Alma 37:8

And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.

The purposes of the scriptures are to enlarge our memories and broaden our understandings. They help us keep the details straight about the history of God's dealings with people, both believers and unbelievers, the faithful and the unfaithful. They help us avoid superstitions and deceptions. Many find their faith first in God's written word, and many are strengthened continually by it. The scriptures are one way we can come to know God. They are like a Urim and Thummim to us if we search them in faith, for they can open our minds and hearts to great truths that are deeper and more expansive than just the words on the page.

Alma 36:27

And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.

Christ is never done delivering us. He never stops rescuing us. No matter how many trials and afflictions we run into, he will help us through every one of them. He has suffered them all. He knows them all. And he knows how to succor us in them all. He will stay with us to the very end, and then he will still be there beyond the end and into eternity. We can trust him every single time.

Alma 36:24

Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

The result of rebirth is increased service. One who is truly reborn does not sit on his laurels, frame his rebirth certificate, and wait passively to enter the pearly gates to his eternal reward. He is motivated and enlightened to work harder, to be more faithful and obedient, and to share what he has experienced with as many people as possible. If we are filled with energy and anxious desire to share and invite others to enjoy what we are enjoying, we have a sign that we have been born of God.

Alma 36:18-19

Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

Forgiveness can be immediate. Christ does not wait until the final judgment to wipe away our sins. He can do it in an instant. We still need time to work through the full repentance process so that we fully change, but forgiveness can come quickly.

Alma 36:5

Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself;

With conversion and spiritual rebirth comes wonderful knowledge. The Holy Ghost can teach us many things. In fact, he can reveal to us everything we need to know to have a successful life. In Alma's case, the instruction from heaven began even before he knew he needed it. God is so anxious to teach us he will jump at even the slightest opening. He cannot wait to share the good news with us.

Alma 36:3

And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Alma boils a lifetime of lessons into a simple philosophy: if we can trust God and give ourselves up to him, he will support us. Alma knows from direct experience. He knows what it is like to fight against God, and he knows what it is like to repent and come near to him. He says to learn from his example. Don't make all the same mistakes. We can learn directly, and we can learn by observation. Observation is much less expensive than direct experience. We're going to get plenty of experience as it is. Alma promises trials, troubles, and afflictions. We don't have to make it worse by being stupid. Life us not easy for anyone, but it can be a whole lot better when we are on God's side. It is tough enough with his help. It's much harder without it.

Alma 34:41

But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

Hope is the antidote of despair. Afflictions may seem to fill our lives and consume our days and threaten to overwhelm us. But they are never permanent. God is always at the end of the tunnel. What afflictions teach us is patience. We will need patience in the celestial kingdom because we will have imperfect children to deal with for a very long time. This life is where we begin to learn the lessons of patience. The reward of patience is hope.

Alma 34:38

That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.

The formula for a happy, peaceful life is to live in thanksgiving daily. If we watch for tender mercies from God, we will see them. If we express gratitude to God for his mercies, we will see more of them. Gratitude is at the very core of happiness. We will be happy any time we are grateful. Without gratitude, happiness will elude us every time.

Alma 34:31

Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.

Repentance can immediately put the plan of salvation to work in our lives. God does not let us dangle helplessly over the pit of hell, hanging desperately by our fingernails for eons before he finally forgives us. He is a merciful, loving God who welcomes us back instantly when we genuinely humble ourselves and approach him with a broken heart and contrite spirit.

That does not mean, however, that we avoid all temporal consequences of our sins. Addiction still produces withdrawals. Damages still have to be repaid. Restitution is still required. Destroyed relationships may not be easily repaired. Trust may not be easily re-won. But eternal consequences have already been settled, and God's love is quick and sure. He never turns his back when we want to come to him. He never locks the door when we want to come home.

Alma 34:17-18

Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

Faith, repentance, and baptism are prerequisites for salvation. We must do one more thing, however, to qualify for salvation. We must ask for it. When we want it, when we act like we want it, and when we ask for it, the Lord is quick to respond. He runs to us like the father ran to meet the prodigal son when he was yet a long way off. 

Alma 34:16

And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

Redemption is free but not without qualifications. Anyone who has faith in Christ and repents can be redeemed. Faith and repentance do not, however, buy redemption. No price can be placed on saving grace. We can never pay for salvation. We do not earn a place in heaven with all the good works in the world. It is a free gift for which we owe nothing, for we having nothing of value to exchange for the greatest of all the gifts of God. But we do have to qualify for it. God will give us the gift if we want it more than anything else. We demonstrate our desire by our faith and repentance.

Alma 34:14

And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

The atonement enables mercy. It is the proof that God loves us. Though he sent us here to an imperfect, fallen world in imperfect, fallen bodies, he will not abandon us to perfect justice without hope. We are not here to fail. We are here to learn. He does not want to hold our mistakes against us, for it is by those very mistakes that we learn and grow. Mistakes followed by correction and repentance are the very essence of mortality. If we could not repent and recover, our mistakes would simply destroy us and God's plan right along with us. Thus the atonement had to happen to bring about mercy so we can survive our mistakes. We can learn without being condemned. And oh, how blessed is the name of him who worked out this merciful atonement for us at an unspeakable cost!

Alma 34:10

For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.

Christ's atoning sacrifice is infinite in scope and eternal in duration. It covers every single sin committed by every single individual from the very first to the very last. He missed absolutely nothing and no one. He has positively guaranteed us that if we want to repent and apply for mercy, he is good for it. Our debt is paid in full. No fine print, hidden costs, surcharges, or footnotes. No one is excluded. No one will be turned away. No one will show up at the Savior's door with some mysterious sin that he has not known about and paid for.

Furthermore, no statute of limitations will apply. The justification from Christ will never expire. The atonement does not wear out, dry out, spoil or disintegrate over time. It is not affected by gravity, friction, or any natural force of thermodynamics. It is perpetual and never-ending. Once we are cleansed through the blood of Christ, we are clean forever. Stains will not reappear. Scars will not resurface. The warranty will never expire. We will never need to look over our shoulder and wonder if the dream will evaporate and we will wake up one day to find ourselves back in our old life. As long as we keep our eyes on Christ, trust in him, follow him, and look constantly to him for redemption, he will never let us down in even the smallest detail. Because he is infinite, his atonement is infinite. Because he us eternal, his atonement is eternal. Because he is perfect, his atonement is perfect. You cannot get better than infinitely and eternally perfect.

Alma 34:9

For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

The atonement is the centerpiece of God's plan of salvation. This verse presents the case for the atonement so plainly that no one can misunderstand. We are all fallen - every single human being. As such, we are doomed to forever be shut out of God's presence. But God's plan is for us to learn from our mistakes and then return to him. The atonement lifts the curse of sin from us and makes it possible for us to escape our sins and be presented to God clean and worthy to live with him. It is truly the greatest miracle.

Alma 34:8

And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Christ did not just suffer like us, he suffered for us. He did not share in our transgressions, he took them from us and put them upon himself. He reconciled us with God by removing from us the sins that separate us from God.

Alma 33:22

If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.

All we have to do to put ourselves on the path to Christ is to look up, lift our eyes from the muck and mud of a sin-filled world, and focus on the Savior. Once we make a steadfast decision to seek him, he will seek us, help us, heal us, and lift us. The work is all his. The choice is ours.

Alma 33:11

And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.

Christ is the Redeemer and the Healer. He intercedes with the Father on our behalf. He paid the price not only to heal us from our sins, but also to heal our relationship with our Father.

Alma 32:41

But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

Faith, diligence and patience are key concepts in the conversion process. If we do not exercise these traits, we will find ourselves frustrated or deceived. Note that these three words are repeated three times in three verses in this chapter. That is the scriptural equivalent of bold, italics, underlines and exclamation points.

Alma 32:37

And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

We do not manufacture our conversion, but we must cultivate it. If we are careless in how we treat the gifts we have received and treat lightly the tender feelings the Spirit has planted in us -- in other words if we take this marvelous interaction with the Holy Ghost for granted -- it can be withdrawn. Or rather, we draw ourselves away from the source of our new joy. Choices and decisions are at the heart of conversion. It is not something that just happens to us. It is something we choose, seek, invite, and nourish.

Alma 32:28

Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

To give place for the seed is to exercise agency in the direction of faith. We decide to let the seed of belief in, and the we choose to let it grow. The longer we allow the seed of belief to mature in us, the more telling the results. We will feel ourselves changing. As long as we choose to believe, we make room for the Holy Ghost to work on us. We do not change ourselves, but our choices enable God to work on us through the influence of his Spirit. One of the signs that the Holy Ghost is working on us is increased enlightenment or knowledge. Enlightenment is not knowing more facts, but understanding and appreciating more truth.

Alma 32:27

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

The theme of agency appears over and over again in the Book of Mormon. We choose what we want. Our desires are choices. Therefore, if we choose to believe, then we need to honor that choice and act upon it. Our actions are our agency at work. They are the evidence of our decisions.

Alma 32:21

And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

Faith is hope for things we cannot see, touch, hear or prove with our mortal senses, but which we know nevertheless are true. We do not need faith in what we know. Faith causes us to act on what we hope is true. As we act, our faith is vindicated when we see our hope validated. Eventually faith, acted upon and answered, becomes knowledge and ceases to be faith. Hope becomes more than a wishful desire. It becomes a firm expectation.We know the outcome of our faith, and we rest in the assurance that our hope is justified. 
 
Faith gets me up in the morning and enables me to move forward through the day. By faith I keep doing the things that need to be done each day in the hope that I am doing something good that will make a difference. Faith keeps me from giving up when I see my weakness and shortcomings and wonder if I will ever be anything more than the wretched man that I am.

Alma 32:19

And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?

Why do we not have more plain personal revelation and open vision? Because we are not sufficiently dedicated and determined to obey. Knowledge is a curse if we do not abide by it. The Lord does not tell us more because he cannot trust us to respond in the right way to what we might learn. Better to leave us ignorant and subject to mercy than to make us knowledgeable and condemned by the law we cannot keep.

Ignorance is not good, however. We are not rewarded for being ignorant. We are rewarded for acting on the knowledge we have. The more knowledge we gain, the greater our potential for doing good. Without knowledge, we are damned, meaning stopped in our progress. Our goal is to act faithfully so we can qualify for more knowledge, which increases our righteous actions and prepares us for the next level of knowledge. And so it goes in an upward reaching and ever-broadening cycle of growth.

Alma 32:14

And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?

Most of us find it hard to humble ourselves sufficiently before the Lord, so he allows trials and afflictions to enter our lives as mechanisms to engender humility. Trials are such a waste of time, however. How much more efficient we can be if we approach humility of our own volition without the wasted suffering that usually precedes the humbling. We will still have trials even when we have set ourselves upon the path to humility, but they are trials to refine and multiply our virtues and prepare us for sanctification. The former trials are more course and are designed merely to kick us back into the game.

Alma 32:13

And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

Mercy is a sure promise from the Lord. When we repent, we find mercy. We do not find retribution or reviling or rebuke. The rebuke comes before repentance as a way to move us towards repentance. Once we repent, we find only mercy and forgiveness. Mercy is, then, the doorway to eternal life, which is life with God.

Alma 32:12

I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble.

God has many ways to humble us. Each person is unique in what causes him or her to abandon pride, give up the notion of total self-sufficiency, and look to the power of the Redeemer. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and he has a plan to give us the best opportunity to turn to him. Being humbled may not be comfortable, but it is essential to our mortal experience so that we can return to God in the end.

Alma 31:38

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And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

The Lord did not exempt his missionaries from afflictions, but he strengthened them to be able to bear them. He promised them perspective. They would recognize that preaching Christ is more important than being comfortable. They would suffer afflictions, not as a punishment, but as a way for them to bear testimony and witness for Christ. They would be comforted because they would know the purpose of their suffering. This can be true for all of us who bear witness of Christ. Our afflictions will be swallowed up in the joy of Christ.