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Poverty, Faith, and Understanding Alma, chapter 32, is one of the most quoted examples of the definition of faith in revealed scripture. Indeed, it is one of my favorites, not for its definition of faith but for its definition of what constitutes reality. As I read it this past week, I was impressed by another […]

Some Things Never Change This week in the Book of Alma, we covered the stories of Korihor and the initial contact with the Zoramites. In each case, we have prototypes of atheists and deviant religions. In both cases, the ideas about God are wrong. In each case, pride and elitism raise their ugly heads. It

Keep Working! Your Faith Depends On It Before getting into today’s message, I want to mention a couple of interesting things. The converted Lamanites called themselves the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, an interesting name. Maybe it was just me, but I could not figure out why they picked that name. Then, it occurred to me that

The Conversion Model This week’s reading in the Book of Alma covers the miraculous missions of the sons of Mosiah and the conversion of thousands of Lamanites, beginning with their kings. There is no reason to rehash the stories known to every primary-aged child. However, these accounts reveal essential insights into the methods and model

Critics Versus Truth In our Book of Mormon reading, the encounter between Alma, Amulek, and the people of Ammonihah reveals how critics of religion react when confronted with its truth. Alma’s first encounter with the people of the city demonstrated close-mindedness and extreme disdain for his message. They knew his former role as chief judge

Word, Heart, and Mysteries Today, I want to focus on Alma 12, verses 10 and 11. They read, “And therefore, 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

Expanding Consciousness Through Temple Covenants In Alma chapter five, Alma the younger preaches to the people of Zarahemla, recounting the story of his father’s conversion and the subsequent conversion of many others. In verses seven and nine, he describes how their souls were illuminated and expanded. In last week’s thoughts, I discussed a transformation of

The Transformation of Consciousness Today, I will talk about something that I am in no way qualified to talk about. I am not educated in the sciences of neurobiology, psychology, or human behavior. Still, I can recognize how people change on a fundamental level when faced with the prospect of a disastrous existence. We are

The Day The World Changed So far in the book of Mosiah, we have read two speeches that changed the societies in which they were given. Speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost, King Benjamin, and Abinadi delivered messages that changed the hearers for generations. However, their words didn’t have the same effect on

The Greatest Lie Ever Told To establish what the greatest lie ever told is, we must first establish the ultimate truths of our eternal existence. For many, knowing who we are, who God is, and how we are connected constitutes the ultimate truth: Knowing Who We Are: Self-Identity: Understanding our true nature, purpose, and place