Lessons for Our Day From the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ - 2024
Lesson No. Eighteen

Alma’s Two-Year Ministry Among the Nephites - Lessons for the Latter Days

Problems in the Church of God among the Nephites – “In the eighth year of the reign of the judges the people of the church began to wax proud….They began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure….There began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God” (Alma 4:6-9).

Alma’s solution to the problems in the Church of God was “to preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty…seeing no way to reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them…Alma delivered up the judgment seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God” (Alma 4:19-20). For two years, from the beginning “in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the judges” (Alma 4:20), to the end “of the tenth year of the reign of the judges” (Alma 15:19), Alma ministered with great power among the Nephites.

The people of the Church of God in Zarahemla were in an “awful dilemma” (Alma 7:3), meaning they imagined that they could lie to and deceive the Lord at the judgement day (Alma 5:15-17). By the power of the word of God they repented (Alma 7:4). The power of Alma’s teachings in Zarahemla came in the form of 50 rhetorical questions we should ask ourselves. (See Alma 5)

The people of the Church in the city of Gideon believed in the Son of God and they strive to live accordingly. Therefore, Alma blessed them that “the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever” (Alma 7:27).

“[Alma] began to teach the people in the land of Melek according to the holy order of God…And they were baptized throughout all the land” (Alma 8:4-5).

“Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah” (Alma 8:9), and even after witnessing many miracles they “remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people…for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins”

Alma established the Church in Sidon, and its members “watched and prayed continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction” (Alma 15:17).

Similarities of Alma’s ministry to the Nephite church to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Alma walked and ministered in a small geographical area while the leaders of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ travel worldwide, mainly by air, but the challenges are similar. There are likely congregations who are similar to the members of the Church in Zarahemla, and general and local church leaders are able to set the Church in order in those places.

Testimony – Committed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strive to get on or stay on the covenant path – For all my life, the committed members of every ward or branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have ever belonged to have in essence accepted the charge Alma gave to members of the Nephite church in Gideon: “And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works” (Alma 7:23-24).

Let’s each one of us renew our determination to live so that this both powerful and beautiful charge becomes a reality in our lives.

Released on June 16th. 2024.