Emulating Amulek

A couple of months ago my stake (BYU 2nd) received the charge to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish before the end of the year. I was lucky enough to have already started doing so, and have slowly and steadily made my way through the middle of the Book of Alma. It has been a rewarding experience as I re-learn many of the stories quickly forgotten, and re-firm my testimony of the doctrines found therein. This week my mind turned toward Amulek, the traveling companion of Alma the Younger. Amulek was a man who was truly converted to the Gospel, preaching and teaching from Ammonihah to Sidom to Antionum, testifying of plain and simple truths pertaining to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amulek was a man who knew; it is my prayer that we too may gain his testimony.

Amulek was well-known among his peers in Ammonihah, relating to them that he had " many kindreds and friends," and "also acquired much riches by the hand of [his] industry." (Alma 10:4) Amulek then relates:

"Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

"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." (Alma 10: 5-6)

He then explains that he finally did hear, being visited by an angel of the Lord who told him he would receive a prophet of the Lord. Amulek finally learned, and thereafter did not waiver. He received Alma, and taught with the same power for many years. None of his words which we have are more representative of this than those he spake to the humble of the Zoramites in Alma 34:

"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.

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.

For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrificean, 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.

"...And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. of m

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.

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;

"... For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. (Alma 34: 8-10, 15-17, 32-33)

When I think of Amulek and his conversion, I also think of Saul of Tarsus, who on the way to Damascus received a visitation from the Lord Himself, asked the simple yet piercing question, "why persecutest thou me?" Amulek's conversion is also similar to that of his "beloved brother" Alma.

What is the common thread? These three men were all visited by heavenly messengers, called to repentance from a state of wickedness. And unlike Laman and Lemuel who did not repent, these three men turned around, and served the Church wholeheartedly and unwavering until the end.

How often do we find ourselves caught in the pride of our hearts, unwilling to heed the will of the Lord? Perhaps we are not like unto these three (Amulek was a proud and rich man; Alma and Paul actively attacked the Church and its members), but we have sins that we hold onto for dear life that keep us from progressing, keep us from being all that we can be. I know this because I've experienced it in my own life, and strive to be more aware of how I err each and every day. Common to Paul, Alma, and Amulek is also the power that the Atonement of Jesus Christ had in their lives. Do we let Christ in? Do we follow Amulek's words, letting mercy subsume the demands of justice? I know that as we strive to improve, including Christ in all our dealings that we will be able to feel this mercy.

Have a great week!

All Things Testify; In the Strength of the Lord

Now Alma said unto him: Will ye deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come.

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?

I am grateful for the changing of the seasons, and the testimony of the Great Creator to know that He is behind their varying expressions. If one has the testimony of Christ in their heart, they know that everything testifies of His existence and divine mission. However, it is easy to stray from this testimony, letting the natural man enter in, offering "educated" and "empirical" explanations for the existence of natural phenomena. Such was the case with Korihor, of whom we read in Alma Chapter 30. Korihor went about inciting the people to disbelief, turning away many, preaching that there was no God, and that there was no Christ who should come. Korihor came to this conclusion initially through a vision, in which a messenger told him to preach such things.

Alma confronted Korihor, and gave him the rebuke seen above. Korihor had no evidence that there was no God. He then asked Alma to show him a sign, that he might be convinced of the truth of Alma's words. Alma replied:

...Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.
And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? (Alma 30: 44-45)

Noticing that Korihor still sought after a sign, Alma replied:

...it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; therefore if thou shalt deny again, behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more. (Alma 30: 47)

Korihor again asked for a sign, and so Alma gave it to him, striking him dumb by the power of God. Korihor then admitted to being deceived by the devil, and that he always knew there was a God. However, Alma refused to take away the curse, and Korihor lived a meager existence the rest of his days.

What, if anything, can be learned from this story? First, it is important to gain a personal testimony of what Alma taught, that all things testify that there is a Supreme Creator. It is also important to gain a testimony of what Alma showed, namely that there is power in the Priesthood of God, and this power overcomes the wicked designs of the adversary. I am grateful for a personal knowledge of that second point as well, to know that as I remain worthy to hold the Priesthood, I can use it to serve in such a way that confounds the wise and learned (see Alma 32: 3, 36: 6-7, 1 Cor. 1:27).

It is important to remember that Alma acted under the direction of the Spirit, acting as an instrument by which the Lord's purposes could be established. Only when we serve with this mindset and purpose may we be able to have such power, as priesthood holders or anyone called to serve. In Elder David A. Bednar's first talk given as an Apostle (entitled "In the Strength of the Lord"), he said the following:

I have pondered the instruction of Jacob as contained in the Book of Mormon:

“Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

“Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things” (Jacob 4:6–7).

Brothers and sisters, please pay particular attention to the word grace as it is used in the verse I just read. In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote a strengthening or enabling power:

“The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

“… It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (p. 697).

Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity. I testify and witness that the enabling power of the Savior’s Atonement is real. Without that strengthening power of the Atonement, I could not stand before you this morning.

May we accept our call to serve with such humility. May we remember that our spiritual and subsequent social, emotional, and mental strength comes through applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. And lastly, may we have the courage to do as Alma did, showing those who are unbelieving that they have no reason not to believe. I know that as we do so under the direction of the Spirit, we will be the small means by which the Lord confounds the "wise and learned" designs of the adversary.

Have a great week!

General Conference Reactions, October 2010

Six months have passed, seemingly in the blink of an eye, and General Conference came and went in the same fashion; but what a great conference it was! I would like to take a moment to share some of my reactions to the counsel we received last weekend, and perhaps this may be a source of inspiration to you.

TEMPLES

I become especially excited for October Conference because the custom has become to announce new temples being constructed in its Saturday morning session. This year was no different, as President Monson announced the edification of five new temples: (1) Lisbon, Portugal, (2) Indianapolis, Indiana, (3) Urdaneta, Philippines, (4) Hartford, Connecticut, and (5) Tijuana, Mexico. The announcement of new temples is evidence that the Lord's work moves forward. President Monson said "the ordinances performed in our temples are vital to our salvation and to the salvation of our deceased loved ones. May we continue faithful in attending the temples, which are being built closer and closer to our members." I am grateful for the knowledge that I have of the essential nature of temples, and how they can bring together generations.


CONSECRATION

Another talk that impacted me was given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, entitled "Reflections on a Consecrated Life." In it Elder Christofferson said that a consecrated life comes from purity, work, respect for one's body, service, and integrity. He cited the Savior's example of consecration, and that true happiness comes from giving what is truly ours--our time and our choices--to God's purposes. Elder Christofferson said:

"As the Savior demonstrated, the consecrated life is a pure life. While Jesus is the only one to have led a sinless life, those who come unto Him and take His yoke upon them have claim on His grace, which will make them as He is, guiltless and spotless. With deep love the Lord encourages us in these words: 'Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day' (3 Nephi 27:20)."

Elder Christofferson went on to explain how we emulate the Savior's example of consecration, which involves the five tenets mentioned above. In all things it means putting God first, using what we have been given to build the Kingdom of God. this happens as we build up others, striving to be a source of help for the human race. I received strength from this talk as it provided and framework and encouragement in my efforts to "quietly and thoughtfully go about doing good."


"BEWARE OF PRIDE" 2.0

The last talk I would like to emphasize comes from the man I affectionately call the "Cleanup Hitter"--President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. I call him this because for me President Ucthdorf always seems to speak with power, authority, kindness, and confidence, and seems to further the validate the words of those who preceded him. His talk in Priesthood Session was no different. To the men of the Church President Uchtdorf provided a new iteration of President Ezra Taft Benson's seminal "Beware of Pride" talk. President Uchtdorf explained that, like President Benson, he had been weighed down for some time by this topic.

President Uchtdorf explained that everyone has an intimate if not casual relationship with this universal sin. He said that pride is a sin because it brings hatred and hostility as we compare ourselves to others. Pride reveals that in stead of worshiping God and lifting up our neighbor, we are merely looking after ourselves. President Uchtdorf called it a "gateway sin," as pride is the precursor to all other sins. He said that this sin can be seen foremost in the world of sports, which then can bleed over into all facets of life; what a statement to millions of Mormon sports fans!

But President Uchtdorf spoke of the true things--pride is the switch that turns off Priesthood power, and it is humility that turns it back on. He said:

"When I was called as a General Authority, I was blessed to be tutored by many of the senior Brethren in the Church. One day I had the opportunity to drive President James E. Faust to a stake conference. During the hours we spent in the car, President Faust took the time to teach me some important principles about my assignment. He explained also how gracious the members of the Church are, especially to General Authorities. He said, 'They will treat you very kindly. They will say nice things about you.' He laughed a little and then said, 'Dieter, be thankful for this. But don’t you ever inhale it.'"

It is my hope that we can strive to better serve not just because it is our duty, but because we sincerely want to bless the lives of others. I believe that it is therein where we will grow in gratitude for others, and not to "inhale" our blessings and prosperity. I hope that we can make a better turn towards consecrating ourselves, out time, and our agency toward building up the Kingdom of God. As we do this, we will be enabled to bless even more people, thus fulfilling the Lord's work and glory, which is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." I am ever grateful for the knowledge of these truths.

Have a great week!