Alma 29

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 Green 5/21 7/22 Brown 8/23.)

Chapter 29

Alma desires to cry repentance with angelic zeal—The Lord grants teachers for all nations—Alma glories in the Lord’s work and in the success of Ammon and his brethren. About 76 B.C.

  1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the ^atrump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Alma truly loved to preach the word and to reclaim lost souls! If he wanted to speak with a voice to shake the earth, it sounds like he wasn’t afraid of straight talk and pulpit pounding! 
  2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and ^acome unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. This is not an angry repentance, but a loving call to peace. Not angry...but STRONG! preaching with love always includes Repentance! The world today only wants to hear about love. Repentance means you have judged them and they can’t handle others telling them they are wrong. But love says, “I have to tell you because of the consequences of sin. I don’t want you to suffer unknowingly”
  3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; Most of us would not consider this desire a sin for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. Maybe it's an acknowledgement that no matter how much we desire something, even in righteousness, that we must always trust that God knows more and loves us more than our own limited views of happiness.
  4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their ^adesire, whether it be unto death or unto life; Are we getting what we “desire” in this COVID experience? yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their ^bwills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. Or maybe he's saying his sin is to override the agency of man to make them see the error of their ways with a show of great force and power so they will repent, and God is saying, everyone gets to choose, according to their own desires. 
  5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is ^ablameless; but he that ^bknoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of ^cconscience. This reminds me of the saying by Elder Maxwell, to "educate your desires" - perhaps so you don't receive things that you will regret "wanting" later... There is something important in this teaching about our desires after we are accountable. Notice he is emphasizing that you are given what you desire. Who really desires death and remorse, though? Is he talking about getting the consequences of what you desire? 
  6 Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to ^aperform the work to which I have been called? Alma is amazing! He's spent years serving others and still wants to do more!
  7 Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? He probably did get this desire after he died. I’m sure he’s an angel of some sort, ministering still.
  8 For behold, the Lord doth ^agrant unto ^ball nations, of their own nation and ^ctongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he ^dseeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. If you take this literally, then ALL nations have received something of God's word through some means. Other believers in Christ have received dreams and visions and revelation that are just as valid as our prophet's word, though they don't have authority to perform ordinances and exercise priesthood power. But much can be done through faith.  I also hear him saying that some nations might be limited on what they receive because it’s wisdom in God that they shouldn’t have more. Perhaps it would not be in their best interest to have the gospel preached to them in their current state, for some reason...It also makes me wonder if we are limited on the revelation our prophet is able to receive because it is not God’s wisdom that we have more...probably because we are now paying the price for taking lightly the things we have already received. He tells us that we get no more until we receive what has already been given. It is not “wisdom” that we receive more. Joseph Smith said that "God had often sealed up the heavens because of covetousness in the Church."
  9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.
 10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember ^awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me. I always find it helpful to remember how much mercy I need from the Lord when I am tempted to condemn others. Alma has never forgotten that the Lord saved him from an awful judgment. He was blind and the people he's trying to help are blind too. No one is beyond the reach of God's word if they will listen. Alma was not willing to listen to anyone on the earth at the time the angel appeared to him. But, he was willing to listen to an angel and he was converted by what he experienced. I think he was given this because of what God knew he would choose to do afterwards. Perhaps his wish is to be this kind of an angel to others who are as he was. It saved him, and so he wants to be that "angel" to save others in like manner.
 11 Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the ^aLord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage.
 12 Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who ^adelivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of ^bbondage.
 13 Yea, and that same God did establish his church among them; yea, and that same God hath called me by a ^aholy calling, to ^bpreach the word unto this people, and hath given me much success, in the which my joy is full.
 14 But I do not joy in my own ^asuccess alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi.
 15 Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!
 16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my ^ajoy. Seems to be not that uncommon to witness. Has anyone ever heard of that in the latter days? In the introduction to “The Triumph of Zion” by John Pontus, he laments that there was a time that he felt he was living a different gospel than the one people lived in the scriptures. It’s easy to feel that way today. But he testifies that we have access to all the same things we read about. So the difference is not in “their day” versus “our day” but in “what they did” versus “what we are doing/not doing”. Just have to figure out what that is...
 17 And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen.