Alma 24

"Oh, how merciful is our God..."

Alma 24:15

My thoughts:

Here the Anti-Nephi-Lehis are having a meeting about how their brethren (the rest of the Lamanites) are coming to war against them for their faith. 

The Anti-Nephi-Lehis refuse to fight to defend themselves

because they won't to back to where they were -

they won't return to a sinful life-

so they accept that they may die.

But here they are in verse 15, 

crying out about the mercy of their God.

In the face of death, they did not lose their faith. 

They truly had an eternal view of mortality,

and they truly knew in Whom they could trust.

"...thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin..."

My thoughts:
They were steadfast and immovable -
nothing could shake their faith!

Alma 24:20-27

My thoughts:
What a humbling experience;
to see the faith of the members to give up their lives to God,
even in the face of death -
Never once rebuking His name.
This is true conversion.
They clearly understood who they were.
Do I have the kind of faith to sacrifice everything
in order to do what I know is right?



"Thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things."
Alma 24:30


My thoughts:
Ex: Apostates
Once we've come into the Church -
we have left neutral ground forever and never can get back to it.
There's no going back once you've received the truth and accepted it.


"Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached, good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve, it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be his servant"

Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith

Chapter 27: Beware the Fruits of Apostasy