Alma 38

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 green 5/21 Brown 9/23)

The commandments of Alma to his son Shiblon.

Comprising chapter 38. 1

CHAPTER 38

Shiblon was persecuted for righteousness’ sake—Salvation is in Christ, who is the life and the light of the world—Bridle all your passions. About 74 B.C.

  1 My ^ason, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that ^binasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; There's "that message" again! and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be ^ccut off from his ^dpresence. There is the curse. Remember the gift of the Holy Ghost, (a sign of His presence) is the most sought after of all the gifts of God!
  2 And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your ^asteadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that ^bendureth to the end. How hard is it to be "steady"? Do we see our choices as being faithful or unfaithful to God? Obedience is not a balance sheet on judgment day. It's not about the good outweighing the bad, and we're saved if we have more good than bad. We must endure to the end in repenting every day, so that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ our balance sheet only shows perfection "through Him". And the "one" thing to repent of everyday is going against anything that you knew to be right, but didn't yield. It's not a sin if you didn't know it was wrong. But the things you know...you either yield or rebel. That is the sin - rebellion.
  3 I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the ^aZoramites. the apostates
  4 For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with ^apatience because the Lord was ^bwith thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee. Lest we think he's been faithful because it's been easy. Am I willing to take the "stone" for the word's sake? Will I be able to "bear with patience" my afflictions because the "Lord is with me"? Do I have faith He will deliver me? True faith brings power in affliction and eventual deliverance. It is a different kind of suffering than that which comes from sin.
  5 And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much this is a 'quantity' word. as ye shall put your ^atrust in God You have have much or little trust.... even so much ye shall be ^bdelivered out of your trials, and your ^ctroubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day. This is tricky. We can think, while we are in the middle of trials that we are not being delivered because we don't trust enough. But sometimes we have to endure with patience while we wait. How do we know if we have enough trust while we wait, or if we are not being delivered because we don't have enough trust? Perhaps it goes to how obedient we have been to what we know is right. DO what is right...LET the consequence follow. That is the trust you have; that in the consequences, God is there and it will yield good fruit eventually. See this video for a great example of that!

  6 Now, my son, I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me; for if I had not been ^aborn of God I should not have known these things. How much knowledge do we really lack until we are "born of God"? If it is a "process" then how limited are we throughout our lives to really know all that we can know? I believe being "born again" is an "event" at the end of the "process" that prepares you for it. We have to know what "broken heart/contrite spirit" really means and figure out how to get there so we can be born again. In a nutshell, I think it comes down to completely yielding to God, no matter what.
  7 But behold, the Lord in his great mercy sent his ^aangel to declare unto me that I must stop the work of ^bdestruction among his people; yea, and I have seen an angel face to face, and he spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and it shook the whole earth. How many parents would want an angel to come to their naughty kids and tell them to knock it off!
  8 And it came to pass that I was ^athree days and three nights in the most bitter ^bpain and ^canguish of soul; how bitter you know not! and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a ^dremission of my sins. This might be teaching us that we all need to cry out to the Lord for mercy in order to receive a remission of our sins. Then what happens the rest of our lives? We don’t become perfect and still need to repent... Is a remission of sins a one time thing and then we just retain it through repentance? What else happens during the baptism of fire? So many question’s about this...Getting closer to understanding this, but haven't received it yet. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul.
  9 And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is ^ano other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the ^blight of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and ^crighteousness. This was the message he preached like an angel!
 10 And now, as ye have begun to teach the word new missionary... even so I would that ye should continue to teach; and I would that ye would be diligent and ^atemperate in all things. What does it mean to be "temperate in all things"? If it means "not extreme" that is a tough one in our day. Every opinion, if you dare to have one, is labeled as "extreme". Maybe it's how you express it?
 11 See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not ^aboast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength.
 12 Use ^aboldness, but not overbearance; Important distinction! and also see that ye ^bbridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; Paradox of love. You must bridle it to have it expand. The horse analogy helps us to see this. A wild horse with no bridle is totally free, but serves not others and has no real purpose. A bridled horse submits it's natural impulses to the "master" who then guides the horse into a useful, purposeful life and one where both can experience real love for one another. The horse's love is based on trust in the master and the master's love is based on the understanding that the horse has freely yielded his agency to his direction and trusts him. see that ye refrain from idleness. Work is so important!
 13 Do not ^apray as the Zoramites do, for ye have seen that they pray to be heard of men, and to be praised for their wisdom.
 14 Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are ^abetter than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my ^bunworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy—yea, acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times. I want to memorize this prayer. "Forgive my unworthiness and remember my brethren in mercy." 
 15 And may the Lord bless your soul, and receive you at the last day There is that phrase again...into his kingdom, to sit down in peace. Now go, my son, and teach the word unto this people. Be ^asober. Sober: calm, restrained, serious, moderate, steady My son, farewell.