Alma 4

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 6/20 Green 4/21Orange 7/22  Brown 2023)

Chapter 4

Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church’s progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry. About 86–83 B.C.

  1 Now it came to pass in the sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no contentions nor wars in the ^aland of Zarahemla;
  2 But the people were afflicted, yea, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the ^aloss of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain, which were trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.
  3 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 ^aawakened to a remembrance of their duty. Maybe this is why they lost so much in battle even though the Lord helped them win. They were not totally righteous, but maybe more righteous or righteous enough to merit God's help...I think I just read a statement by an apostle that COVID was not a judgment from God. I hope not, because I don't know how much repentance has taken place... It was Elder Holland that said that. In October 2020 General Conference, Elder Bednar seemed to imply that it was more of a “test”. Whatever it was/is...I think God has allowed it to come by the hands of evil, just like he let the Lamanites be the means of judgment on the wicked Nephites.
  4 And they began to establish the ^achurch more fully; yea, and many were ^bbaptized in the ^cwaters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the ^dhigh priest over the people of the church, by the hand of his father Alma.
  5 And it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the ^achurch of God and were baptized. And thus ended the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.
  6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding ^ariches, and their ^bfine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their ^cindustry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly ^dapparel. What is it with the pull of costly apparel? This pride happened very fast as did their prosperity. It sounds like one of their justifications for thinking they were more deserving was that they had “obtained by their industry”...so maybe they thought they worked harder, or were smarter and so they deserved more than others. 
  7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be ^ateachers, and ^bpriests, and ^celders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people. Today, it seems like the teachers/leaders are not the ones who see the wickedness of the people, but teach more as if "all is well in zion"...
  8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their ^ahearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did ^bnot believe according to their own will and pleasure. We have to really guard against this. "Mask-wearing" is the issue of our day... Interesting that it’s phrased they persecuted others who didn’t believe “according to their own will and pleasure” so it wasn’t that they didn’t “get” the truth, but that they didn’t agree with them on whatever they wanted to say was important or however they interpreted things.
  9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great ^acontentions among the people of the church; yea, there were ^benvyings, and ^cstrife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God. This is not a good sign when the wickedness within is worse than from without! This is going to sound like a play on words, but we just had a government sanctioned "Gay Pride Month" and many in the church support it. If people spoke freely about how they felt, there would be much "strife and persecution and pride" in the church of our day as well!
 10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great ^astumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress. No one wants to join a church full of hypocrites! 
 11 And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the ^aexample of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people. This must have been so hard for Alma because of where his own heart once was... Did the example of the church lead unbelievers to iniquity because the church members were leading them in that sin? Or was it because they couldn’t preach truth effectively, so that kept the unbelievers in their sins...
 12 Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the ^aneedy and the naked and those who were ^bhungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.
 13 Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, I think this means to purposely see yourself lower than others; the opposite of pride; maybe specifically choosing to NOT wear costly apparel but to point the finger of scorn at those who did...succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the ^apoor and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of ^bafflictions, for Christ’s ^csake, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy; This seems to be taught repeatedly in the Book of Mormon. One thing that sets the righteous apart is their willingness to care for the needy. I’m wondering if the way we care for the needy in the church, through fast offerings, and the needy going to the Bishop...that we become disconnected from the people we are caring for and just trust the ‘system’ to take care of others. This of course, leaves out the human ministering part of caring for the poor. If I were to ask the bishop who was “needy” would it be considered an invasion of privacy for him to tell me? Is that a form of pride on the poor’s part? I think we’d have more of a Zion ward if the caring of the poor and needy was more person to person... I think it's important to see the suffering of all our afflictions as being "for Christ's sake". Ponder what that means...Also, if the spirit of prophecy is a gift given to those who are born again and receive the Holy Ghost, this phrases "according to the spirit of prophecy" may be implying that these people had received that witness for themselves. I'm praying for that every day!
 14 Looking forward to that day, thus ^aretaining a ^bremission of their sins; looks like a sign that they HAD received a remission of their sins and were born again being filled with great ^cjoy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and ^ddeliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death. Eternal perspective is all you have when your day to day reality is so hard. This is why I think it's so important that all the saints receive this baptism by fire. Our reality is going to get very difficult soon. I think we need this experience to help us also suffer all our afflictions for Christ's sake. 

1 Nephi 14:14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

I hope this verse means that this gift is coming in large numbers to arm us in preparation for this great coming conflict!

15 And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their ^ainequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him. You can be sorrowful and not hopeless
 16 And he selected a wise man who was among the ^aelders of the church, and gave him power according to the ^bvoice of the people, that he might have power to enact ^claws according to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.
 17 Now this man’s name was ^aNephihah, and he was appointed ^bchief judge; and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the people.
 18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being ^ahigh priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto ^bNephihah.
 19 And this he did that he ^ahimself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might ^bpreach the ^cword of God unto them, to ^dstir them up in ^eremembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure ^ftestimony against them. At some point this is where you get...Only the “truth” can set you free. I think we need a good “stirring up” in the church. All the soft talk just keeps people apathetic and feeling complacent. And if we are so fragile because we have no true self worth, well... what can you do then? You don't reclaim lost faith by pandering. You preach the pure word of God. You try to move people by changing their perspective. You bear pure testimony against their false beliefs. Hard words but they work!
 20 And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to ^aNephihah, and confined himself wholly to the ^bhigh priesthood of the holy order of God, to the ^ctestimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.