Category: Scripture Notes

Alma’s “O that I were an angel” was obviously a personal reflection recorded in the sacred text but I’m realizing that his summary of the conclusion of the 15th year of the reign of the judges was also a matter of prophetic reflection from Alma. After all that had happened with his time in the…

I am amazed at the power of the example of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi in refusing to fight back. Their determination and faith were so powerful that many of those who had come to kill them refused and over a thousand of their angry antagonists joined them instead. We don’t generally think of humility as…

Abish went about encouraging people to gather and see the kinda household fallen in hopes that they would be covered. She was surprised and disappointed to find them quarreling instead although her wish was realized after Lamoni began to minister to them when he was lifted up by the queen.

Thanks to President Nelson I now know that “hearken … means ‘to listen with the intent to obey.’” Ammon and Lamoni both knew that what Ammon asked and Lamoni agreed to was for Lamoni to act upon the things that Ammon would teach.

We don’t actually know how long Ammon was in the land of Ishmael before he began to have success. Did Lamoni truly offer his daughter to this random Nephite the day he met him or did he take him into his household as a guest (under observation) where we found that he really liked Ammon…

Too often we seem to assume that the church or the believers were synonymous with the Nephites. It seems clear to me that Zoram, the leader of their armies at this time, was not a part of the church although he was a good person—willing to go to Alma when he heard that Alma might…

The record says that Alma and Amulek were commanded to leave Ammonihah after their prison was leveled around them and I wonder if that was commanded by the Spirit to leave the land, their work there being completed, or if it was commanded by the people to leave (which I’m sure the Spirit would have…

I never thought before about how Aaron’s experience of being imprisoned had taught him to be mindful of how a riled up group of Lamanites would act. Knowing that he was quick to raise the king when people started to gather at the request of the queen.

While the servants of Lamoni felt like victims when their flocks were scattered, Ammon saw opportunity to show them a different way to respond. After three days he saw something he could work with rather than a challenge to be overcome.

The people of Ammonihah had not been inclined to kill believers before Alma and Amulek taught but they were so hardened that afterward they wanted to throw it in the faces of Alma and Amulek “you can’t make us do anything.” This, sadly, sounds like several of my kids. I never thought I’d the timing…