guarantees our agency and will force no one to believe in him or keep his commandments. His true church likewise is tolerant of all. It carefully guards everyone's right to worship or not as they choose. Truth stands on its own merit and neither demands not insists.

Alma 19:36

And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.

No one is so lost and corrupt that he cannot improve his life by turning to God. Christ turns no one away who turns to him.

Alma 19:33

And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he also administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni; and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil.

This changing of the hearts and no more desire to do evil are signs of genuine conversion. They do not mean, however, that these people will never sin again. Nor do they mean that their conversion is complete. They still have a long ways to go. Repentance for them will be a lifelong pursuit, as it should be for all of us. They will be tempted by their carnal natures as are we all every day. The difference--what the Holy Ghost has done for them--is to remove the desire to sin. They don't want their sins any longer. They want something better. Though I make mistakes all the time and lose the battle with temptation daily, I do not want to sin. I want my life to be better. I fall short, but not for lack of desire. Truly the Spirit is willing but my

flesh is weak.

Alma 19:4

And she said unto him: The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that thou art a prophet of a holy God, and that thou hast power to do many mighty works in his name;

Wonderful works follow those who believe. The Lord has much work to do upon the earth among his children. He needs servants who will carry out his work. When we sign up to do his work, we can be assured that he will use us to the full extent possible. He does not have an abundance of faithful helpers. 

So what can we expect when we strive to become instruments in the Lord's hands? We can expect to do mighty miracles. Not to impress or to fill our vain ambition, but to serve God's children and bring them to Christ. If that is our aim and desire, God will find many ways to use us. Some may be publicly impressive, most will be quietly private, but all will be with power. 

Alma 18:41

And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.

When we recognize our guilt, our only hope is mercy. When we realize that we cannot possibly succeed on our own merits, we turn to the One whose merits are sufficient to overcome our deficiencies. When we cannot love ourselves, we call upon the One who loves us all the time and forever. "O Lord, have mercy," may be the most powerful, important, transformative words we will ever speak in this life.

Alma 18:39

But this is not all; for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world; and he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and all the works of the Lord did he make known unto them.

The scriptures repeat many times that the plan of redemption was laid out right from the very beginning. Our understanding of this principle is important. God knew his children would fall and commit sin as part of the mortal experience. Sin is an eternal, inevitable fact, because law is eternal. God knew from the very first intelligence whom he organized into a spirit that all his children but that First One would fall short of the demands of justice and would therefore be cut off from him forever. And so he put the plan of redemption into motion from the very beginning. Just as it was a foregone conclusion that we would sin, it was also a foregone conclusion that the Father's First Born would be the Savior. God knew exactly how life would be on this world, and so he ordained the solution before the rest of us even knew what the problem was. And then he reminds us over and over again that he's got it all worked out. We don't need to worry or fret. God's got the plan and Christ has our backs.

Alma 18:32

And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.

We are always in God's thoughts. He is always aware of us. Our mundane lives are so interesting to him that he pays attention to everything we do. No act is too small, no choice so trivial, no thought so fleeting that God does not take note. His work and glory is to bring us into eternal life. To accomplish this goal requires all his concentration. Can we afford to be any less engaged in our own salvation?

Alma 17:9

And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

When we are in the wilderness of our lives, prayer and fasting are critical in keeping the Holy Ghost with us. God may not rescue us immediately from the wilderness, but he will not leave us comfortless or without guidance.

Alma 17:2

Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

Keys to the complete and steadfast conversion of the sons of Mosiah were diligently searching the scriptures, fasting and praying for knowledge. It came not from seeing an angel but from doing the work. We gain testimonies the same way. And since God is no respecter of persons, he will bless our diligent efforts just as he blessed theirs.

Alma 16:16

And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming

Equality is always a hallmark of the presence of the gospel. When we have the fullness of the gospel and the pure love of Christ, we just naturally take care of each other. We don't need a government or even the Church to tell us when to give and how much. We simply cannot rest when others are in need.

Alma 15:10

And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.

We must have faith centered on Christ for our faith to be effective with God. Faith in anything or anyone other than Christ carries no weight with God. Other kinds of faith may have positive psychological effects, boost our confidence, and give us a measure of hope, but they will not raise the powers of heaven on our behalf. When we work and serve in the name of Christ, fulfilling his will and accomplishing his errands, the Father is thrilled to strengthen and help us in countless ways. He will provide us with whatever means we need to accomplish his work. When we choose to do our own work, however, instead of God's work, or even when we try to do his work in our own way, he often leaves us to our own devices and to our own puny strength, so we can learn to look to him instead of to ourselves.

Alma 15:3

And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat.

Guilt creates stress, and stress produces a host of physical ailments. The philosophy of the world tells us to reduce our stress by denying our guilt. The "experts" would have us simply sear our consciences with a hot iron. We eventually learn to sin without feeling guilt. But the gospel tells us to reduce our stress by giving our guilt to Christ through repentance. We stop feeling guilty because we stop sinning and let the Savior heal our consciences. Instead of becoming duller, our spirits become sharper, more sensitive, more ready to change and grow.

Alma 14:26

And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.

The help and strength we receive from God is in direct proportion to our faith. This is because our faith moves us to action. The bigger our faith, the bigger our actions, and thus the more help we need and the more strength we will use.  God gives us all we can handle, and strong faith enables us to handle heavy things.

Alma 14:11

But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

While we are constrained in our understanding of life by the limitations of our mortality, God sees life and death differently. Death is not the ultimate evil many think it is. Physical death is not the end of life from God's perspective. It is just a transfer. He will not save everyone from death. What to our finite minds is a tragedy, is not tragic to God. It is simply his plan. How long we live and the circumstances of our death are entirely under his control. If we are being faithful, we need not fear that our death is untimely or unfair. God is never surprised when we show up on the other side of the veil. God does not have to save us in mortality because Christ has already saved us in eternity. The end of life here is merely a step towards the resurrection and immortality to come. Losing a loved one is not easy, but it is not the end.

Alma 14:6

And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.

We are all guilty. But we do not have to be torn apart by guilt if we repent and look to Christ. Zeezrom did not yet have faith in Christ, and so he had no hope. To be guilty without hope of redemption is the very definition of hell.

Alma 13:12

Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

To be made pure is to be redeemed, and to enter into the rest of the Lord is to have one's calling and election made sure. That exceedingly many have had this experience gives us hope. It is not impossible, and it is not rare.

Alma 12:34

Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.

According to D&C 84:24 the "rest of the Lord" is the fullness of his glory. In other words, exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Thus we have the formula for exaltation: repent, harden not our hearts, and claim Christ's mercy through the Atonement. We keep our hearts from hardening when we keep trying to keep the commandments even though we fail constantly. When we give up and decide we are too weak and imperfect to even bother to try, that is when we harden our hearts. As long as we recognize our guilt and are not satisfied with our efforts, we are still salvageable. We have to keep our eye fixed on the mercy of Christ.

Alma 12:32

Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.

God's goodness--the very thing that makes him God--is his ability to be perfectly obedient to the laws by which the universe operates. He is good because he never violates a law or tries to negate justice. He is never whimsical or inconsistent. He is one hundred percent reliable. We can always trust him.

2 Nephi 17:4

And say unto him: Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

The Lord does not want us to be afraid or frantic when hard times come. It can be easy to become overwhelmed by life, but the Lord doesn't want us to fret and worry. We have problems to build our faith and make us strong. His counsel is always to be of good cheer and be not afraid. He knows all and sees all, and we are never forgotten.

Alma 12:15

But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.

Because of Christ, God can be merciful. He does not have to ignore justice because Christ has satisfied justice. The law is still the law, and God can have mercy. We still have to pay a price, but it is the farthing of repentance rather than the pound of punishment.

Alma 12:14

For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

Without Christ, we are condemned by the works, words, and the very thoughts of the natural man. We cannot do everything right to save our lives--literally. Without Christ's Atonement we are fallen and lost. If it were not for him, the judgment would be the terror of terrors. God would have no alternative but to execute justice, for he lives by law, and law demands justice, otherwise it is not law. Thankfully, we have a Redeemer and an Advocate who can save us from ourselves.