David Journal

Tag: Alma

  • Background work

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    David
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    It is clear from his responses to Aaron that the father of Lamoni has been thinking about his encounter with Ammon and Lamoni and preparing himself (possibly not even consciously) to receive this gospel message. I suspect his willingness to believe Aaron was because he was considering what Lamoni had told him as well as…

  • Lamoni’s thoughts

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    David
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    I wonder what Lamoni thought in the moment as he saw and heard Ammon threaten to kill his father. He knew his father had been the aggressor and he knew Ammon was righteous but he also knew Ammon was capable of killing.

  • What did the queen think?

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    David
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    The wife of Lamoni had heard of the game of Ammon—did she fear him for what she had heard? did she think of him as a sorcerer (ie. someone practicing magic arts)? I suspect she took some time to consider whether they should consult him about her husband and what she should ask. In the…

  • The tradition of his father

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    David
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    Lamoni had been taught by his father to believe in God even though they had no prescriptive beliefs of God requiring anything in particular of them. This is frequently the case—many people know of God and regardless of how much or little they know of Him their lives generally align with what they believe He…

  • Quiet conversion

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    David
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    We naturally pay attention to the public) miraculous conversions such as Zeezrom who contended with Amulek and later was miraculously healed before his baptism but we can more easily overlook the conversions that are simply described as the gospel being generally established along the Nephites and as the people learning with joy that Christ would…

  • Modern GOP Counterparts

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    David
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    The way that Zeezrom was astonished at the blindness of the people when he heard them using his exact discredited words to testify against Alma and Amulek made me think that Zeezrom is a model for the only way I could ever trust Mike Lee again (not that I expect it to ever happen). I…

  • Condemnation

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    David
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    10 …he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.11 And they that…

  • Incentive structures

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    David
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    Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their employ, therefore, they did stir up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might get money according to the suits which were brought before them.…

  • Naming your own destruction

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    David
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    I wonder if the Lord purposely uses the words of the wicked against them at times. The people of Ammonihah made what they thought was an outrageous claim (destroying their city in one day) as if Alma was being outrageous. He didn’t prophesy that they would be destroyed in a day but they said it…

  • More important than they all

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    David
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    For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people. Alma 7:7 We could have a full knowledge of every detail of what…