Come Follow Me Book of Mormon with Sam Mosiah 25-28

Welcome to Come Follow Me with Sam! We get a great peek into the struggles of a church made by a perfect person but put into an imperfect world and filled with imperfect people? How do you handle that? This is what we will talk about.

Hardness of Heart

Alma established the church everywhere and things seemed really good for a bit after being freed from the Lamanites/Amulonites. Unfortunately, things went south in a generation, just as they had back in the land of Nephi under King Noah.

Mormon says that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of King Benjamin as children. There are some interesting dynamics that happen here. Check out the chain of logic/spirit/thought.

-did not believe tradition of fathers. did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of dead, coming of Christ

- >could not understand the word of God. 

-> Hearts were hardened (technically in the same breathe as the last issue)

->would not be baptized and became a separate people

here there is a little tricky because it goes back to the crux

----> FOR THEY WOULD NOT CALL UPON THE LORD THEIR GOD<-------

gotcha

The problem wasn't that they didn't believe; there's lots of people that don't believe at first. It wasn't a problem that they didn't understand; plenty of times we don't understand at first. The problem was that rectifying their weaknesses was broken. They would not call upon the Lord their God and as such they had no way of adjusting back.

So here's an idea. When you or someone you love is struggling, think about helping them pray first. Think about helping them make the connection. It's true that we should focus on the word, on belief, on baptism, on teaching in a way people understand. But if we neglect bridging the heavens to them... we missed the mark.

Alma's Anguish

Let's remember Alma's most recent background.

Alma came from the society of noah, a very selfish society that cast him out. He specifically emphasized imparting of substance, both temporal and spiritual with the believers. Now, he is getting reports from the church everywhere that people are not following their covenants. 

Going back a little farther, remember that Alma himself did not follow the covenants and had to repent of his former life in King Noah's court. How could he stand to judge people as in need as he had been. 

Oh yeah, and his own son was among the covenant breaker group.

How do you kick your own son whom you love from the church, when you know you were similar, and you know that with nourishment he could become like you are today?

He goes to Mosiah to obtain judgement.

Mosiah tells him its a church issue under church authority, not under the law.

Now what does Alma do?

Well he prays. What happens next is some of the most gentle teaching I can think of. The voice of the Lord comes to Alma and explains carefully - 

the church is those that hear His voice. Anyone who can hear the voice of the Savior are His sheep and His church.

Whoever is in his church is baptized into repentance. repentance is part of the process. It is part of the church. It is perhaps the most defining part.

There is a price to pay for the sins of the world, and the Savior paid it. This is a gentle reminder to Alma that the consequences are real, the covenant is real, and the price is real.

If they do not repent, one day they will know that price that was paid for them and that they did not accept or apply it.

If they accept the price paid for them, the Savior forgives. As long as they repent, they are going to be okay.

If they don't accept the price, and don't repent, they already took themselves out of the church.

You can read the actual words in Mosiah 26:15-33. They give Alma the courage to regulate the affairs of the church.

Beauty for ashes, the law and the mercies.

There is a chance that it was at this point that Alma the younger formally left the church and began persecution. This may have seemed like a terrible tragedy if it was the end of the story, certainly in the moment. It turns out though that this dividing was an impetus for the angel to come to him, and for him to turn around his life entirely, along with the sons of Mosiah.

I find this highly applicable to the latter-day Church of Jesus Christ. We have many who are faithful, repentant, calling on God. There are also many who are wavering, hardened, or turned away. Members are in the unenviable position of upholding their covenants while extending an arm to those who are struggling. Its tough. There are not many details about how exactly Alma regulated the church, and what lines were the dividing ones. I think that we as we navigate our own situations can gain understanding by re-reading the Savior's words to Alma and praying about them. This is something we all face both within and without ourselves whenever we look higher. There are ways to hold the higher law and still connect with those who are divided from it. And if you do it right, there can even be beauty for ashes, and mercy despite the law.

Here is the final note that the church continued to do. they prayed without ceasing to stay connected to God, they gave thanks in all things to keep their hearts open.

And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, every one by the word of God, according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed, being commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things.