rameumptom

I have not had Pam's name quite that long. In fact, I've never had it. I have had my own full name - including my last name, since the 1950s, but not quite as long as Pam's had her first name.

Normally for endowed members, they do baptisms under certain circumstances: 1. they have their own names, or the names for someone they know 2. the ward or a group have set up a baptismal trip for adults Otherwise, the baptism work is primarily for youth and new converts to do baptisms. Occasionally, a temple may have some space in an already scheduled baptismal session, but often that is not the case. But when they do, you may be able to sneak in and help.

Alma 7 To the righteous people of Gideon, Alma does not need to focus on the basics of repentance and faith, and so goes into deeper detail regarding the life and ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. "...behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth. And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God" (Alma 7:91-10). As with Nephi's vision of the Tree of Life, Alma chooses to begin with Christ's birth and describe Mary in detail and by name. For Mormons, we should consider this significant. While we do not adore Mary to the level of traditional Catholics, we should also give her great works more consideration and appreciation than many Protestant religions do. LDS believe that God is the father of Jesus Christ in his flesh, and he is. Perhaps we should note more the involvement of the Holy Ghost in that occurring, as well. The important thing to understand here is that Mary was considered a "precious and chosen vessel" or servant through whom God could perform the greatest miracle of all, the salvation of mankind by God becoming man himself. "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:11-12). One thing many Christians do not understand is that the atonement does so much more than just cleanse us from sin and make us holy. It also allows Jesus to take our pains and sicknesses upon himself. He can succor us, because he has experienced our pain. He also can heal us of our mental and emotional anguish. This is perhaps one of the key things about the atonement that we overlook. Many people think that with the death and resurrection of Jesus, the atonement is all completed. We will all resurrect and all may have our sins washed away is true, but we miss out on how the atonement is an on-going event. People hurt. Now. People experience tragedy and pain. Now. People suffer with drug, alcohol, and sexual addictions now. People are traumatized by war, rape, violence. Now. People feel lost, lonely, confused, embarrassed, sad, fearful. Now. It isn't enough to look back two thousand years and think Jesus did some things for me way back then, and now is quietly watching from his throne. We need to know that Christ is the one constant in our lives. He actively looks upon us, understanding our pain, because he has already felt it in spades. He can then send down angels, the Holy Ghost, and miracles, to help ease the pain - even to comfort us as we heal. He is the perfect physician, because he knows exactly what our maladies are, and how to cure them. Sometimes the cure is quick. Sometimes he gently and carefully heals us so we do not die from the cure. Often he will send someone to comfort and strengthen. Always, we can find hope in His eternal promises that he will heal us entirely either now or in the next world, and the rewards we'll receive for having faith through our trials will be one hundred fold. Alma discusses the importance of keeping our bodies as temples, clean and holy. In conjunction with this, he discusses returning into the presence of God, and the holy order of the priesthood (Alma 7:21-25). Again he encourages them to sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the presence of God, having their garments cleansed of all iniquity. Alma desires that the people of Gideon also have the hope that he instilled in the people of Zarahemla: to have a yeshiva or sitting down with God. As Alma asked a lot of questions, I'll end with some as well: Do we have enough faith to cause a mighty change in our own hearts? Have we been reborn? Are we ready to enter into the heavenly temple of God with clean garments and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Godhead, and be like them? Bibliography "Internal Textual Evidence for the Egyptian Origin of Nephi's Name" by Matthew Bowen: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/insights/?vol=22&num=11&id=301 The name Alma in Bar Kokhba letters and Ebla tablets: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=8&num=1&id=189&cat_id=454 Asking and Answering method in teaching: http://oir.fod.msu.edu/oir/TeachingMethods/asking-and-answering.asp "The Atonement of Jesus Christ - part 3", Hugh Nibley: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1990/09/the-atonement-of-jesus-christ-part-3 Day of Atonement at the Temple: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-testament-gospel-doctrine-lesson-15.html

Book of Mormon Lesson 22 “Have Ye Received His Image in Your Countenances" Alma 5–7 Alma 5 The etymology of Nephihah and Alma Alma has given up the judgment seat as chief judge, handing it over to another faithful Nephite named, Nephihah. The name Nephihah is likely a name conjugated from two words/names: "Nephi" and "ihah". That Nephi is logically from the first main Nephite prophet is easy to see. According to Matthew Bowen, the name Nephi possibly comes from the Egyptian term "nfr" (in Lehi's time pronounced "NEH fee") meaning "good" or "goodness". (Note: the Egyptian language was not understood at the time the Book of Mormon was written. That Joseph Smith could "guess" using a name that is tied to Reformed Egyptian such as Nephi, is quite amazing). The term "ihah" is possibly a Nephite converted Hebrew name ending, such as "Jah" or "iah" (Elijah, Jeremiah) which are short for Jehovah. So, combining the terms, the second chief judge's name would be "The goodness of Jehovah". Alma's own name is interesting in regards to archaeology. For over a century after its publication, unbelievers scoffed that Joseph Smith would use the name "Alma" in the Book of Mormon. First off, it is a Latin word for "soul". Secondly, every American knew it was a common name used for women. The scoffing can now end. The name Alma was found in the mid twentieth century in the Bar Kokhba letters, a series of documents hidden up in the Judean wilderness at the time of the second revolt (known as the Bar Kokhba revolt against Rome about 135 AD). In the letters, a man named Alma was involved in land transactions. Since then, the name Alma was also found in the 4000 year old Ebla texts, 8 times in 6 documents. These texts are Semitic (related to Akkadian) and clearly talk of men by that name. Here we see two evidences from names in the Book of Mormon where there were no known names available to Joseph Smith to use if such were a fraud. In fact, there are about 40 names in the Book of Mormon that have since been found to be valid names from the Ancient Near East. Statistically, that is highly unlikely to ever occur by chance. Alma's Discourse in Zarahemla Alma understands that Zarahemla has not fared well spiritually. His preaching will try and reawaken in them the testimony they learned from their fathers. Perhaps a key word one can use in regards to his discourse is "remember". It is a concept that is very useful and important in a day when things become dated and old in Internet time. There was a time when people were amazed at what computers could do for them, and that excitement would linger for more than just a few months until the new cool thing came out. We have no recollection of history, because there are so many things propelling us quickly into the future without a chance to glance back to see what we have learned (or should have learned). For example, we have seen what works and doesn't work in marriages and parenting. We have thousands of years of experience, and many quality studies and books available on such ideas. This being true, why do so many marriages fail and so many children end up dropping out of school or in prison? Our current economic collapse and Great Recession occurred from issues that have occurred before in history: land speculation, over-extension of money, artificial bubbles created by government, etc. So, why did it occur again? Because people were solely focused on instant and future gains on their returns, rather than studying the past events to avoid major system failure. "have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?" (Alma 5:6). For Alma, the system failure was in forgetting the history of King Noah, Amulon, the captivity of Limhi's people, Abinadi, and the Lord liberating his people once they repented and believed on Him once more. "Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them" (Alma 5:7). In their great punishment of slavery, they awoke to God, who then caused a mighty change of heart in them. With this change, they were then eligible to be rescued. "And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved" (Alma 5:9). Alma explained that Abinadi taught faith in Christ. Alma's father believed the words of Abinadi, and "according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true" (Alma 5:12). As one trained in teaching, I have often looked at the teaching techniques used by different prophet in the scriptures. Here, Alma uses a technique known as "Asking and Answering". In asking questions about the past, it forces the listener to review in his/her mind the details and contents of that event. In discussing several events in this way, Alma is able to tie them all together, and in doing so, show a pattern in the past that can benefit them now: sin leads to captivity and righteousness leads to liberty. Once again, in the Book of Mormon, we see the importance of faith - another key point taught by Alma in this discourse. Without faith, people sin. Once there is faith, a mighty change of heart may occur. As with the people of King Benjamin, "...we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2). Here we see a pattern: when we do not believe enough in Christ to have a mighty change of heart, we drift towards sin, which eventually leads to captivity and destruction. When we do exercise faith unto repentance, then the Holy Spirit may work the miracle of rebirth within us, making a new person of us. And so we see Alma teach: "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" (Alma 5:14). In the rebirth of baptism, which Alma the younger clearly taught, we symbolically can imagine putting on a clean white garment. This has connotations (as we will see) with the temple endowment and our own personal theophany (being in the presence of God). Speaking to the sinners of Zarahemla, Alma teaches them that the wicked will have a horrifying experience at the judgment bar of God. They will stand before him in firty clothing, realizing they cannot hide their filth from Him: "... there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness?" (Alma 5:21-22) LDS scholar Professor Hugh Nibley explained, "Being guilty of the blood and sins of your generation, you may not “have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white.” (Alma 5:24.) This is nothing less than the yeshivah, literally “sitting down” in the presence of God. Note that there are two kinds of blood-stained garments here—the one showing the blood and sins of this world, the other attesting (for Alma expressly states that “these things testify”) that Aaron and his sons have completed the sacrifice of the Lamb and thus cleansed the people of their defilements, and their garments are white. The blood that washes garments clean is not the blood that defiles them, just as the serpent that healed the people in the wilderness was not the serpent that killed. (See Num. 21:9.)" Alma teaches that we can either stain our garments with the sins of the world, or we can be like the temple priests, performing the annual cleansing sacrifice of the temple and the people, which removed spiritual stains from the garments of the priests. The importance of sitting with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in God's presence is again, as noted in several of my lessons on the Book of Mormon, the most important key to the Book of Mormon. Its purpose is to teach us how to return into the presence of God, to have our own theophany, to experience God and be like him (even as the great Patriarchs are God-like). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob symbolize the Godhead or Trinity: three divine beings who are one. To sit down with them is to sit down in council with them, even as Nephi counseled with Lehi as "my father dwelt in a tent" that symbolized their mobile tabernacle or temple of God, and also as Isaiah counseled with the Lord and divine seraphim in Isaiah 6, " The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people; For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand" (Alma 5:57-58). To sit down in the presence of God at his right hand is to stand with Christ on the right hand of God. One becomes holy and divine through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Well, when you find the solution and they look to present you with a Nobel Prize in Science, make sure I'm in there too!

There are other ways to consider this. The earth did not have to be in an "eternal state" as you assume. The earth could have gone through a series of Creation/Destruction cycles prior to this final time. Each cycle would end with a destruction event, such as the great destructions 250Million and 65Million years ago, or the Great Ice Age 10,000 years ago. Each of these marks a point when massive change occurred in the type of animals living on earth. As for Adam being first man, that could mean many things. It could mean he was the first man with the fullness of the gospel and the priesthood, for example. That's how I view it.

Traveler, here's another thought. If the Big Bang theory is correct, then was Dark Energy also a part of the initial Big Bang, or was it a separate entity already present, just not detected? If we cannot directly measure dark energy, how do we know if it has always been causing the expansion of the Big Bang, or if it just took over later? Perhaps it emerged along the way from another dimension, etc?

I always try to defer to my elders. And my elders are usually women....

Here is some good info on Bacchus and Sergius at wikipedia. As you'll see, most historians and Christians reject the concept of a gay marriage, etc. Sadly, one will find so called historians that try to make more out of something than there really is (like Abraham Lincoln being gay, because while traveling he shared beds with other men - very common in that time period). Saints Sergius and Bacchus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia As for the Apostasy, yes it occurred. Some members see it as an absolute and total event, but I do not. Many correct principles continued throughout the centuries: such as Jesus is the Christ, repentance, faith, commandments. That some things were lost along the way is rather obvious as one studies the writings of top scholars in the area today. So we do have a loss of priesthood authority, revelation, etc.

The "morality" of science had doctors, nurses, and scientists putting Jews in camps, where many were experimented upon. Mengele's experiments on twins was to ensure Aryan women could bear twins, all blue eyed and blond haired, in order to ensure the Third Reich had its millennium of greatness. Of course, this has occurred elsewhere: the syphilis experimentation on black men at Tuskegee, Professor Philip Zimbardo's prison experiment gone awry, etc. Of course, this does not mention the non-religious, materialist/scientific minds of Stalin and Chairman Mao, who each slaughtered tens of millions of their own people to promote their scientific methodology of politics. Many things have been done in the name of science over the years that make the atrocities of religion pale by comparison. One of my favorite authors once noted that we cannot allow science to create the next generation of Eichmanns or Mengeles. Top 10 Evil Human Experiments

But this applies to anything related to a singularity (such as the "time" prior to the Big Bang). We cannot measure it in any way, so we really cannot know what was happening. We cannot do an experiment to show whether matter existed or did not exist prior to the Big Bang. So, it is conjecture. As it is, most of the Big Bang theorists I've studied believe that it wasn't an ex nihilo creation, but a creation from everything. All matter and energy existed in one point. The key is: it existed.

Before the Big Bang, everything existed. Big Bang does not mean creatio ex nihilo (creation from nothing), but creation from everything. It all existed. It cannot be destroyed, only transformed. And that is exactly what we see with the Big Bang. So, Joseph Smith was exactly right.

I have the Kindle Touch and can access lds.net with it. I think it would work a little better with the Fire (color, etc). But I can get around most places with my Touch, without video.

Giving in to your spouse is not being codependent (although some people have issues with codependency). It is learning to be selfless. You have to learn the same thing in regards to children, with God, and in serving others, as well. The reason why most marriages fail is because one or both spouses become selfish. They do not seek to serve the other, but only themselves. Why do many people stop going to church? Same reason. They choose to focus on their own desires (fishing, golfing, sports, movies, shopping, etc), rather than focusing their lives on God and his kingdom. Why are there more miserable people in the USA than in third world nations? Because we are a selfish people. Rich and selfish. Meanwhile, those in poorer nations tend to be humble and thankful for what they have, and seek to help those around them. Selfishness and pride end up destroying nations and families. It is all the same sickness. As I see it, those who do not marry and learn to be selfless, are the ones who are codependent on materialism.

Alma 2 Amlici is a man "after the order of Nehor", someone who believed in the religion and priestcraft of evil men. Note the terminology used here to describe Amlici: "after the order of Nehor". In LDS teaching, we use the term "after the order of" most frequently to denote true authority and power from God (after the order of the Son of God/Melchizedek/Enoch). We can get a feeling of a system, first religious and now political, that seeks to displace and replace the true order, after the order of Nephi. Amlici believed he should be king. This great politician had the flattering tongue of the televangelist. He realized that Nehor could not have full power, as long as Mosiah's laws remained in place. Therefore, not only the religious, but also the political order had to be changed. It would be according to the voice of the people if they were to change the rule of judges, after only 5 years, with a new king. "the people assembled themselves together throughout all the land, every man according to his mind, whether it were for or against Amlici, in separate bodies, having much dispute and wonderful contentions one with another" (Alma 2:5). It seems that politics, as with religion, created huge contentions back then, even as it does today. While the rule of judges continued, the voting seems to have been very close. Clearly, there were many people, perhaps many of the non-Nephites, who desired a king. Politicians can often offer huge bribes, often things they will do for the people once they get into office. Unfortunately, such bribes and benefits require the loss of freedom. The people would have given up their ability to choose judges and vote had they chosen a king to rule over them. Amlici was still anointed king by his followers, and took up arms to overthrow the government established by Mosiah. This is exactly how events occurred among the Jaredites. Wicked men desired to be king, and so started insurrections to overthrow the current government. While the wicked often succeeded among the Jaredites, this time Amlici failed in his violent bid to rule. While the Nephite army handily beat Amlici's army on the first day, the surprise counter attack included a Lamanite army to supplement Amlici's troops. It reminds me of the Korean War, where North Korea invaded the South, but was pushed back. When the war was thought to soon be over, the North Korean army was suddenly reinforced by millions of Chinese soldiers flowing over the border, seeming "as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea" (Alma 2:27). Only fierce combat allowed South Korea and the Nephites to regain the edge and win the day. Alma 3 Those Amlicites, who escaped into the Lamanite territories, marked themselves with a red mark on their foreheads, so as to distinguish them from the Nephites. We must note this is not a black mark, nor a skin of darkness, that was upon them, but a red one. The only curse upon them was one they placed upon themselves. They could also remove the curse. However, instead of being viewed as followers of Christ, they intentionally marked themselves as enemies of God and his people. Today, it is interesting to see the many ways people mark themselves to signify which group(s) they belong with. Tattoos, rings, hair cuts, clothing styles, etc., all become external evidence of what is often going on inside the individual. Having worked as a hearing officer/judge inside a state prison system for several years, I've come to recognize the tattoos many of the offenders wear, and which gang each tattoo is connected with. There are tattoos for skinhead white supremacists, tattoos for a variety of black gangs, tattoos for Mexican gangs, etc. Even those who get tattoos unaffiliated with a gang, often do so to make a statement, often to separate the person from the norm or to express individuality (even though everyone else may also be doing it in their associated group). Interestingly, Isaiah warned the daughters of Zion for doing this very thing of wearing a variety of styles and "walking haughty" as leading to their eventual downfall. "it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty" (Isaiah 3:16-26, 2 Nephi 13:16-26). So, how should we look? In the next lesson, Alma will explain that we should have Christ in our countenances. When people see us, they should clearly see a follower of Christ. Our outward expression should show forth our inner expression of faith. Alma 4 After the many wars, the Nephite people were humbled. They realized that only with God's help were they able to overcome the massive forces of the Lamanites. Because of their humility, they survived. However, because of their former sins, the Lord allowed tragedy to strike, so they would learn to be humble. "And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty" (Alma 4:3). With such tragedy, many were baptized into the Church. We see such a cycle often in the Book of Mormon. 1. The people are humble and faithful. 2. The people are blessed by the Lord and prosper. 3. The people get too comfortable and forget God, returning to their former sins. 4. Destruction occurs, causing them to be humble. This Pride Cycle continues unless it is broken. Either the people must remain humble and faithful, or the destruction becomes complete, so that there are no more people to continue in the Pride Cycle. We will note that when the people turn to the Lord, peace and joy seem to be the terms used to describe them. However, as the people become wicked, contention often becomes the main problem. And so, after just a few years of peace, the non-believers return to their life of pride and contention, leading many in the Church to also stumble and struggle. Alma cannot rule the land and guide the church at the same time. He has no choice but to leave behind either politics or religion. Choosing to remain chief high priest, Alma appoints his replacement in the government, with the people sustaining the choice (no direct elections). For several generations, the ruler was also the chief religious leader. Now, the people will learn how to deal separately between politics and religion. Alma will leave the government in stable Nephite hands, and go forth preaching the gospel. Bibliography Akhenaten at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten King Mosiah I and Zarahemla: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-of-mormon-lesson-14-for-wise.html "Human Sacrifice Among the Mayan", by N.S. Gill: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/deathafterlife/qt/012709MayaScrfc.htm Contention of the Devil, Unity of Christ: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-of-mormon-lesson-11-press-forward.html

Book of Mormon Lesson 21- “Alma … Did Judge Righteous Judgments” Mosiah 29, Alma 1-4 Mosiah 29 Several issues combine to cause a major change in governance among the people of Nephi. First, the sons of Mosiah have left on a mission to the Lamanites of indeterminate length. There is no one for Mosiah to leave the throne to. Traditionally, the kingdom had always been ruled by a direct descendant of Nephi (Mosiah 25:13). Nephi was given the power to rule by God. Now, however, there were other possible claimants to the throne. Mulekites were direct descendants of King Zedekiah of Israel, and therefore direct descendants of King David. They may have believed they also had a divine right to rule, now that Mosiah had no heir apparent. It is possible that children of King Limhi may also have felt they had a right to the throne. It may be that other non-Nephite groups that were under Nephite rule also desired to gain the throne. One of these groups probably were Jaredites that escaped with the people of Zarahemla from the final Jaredite wars. From the point where King Mosiah I discovered Zarahemla and on, we see Jaredite names and tactics enter into the Nephite story. Jaredites often sought to overthrow the governments and kings of the nation, and we'll see their secret combinations, priestcrafts, and wickedness spring up in the Nephite realm in the Book of Alma and later. For King Mosiah II, he had to find a solution that satisfied the various factions by giving them some power, but leaving the government in the hands of trusty Nephite leaders. He developed a system of judges, where lower levels of judges were elected by the people. So, Mulekite people could have their own local leadership, while Limhites or Jaredites could also have their own. Meanwhile, the chief judge was appointed to the position by King Mosiah. This specific position was given to Alma the younger, a descendant of Nephi and a proven faithful follower of God. That the majority of the people appreciated this additional freedom and personal power is evident from the Nephite record. Still, there is an underlying current of dissatisfaction from some groups with the strict Nephite rule. Remember in the last lesson that King Mosiah mandated special dispensations to Alma's churches that do not seem to have been given to any other churches or groups. How does one create a state religion? By mandating its existence, giving it preference over all other religions, and ensuring it is not persecuted. In Egyptian history, there was a period when one Pharaoh rejected the multiplicity of gods and focused worship throughout the kingdom on just one god. The Pharaoh Amenhotep IV rejected the God Amun (whom he was named for) and renamed himself Akhenaten ("Living Spirit of Aten"). He moved away from the Egyptian capitol, where all the gods had temples, and built a new city in the desert called Amarna, where only the worship of Aten was allowed. This religion grew greatly in his lifetime rule of 17 years. However, after his death, Aten worship was no longer protected nor nurtured, and the older religions quickly returned to fill the vacuum. Akhenaten and Aten were removed from the face of temples and statues everywhere. The city of Amarna was buried and the secret remained buried for almost 3000 years. Here we see a similar issue for King Mosiah. He knew once he was gone, other forces would attempt to grab the power and bury the Christian faith forever. It would require skillful politics to keep the Christian faith and Nephite rule in power. In giving limited power to the other groups ensured the continuing of Nephite rule for at least another generation. However, that new freedom would open up new problems for Alma as he became both prophet and chief judge. Alma 1 Alma's first challenge as chief judge and prophet come in the first year of the judges. Nehor was a descendant of the Jaredites, culturally, if not literally. His name is Jaredite in origin (Ether 7:4-9), and the religion he preaches is reminiscent of Jaredite philosophy. "And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life" (Alma 1:3-4). Here is a clear distinction between Alma's and Nehor's teachings. Alma gave strict direction that priests should labor for themselves; that not all would be saved, only those that exercised faith unto repentance. Nehor is teaching that no matter what a person does in this life, God will save him or her. His teachings justified a form of anarchy against the government, as well as anarchy against Alma's established religion. For Nehor, his preachings encouraged people to commit sexual sin, to not be humble or repent, nor believe in the coming Savior to save people from their sins. Instead, his teachings taught that they would be saved regardless, and so they may as well live riotous lives and toss out all rules. Nehor tested the current system by killing Gideon. When Nehor was not able to convince Gideon with words, he went to other resources in his anarchic toolbox. Since all would be saved, murder was justified. Priestcraft In future lessons, we will study secret combinations and priestcrafts. One of their main goals is to do whatever necessary to get gain and power. For Nehor, gaining religious and political power required him to slay his Gideon. We will see that in the future, most wicked men will murder only in secret, avoiding the death that Nehor would face for breaking the laws of the land. "Alma said unto him: Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to enforce it by the sword; and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction" (Alma 1:12). We will see that priestcraft, or secret combinations, will eventually destroy the Nephite and Jaredite peoples. Interestingly, it isn't the existence of priestcrafts or sin that cause the destruction of a people, but the enforcement of such wickedness upon the people that causes the destruction. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, for example, it isn't that the cities were dens of sexual iniquity that ripened them for destruction, but that the citizens sought to enforce their wickedness on others, such as seeking to rape Lot's visitors. If in our day, we get to a point where such great sins are enforced by government or the majority of the people, we may also see ourselves ripened for destruction, as well. Nehor's Death That Nehor was killed for murder is not newsworthy. What is interesting is the description of his death: "And it came to pass that they took him; and his name was Nehor; and they carried him upon the top of the hill Manti, and there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens and the earth, that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God; and there he suffered an ignominious death." (Alma 1:15) Why take him to the top of a hill to slay him? Why would it be considered an "ignominious death"? If current LDS scholarship is correct and places the main events of the Nephite record in Central America, it is possible that the hill Manti was actually am active volcano. Imagine being carried to the top of the hill, and with the heat of the lava in your face, being forced to confess. The ignominious death would have been tossing the person into the volcano, as an example to others. Another possibility is that the hill refers to a special hill used for human sacrifice, where enemies of the state would be sacrificed. It may be that by the time the Nephites had lived among the natives for 5 centuries, they began to use some of their methods for killing those who broke their laws. For example, we find that ancient Mayans used a variety of methods in human sacrifice: "The common method for human sacrifice seems to have been for the "ah nacom" (a functionary) to extract the heart quickly, while 4 people associated with Chac, the rain/lightning god, held the struggling victim's limbs. Human sacrifices seem to have been made, as well, with arrows, by flaying, decapitation, hurling from a precipice, and throwing the victim into a limestone sinkhole." Nehor's Influence on the Nephites So what comes of Nehor's time among the people? His religion gets a strong foothold among the people. While they are not allowed to break the laws of the land, they are free to believe as they choose. Many push the limits of the law, as they seek to live without boundaries set by man or God: "For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible" (Alma 1:32). And what of the Church of God? "And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth. And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need. And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church" (Alma 1:29-31). The Church actually prospered more than the world did. While they cared for the poor and needy, they were also worked hard to make for a good living, and trusted in God. God made them prosperous. Some wonder why such a small church of just 14 million people can have so much power in the world today, perhaps it is because Mormons have also learned these principles and God is generally prospering the LDS Church today. As to our own work ethic and our caring for the poor and needy, the above verses should be our guide today, compared to the empty words given by those who are caught up in the worldliness of things today. In the Church of God, we see the Doctrine of Christ (unity) compared with the Doctrine of Satan (contention), as we've studied before in 2 Nephi 31, and will study again in 3 Nephi. Those outside the church begin to contend with one another, a variety of beliefs appear, and they embrace chaos as a way of life. The Church offers order and a strong foundation.

Cascade High School is in my ward's boundaries. I actually know some of the kids involved. Much nicer than some of the pranks done at my high school in the 70s, like stealing all the door knobs or main sign from the rival high school....

It may be evolution. It may be that God created a method of reusable parts. It could be both or neither. Since no one on earth knows everything regarding science or of religion 100%, much of it is left to speculation and faith. Doesn't shake my faith at all, because such things have nothing to do with the spiritual witness I've received of God.

James Faulconer wrote an excellent philosophical article regarding reason and faith - one cannot have reason without faith and vice versa. He establishes that real faith is based upon evidence, but rationality also depends upon a faith. One develops a chain of rationales for/against an idea. However, at each link, one can always ask "why/why not?" In doing so, one could potentially create an infinite chain. However, we always end the chain with some external thing. For Levinas, that external reason is God. For Heidegger, who did not believe in creatio ex nihilo, it was the world that could reveal itself. For LDS, we can accept that both God and the world can reveal themselves as the external concepts, understanding that even the world has God above it. As Traveler noted, many LDS beliefs have more evidence than do some popularly accepted scientific theories. Why do many believe in string theory? Because reason leads us towards it, and we bridge the gap with faith. As I've noted, there are two trees: Knowledge and Life. One is reason or logic, the other is faith that is based on evidence. To reject faith is to reject reason, because most things require faith in something external, in order to end the chain of reasoning. For cryophil, he is lost in a never-ending chain of reasons, because he will not allow faith in the Other to end his search. I suggest a good reading of Faulconer's article: Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen - Room to Talk: Reason's Need for Faith

I have not asked you to repent. I've asked you to have an open mind to the answers you receive. Given that we are physical humans, the spiritual answers we receive can come through physical means, yes. But for many of us, we've received answers in such a powerful way that the physical body's chemical reactions cannot explain them away. I think I previously mentioned of a man I knew, who questioned the gospel as you do. Interestingly, he was miserable. He noted how peaceful and happy he was back when he believed and had a testimony, but was now miserable as he struggled to find a scientific answer to spiritual questions. I couldn't help but ask him why he would give up the peace/happiness for misery. Was that not an answer? Sadly, he never responded to me. I do not pretend that the LDS Church has all the answers. It does not. I believe it has a subset of answers that can bring us greater joy and happiness. If it does bring a person such peace of mind, then why insist on being miserable instead? That is counter-intuitive. I believe God gives to all mankind the amount of truth they are ready for (again, see Alma 29:8). I believe God provides a near universal salvation through Jesus Christ, which will save Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and even most atheists. That the LDS Church's teachings include that all will receive a fair opportunity to hear and embrace the fullness of the gospel shows that God IS impartial. It is a logical fallacy to say that the LDS God is a partial God because he sends prophets to some and not others, or that he gives the First Vision to Joseph Smith and not others. That God reveals himself to each person in His own way, and according to the needs of the individual, makes Him impartial. BTW, I am sure there are many people who have seen the face of God, but they do not share the experience because it is too sacred for them to share. Personally, I have never seen God face to face in mortality. However, the spiritual experiences I've had are significant enough to me to be sufficient for my testimony and faith. That the Holy Ghost has burned deeply into my soul many times, leaving an indelible belief, is enough witness for me to testify of God and Jesus Christ. That such experiences fill me with peace, joy, happiness, and hope for an eternal future, tell me that this is good evidence. That thoughts have filled my mind with wisdom, understanding and knowledge beyond my own ability is another witness that these things are true. I have spent decades studying the gospel in-depth. I discuss deep topics with LDS and other scholars frequently online, and have done so for over 20 years (back when only universities and military had Internet). I've studied the physical evidences for and against the Book of Mormon, etc. I've given seminars at LDS-related symposium. I blog about the scriptures, and have done so for 2 1/2 years now, using the Dead Sea Scrolls, other ancient documents, concepts from various LDS and non-LDS theologians, and my own ideas on these topics. I've discussed Mormonism as a modern form of Gnosticism with some of the top scholars in the subject. I've come to see the great complexity within the Book of Mormon as few members truly could ever understand, written by a young man with a third grade education! I've studied topics that Joseph Smith taught, unknown in his day, but now are being discussed by the top scholars as new materials come forth to reteach us what the ancients believed. And there is so much more. IOW, I've studied these things a lot over 30 years. That said, none of this evidence compares to my spiritual experiences. Most of my spiritual experiences are not giant events, but often just the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, bringing me peace, joy and confidence in these things. It has revealed some amazing things to me in regards to religion, and beyond. So, the challenge isn't for us to try and convince you. With your scientific standards that just is not ever going to happen. You need to do your own homework. You need to accept the spiritual toolbox that God offers, and then use it properly. You need to abandon your preconceived notions and beliefs, and allow your mind to be a clean slate. You need to allow God to answer you in HIS way, whether it is a First Vision, or the still small voice, or somewhere in between. You need to accept His method of answering: with peace, joy, and hope. Again, I recommend you set aside a week, go into the wilderness. Fast. Pray. Study. Ponder. Open your heart and mind to God. Stay as long as it takes, even as Enos did, until you receive the answer. And if one week isn't long enough, then prepare to spend several weekends doing the same thing. Pride is a tough thing to overcome. So is unbelief. But determination to search until you find the answer, regardless of what that answer is, is exactly what any good scientist would do.

I gave no straw man. Most scientists recognize they cannot show proof. However, most people see scientific discovery as providing complete proof. That I showed your weakness does not make it my own. I reject your insistence on a methodology to prove things, which you continue to insist upon. You want answers? Well, we provide the answers and evidences we have. Then it is up to you to decide whether they are good enough for you or not. That is simply how it goes. We could line up a thousand LDS to share spiritual experiences they've had, and one could say that it was all imagined. A friend of mine visited the anti-Mormon Sandra Tanner once (years ago) and asked her if archaeologists were to find a 2000 year old sign in Mesoamerica saying 15 miles to Zarahemla, would that be enough evidence for her. She thought for a moment and said, "it would be an item of discussion." IOW, we offer physical evidences, hundreds in fact at FAIR/MI/etc, and yet there are still people out there that insist there is no evidence whatsoever. We can show them Nahom/NHM, and they insist it was a lucky guess. We show them the 40 ancient names in the Book of Mormon that were not known in Joseph Smith's day, and the statistical improbability of him guessing that many right, and they ignore the data. We show chiasmus, ancient Hebrew and Mayan themes, etc., and still they do not choose to consider any of it. We offer 11 additional witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and they argue about whether Martin Harris actually saw the angel or not, rather than discuss the importance of having 11 witnesses who never denied their testimony of the plates. The evidences are there. You can do with them as you like. They will not "prove" anything, as one can argue about various issues like KEP, etc., as well. You asked the questions. I can only answer them in the way I understand things. You ask me about God? I answer you from my knowledge and faith bank. If you disagree, or try to change/invalidate my answer by saying someone else believes differently, it does not change my set of answers. It just means that you will have to decide who has the best set of answers, or if none of them meet your need to know. That is where faith comes in. You obviously struggle with faith or spiritual answers, and so I do not believe you are ready to receive spiritual answers from anyone, including God. Sadly, what you are doing is something we commonly see anti-Mormons do. They ask a question. When answered, they reject the answer because it does not fit their world view of things. Then they claim we have no evidence to offer. You have put yourself into a never ending circle, because you refuse to allow others to offer answers you do not want to hear. The best answer for you is this: take your scriptures into the woods. Stay there for a week in a secluded place. Fast for most of the time you are out there. Spend all your time pondering, praying, and arguing these things over with God. He has your "proof". Seek your own spiritual answer from God, as you will not receive it from us. I have found that a 3 day fast usually prepares me for answers, especially ones I normally would not want to receive. To be that hungry humbles a person to the point of being ready to truly listen. Then listen.

But your arguments are equally circular. You determine that it is an "all-loving God" and determine what "all-loving" means, then dismiss others' thoughts on it. If you want to deal with epistemology, then you have to first sacrifice your own sacred cows. You want to know what Mormons believe? Then you have to accept their epistemology, and not argue that it does not fit your view/knowledge of the topic. For us, it isn't God that is choosy on who he reveals himself to. It is mankind that is picky. We tend to want things our own way. We insist that God is male/female/spirit. We insist that God look like us, or something else. Some insist that God can no longer reveal himself. Others insist that he only reveals himself in certain, non-doctrinal ways. Some insist that God only reveals himself through already revealed scripture, philosophy, or nature. Some think God reveals himself through Christianity, Judaism, Taoism, or via animistic tribal spiritualism. So, how should God reveal himself to mankind? If God were to forcefully reveal himself upon us, would it perhaps destroy his reason for creating us? Most religions have faith as a predicate for knowing God. If suddenly the requirement of faith no longer exists, must we then do all things from knowledge? And what then? What if some reject the knowledge of God? Does the "all-loving" God just forgive them and save them, regardless of whether they hate Him, or choose another god/Satan to follow instead? Isn't it an "all-loving" God who does not force himself upon us all at once, but instead allows us to each develop faith at our own pace? The thing about your "epistemic concerns" is you cannot ask the question and then demand the answer you seek. We can answer about God only inasmuch as we personally understand Him. However, that is not going to answer any knowledge questions you have, especially since you obviously want proof. Well, in this world there is no such thing as proof. You cannot prove the world is rotating around the Sun. Evidence suggests it, but we could also show that it stands still and everything else floats around a stationary earth. It is all perception. You cannot prove 1 + 1 = 2, unless you first establish basic principles upon which all agree. Personally, I think you are a red herring. You are seeking reasons to disbelieve, and take others with you. We've already explained that God is not known through physical means, but He reveals himself in His own way. Since you seem to have rejected spiritual means as evidence, then there's no way for any of us to show evidence of any kind to you. If you want to study the stars, you have to accept the concepts regarding how to use telescopes, etc. If you sit in front of a telescope that is aimed at Alpha Centauri, but refuse to look through the lens, then you can smugly retain your ignorance, while claiming it as some kind of superior knowledge. Well, it isn't. You are suffering from acute spiritual ignorance, a form of ignorance that hits many people that refuse to use spiritual tools in the proper manner. Your pride keeps you from looking at any possible evidence with an inquiring mind. You've rejected it even before looking at it with an open mind. You'll see how silly your insistence on using epistemology as your defining term. Epistemically, almost all of science is based upon theories that so far hold up and are useful. Yet they do not prove themselves for all cases. We still use Newton's laws of physics because they work for us, yet we know they are not exactly correct, because they do not work for microscopic particles. Have you seen a graviton? How about cosmic strings? Neither has any scientist. Yet, we believe them to exist, because of circumstantial evidences that point to them. Still, they remain theories until we can actually prove them. And then, do we know if they are universally true? Perhaps there are no gravitons on the other side of the universe, or in black holes, etc. Perhaps they work differently there than now. Can you prove the universality of the things you claim to know? Can you pinpoint an atom's location and direction it is traveling at the same time? If so, then you can do something no other has done before. How can a photon be in two places at once? And yet there are experiments that show they can be (or seem to be). Scientists believe in evolution. However, almost all will tell you that there are some issues with Darwinism that have not yet been worked out. Evolution is a useful theory as it now is, but will continue being updated as we gain more information. These arguments seem circular, don't they? Well, we have the same issue with spiritual things. We can find evidences, but nothing that can be found to be universally true in all cases, because we cannot test theories for all cases in space and time. So, epistemologically speaking, your discussion really goes nowhere without first having a set of agreed-upon principles.

Mosiah 28 "Now they (sons of Mosiah) were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever" (Mosiah 28:3-4). They felt themselves the vilest of sinners, and needed to fix what they had destroyed. Why then, did they feel a need to go to the land of Nephi to preach the gospel to the Lamanites, which they had never seen? Was it to fix the damage caused by another king (Noah) among the Lamanites? Clearly, Nephite reputations were not helped by Noah's antics, nor the wars his pride (and that of his people) engendered. As noted in Mosiah 27:37, perhaps it was to redeem Abinadi's words in the land of Nephi? Here we begin to see a parallel story. Years before, King Mosiah sent a group of men to see what had happened with Zeniff and his people in the land of Nephi. This group was led by a man named Ammon, who felt himself unworthy to baptize King Limhi's people. Still, he was able to help physically save the people from slavery and possible destruction. Now, we see another Ammon going to the land of Nephi. This time, he also feels unworthy of God, but righteous enough to baptize and preach repentance. In this mission, Ammon and his brethren will save the Lamanites in the land of Nephi from spiritual slavery and destruction. Of course, this story will detailed later in the Book of Mormon's saga regarding the Land of Nephi.

Lesson 20: “My Soul Is Pained No More” Mosiah 25–28 Mosiah 25 All the followers of Alma and Limhi were now safely gathered to Zarahemla. King Mosiah would now have to determine what to do with them. This determining began with a sharing of the records of both Limhi and Alma to the residents of Zarahemla. They would both rejoice and weep over the events accounted to them. Obviously, the people were prepared for long readings of the events, as such accounts could not have been handled in a short time. Perhaps the readings even took days to complete, we do not know for certain. Afterward, the disposition of Limhi and Alma's peoples needed to be determined. Obviously, there could not be two kings of the people, and given this was Mosiah's kingdom, Limhi would have to surrender his kingdom. There is no evidence given of the Limhites being granted a land of their own, such as will occur later on with the converted Lamanite people called the Ammonites. In the current scenario, it seems the people do not remain a tribe of the Nephites, but are fully absorbed, as they call themselves Nephites. How must King Limhi have felt to lose his kingdom, power and authority? With the Limhites now called Nephites, he no longer ruled, as only direct descendants of the prophet Nephi were rulers. Imagine the feelings of the children of Noah's priests. Their fathers abandoned them to die at the hands of the Lamanites. Their fathers abandoned their mothers and carried off young maidens instead. They never tried to enquire regarding their families. It is noteworthy that while the people of Limhi and Alma were "numbered with the Nephites" (Mosiah 25:13), only the children of Noah's priests rejected their own fathers and chose to be the "children of Nephi" in a formal adoption (vs 12). They would not carry with them the stigma of being the children of evil parents, but would instead be the children of Nephi. While Limhi may not have received any benefit except new citizenship and baptism, Alma is allowed by Mosiah to make churches in the land of Zarahemla (Mosiah 25:19-23). Didn't Zarahemla already have churches of God in the land before Alma? If so, why would Alma need to create more? A search of the Book of Mormon for the following words: church(es) andsynagogue(s), shows that prior to Mosiah 18 (when Alma baptized his people at the waters of Mormon and started his church), we find that all references to the terms apply to either the apostate Jerusalem church in Nephi's day, or to the future churches of the Lamb and Devil in the last days. There is no reference that I could find regarding a church being established by the Nephites prior to Alma. In other words, Alma may very well have formed the first church among the Nephites. The focus prior to this time was either family worship (altar in the wilderness) or national worship (at temple) of God. That King Benjamin gave a religious sermon at the national temple to all his people, who stayed in tents (miniature tabernacles), rather than having prophet-priests teaching them in their own churches, suggests that the concept of a church had not yet developed. In developing his own religious group, Alma discovered that he personally could only teach and guide so many people, before the work became too arduous and unruly. He determined that ordaining a priest for every 50 people allowed the priest to manage the small flock well on a daily/weekly basis, with Alma able to move around between flocks to care for all of them as needed. It is very likely that King Mosiah found this organization very useful and as a prophet and seer himself, authorized Alma to establish churches throughout the land of Zarahemla. We may note that Alma was not necessarily given authority over the temple worship/sacrifice, but that possibly remained in King Mosiah's hands. Another thing to consider: while Nephi previously spoke about baptism, it does not seem to have become a general practice among the Nephites until Alma, when "whosoever were desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God" (Mosiah 25:23). As noted in Mosiah 18, baptism was required for entrance into the church. With this division of labor between church/synagogues of Alma, and temple of King Mosiah, it may be that we see different levels of authority, as well as different practices under the law of Moses. As in the days of Jesus, while many priests actively offered sacrifice in the temple, John the Baptist baptized in distant rivers. Similarly, while the early Christian Church required the Jewish converts to be circumcised and serving in the temple; Paul's Gentile converts had a different set of requirements to join the Church: faith, repentance and baptism. We may be seeing such a grand transformation of the Nephite religion with the work of King Mosiah and Alma, as well. Mosiah 26 With the power that Alma desired of Mosiah to establish the Church, came authority and responsibility. Alma and his priests found that the children of many of their new converts did not believe. They refused baptism and membership into the church. They enticed members to join them in sin. For Alma, it was obviously a case for the king. As a wise king, Mosiah understood that authority given meant the new leader would have to solve his own problems. This wasn't an issue that was threatening the kingdom or the temple, but was threatening the destruction of Alma's church. The Lord revealed to Alma (after much wrestling with the Spirit) that the issue was one of faith and repentance. For those who would repent, including humbly confessing their sins, they would be kept within the fold. Meanwhile, those who refused to confess faith or repent would be excommunicated. This would protect the Church from those who could possibly destroy it from within, while allowing the unbelievers their freedom to not be members. In today's Church, many local leaders prefer to do as Alma initially did, and hide away from the responsibility that is theirs. I knew of a ward, where a series of bishops tucked away letters from unbelievers requesting to have their names removed from the records. Their hope was if they ignored it, then perhaps these would someday change their minds. Instead, leaving them on the records of the church only caused these individuals annoyance anytime someone contacted them. It was a courageous and tenacious bishop who finally cleared out almost 15 years worth of letters over a 3 month period of time. What these previous bishops did not understand is that retaining people who did not want to be retained hurt the church's relationship in the community and sometimes with its own members. This, perhaps, became one of the keys to Alma's church surviving and often thriving. It did not force people to be in its ranks. It showed Christ's mercy by also being merciful to those who confessed and repented of their sins. It also protected itself by removing those who were like cancers in the church. And sometimes those cancers can be very close to home. Mosiah 27 Contentions and persecutions arise in the Nephite nation to the extent that laws are passed by King Mosiah to forbid non-believers from persecuting Alma's Church. Note that King Mosiah still has his own priests (Mosiah 27:1), so Alma's church is not necessarily the only religious establishment around that is accepted by God or by King Mosiah. Interestingly, Mosiah sent a proclamation for the unbelievers to not persecute the church, but Alma had to direct his church members to not persecute anyone, either. Clearly, we have a rule that benefits one group, and not all, as the proclamation does not prevent church members from persecuting non-members. We could consider Alma's church a privileged class, given extra consideration by the king to ensure that it not only survives, but thrives. Among the unbelievers are those that actively seek the destruction of the church of Alma. Among these are the sons of King Mosiah and also the son of Alma. We do not know whether they were against all belief in God, or if they were only against the teachings and practices of Alma's church. It is possible that Mosiah's priests performed the works of the temple and the Mosaic Law for the nation, and Alma's church would be a new development that was separate from the official national religion. As Saul in the New Testament sought to destroy the Christian faith, being a threat to Jewish teachings and rituals, so these young men may have set out to protect the Law of Moses from an upstart religion. Why would Alma the younger be an "idolatrous" (27:8) man? Because the Law of Moses is to lead us to Christ, and not be the fulfillment in itself. As with the priests of Noah, they may have believed that salvation came through Moses and his Law. Again, it is also possible that Alma and the sons of Mosiah were rebellious youth, not believing at all in the things of God, or perhaps even worshiping another god entirely. As noted in previous lessons, it is very probable that the Nephites had absorbed many other nations already here, and would have also absorbed the local gods of the peoples, as well. Perhaps these youth were angered that Mosiah would give preference to one religion over the others, by establishing laws that protected Alma's church, but did not include protection for the other religions among the people. Regardless of what/who Alma worshiped, he set out to destroy his father's church. Flattery seems to be the preferred tool of those that seek to lead people away from God. It is easy to use one good concept to beat up on other virtues of the gospel. Today, we have the virtues of freedom, fairness, etc., being used to excuse sin and even try to justify evil works as normal. We can imagine young Alma doing the same thing in his day to entice people away from the gospel's teachings and convince them to accept a different world view that embraced sin, calling good evil and evil good. That it took an angel's chastisement to get their attention is instructive. Laman and Lemuel were also castigated by an angel, and they were humbled for a time. Why did Alma and Mosiah's sons have a true and lasting change of heart, and Lehi's sons did not? We'll get into Alma's conversion story later (Alma 36), as it is very instructive on many levels for us. For the sons of Mosiah, they also fell to the earth when the angel trumpeted his demand to stop harming the church of God. It is obvious that they all experienced a "mighty change of heart", as the young Alma noted as he arose from his coma: "I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off. Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God" (Mosiah 27:24-28). The concept that we must be "born again" means we must allow the old person die. One cannot just rearrange the old molecules, but must allow a major replacement of the whole cloth. We must become "new creatures" in Christ, or we cannot be born again. Without being born anew, we will die and be cast off as dead. Only the new born children of God, the living, may inherit the kingdom of God. Mosiah's sons were also vigorous in bearing witness of their lives, traveling throughout the Nephite lands trying to repair the damage they previously had done. In describing their efforts, we are reminded of Abinadi's preaching among the people of wicked king Noah: "And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth" (Mosiah 27:37).

I think the Lamanites already had a buffer zone: the wilderness. That the land of Nephi was probably not highly settled when Zeniff arrived is very probable. Prior to Alma 17, Nephite descriptions of Lamanites are of a people that were half naked, eating raw meat, and savages, suggests that the Lamanites on the border were the buffer zone, and the peoples the Nephites were aware of. To have Nephites be your buffer zone does not make sense, given you are giving land to your potential enemies, and opening the door for them to spy, and possibly increase in numbers via immigration. For me, I can also see the Lamanites using it as a possible trade source with the Nephites. That said, there is no reason to disbelieve Zeniff's reasoning here.