Day 15: Alma 13-20

I am a little nervous in posting today because I am not one who eloquently expresses what I feel and what I think in my own mind into words on paper. However, I do love the scriptures and feel it an honor to post today.  When Cortney asked me to post and asked me to choose a day I had no idea what set of chapters I would be covering, but I am so grateful for what I ended up with!
Alma Ch 13-
This Chapter just happens to be dear to my heart for reasons to personal to share, but I will say that I am grateful for the men described by Alma in this Chapter!
The verse that always sticks out to me is the last part of Alma 13:20 "...Behold the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction." 
This scripture was written way before we had so much access to the scriptures, so I feel as though it applies to us that much more.  We have the internet, many copies of the scriptures laying around in our home and the words of the prophets at our fingertips.  This scripture has a huge impact on me every time I read the scriptures.  Whenever I have been slacking in my own study I ask myself..."Why would I slack off...it's to my own "destruction"!

Another Scripture from this chapter worthy of note I feel was Alma 13:23: "And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err;...." 
Isn't it the the truth? The scriptures make all things plain to our understanding that we truly "cannot err"!
Alma Ch 14- 

Alma 14:11: "But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in ^aglory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the ^bjudgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the ^cblood of the ^dinnocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."

My thoughts after reading this verse were was how grateful I am that I personally have not had to make such a sacrifice for the gospel. The things I am asked to sacrifice are very small in comparison.

My other thought was that people can exercise unrighteous dominion over our bodies, but cannot exercise power over our will's unless of course we allow it. The great gift of agency allows us to choose whom we give our will's to despite all we may face.  On the flip side, if we think about the fact that we are nothing and all that we possess comes from our Father in Heaven, then the only gift we have to give to our Father in Heaven is our will's! This was beautifully displayed by Alma and Amulek as they refused to give their will's to anyone  but the Lord despite their afflictions!

The main train of thought I had through the rest of this chapter and most of the rest of the chapters was about faith. Good old faith! You can always rely on faith and when you are struggling with life, you can always go back to the first principle of the gospel and work on your faith and it does wonders!  The foremost thought in my mind about faith was that Faith is Power, a muscle, strength!  Here are the scriptures that demonstrate my train of thought: Alma 14:26: "And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great ^aafflictions, O Lord? O Lord, ^bgive us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto ^cdeliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them."

And in Alma 14:28:  "And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them ^apower, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were ^bloosed from their ^cbands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city."

Alma 15:10:  "And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have ^amercy on this man, and ^bheal him according to his faith which is in Christ."

Alma 19:23: "Now we see that Ammon could not be slain, for the ^aLord had said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith—therefore, Mosiah ^btrusted him unto the Lord."

Alma 19:36: "And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his ^aSpirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to ^ball people who will repent and believe on his name."
 Of course there are many other examples of peoples faith bringing them power and strength. I think of it like faith being our spiritual muscles and if we "exercise" and "build" that faith we can have the spiritual strength and power granted to us from the Lord, to do and overcome anything! Now if you ask me that is the kind of power I desire to have! 

I want to leave my testimony with you of the this book that The Book of Mormon is the word of God! And join with Nephi in testimony when he says in 2 Ne 31: 3: "For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding." and I know it is through The Book of Mormon that he reveals this plainness! May we read and "Glory in the plainness" of the scriptures as Nephi did is my prayer!

Rebecca Kent