Alma 32:1-20
Before we get into the nitty gritty of tonight's study, I want to first talk about something that the IM put at the beginning of this section that I thought was quite profound. It quotes Elder Jeffrey R. Holland as teaching, "In (the) brilliant discourse (of Alma 32), Alma moves the reader from a general commentary on faith in the seedlike word of God to a focused discourse on faith in Christ as the Word of God, grown to a fruit bearing tree, a tree whose fruit is exactly that of Lehi's earlier perception of Christ's love... Christ is the bread of life, the living water, and true vine. Christ is the seed, the tree, and the fruit of eternal life. But the profound and central Tree of Life imagery in this discourse is love or at least greatly diminished, if the reader does not follow it on into the next two chapters of the Book of Mormon." Maybe I'm reading too much into this but if we take Alma's seed of faith, and plant it in our hearts, and as we nourish it through obedience, it begins to grow, first sprouting, then breaking ground, taking root, branching out, growing leaves and then bearing fruit. Taking the small seed of the "word of God" and growing it into the Tree of Life seen by Lehi connects the two references made here. Nephi tells us that the meaning of the tree seen by his father is "the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things... and the most joyous to the soul." This is very interesting because by just taking Nephi's words here, it would seem that the love of God, or the eating of the fruit, is something that must be achieved and seems to come together, for instance, holding to the rod, pressing forward, then finally reaching the tree and enjoying the fruit when the journey is over, at least that is how it seems to me. But here in this context, when related to the seed talked about by Alma, the fruit of the tree of life, the love of God is slowly grown and experienced, over time, and throughout the journey. Just like a centuries old tree continues to grow and thrive for it's entire life, tasting the fruit is never maxed out, it is always there, it is always growing. And obtaining the fruit of the tree is first proceeded by little bits of faith, little lessons, little growth that happens over time. Sometimes I feel like I'm a giant tree sprouted by the seed of faith, and sometimes I feel like I'm a little sprouted thing that is just fighting the dirt to break out into the daylight.
32:1-16 - We left Alma and his companions splitting up to teach the Zoramites, and "they began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel... therefore they were poor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart." And interestingly enough "they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea, and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us out of our synagogues which we have labored abundantly to build with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our exceeding poverty; and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do? And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he behold with great joy." This is another one of those times when the reaction doesn't necessarily meet the discovery. Kind of like when Ammon was thrilled that the king's sheep had been scattered, seems kind of counter intuitive, like now, the people tell Alma that they are being mistreated and Alma is happy about it, just kind of interesting. But it goes on to explain the cause of Alma's happiness "for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word." We can see that the Lord uses various means to prepare people to learn the gospel. In an April 1982 general conference address entitled "A Brother Offended," Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught "A sixth step is to remember the Lord's hand in this work. He can bring about those circumstances in which such souls are 'in a preparation to hear the word.' His Spirit can prod the prodigals- some of whom will come to their senses. And as that happens, however, let us run to great them while they are 'yet a great way off.'" This is what Alma did, he was so happy to have them be ready for happiness, lasting happiness through the gospel, just as the father was so excited for his son's return as a broken man. Alma's response to the poor people is probably not what was expected either, teaching them that devotion to God is more of a "in all times, in all things, and in all places," type of existence. He also told them "it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom." He continues to teach them that humility is related to repentance, mercy, and steadfastness. The IM quotes Bishop Richard C. Edgley as teaching "that humility and submissiveness are virtues allowing one to access gospel blessings: 'Many of us live or work in an environment where humility is often misunderstood and considered a weakness. Not many corporations or institutions include humility as a value statement or a desired characteristic of their management. Yet as we learn about the workings of God, the power of a humble and submissive spirit becomes apparent. In the kingdom of God, greatness begins with humility and submissiveness. These companion virtues are the first critical steps to opening the doors to the blessings of God and the power of the priesthood. It matters not who we are or how lofty our credentials appear. Humility and submissiveness to the Lord, coupled with a grateful heart, are our strength and our hope." I am not a submissive person, I'm not even close, I'm pretty Alpha, and can be quite aggressive much of the time, I think I tell myself that I am "submissive" to the Lord in that I try to keep the commandments, but I still have a guarded heart, even when it comes to God, which is probably pretty backwards. Is it that I don't trust Him? I don't think so. Is it that I don't think that he only acts with my eternal happiness in mind? No, I believe that everything is for my eternal benefit. Then what is it that I'm trying to hold on to? Control? Am I afraid? Why don't I just surrender immediately? Why do I still try to hold on to some sort of decision making process that I usually end up screwing up in the end anyway? Maybe I've never been submissive to anyone or anything, so I don't know how to do it? Maybe I need practice? Yes, maybe that's it, I'm so used to making my own choices and my own decisions that I don't know how NOT to. What I need to do is take it minute by minute, choice by choice, and practice being submissive to the will of the Lord. If I truly believe that he loves me and if I truly love Him, and if I really do believe in all that I've been taught concerning Him, then fighting against Him will only bring me misery and unhappiness, and I've proven that many times, while I've also been able to learn through many experiences that when I do what he asks, then I'm happy and well cared for, even when times are tough. That's it, I just need practice. "Humility and submissiveness to the Lord, coupled with a grateful heart," will be my strength and hope, will be my happiness and my ability to look to the light in hard times. The IM continues teaching about the two ways to become humble, being compelled to be humble, and being humble voluntarily by quoting Elder Carlos E. Asay as teaching "Most of us seem to have the 'Nephite cycle' as part of our character. There is a point when we are teachable; our humility enables us to grow and to ride the crest of spirituality. Then there are other times when we begin to feel self-sufficient and puffed up with pride... How much better would it be if we kept in remembrance our God and our religion and broke the cycle by consistent worship and righteous living. How much better would it be if we were humbled by the word of the Lord and strong enough in spirit to remember our God in whatsoever circumstances we find ourselves." This made me reflect on my examples of endless humility and I thought about the prophets, they are humble all the time, they don't get puffed up and snarky and have to be brought back down into their place, at least that's what it seems like to me, and I would imagine that to be at that level, that would probably be the case. So looking at that as my example, I can see that it is possible to always be humble, I can see that I don't need to cycle up between frantic self delusion and the depths of humility all the time, I can just be a steady acknowledger of my dependence on God for all things, and like the quote said, keep a balance between "my somethingness and my nothingness." The IM continues by quoting President Ezra Taft Benson as teaching some ways to keep a steady stream of humility in our lives, "We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity towards our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement. We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others. We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently. We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives." I love the straight forward manner in which he explains how we can keep constantly in check as to our humility, and these are not one time things, meaning that they are not just actions to be taken sometimes, but with practice can become attributes to our character, they can become parts of who we are. Instead of being someone who does service for others, we can become someone who's consumed with love for our fellow men, and therefore seek to serve at every opportunity. This, I think, is what's most hopeful about the concept of humility, we can work at it until it's not something we have to think about constantly, but instead it becomes who we are.
32:17-20 - Alma makes a smooth transition connecting humility and sign seekers, and I hadn't thought about it until now, but truly, sign seekers are the opposite of humble, for "if thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe." The IM quotes Elder Dallin H. Oaks as teaching "The showing of a sign can work to the condemnation of those who are brought to knowledge by that means. They miss the opportunity to develop faith, and they subject themselves to a more severe punishment for backsliding than those whose spiritual development is proceeding along the normal pathway of developing faith. There are other 'condemnations' to those who see signs without first developing the faith God has required as a prerequisite. One condemnation is to be misled. God warned ancient Israel against following prophets who gave signs and wonders and then sought to lead them away to the worship of strange gods. The Savior taught his apostles that in the last days 'there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.' ... IN our day, God does not use miracles or signs as a way of teaching or convincing the unbeliever. As a result, we should not ask for signs for this purpose, and we should be deeply suspicious of the so-called spiritual evidences of those who do." I'm really glad that the IM expounded on this because I was quite confused then I first read it, not really understanding, especially verse 19.
I had hoped to move a little bit further tonight, but it's been a few days of contemplation and learning and so I'm going to have to call it quits for now.
32:1-16 - We left Alma and his companions splitting up to teach the Zoramites, and "they began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel... therefore they were poor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart." And interestingly enough "they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea, and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us out of our synagogues which we have labored abundantly to build with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our exceeding poverty; and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do? And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he behold with great joy." This is another one of those times when the reaction doesn't necessarily meet the discovery. Kind of like when Ammon was thrilled that the king's sheep had been scattered, seems kind of counter intuitive, like now, the people tell Alma that they are being mistreated and Alma is happy about it, just kind of interesting. But it goes on to explain the cause of Alma's happiness "for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word." We can see that the Lord uses various means to prepare people to learn the gospel. In an April 1982 general conference address entitled "A Brother Offended," Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught "A sixth step is to remember the Lord's hand in this work. He can bring about those circumstances in which such souls are 'in a preparation to hear the word.' His Spirit can prod the prodigals- some of whom will come to their senses. And as that happens, however, let us run to great them while they are 'yet a great way off.'" This is what Alma did, he was so happy to have them be ready for happiness, lasting happiness through the gospel, just as the father was so excited for his son's return as a broken man. Alma's response to the poor people is probably not what was expected either, teaching them that devotion to God is more of a "in all times, in all things, and in all places," type of existence. He also told them "it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom." He continues to teach them that humility is related to repentance, mercy, and steadfastness. The IM quotes Bishop Richard C. Edgley as teaching "that humility and submissiveness are virtues allowing one to access gospel blessings: 'Many of us live or work in an environment where humility is often misunderstood and considered a weakness. Not many corporations or institutions include humility as a value statement or a desired characteristic of their management. Yet as we learn about the workings of God, the power of a humble and submissive spirit becomes apparent. In the kingdom of God, greatness begins with humility and submissiveness. These companion virtues are the first critical steps to opening the doors to the blessings of God and the power of the priesthood. It matters not who we are or how lofty our credentials appear. Humility and submissiveness to the Lord, coupled with a grateful heart, are our strength and our hope." I am not a submissive person, I'm not even close, I'm pretty Alpha, and can be quite aggressive much of the time, I think I tell myself that I am "submissive" to the Lord in that I try to keep the commandments, but I still have a guarded heart, even when it comes to God, which is probably pretty backwards. Is it that I don't trust Him? I don't think so. Is it that I don't think that he only acts with my eternal happiness in mind? No, I believe that everything is for my eternal benefit. Then what is it that I'm trying to hold on to? Control? Am I afraid? Why don't I just surrender immediately? Why do I still try to hold on to some sort of decision making process that I usually end up screwing up in the end anyway? Maybe I've never been submissive to anyone or anything, so I don't know how to do it? Maybe I need practice? Yes, maybe that's it, I'm so used to making my own choices and my own decisions that I don't know how NOT to. What I need to do is take it minute by minute, choice by choice, and practice being submissive to the will of the Lord. If I truly believe that he loves me and if I truly love Him, and if I really do believe in all that I've been taught concerning Him, then fighting against Him will only bring me misery and unhappiness, and I've proven that many times, while I've also been able to learn through many experiences that when I do what he asks, then I'm happy and well cared for, even when times are tough. That's it, I just need practice. "Humility and submissiveness to the Lord, coupled with a grateful heart," will be my strength and hope, will be my happiness and my ability to look to the light in hard times. The IM continues teaching about the two ways to become humble, being compelled to be humble, and being humble voluntarily by quoting Elder Carlos E. Asay as teaching "Most of us seem to have the 'Nephite cycle' as part of our character. There is a point when we are teachable; our humility enables us to grow and to ride the crest of spirituality. Then there are other times when we begin to feel self-sufficient and puffed up with pride... How much better would it be if we kept in remembrance our God and our religion and broke the cycle by consistent worship and righteous living. How much better would it be if we were humbled by the word of the Lord and strong enough in spirit to remember our God in whatsoever circumstances we find ourselves." This made me reflect on my examples of endless humility and I thought about the prophets, they are humble all the time, they don't get puffed up and snarky and have to be brought back down into their place, at least that's what it seems like to me, and I would imagine that to be at that level, that would probably be the case. So looking at that as my example, I can see that it is possible to always be humble, I can see that I don't need to cycle up between frantic self delusion and the depths of humility all the time, I can just be a steady acknowledger of my dependence on God for all things, and like the quote said, keep a balance between "my somethingness and my nothingness." The IM continues by quoting President Ezra Taft Benson as teaching some ways to keep a steady stream of humility in our lives, "We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity towards our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement. We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others. We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently. We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives." I love the straight forward manner in which he explains how we can keep constantly in check as to our humility, and these are not one time things, meaning that they are not just actions to be taken sometimes, but with practice can become attributes to our character, they can become parts of who we are. Instead of being someone who does service for others, we can become someone who's consumed with love for our fellow men, and therefore seek to serve at every opportunity. This, I think, is what's most hopeful about the concept of humility, we can work at it until it's not something we have to think about constantly, but instead it becomes who we are.
32:17-20 - Alma makes a smooth transition connecting humility and sign seekers, and I hadn't thought about it until now, but truly, sign seekers are the opposite of humble, for "if thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe." The IM quotes Elder Dallin H. Oaks as teaching "The showing of a sign can work to the condemnation of those who are brought to knowledge by that means. They miss the opportunity to develop faith, and they subject themselves to a more severe punishment for backsliding than those whose spiritual development is proceeding along the normal pathway of developing faith. There are other 'condemnations' to those who see signs without first developing the faith God has required as a prerequisite. One condemnation is to be misled. God warned ancient Israel against following prophets who gave signs and wonders and then sought to lead them away to the worship of strange gods. The Savior taught his apostles that in the last days 'there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.' ... IN our day, God does not use miracles or signs as a way of teaching or convincing the unbeliever. As a result, we should not ask for signs for this purpose, and we should be deeply suspicious of the so-called spiritual evidences of those who do." I'm really glad that the IM expounded on this because I was quite confused then I first read it, not really understanding, especially verse 19.
I had hoped to move a little bit further tonight, but it's been a few days of contemplation and learning and so I'm going to have to call it quits for now.
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