The Limhites

When Abinadi came to King Noah's people he had a very simple message: Repent or be destroyed. To explain what he meant he had the opportunity to give an eloquent sermon on the Savior, but his underlying message was the same. 

The Lord has asked dozens of prophets to deliver the same message to different groups of people throughout history with varying results. 

When Jonah finally delivered his message to the people of Ninevah they repented and were not destroyed. After giving multiples warnings to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jeremiah, Lehi and others tell Jerusalem to repent or be destroyed but they don't resulting in the Babylonian captivity. I think it's interesting to note that whenever a nation reaps the consequences of their rebellion against God the Lord protects his righteous people. Sometimes he leads them away before things get bad, like with Lot and Lehi. Sometimes he consecrates the circumstances for the good of the righteous like with Daniel. 

In any case, King Noah's people were warned to repent or die. Alma repents, he teaches other people and they repent. Then they all leave. 

As soon as they leave the destruction comes. Once all the righteous people are gone, the Lamanites come to wage war against the Limhites. 

But here is what I love about this story and what it teaches us about the Lord. King Noah, who is very wicked dies. The wicked priests are scattered. The remaining people are enslaved. 

But they learn! 

It's a bumpy ride. They end up being attacked by the Lamanites once, then attacking the Lamanites three times themselves all with disastrous results. But eventually they repent.

What happens when they repent? 

Ammon shows up and they escape without any bloodshed to Zarahemla where they join the church of Christ.

It reminds me of this quote from President Benson: "The Lord will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble."

The Lord is not interested in punitive destruction. He doesn't destroy the people because he's angry at them. He creates circumstances that will lead the people to him, that cause them to turn to him in prayer and rely upon him for their support. And he gives them lots and lots of chances. 

Alma's Congregation

I always like to look at what the Church looks like when it is new. There have been many times in the scriptures, after global or local apostasy, that the Church is reestablished or revitalized. What is it that priesthood leaders prioritize in these situations?

After Alma listens to Abinadi and escapes from King Noah's court he establishes such a congregation. He starts out teaching people about redemption and resurrection and the Savior. As their testimonies and appreciation of the Savior grow, they have a desire to make a covenant with God. Covenants are a serious, permanent, sign of commitment and devotion. After experiencing the sweet fruit of repentance, is it any wonder that their love to the Savior would grow to a point that they desired a permanent bond with him?

Alma gives a beautiful explanation of the baptismal covenant in Mosiah 18 but I'll save that for another day, what struck me today was what they did after they were baptized. Here's what they set up:

1) Organization: 1 priest to every 50 members. What was their job? To strengthen the people. To preach repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. They were to continue to support themselves temporally. I love verse 26 which talks all about the blessings they will receive for doing so.

2) Unity: Alma tells them there should be no contention, their hearts should be knit together in unity and love. Just recently I had an experience in fast and testimony meeting that felt like that. A few people got up and expressed deep personal spiritual feelings that I also feel. These people are very different from me in age, gender, life situations and sensibilities, but I felt so understood in that moment. I felt that our hearts with knit together in unity and love.

3) Sabbath: they were to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.

4) Prayer: Alma instructs them to give thanks to the Lord every day.

5) Worship: they should meet together once a week to worship and to teach each other. "And also as often as it was in their power." I like to think that second line refers to meeting of smaller groups or maybe even something that resembles home and visiting teaching.

6) Impart of their Substance: "if he should have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little but little should be required." He also says it should be given out of their own free will and good feelings. And that they should impart both temporally and spiritually, according to their needs and wants. That's a whole other blog post as well I think.

Between the time that Alma first set up these guidelines and the time that they were run out of town by Noah's army the church grew from 204 people to 450 people. It seems to be good evidence that they were thriving and happy.

A lot of times in my life, when things get a little hectic or stressful I feel a need to get back to basics and I love this blueprint that we have in Mosiah 18.

Abinadi

I think most of us read our scriptures for a prescribed amount of time each day, or maybe a chapter a day or something like that.  We have been told by modern prophets that even reading one verse a day is better than reading in fits and starts.
However once we have established a daily habit of scripture study then reading for a longer period of time than normal every once in a while can be enriching.
Say you usually read 15 minutes each day, take an hour on Sunday and read a longer chunk. Mormonmomplanner.blogspot.org made a great printable that had King Benjamin's address made up to look like a General Conference talk. I think when we read passages of the Book of Mormon this way we get different things out of it than when we read it chapter by chapter, verse by verse.

Abinadi's address to King Noah's court is another passage that would be great as a General Conference talk. It's in Mosiah, chapters 13-16.
36
They accuse Abinadi of prophecying evil against their king and people, saying that he isn't honoring Isaiah's sentiment in Isaiah 52:7-10, which says that those who bring good news will be beloved. "Don't you understand this scirpture?" (they're inherently saying) Why aren't you bringing us good news?"

Abinadi takes the next four chapters to explain this passage in Isaiah to them, telling them that the good news spoken of in the verses is that Jesus Christ will redeem the world from sin and allow us all to be resurrected. The good news is that we are redeemable, but the wicked who choose not to engage with the Savior will be claimed by justice.

I love how Abinadi explains and reexplains all the questions the priests asked him, even though chances are they weren't particularly interested in his answers.  He really does tell them all the good new, he brings them good tidings, he publishes peace and salvation. He asks them to break forth into joy because the Lord has redeemed his people. But they reject the good news, they pridefully turn their backs on the most joyful concept in creation.

 I like to think that Abinadi knew he was speaking to Alma. When Alma rose to his feet to defend Abinadi, I hope he felt good and happy and fulfilled. I like to think that he could tell that Alma was repentant and that he took the knowledge that he brought one soul unto God into the flames with him. Truly how beautiful upon the mountain were his feet.

Resurrection Timeline

What gives more hope than the promise of the Resurrection?
A glorified, perfect body seems like an apt reward for dealing with all the pain and hassle that they bring us in this life. Another example of how everything unfair about this life will be made right. 

We know that every human that has ever lived will enjoy this blessing. It is a consequence of keeping our first estate, of following Jesus Christ in our premortal lives. As my laurels like to say "even Hitler" will be resurrected. What a merciful God we worship! 

Jesus was the first person ever to be resurrected. Because he was divine, He had power over death and was able to break the bonds of death after He had already passed away. We don't understand how He did that. We can't explain it with science. (Although there's a fascinating book called Divine Engineering by David Brems that attempts to do that). In any case, we know that because of his unique calling and genetics, Jesus Christ was able to be resurrected and because he was, so will we. 

Matthew 27:52 tells us that immediately after the Savior's resurrection many other faithful saints were resurrected as well. 

An important note: translated beings have not been resurrected. Their mortal bodies have been changed somehow and the scriptures say they will not taste pain or death until they are resurrected when Jesus returns to Earth. Many translated beings have been taken up into heaven (city of Enoch, Elijah) but four still remain on the Earth (John the Beloved and the three Nephites). 

When Jesus returns there will be several phases of resurrections. D&C 76 implies that resurrections will take place in general correspondence to the kingdom the person will be resurrected to.  The general idea is that people who are more righteous will be resurrected before those who are wicked. I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that the first resurrection will take place at the beginning of the resurrection and the last will take place at the end, but I can't find anything scriptural to support that.

In Mosiah 15 Abinadi tells us that those who died in ignorance and little children will also be a part of the first resurrection. 

The best scripture on the subject is Alma 40:8, which is when Alma is teaching his wayward son Corianton, who has gotten himself confused about this stuff. Alma tells him it doesn't really matter, people die at all different times, they get resurrected at all different times. Time is a mortal concept anyways and there's no need to stress about it. 

Love that Alma.