How to Gain Faith
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Book of Mormon Stories, Finding Truth, God in the Book of Mormon, Inside the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, Joy in our relationship with the Savior, People in the Book of Mormon, Recognizing Truth, Teachings, Written for Our Day
In the previous post, we learned that a missionary named Alma, whose story is found in the Book of Mormon, had gone to preach to an apostate group called the Zoramites. He found the wealthy among them engaged in an arrogant, self-centered form of religion, in which they showed up to the synagogue once a week and each, in turn, climbed onto a tower to recite an identical prayer that simply bragged about how chosen and wonderful they were. They came in their expensive clothing and fine jewelry. Once they returned home, they gave no further thought to God until they returned.
Prayer is an important part of developing faith.
In addition, they kept the poor out of the church. Wealth was, in their minds, proof of their specialness, proof that they had been chosen and all others were doomed. Alma, encountering these poor, realized they had been humbled through their trials and longed to be allowed to worship. He decided not to bother with the arrogant wealthy people and instead to preach to the poor.
In this sermon, he gave one of the greatest sermons on faith ever written. The people were upset about being kept out of the temple because they believed this meant they were unable to worship God. Alma assured them you don’t have to be in a church building to worship. Worship was not a once a week event, but a way of life. Read more
True Worship
Filed under: Becoming More Christlike, Book of Mormon, Book of Mormon Stories, Jesus Christ, People in the Book of Mormon, Written for Our Day
In the Book of Mormon, a missionary named Alma went with others to preach to a group of people called the Zoramites. This was an apostate group that had formed around a leader named Zoram. Alma and his missionary companions were shocked by what they saw when they visited the “worship” service of these people. They’d never seen anything like it and they felt sick at what they observed. Read more
Abish and Spiritual Strength
Filed under: Book of Mormon Stories, People in the Book of Mormon
Abish was a woman who worked in the palace where Ammon, a popular Book of Mormon missionary, was temporarily serving the king as a shepherd. She had been converted but no one else in her community believed in the church and she had to keep her own testimony private. Despite having no friends who were members of the church, despite not having scriptures to read or a congregation to attend, she held on to her testimony and grew it. One day, after Ammon had saved the king’s flocks, the king called Ammon to him, and after being taught the gospel he was so overcome by the spirit he lost consciousness for several days. It was believed by everyone but his wife that he was dead and must be buried. The queen called Ammon to her and told him she believed her husband was still alive.
The Story of Sherem
Filed under: Book of Mormon Stories, People in the Book of Mormon
The Nephites were a group of people who left Jerusalem in 600 BC. Most were members of the family of Lehi, and the family of a friend whose children married into Lehi’s family. After Lehi died, the people, now settled in the Americas, split into two opposing groups, those who wished to follow God and were known as Nephites, after Lehi’s fourth son, and those who did not. This latter group was known as the Lamanites, followers of Lehi’s oldest son.
Jacob, Brother of Nephi
If you’ve been reading the Book of Mormon along with me, you’re now ready to start the Book of Jacob. Jacob was the brother of Nephi, the second Book of Mormon prophet. Let’s take a look back at his background.
Moroni–More Than a Statue
Filed under: Frequently Asked Questions, People in the Book of Mormon
Moroni is most often known to people outside the church as the figure on the statue topping most of the Mormon temples. Have you ever wondered who he is and why he’s on our temples?
What Sam Teaches About Humility
Filed under: Inspirations, People in the Book of Mormon
The first few books of the Book of Mormon focus on Lehi, a prophet, and his family. Lehi’s life was endangered due to his service as a prophet, and so he was commanded by God to leave their very comfortable home and travel to a land God would provide. Many hardships came upon the family as a result—living in a tent instead of a fine home, having no real material possessions, periodic challenges finding food, and so forth.
Doing the Impossible
Filed under: Book of Mormon Stories, God in the Book of Mormon, People in the Book of Mormon
We have been following the progress of Lehi and his family in our previous posts. Lehi was a prophet who was instructed by God to flee Jerusalem. After he preached repentance to them, his life was in danger. He took his family and only the most essential items and went into the wilderness, eventually joined by another family chosen by God to provide spouses for his children.
Respect for Authority
Filed under: Book of Mormon Stories, People in the Book of Mormon, Teachings
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a strong respect for authority. We believe in obeying the law. Within our church organizations, we show respect for our leaders and follow the chain of command.
Lehi and Humility
Filed under: Book of Mormon Stories, Inspirations, People in the Book of Mormon
People familiar with the Book of Mormon usually refer to the story of the broken bow as Nephi’s story, because he was the hero of it all. You can read the entire story summarized in Nephi and the Broken Bow.
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