ALMA’S BLESSINGS TO HIS SONS (HELAMAN) 2

In the verses we examined last week Alma the son of Alma, recounted to his son Helaman the miraculous events which led to his being born again and becoming a new creature in Christ. His account to his son Helaman contained many marvelous events which included: having a life changing encounter with an angel, suffering even unto the pains of hell, gaining a remembrance of the teachings of his father Alma, receiving the Light of Christ which filled him with wondrous joy and even believing to have seen God upon His throne.

It should be easy for us to understand why he was able to declare unequivocally to his son Helaman that he knew for himself of the truthfulness of the way to eternal life as taught by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

During the Thought this week we will examine more of Alma the son of Alma’s blessing upon the head of his son Helaman as found in the remainder of The Book of Alma chapter 36 and the beginning of chapter 37.

Chapter 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.

25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;

If the process of conversion is to be complete it must include both those things in our life we are converted from along with those things we are converted to.

During the formal education years I had a section of a course called Valuing. In that class I learned that the confirmation of, or when a person really knew they had made a value part of themselves was when they became a proselyter of the value. It becomes clear from Alma the Son of Alma’s declaration of what followed his conversion that the Plan of Exaltation had become one of his values.

It seems to me this becomes an easy way for us to evaluate the depth of our own conversion.

26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

This verse brings three thoughts immediately into my mind: First, is tasting and seeing as many of those who believed upon the words of Alma a necessary part of total conversion? Second, is tasting and seeing essential to one’s conversion to Heavenly Father’s Plan? Third, what yet do I lack for my mortal conversion task to be complete?

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.

One of the misconception of those who have entered into the Kingdom of God is that their troubles have now ended and from that point on their lives will abound with blessings and miracles. Alma’s declaration of the afflictions which followed his conversion demonstrate that not only do our trials and tests not end with our baptism, but they may even increase.

28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.

29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.

30 But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.

We who enjoy the blessings (and tests) of being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints often hear the latter-day Apostles and Prophets remind us of the trials and faith of our pioneer forefathers. Since we read of Alma the Son of Alma reminding his son of the faith and trials of his ancestors we could easily conclude that one of the ways to remain committed to our conversion is remembering the histories of those who have lived so that we might have access to the truths of the gospel.

With this understanding it is little wonder that we are so often admonished to search the scriptures.

Chapter 37

1 And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me;

2 And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept.

3 And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—

4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon.

5 And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.

From previous times when the sacred records were passed from one generation to another we also know that with them went the commission of becoming a prophet over the church which was established among them.

One can only wonder what Alma knew and what Helaman thought when Alma declared that the record would go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people. Likewise, one can only wonder why those who are living in the day of the fulfillment of this prophesy do not more fully appreciate the miracle which attends it.

It is sad that we who are living in a day when all or part of The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ is published in more than 100 languages often fail to see the hand of the Lord in this miraculous fulfillment of Alma’s words.

It is likewise sad that there are still so few of Heavenly Father’s children who have read even one
word of the book.

6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Although Alma referred to the work of the writer’s The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ a small thing, today there are millions who consider what they did with the help of the Lord a marvelous and great thing.

Likewise, although Joseph Smith Jr. considered himself but a small and insignificant instrument in the work of the Lord, we now witness the fulfillment of the work the Lord did through him quickly flooding upon the whole earth.

During those days when we might sink to consider are time on this beautiful world as being of little significance, remembering what the Lord was able to wrought from the small contributions of others should fill our hearts with courage and hope.

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.

9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.

10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?

It almost becomes a task equal to counting the stars in the Universe, when one attempts to count the number who have been convinced of the errors of their ways and brought unto repentance by that which Alma referred to as small and insignificant, but we can now attest that his estimate of thousands being brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God was very short sighted and now must be counted in the hundred’s of millions.

11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear.

12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is cone eternal round.

We become aware that he was not short sighted at all and our admiration for Alma the Son of Alma only increases as we witness his unwillingness to conjecture about things not revealed. We could all take a lesson from his example and refrain from teaching that which the Lord has not yet revealed.

(To be continued)


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY

❣️THINK + PLAN + PREPARE + DO + HUGS + PEACE + JOY + LOVE + INTEGRITY + FAITH + HOPE + CHARITY❣️ = 💞THE GOOD LIFE💞