Alma 39-42 True Doctrine Changes Behavior In these four chapters Alma rebukes, counsels, and testifies to his son Corianton, but mostly he teaches him doctrine. Most of what is recorded in these chapters is pure doctrine—relating to the plan of salvation—thus...
read moreAlma 32:1- “Poor” Can Be Good The poor were expelled from the peculiar worship practices of the Zoramites, and it turned into a blessing. As Alma and his companions sought listeners in the synagogues, houses, and streets of Antionum (see 31:3; 32:1),...
read moreAlma 23:1-7, 17-18; 24:1-19 100% Convert Retention As instruments in the Lord’s hands, the sons of Mosiah and other Nephite missionaries were able to establish congregations of new converts throughout the land of the Lamanites (verse 4), featuring the following...
read moreAlma 13:1-18 “After His Holy Order” Alma seems to have a few interested listeners in Ammonihah, and he continues his teaching by revealing more doctrinal treasures. In the latter days we generally refer to the higher priesthood as the Melchizedek...
read moreAlma 5 A Spiritual Self-Evaluation This chapter contains more than forty questions that Alma asked the people of Zarahemla as he began his travels throughout the land to strengthen the church. The questions are directed to church members, some of whom may be...
read moreMosiah 25:1-4 “King Mosiah Caused that All the People Should be Gathered Together” The peoples of the Book of Mormon are characterized by complex details of origin, identification, and migration. In about 120 b.c., those residing in the land of Zarahemla...
read moreMosiah 11:1-19 The Wicked Reign of King Noah Near the end of his reign, King Mosiah II declared, “For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction! Yea, remember king Noah” (Mosiah 29:17-18)....
read moreMosiah 4:1-3 How Do I Know I’ve Been Forgiven? After sharing everything the angel had given King Benjamin to teach his people, he “cast his eyes round about on the multitude” to perceive their reaction (verse 1). The people were in a state of deep humility, feeling a...
read moreEaster and the Book of Mormon Regarding “Easter,” the LDS Bible Dictionary states: “This word occurs only once in the Bible (Acts 12:4) and then would be better translated ‘Passover.’… [It is] the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.… Jesus, being the Lamb...
read moreJacob 5 Sweet Story of Redemption Zenos’s allegory of the tame and wild olive trees is a sweet story of the Lord’s love and mercy as He labors to redeem His children. As you study, keep in mind and heart that Jacob 5 is a story of redemption, wherein the...
read moreIn Alma 36-42 Mormon quotes Alma directly from the large plates of Nephi, rather than abridging the record onto his own plates. Therefore, Alma’s account is in the first person voice, as he counsels and commissions his sons Helaman (chapters 36-37), Shiblon...
read moreAlma 30-31 Two More Anti-Christs We previously encountered Sherem (Jacob 7) and Nehor (Alma 1) and will now consider the other two Anti-Christs highlighted in the Book of Mormon: Korihor (Alma 30) and Zoram (Alma 31). Following is a brief, simplified summary of the...
read moreAlma 17-22 Keys to Missionary Success These chapters relate the missionary experiences of the sons of Mosiah and others among the Lamanites, and we can glean numerous helps for ourselves as we seek to share the gospel. Note that “success” in missionary...
read moreAlma 8:8-32 Welcome to Ammonihah This chapter begins a most intriguing story, with many lessons about the work of God and the work of the devil. Alma’s initial efforts in Ammonihah look to be a brief affair: He entered the city, began preaching, was turned away,...
read moreMosiah 29 “Let Us Be Wise” King Mosiah wanted to know what his people desired for their government after his reign ended (verses 1-3). But when their wish for one of his sons to be the next king became impossible, he wisely proposed a superior solution: To...
read moreMosiah 18:1-10, 19-29 Alma’s Teachings In Mosiah 17:2-4, Alma escaped from King Noah, went into hiding, and wrote “all the words which Abinadi had spoken,” no doubt with the help of the Holy Ghost (see John 14:26, wherein the Savior taught that the...
read moreBook of Mosiah Some Helps Toward Understanding At this point things begin to be a little complex, so it is helpful to pause and review some of the peoples, places, years, events, and plates: 1. 589 b.c.Lehi arrived in the promised land and established the land of...
read moreWe have finished the small plates of Nephi (1 Nephi through Omni) and in Mosiah we begin Mormon’s abridgement of the large plates of Nephi, which continues through 4 Nephi. Note the change wherein Mormon is relating things in the “third person” point of view (he, him,...
read moreEnos 1:1-8 “My Soul Hungered” Perhaps some youth or others in our day are like Enos, not yet taking the gospel seriously. But because they have been raised “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (verse 1), they may yet come to a point...
read moreJacob 1:1-4 Most Precious After Nephi’s death (verse 12) his younger brother Jacob became the custodian of the small plates of Nephi, and he calls his portion “the plates of Jacob” (Jacob 3:14). Jacob carefully followed Nephi’s instruction to...
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