Alma 30-31
As I was sitting in a Sunday school class hundreds of miles away today I was thinking about you. Each of you. I was thinking about the lesson for next week and what you will most need to hear. Clearly I was distracted. But, in one of the comments someone made, I received revelation. I decided to share the revelation I received to the class and from my comment someone else received revelation and shared with the class what she had been taught. It was amazing. A sort of spiritual chain reaction!
Thank you for reading this blog. More importantly, thank you for reading the scriptures and preparing yourself for Sunday school. The spirit is the teacher. That was what my revelation was today. Kind of pathetically obvious and you are probably thinking, "Wow Sara, shouldn't you know that already?"
Yes.
What took me so long?!
As another member of class was talking about the importance of preparation and how they would study for investigators, I remembered getting frustrated that we would prepare for people for hours in the morning when they would just ditch the appointment later in the day. I remembered today in Sunday school how it dawned on me as a missionary that even though I wasn't always able to teach that lesson I had prepared for for that person, I was always able to use what I learned for someone who needed it that day even if it was just me who needed it. The spirit is the teacher. Thank you so much for helping to invite the spirit. For the goodness of your lives. I've missed you!
I am really excited about this Sunday's lesson. It is titled: "All Things Denote There Is a God". I think in preparation for this lesson I might have taken this phrase a wee bit too literally and have been trying to disprove it by throwing random things like 'spaghetti' and 'cockroaches' out and asking myself how those things denote there is a God. Even with spaghetti and cockroaches I was able to see how EVERYTHING testifies there is a God (can you come up with a connection? It's like the glad game on steroids).
The purpose of week's lesson is, “To help class members learn how to recognize and refute false teachings and stay true to their testimonies of Jesus Christ.”
To help you in your study for this week here are a few resource links for you:
Link to the Sunday School Teacher’s Manual:
Book of Mormon Institute manual link:
https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-29-alma-30-31?lang=eng
In Alma 30 we’ll be reading about Korihor, an infamous Anti-Christ, and learning more about Anti-Christs in our day. I’m including excerpts from a talk given by Elder Asay (before I was born) that rocked my world. One of my favorite quotes of his about Anti-Christs/apostates is that these people are “more interested in shadows than in light.” He also gives a list of how to not fall into this type of trap:
Hopefully this helped you in your study this week. If there are things that we could add or assist you to find that would be helpful (or continue to be helpful) please let us know! Here is a video about Korihor for a cinematic review:
In Alma 30 we’ll be reading about Korihor, an infamous Anti-Christ, and learning more about Anti-Christs in our day. I’m including excerpts from a talk given by Elder Asay (before I was born) that rocked my world. One of my favorite quotes of his about Anti-Christs/apostates is that these people are “more interested in shadows than in light.” He also gives a list of how to not fall into this type of trap:
“The evil one has attempted on many occasions in all dispensations to put out of existence, if you will, many of God’s children. Sometimes he, himself, has assumed the deluder’s role. Other times he has worked through those who have stepped to his side of the line. For instance, in the Book of Mormon, we read of three anti-Christs. Each was deceived, each preached against those who believed in Christ, and each sought openly to destroy the church of God. Their patterns of deceit were similar. They taught false doctrines, spread lies, referred to prophecies as foolish traditions, accused Church leaders of perverting the right way of God, and baited the people by referring to their faith as a foolish and vain hope. (See Jacob 7:1–23 Alma 1:1–16 and Alma 30).One of the most profound verses to me in this block is Alma 31:5:
When we read about the anti-Christs of former days, we marvel at how perverted their thinking became and we marvel at how successful they were in deceiving men and women. We also wonder why some of the people were so gullible—so easily misled. And with all this marveling and wondering, we tend to niche the anti-Christs in some corner of ancient history and go about our unguarded ways. This is dangerous. It could result in loss of faith; and, in a spiritual sense, it could put us out of existence.
The approach used by the apostate is common among those who are more interested in shadows than in light. Their logic, if followed, would have them burning the New Testament because Luke’s account of the gospel is not exactly like Matthew’s or because the book of Acts reports two differing versions of Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus. (See Acts 9:1–9 and Acts 22:4–11 Belief in modern prophets and continuous revelation is absent in the lives of many apostates. They would pin their hopes for salvation upon things other than those related to living prophets and living faith.Avoid those who would tear down your faith. Faith-killers are to be shunned. The seeds which they plant in the minds and hearts of men grow like cancer and eat away the Spirit. True messengers of God are builders—not destroyers. We send our missionaries into the world to teach and to assist people in receiving truth line upon line until the fulness of the gospel is received. (See D&C 98:12 As one new convert testified: “My previous church provided me the chapter on mortality. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints added two more chapters pertaining to the premortal and postmortal existences.”
1.Keep the commandments.
2.Follow the living prophets, as we have just been admonished.
3.Do not contend or debate over points of doctrine.
4.Search the scriptures.
5.Do not be swayed or diverted from the mission of the Church.
6.Pray for your enemies.
7.Practice “pure religion.”
Remember that there may be many questions for which we have no answers and that some things have to be accepted simply on faith. (1981-O:67, Carlos E. Asay, Opposition to the Work of God).
“And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.”Elder Bednar refers to this verse in his talk, “Converted unto the Lord” :
“Any honest seeker of truth can obtain a testimony by exercising the necessary “particle of faith” in Jesus Christ to “experiment upon” Alma 32:27 and “try the virtue of the word” Alma 31:5 to yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” Mosiah 3:19 and to awaken unto God (see Alma 5:7 Testimony brings increased personal accountability and is a source of purpose, assurance, and joy.In Alma 31:38 it says:
Seeking for and obtaining a testimony of spiritual truth requires asking, seeking, and knocking (see Matthew 7:7 3 Nephi 14:7 with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in the Savior (see Moroni 10:4 Fundamental components of a testimony are knowing that Heavenly Father lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the fulness of the gospel has been restored to the earth in these latter days.” (2012–O:106, David A. Bednar, Converted unto the Lord)
“And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.”Elder Hallstrom of the seventy refers to this verse in one of his talks showing us that the Savior can help us no matter what our affliction:
“If you feel you have been wronged—by anyone (a family member, a friend, another member of the Church, a Church leader, a business associate) or by anything (the death of a loved one, health problems, a financial reversal, abuse, addictions)—deal with the matter directly and with all the strength you have. “Hold on thy way” D&C 122:9 giving up is not an option. And, without delay, turn to the Lord. Exercise all of the faith you have in Him. Let Him share your burden. Allow His grace to lighten your load. We are promised that we will “suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ” Alma 31:38 Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually.” (2010–A:78, Donald L. Hallstrom, Turn to the Lord)
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