Faith, Hope and Charity

Alma 7:24 "And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works."

The way is as simple as just doing it.

Repentance and Baptism

Alma 6:2 ". . whosoever did not belong to the church who repented of their sins were baptized unto repentance, and were received into the church."

We can have the privilege of repentance, baptism and belonging if we want it.

Spiritual Birth

Alma 5:14 "And now behold, I ask of you . . have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

Being spiritually born in Christ's image reflects in our faces and in everything we think, say and do.

Authentic Faith

Alma 4:15 ". . 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 inequality, began to be very sorrowful; . ."

Authentic faith in God is shown by our actions toward others.

To Lead or to Follow?

Alma 3:10 "Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him."

Decisions to follow will change us on the inside and sometimes on the outside, too.
Still, our agency gives us the opportunity to lead rather than to be led.

The Power of Prayer

Alma 2:28 "Nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them."

Faith in God and prayer are our first lines of defense in time of need.

Priestcraft

Alma 1:12 ". . and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction."

*Church leaders must labor to build Zion into the hearts of the people, and not for their personal aggrandizement or reward. CHARLES D. TATE, JR.

Where is Peace?

Mosiah 29:10 "And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people."

Peace starts with wise choices.

Knowledge of God

Mosiah 28:2 " That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God,"

Knowledge of God is the beginning.

Respect Others

Mosiah 27:4 ". . they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support."

Learning to respect others and promote their independence is part of the gospel plan. Dependency is a form of slavery.

Listen to the Good Shepherd

Mosiah 26:21 "And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep;. ."

The Good Shepherd takes care of his sheep.

The Lord Delivers

Mosiah 25:16 ". . they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them."

Every blessing can be traced to our Creator.

When Things Get Bad

Mosiah 24:10 ". . so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God."

Why wait to pray until desperation sets in?

Love and Peace

Mosiah 23:15 "Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them."

The need for love and peace is universal, and establishing them is universally difficult.

The King Listened

Mosiah 22:9 "And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon."

The best leaders are also the best listeners.

Deliverance

Mosiah 21:14 "And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions."

Repentance is hard. Especially when the trail must cut through the tangled briars of pride.

Fear and Shame

Mosiah 20:3 "And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their children."

Fear and shame are tools the devil uses to help us commit more sin.
Faith in Christ, prayer and repentance deliver us from digging a pit of despair.

How Does Peace Start?

Mosiah 19:27 ", , Limhi began to establish the kingdom and to establish peace among his people."

Principles of righteousness form the foundation of peace.

Achieving Unity

Mosiah 18:21 "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another . . having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one toward another."

Achieving unity of hearts isn't a sprint or marathon. It stretches beyond the concept of a finish line.

Words of Comfort and Testimony

Mosiah 17:10 "Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you."

Courage and testimony are displayed in action.

Mosiah 16:9 "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

Were more comforting words ever thought, spoken, or written?

We Are God's Children

Mosiah 15:11-12 ". . whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord -- I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?"

It's humbling to sing "I am a child of God" with millions across the world and beyond.

Jesus Claimed Our Sins

Mosiah 14:12 ". . he (Jesus Christ) hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

In the end, we don't get to pay for the mistakes of other people, even if we want to.
Only Jesus can do that.
And he did.
Accept it. Repent. And Move forward.

Honor Your Parents

Mosiah 13:20 "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Parents make mistakes. If you become one, you will make mistakes, too.
Get over it. Move forward, and just do your best.

Who Comes First?

Mosiah 12:35 "Thou shalt have no other God before me."

What does this mean . . . exactly?
Does God come first, even before our families?
Hmmm.
Well . . . who benefits most when we honor God first?
It's not God. He doesn't need our honor.
Oh. Our families benefit most.
I get it.

What Will Your Legacy Be?

Mosiah 11:1-4 ". . Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons . . and he (Noah) did not walk in the ways of his father. For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. . . thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom."

The power of one for good or evil is inestimable.

Excuses

Mosiah 10:12-16 "They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people . . --Believing that they . . were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren," and (they) were wroth . . because they said that (their brother) had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands, . . and . . because he departed in to the wilderness . . and (on and on) . ."

We own our choices. Learning to take responsibility without making excuses is crucial.

Strength

Mosiah 10:11 "Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength."

Depending upon one's own strength is never a good idea.

Deliverance

Mosiah 9:17 ". . in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle . . for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers."

As of today, the candidates for US President are Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D).
Let us pray.

What is a Seer?

Mosiah 8:16 ". . a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; . ."

Seers and prophets are directing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.
* https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP14GC&lang=eng

Put Your Trust in God

Mosiah 7:19: ". . lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God . . "

Whenever I let go and do this, things somehow work out.

Entered Into the Covenant

Mosiah 6:2 ". . there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ."

Imagine an entire culture committed to Jesus Christ.