Category: Scripture Notes
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What do you want to project?
It seems to me that the proud people who Alma is speaking about are focused on projecting their wealth, their righteousness, their superiority to the world while the humble people he is inviting them to be would focus on projecting the love of God to those around them, seeking out those who are oppressed or…
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A snare of the adversary
It seems to me that any time we play gotcha with people—any time we try to be clever to lead them into a trap against them—we are falling prey to a snare of the adversary. He wants us to feel like we are smart and we are in control and that we can manipulate others…
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Mighty prayer
I can only imagine the discouragement that Alma felt after wrestling in mighty prayer for the people of Ammonihah to feel that it had all been in vain and to start to leave them without having had success. I think the message, “repent or face destruction”was not what Alma had been preaching before. It is…
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Self-Righteousness
They began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure. Alma 4:8 I think this can be captured in the term “self-righteous.” I also think that it’s most innocent form where we need to end it early is when we see children turning “smoking is bad for you” into…
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Marking themselves
The Amlicites marked themselves when they came out in rebellion against the Nephites. Some might say that people displaying various Trump or MAGA flags counts as marking themselves but I honestly wonder if the time will come when there is a more obvious mark between those who support the Constitution and those who are modern…
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Who is alarmed?
And they began to endeavor to establish Amlici to be a king over the people. Now this was alarming to the people of the church, and also to all those who had not been drawn away after the persuasions of Amlici. Alma 2:2-3 The parallels between Trump/MAGA and Amlici are undeniable. The people of the…
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A shaky foundation
The doctrines which Nehor put forth walere on a shaky foundation from the start because they were based upon the existing belief system even as he was trying to refute the exercising belief system. It’s hard to say “what you have heard about the existence of God and the promise of a life after death…
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The danger of a sovereign ruler
He enacteth laws … after the manner of his own wickedness Mosiah 29:23 The danger of a move to consolidate power into an individual (regardless of their title) is what Mosiah said there. The danger would be no less whether we do it for a good man like Abraham Lincoln than for a corrupt one…
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Excited to listen
I imagine that Alma was gratified in the land of Gideon to find a people who were excited to receive his message of the coming of the Savior.
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In a deep sleep
He changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Alma 5:7 This is the message Laura needs to hear. She has been in a deep sleep just as I was in a deep sleep. The difference is that I have awakened and have taken steps to…