LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Being able to stimulate – or – get someone excited about an activity – who has – ‘been there’ – ‘done that’ – may be one of life’s – most difficult tasks!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

There are definite times – during our lives – when the interest level – of being involved in physical activities – diminishes significantly!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

The degree to which – each of us – is willing to share – the personal events of our lives – is a totally individual thing!!

WORDS WITNESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT 4

The ancient Apostle Paul taught that the Law of Moses was a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ. I believe that from the same source of inspiration which inspired the words of Paul, came the organization of Alma’s marvelous sermon which we have been pondering during the last month.

In the 5th chapter of Alma, he begins by giving assurance that there have been many who have been able to come unto Christ because they were willing to establish their lives upon the laws Moses received from the Lord. He then reminds the people of Zarahemla of the importance of making these laws a firm foundation for positive progress in their lives. He also reminds them of the importance of not procrastinating the implementation of these doctrines. Then, beginning with the 33rd verse and continuing to the end of the chapter of Alma, (In order to magnify the point I have rearranged the order of some of verses). Alma, in the same way Paul did, reminds us of the proper order of our conversions beginning his sermon by explaining what should happen to one who makes these changes part of their permanent makeup and ending with Jesus the Christ becoming of central importance to their eternal progression.

Alma continues to teach this central theme of The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ with its climactic event, the visitation of Christ to those who have striven to come unto Him, through their own efforts and the ministrations of appointed Publishers of Peace and the Grace of God.

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.

51 And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.

54 Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—

55 Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?

57 And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;

38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.

40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.

41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.

42 And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.

43 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plainly that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God.

44 For I am called to speak> after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.

45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.

48 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.

49 And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.

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.

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;

60 And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

61 And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.

62 I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

Alma leaves us with little doubt that all the Prophets and all the commandments have been spoken and been given unto the children of our Heavenly Parents as an instructive guide back into Their loving arms. Together they have instructed us concerning the universal steps which we must walk on our journey home.

Learn to distinguish between right and wrong aided by the inspired guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Actively strive to eliminate the wrong from our lives and incorporate the right aided by the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Be willing to listen and Hearken to the words of the Lord’s anointed and receive the witness of the Holy Spirit of their truthfulness.

Accept the invitation of the Savior Jesus the Christ to come unto Him and partake of his love and Atoning Grace while being assured of the correctness of our conversion by the Holy Spirit.

I pray that just as Alma’s sermon penetrated the souls of the inhabitants of Zarahemla they will likewise sink deeply into our own hearts and become an everlasting aid in the steps we take to return to our Celestial Abode.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W RILEY

PEACE - JOY - LOVE - FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Once a loving act of service – becomes publicly – and – commonly known – much of the joy – of having served – evaporates!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Any organization – which resists change – will seldom outlive – the cultural shift – which is continually taking place!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Having the understanding that we are children of Exalted Eternal Parents – should provide all of us – with sufficient validation of our worth!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

The need for validation of one’s importance – is a cancer – which eats away – any degree of humility – one might have acquired!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

There are many times – when an awkward silence – would have been preferred – to a vocalized response!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

There are those – who will never grasp – what it means – to give a short response!!

WORDS WITNESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT 3

Alma continues his sermon, witnessed by the Holy Spirit, by asking a series of self-evaluation questions which probably should be put on all of our calendars more often than once a year. Some of us may need to rethink our relative standing in each of these areas daily, while others may get by with less frequent visits to the questions found in the Book of Alma, chapter 5 verses 27 – 31. It is obvious that Alma thought the list required frequent revisits, since he starts the list by asking if we were called to die at ‘this time’ and since none of us really knows when ‘this time’ will come for us, ‘every moment’ is probably an ‘appropriate time’ to reconsider where we are in our growth in these areas.

Have you been sufficiently humbled?

When I was younger and still had some physical and mental abilities which could be looked
upon as above average, once in a while I would find myself thinking (how do I say this) that I was definitely in a percentile well about average in certain areas. One or more of my family or friends would not so gently remind me that I wasn’t being very humble.

Memory doesn’t allow me to recall exactly the year or who the speaker was, but I know it was sometime during the period when our family was sacrificing so that I could earn my teacher’s advanced union card (Doctorate Degree) I received a spiritual awaking of what Alma was asking us to consider when he posed the question of whether we are sufficiently humble.

If we add the words as many Prophets have, ‘Humble before the Lord’ we begin to have a better understanding of how we are to judge our level of humility. First of all, we are all imperfect beings, so we have little to worry about when we compare ourselves to another weak and struggling creature residing in this mortal probationary state. Second, it is only when we begin to ‘become gods unto ourselves’ or begin to think ourselves to know better than God that we slip into becoming non-humble beings. It is the license we bestow upon ourselves to think we have no need of Heavenly Father’s help, love and mercy, but are powerful enough of ourselves to know all the questions as well as all the answers.

There is no doubt that Alma was convinced that we needed to frequently evaluated the relationship we have with Deity.

Have your garments been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ?

As long as I ‘continue in’ or ‘continue to return to’, ignore and break the covenants I have made because I have been given much my garments will remain stained, since the blood of Christ only removes the filth of those sins I have repented of.

I hope I stated this last sentence in such a way as to remind us that when a person lacks understanding or is incapable of understanding, Lehi taught us well that where there was no law there was no sin. Hence, only those who have been given, who have understood and made covenants with the Lord are capable of staining their garments.

I think it is also beneficial to note that Alma does not infer that the person has been stained, but only the superficial covering they wear. I think this is something we too often forget when making judgements about one another, that even though we or one of our neighbors may have broken a covenant they are not stained, but only the temporary apparel of their mortal state.

For those of us who have made covenants in the waters of baptism and in the House of the Lord, a frequent reevaluation of the degree to which the blood of Christ has cleansed our garments of the stains we have put upon them is another task which perhaps requires revisiting daily.

Have you been stripped of pride?

Although the kinship of this question to the one about being sufficiently humble is obvious and, therefore, does not require a revisit to the points which were made about that question, Alma does add a degree of urgency to the task of becoming sufficiently humble and stripped of pride when he reminds us, as long as we still put God as some kind of ill informed back seat driver who is wildly out of date, we are not prepared for what might come today or tomorrow.

For those of us who had the privilege of going though Primary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it only takes the counting of a few years of our lives, when we didn’t have the understanding that we should act today as if it were the last day of our mortal lives. Alma reminds of this urgency when he says the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Although many of us are frequently reminded by the signs of the times that the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus the Christ is closer than it has ever been, Alma wants us to think of a more absolute condition which will befall each of us in the blink of an eye when we suddenly find we have returned to stand before our Heavenly Father giving our report of our mission to mortality.

Have you been stripped of envy?

I have no way of knowing what the daily challenge was for the people of Zarahemla in the year 83 B.C., but I do know that in this era of constant bombardment and invasion into our lives through technology, we are constantly being reminded of the much that they who have arrived enjoy and the much we lack.

We persistently have fame, accomplishments, possessions and everything that glitters constantly paraded before our eyes in an effort to stimulate our envyings and desires. No matter how many times we are told those things don’t make for happiness the channels to our carnal-ness are forever broadcasting propaganda of those wonderful and marvelous things others have and we lack.

Since most of us have built up an immunity against being struck down with any symptoms of guilt about our coveting and envying though the introduction of such justify ideas like, I don’t want my neighbors stuff, just something equal or better than theirs, it seems more than fitting that Alma would see fit to remind us that this area of our lives likewise needs to be under continual self critique.

Do you make a mock or heap persecution upon your neighbor?

Once again I have no idea how the Nephites of Zarahemla were mocking or persecuting their neighbor, but I have a strong suspicion that if they were to see how we have perfected this pseudo-talent they would be in a terminal state of debilitating shock.

I have no need to elaborate what is taking place in the world where mocking and persecuting is so prevalent between those on the left towards those on the right, those of different hues of skin color, those of different social status, those who sing different university songs along with a myriad of other ‘differents’ because we are all blasted with the hot air and damage which attends them during our daily lives.

Alma reminds us that even though the practice of mocking and persecuting might be prevalent and even acceptable to man in whatever era we might be having our period of trials and testings, we are to shun these practices. In fact we have been admonished to be publishers of peace, to speak kind words and to minister to one another.

I suspect like all of the questions proffered by Alma in these verses we need to frequently revisit where we stand in abstaining from mocking and persecuting of neighbors and we need to be constantly checking on our progress.

Personally, I am convinced that by concentrating on ministering peace and kindness to one another we will have to worry less about falling into the pit of mocking and persecuting.

Well, as I have been writing this Thought I have come to realize I have a lot to ponder about my progress for this Sabbath Day, so I will leave off writing and get to it.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY

PEACE - JOY - LOVE - FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

There is a direct correlation – between the hardness of the surface – one is sitting on – and – the length of their attention span!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

It only takes one experience – of really being lost – to gain an understanding – of what it must feel like – to be a stranger in a strange land!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Asking questions – of those who have no answers – will always leave us – at the same level of understanding!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

If as the prophet Joseph Smith taught – we could learn more by gazing into heaven – for a few minutes – than in a lifetime of earthbound learning – it might be – that the responsibility which attends such a leap of understanding – may be the very reason – this visionary short cut is given – to so few of Heavenly Father’s children – during their mortal lives!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Realizing the level of God’s knowledge is Omniscient – should cause a persistent seeker – to understand – the minute amount of Eternal Knowledge – which one can acquire during one’s mortal span!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

I sometimes wonder – if a person were to live long enough – and – continue to learn all the days of their lives – how insignificant – the personal knowledge they would accumulate would be – when compared to – Eternal Knowledge??

WORDS WITNESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT 2

As we continue being inspired by the words of Alma, which cleansed and set in order the Church in Zarahemla, it might be well to take a quick glance at last week’s Thought for a Sabbath Day as a review of why we are doing such an extensive examination of the 5th chapter of Alma in The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Alma 5

15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

20 I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil?

21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.

I have been striving during a large portion of my adult life to practice the principles of the Restored Gospel after the manner of Zen. That is, trying to stay in the present. However, we find Alma having previously instructed us that one of the keys of being faithful is remembering our ancestors who valiantly paid prices which have blessed our current daily walk and God’s role in our lives and now he teaches us that another key factor in maintaining daily faithfulness is looking to the future. It seems, he felt it especially important for us to remember that day when all of us will return to our Father.

He reminds us that in that hour our progress up to that point will be assessed. Many of us hope that even though we come to Him as prodigals, having wasted much of the days of our probation, He will greet us lovingly and with an abundance of Mercy. We are also reminded that in spite of His abundant Love, His judgements will be also be made according to the laws of justice. I am absolutely certain that on that day like no other day of our eternal existence our souls will be filled with appreciation for the Atonement of His Son, Jesus the Christ.

Alma expresses another key ingredient about our progress in these passages when he asks us if during our daily walk, those whom we encounter would judge our hearts to be pure, our hands clean and our image engraven with God’s image. Mark Twain, whose words have for the majority of my life held a place just below the Word of God, once made the statement that if most Christians were brought to trial to be judged of being Christians they would be found not guilty. I suspect had he been speaking to those of any religious leanings he would have been able to proffer the same
observation. Sadly, there seems to be a gulf between what we know we should be and what we are which is evident not only within ourselves, but is manifest to those we encounter during our daily walk.

There is another factor in this non-Zen form of living which I believe is imperative to the rate and direction of our progress. In many ways it seems to be of benefit if we do frequent evaluations of our personal progress during this mortal probationary period of our existence and set goals of improvement which will be mastered in the days which lie on our remaining earthly calendars.

22 And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you?

23 Behold will they not testify that ye are murderers, yea, and also that ye are guilty of all manner of wickedness?

24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?

One of the latter-day Apostles I have considered an important mentor in my life is Neal A. Maxwell. He has taught and I have believed that there is little benefit in comparing crosses or our life’s journeying and progression with others. I suspect he and Alma would agree in the non-productive exercise of making ourselves feel better or worse as we look around at those with whom we are constantly in contact.

As I was reading these previous quoted three verses, I had one of those ‘seeing something new in the scriptures’ experiences in spite of the numerous times I have read them before. First, Alma doesn’t ask us to see the individual when he is referring to evil, he asks us to compare our personal acts of evil. Second, he doesn’t ask us to compare our righteousness to that of others, but to a standard set by Prophets of God. My ‘aha’ moment came when I realized there were two comparisons not just one we were to judge our personal progress against.

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

In this verse Alma touches upon one of the most universally shared and most universally denied facts about us as we traverse the trials and tests of mortality. We all experience our testimonies being in a fairly continual state of flux. Such experiences as a weekend of General Conference, serving in the House of The Lord, hearing the testimony of a returned missionary, receiving inspiration in how to magnify our calling heighten the reality of principles of the Gospel. However, such experiences as being the only one to show up for a work assignment, misuse of agency, wars, deception, suffering can at times cause the strength of our testimonies to wane.

The General Authority who said it escapes my memory at the moment, but his words are remembered, ‘when progress is not measured there will be no progress.’ In this same vain I have strongly felt that the reason Alma presented these questions was a way of encouraging us to be constantly aware of the rising and falling of the loudness of the song which we should be singing and the depth of the change we should be feeling in our hearts.

(To be continued)


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY

FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY - PEACE - JOY - LOVE

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

I doubt there has ever been – during the process – of trying to – gain a degree of understanding – when it wasn’t immediately followed – by an equal – or – greater feeling of ignorance!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

With increased understanding – we gain a clearer perspective!!

LIFE'S LESSSONS LEARNED!!

There has to be – a strong correlation – between those things which bring us happiness – and – our faithfulness to the things in which we believe!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

There has to be – a strong correlation – between those things which bring us happiness – and – those purposes – for which – we were sent to earth to fulfill!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

If we have faith – only in those things – we know – and – understand – we need to question – if we really have any faith – because faith – pushes us to walk into the darkness!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

There must be a very high correlation – between becoming more like Heavenly Father – and – coming to know Him!!

WORDS WITNESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT 1

One of the benefits of the experienced years of our lives is that we seem to retain long term memory better than short term. Therefore, I can recall that one of the classes I took at what was then called Santa Ana Junior College the first semester after returning from my time as a missionary in the Northern Mexico, Mission, was a speech class. I even remember the content of some of the speeches I had to present during that class along with several of the statements the teacher gave during his lectures.

The words which came back to me as I was reading chapter 5 in the Book of Alma in The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ went something like: ‘Don’t be so naïve as to believe a single speech can cause people or nations to make dramatic changes.’ As I reflect back on that experience I am convinced that had he had greater understanding the speech teacher might have added something about speeches unaided by the witness whispered by the Holy Spirit do not have the power to cause a people or nation to make dramatic changes.

It becomes immediately apparent that the sermon Alma gave to the people of Zarahemla was one of those Holy Spirit witnessing experiences, since we note the following in the heading of chapter 6 of his book which seemed to come about because of the people of Zarahemla hearkening to a single speech.

The Church in Zarahemla is cleansed and set in order.

Because this was not just another speech, but a speech which demonstrates the power of the word when it is inspired, delivered and hearkened to under the influence of the whispering of the Holy Spirit, I will be spending the next few weeks writing Thoughts for a Sabbath Day based on this speech.

I will be adding many of my own thoughts and memories as I go through this chapter. My hope in doing so is not that you might come to know my struggles and successes in the battle for understanding and belief, but so that it might encourage the readers of these Thoughts to make an equal evaluation of how Alma’s Holy Spirit inspired words have meaning in your lives.

Alma 5

6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?

7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.

I doubt I have paid a sufficient price in remembering the sacrifices of those whose roots have contributed so abundantly to my own life, but even the casual perusals I have made have aided me in knowing that most of the blessings I have enjoyed in life have come as a result of choices they made to a greater degree than those I have made.

My grandfather Earnest Albert Law, in the face of great opposition from his mother, denied the hand of the love of his youth and emigrated to the Americas, because he was moved upon by the Holy Spirit to accept the Restored gospel.

As I have briefly examined the family lines of the Riley’s, Talmage’s, Holbrook’s, Tonks and all the rest of those names which connect me to the human family chain, I am constantly left in awe of those who made the life altering choices necessary to make my own life as blessed as it has been.

I am also grateful that I have been spared of knowing what might have been, had they not made the sacrifices which resulted because of their hearkening to the word. I have thought about it enough to know that what they have given me is a blessing and a better path.

11 Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?

12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

All too often we believe so strongly in such principles as being self-made, pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, independence, the captain of my ship and master of my soul that it becomes such a powerful part of us that we are reluctant to give allowance for some outside force influencing who we are in the process of becoming.

Yet, here we read Alma expressing that it was God who changed and wrought upon hearts the mighty change.

The words of Nephi quickly come to mind that it is by the grace of God that we are saved after all we can do.

We have received sufficient laws, commandments and beatitudes that it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the Lord indeed expects us to do our all, but we must also understand there are many things which can only come about because of the power and mercy of God. Along with the blessings wrought upon all of us because of the Creation of This World, The Plan of Exaltation, The Atonement of Jesus the Christ and many other Grace delivered blessing, it would be well for us to add The Mighty Change of Hearts to the list of blessings which can come upon us in and through the Grace of God.

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

Beginning with verse 14 Alma begins a series of questions which become a guide to examining the depth of our personal testimonies.

I have come to believe that just as the mighty change of our heart comes upon us because of a gift bestowed through the Grace of God, it is also logical that being spiritually born of God and receiving His image in our countenances come about because of all that we have done and our Heavenly Father views it as sufficient for His Grace to bestow these additional blessings. There is a strong possibility that all three phrases are a way of expressing that we have been sealed by The Holy Spirit of Promise and therefore, have become eligible to receive the fullness of the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus the Christ.

(To be Continued)


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY.

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

Surely there are moments – when Heavenly Father’s heart – leaps fro joy – when He sees on of His children – take a significant step closer to Him!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

If there is the slightest chance – that life’s trials – are specifically designed – for each of Heavenly Father’s children – individually – then it might be of value – to consider the individualized events of our lives – as the very key – to maximizing our growth!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

It is difficult – to continue to be a sharp dresser – when the contours of your body – become bulky – and – bulgy!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

One morning – at the breakfast table – Kathleen queried!! – Why is it OK for us to feed processed foods to pets – but – they are viewed by many – to not be OK for human consumption??

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

I wonder – if we will ever learn – the purpose of life – is not about winning a game of tug-of-war – but – it is about seeing – how high we can lift one another!!

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED!!

One of the things I have often wondered about – during my teaching career – was – which students were learning more – the ones who were silently contemplating the things which were being taught – or – the ones formulating their next brilliant contributions to the discussion – during the lecture??