Chapter 41 is all about "restoration." I find it interesting that Corianton is worried about these things....I suppose he had listened to the false doctrine spread by Korihor and others? Alma answers these concerns so directly, though, it just leaves no room for doubt about the plan and how it will be administered.
Verse 5 -- This verse gives me comfort. What are your thoughts about it?
How can verses 9 & 10 help us to avoid sin? Do you believe the doctrine taught here? Why is it that people can commit sin and still be happy, yet "wickedness never was happiness"? I don't disbelieve the doctrine, just wondering your thoughts on how the two coexist? What does Alma mean? I do love the lead up in verse 9 and feel like it gives some answers.
Verses 11-13, again -- these are so important! How should/can/do they affect our everyday actions?
Any other thoughts or comments?
1 comment:
I do like vs. 9's little jab at Corianton's bad behaivior: Do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin... Sharp knife to the chest - ouch!
OK so the devil clearly tells us that Pleasure = Happiness. What trickery! How can it be wrong when it feels so right...You know? That Satan, he's such a sneaky guy. People who are happy can identify the difference between the fleeting and addicting affects of pleasure in comparison to the lasting and peaceful affects of happiness.
Alma teaches this clearly in vs. 11and now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world and they have gone contrary to the nature of God, therefore, they are in a state contrary to the state of happiness.
We can be slaves to our bodies (carnality) or we can achieve happiness through self mastery and seeking happiness with and through God.
This idea of self mastery can be taken too far however. It makes me think people throughout history who thought they could be closer to God through a lifetime abstinence, or vows of poverty, or no sociality or religiosity through the lack of food. Any time you twist the doctrine and do it too little or too much it is an apostacy of that particular doctrine. During the first part of the Great Apostacy there was a lot of this stuff going on. And certainly the ancient Jews knew how to put extra weightiness on certain pet laws and found pride in self mastery.
vs. 14 "Deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward."
I think I'm a judgemental person - I wonder if I judge righteously or will the mete I use to judge another will be used against me. Ugh!
vs. 15 For that which ye do send out shall return to you again.... The word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.
I wonder if Corianton just thought he could do anything he wanted because at some point the atonement/resurrection would make up for his problems. Hmm. I wonder if I've thought that before too.
Post a Comment