Alma 31:31

O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.

Our souls are comforted in Christ when we are comforted by the love of Christ, which is given to us through the power of the Holy Ghost, who is the Comforter. We are comforted about the troubles we face by the knowledge that Christ has suffered all things and overcome all things. He will not let us fail if we are trying. He will make up for our weaknesses and pardon our mistakes. We can have hope and comfort in this life and the rest of the Lord in the life to come.

Alma 31:5

And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.

Disasters and destruction can sometimes awaken a people to their plight when they are too stubborn to listen to preaching, but disasters do not convert any more than miracles convert. These events may get our attention, but only the Holy Ghost converts, and then only if we are willing.

Alma 30:40-41

And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only. But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?

The absence of something is practically impossible to prove. The existence, however, is relatively easy to prove. So it is with the existence of God. Everything we see suggests a mindful, purposeful design. What's more, we have witnesses who claim to have a direct knowledge of God. To stare the evidence in the face and still claim God does not exist is to be illogical and dishonest. It takes a wilder imagination to believe that the universe, the earth, and life came about by random chance than it does to accept the concept of a Supreme Being and Creator. Accepting that God exists, however, is a much different thing than listening to him and obeying him. Obedience comes from faith.

Alma 30:18

And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof.

Satan's great ploy is to convince us that absolute truth and eternal right and wrong do not exist. If he can get us to doubt that God cares about what we do, our own imaginations will lead us down any number of paths, none of which will be right. God has given us a conscience, but if we sear it with a hot iron, we can destroy guilt. We then become laws unto ourselves. Chaos reigns, anarchy follows, and misery is always the results, both for the individual and for society. I testify that God is real, he knows us, and he cares about us. Death is not the end but only a step closer to him.

Alma 30:15

How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.

Korihor, an Anti-Christ, challenged Alma's testimony of the Savior with the accusation that he could not know what he could not see. If people believe only in what they see, they believe in nothing, for seeing is not believing. At the same time, seeing is easily fooled, as evidenced by every illusionist and con artist. Eye witnesses are, of all forms of evidence in a court of law, the most unreliable.  How often do several people see the same event and yet come to different conclusions about what happened!

These same people, who put so much stock in seeing, take on faith the theories of evolution, geological ages, the big bang, global warming and other speculations for which they have never personally seen physical evidence. They will take the word of a scientist who claims to have seen something in an electron microscope or the Hubble telescope, but they will not take the word of a prophet. I am not disparaging science, but I offer that believing in unseen science is not any different from believing in the testimony of prophets, seers, and revelators. I may never get to look into an electron microscope, but I can test and confirm for myself the testimonies of prophets and scriptures.

Alma 30:13

O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

The prophet Alma was confronted by an Anti-Christ who denied the notion of salvation. Like so many modern philosophers, Korihor refused to believe in anything he could not see and touch. Whether people can know more than their natural senses tell them is at the heart of the question of revealed religion. The real questions are 1) does God exist, 2) is he all-knowing so that he knows the future, and 3) if so, does he reveal his knowledge to humans? These are the first questions we must each answer for ourselves. The Book of Mormon testifies of all three hypotheses. If the Book of Mormon is true, it answers all the questions affirmatively and invites us to learn more. Because I have learned for myself that the Book of Mormon is true, I know God lives, knows all things, and reveals things to his children.

Alma 29:11

Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage.

A pervasive theme of the Book of Mormon is remembering, especially remembering the captivity and deliverance of the House of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Their deliverance from slavery is a sign of God's power. It is also a reminder that just as God temporally redeemed his people, so he also has the power to spiritually redeem them. The miracles of the past help us believe in the miracles of the present. Redemption and rescue are always miraculous.

Alma 29:8

For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.

We have to be patient with the Lord and trust that he knows what he is doing. His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither is his timing our timing. We seem to always want him to hurry up, but he sees the big picture and knows when the time is right for things to happen. Whether in the affairs of nations or in our individual lives, God's wisdom is always most desirable because he always has our best interests at heart. When we learn patience, we are humble.

Alma 29:4

I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

Agency is the key of mortality. God has decreed the rule of agency, and he will not violate his own decree. Our fate is ultimately in our own hands, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Alma 28:14

And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life.

How do we combat inequality in the world? It is not through social programs or legislation. It is the preaching of the gospel and the converting of souls unto Christ. Repentance and covenants lead to righteousness, which qualifies us for the Holy Ghost, who bestows the gift of charity. Charity is the antidote for selfishness, which is the root of inequality. Jesus is the solution.

Alma 26:35

Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

Can we not all boast of our God and his marvelous attributes? If we do not feel to praise him and thank him all the time, it is because we are not paying attention. We are too caught up in our busy lives to notice the miracles and tender mercies that occur all around us throughout our days and in all our doings. If we could just stop occasionally and be still, as God has commanded us, we would know indeed that he is God.

Alma 26:28

And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

Doing the Lord's will does not exempt us from trials. Ammon and his missionary companions were doing exactly what God wanted them to do, and they were totally faithful and obedient, and they still had difficult problems in their lives. An easy life is not a sign of righteousness nor are troubles a sign of unrighteousness or that God hates us. In some cases they are in fact a sign that we are on the right track.

Alma 26:20

Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls.

This theme is repeated over and over throughout the scriptures, but it is particularly emphasized in the Book of Mormon. We do not save ourselves. We do not leap over the awful gulf in a single bound. Christ carries us over the gulf. It is his power, not ours, that brings us to salvation. I am awed and humbled each time I am reminded of this magnificent concept of salvation. The gift of salvation is beyond comprehension in the depth and breadth of mercy, kindness and love it represents. Oh, how blessed we are to live in a universe over which a God of love reigns supreme! And how blessed we are that this God of love could produce a Son of equal capacity and possessed of a willingness to pay the price to save us. I truly stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.

Alma 26:17

Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?

Our God is a God who snatches us from our sins. To snatch is to quickly seize something in an eager way. God quickly seizes us from the dilemma of our sins as soon as we repent. He is eager to save us. Like the prodigal son, we have but to start on the road home, and our Savior, like the compassionate father, will run to us and throw his arms around us.  As long as we are facing in the right direction, he will use all his power to close the distance between us and him.

Alma 26:15

Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

What a contrast between being encircled by darkness and being encircled by love! Satan must be very crafty to get us to make such a ridiculous choice. If we could see our lives through God's eyes, the right way would be so obvious that we could not possibly go wrong. But instead, he has placed the veil between him and us so we get to make a real choice.  From our vantage point, Satan's shiny chains can look as attractive as the Lord's light. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil can seem just as attractive and inviting as the tree of life. Without the guidance of, first, the Spirit of Christ and, then, the Holy Ghost, we might never figure it out. Thankfully the Spirit of Christ is given to every person who comes into the world. We don't have to be fooled.

Alma 26:12

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Grace is the enabling power God loans us to perform his work. When Ammon says he is nothing, he means in comparison to God. We can, in fact, do many things on our own. Many people live their whole lives supposedly on their own. In reality, though, as King Benjamin taught, none of us ever really do anything truly on our own. God has given us the earth, the sun, water, air, natural laws, and all the raw materials with which to work, not to mention life itself. Yet with all these gifts we cannot completely succeed in fulfilling God's purpose for us without his help. We will fall short of accomplishing all that is in his plan if we do not seek his assistance. Life is designed that way.

Alma 26:6-7

Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.

These are words that can and should be said of us who are converted in our hearts unto Christ. He will not let us be beaten down, scattered, and destroyed. He will gather us in and protect us. We need not fear the storms of the world, for Christ has overcome the world.

Alma 26:3

Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

Every day we can be an instrument in God's hands for the work he has placed us here to do. We may not convert a nation of Lamanites, but we can teach a child or help a neighbor or ease the burden of someone or lift a spirit or show someone God's love. Each day we can do something wonderful if we listen for God's whisper in our ear and follow his direction.

Alma 26:1

And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?

Oh, that we could each say every day, "How great reason have we to rejoice!" Each day should be a reason to rejoice. Even in our afflictions we should rejoice that God has given us one more day to try, one more day to learn, one more day to trust him, one more day to be faithful.

Alma 25:6

For many of them, after having suffered much loss and so many afflictions, began to be stirred up in remembrance of the words which Aaron and his brethren had preached to them in their land; therefore they began to disbelieve the traditions of their fathers, and to believe in the Lord, and that he gave great power unto the Nephites; and thus there were many of them converted in the wilderness.

The purpose of afflictions is not to punish us but to stir us up to remember God. When we let them work in us the way God intends them to work, afflictions are marvelous blessings that bring us to God and enrich our relationship with him. His goal is not to make us comfortable but to make us joint-heirs with Christ.

Alma 24:11

And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain.

Twice in this verse and again in verse 15 the king says that it has been all his people could do to repent and be forgiven. Is this not true for all of us? Can we ever really do anything more than throw ourselves on the mercy of Christ and his atonement? For all our intentions to do good, keep our covenants, and obey the commandments, we fail every day. In the final analysis, we can earn nothing for ourselves. Every effort, every good intention, every right choice only qualifies us for the gift of forgiveness and justification. The fact is, we must be forgiven, we must be pardoned, we must be saved. There is no other way into God's grace.

Alma 24:10

And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

The great gift of the atonement is to remove our guilt. This is the quest of philosophers and self-help psychologists around the world and throughout time. How can we be happy in a fallen, mortal world filled with mistakes and regrets? Their answers are generally to delude ourselves into believing there is no sin and "whatsoever a man does is right." But Christ's answer is to confess our sins, give them to him, and let him take them from us. It is far less stressful, more realistic, and more honest to deal with guilt Christ's way than the world's way.

Alma 23:14

And the Amalekites were not converted, save only one; neither were any of the Amulonites; but they did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt, yea, and all their villages and all their cities.

We should choose our friends carefully. Be familiar with all, but be careful about those we keep closest to us. When everyone around us thinks and acts a certain way, it is hard to go against the tide. They seem right simply because they in the majority, and we may be cut off from other points of view. Of course, it works both ways. We surround ourselves with good people and their goodness rubs off. Ultimately it is not their fault, however. We make the choice, and we reap the consequences. Everything in our lives leads back to agency.

Alma 23:7

For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.

The questions we must ask ourselves are: What are our weapons of rebellion? How are we fighting against God? And what do we have to do to lay them down? Each answer is individual and personal. Our weapons of choice may be very subtle, hardly noticeable to an outside observer. The tiniest bit of pride, a faint trace of stubbornness, an invisible addiction, a harmless temptation, a fleeting but recurring thought, a memory we like to replay, just the smallest sin we harbor and protect in our heart. Each time we indulge, we put a brick in the wall that separates us from God.

When we repent, the Savior pulls the brick down. We put up the bricks one by one, but Christ can knock down a whole bunch of them, even the whole wall, at one time if we let him. The best course, however, is to stop building the wall in the first place.

So how do we stop piling up bricks? We have to cut off our supply so we don't have any more bricks to stack. We have to terminate our contract with our supplier and then refuse to accept his charitable donations. To do this, we need a powerful advocate on our side--one more powerful than our adversary and ourselves. That advocate is Christ. Only he can show us our weapons, teach us how to lay them down, and then empower us to put the program into effect. And that is the definition of grace.

Alma 23:6

And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.

These people were not converted to the missionaries, or some point of doctrine, or some program of the church. They were converted first and foremost to God. That is why they never fell away. They were truly converted.

Alma 22:18

O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead.

Giving away all our sins is harder than it sounds. Many of our sins are habits. That makes them iniquities. They are designed by the natural man to make us comfortable and temporally secure. Life can seem a little scary without our regular sins. We wear them like an old sweater that just makes us feel good. Without God's grace, it is impossible for us to just give them up. The first step is, like the king realized, to want to give them up. With the natural man it us impossible, but with God all things are possible to him that believes.

Alma 22:15-16

And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy. But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.

The king offered half his kingdom in the last chapter to save his mortal life. He is willing now, however, to give up all his kingdom to save his immortal soul. It turns out, that is exactly the right price. If we want to know God, he asks that we be willing to give up everything worldly, freshly, and sinful, which are generally the things we like and make us comfortable. We have to trade in our worldly kingdoms of pride and vanity for his spiritual kingdom of love, mercy, and service. We have to love him more than we love ourselves. If we can do that, he will be our God. The cost of admission is a broken heart and a contrite spirit.