Alma 14

I am sorry for my absence in posting on the blog for the past couple of weeks. I was still kinda caught up in the holiday season, plus we still had family staying here who wanted to play games and do stuff. Anyway, this scripture that I have for you today is a great story of remaining faithful to the Lord. Because this story is a full chapter long, I will sum it up and tell it in my own words.

Alma and Amulek are commanded to preach the gospel to the people of Zeezrom. They do as they are asked. They teach the people about Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation, and they tell the people that they need to repent of their sins and quit living their lives wickedly, or the Lord will destroy them. Well, the multitude of people they were teaching, reject their words and are angry with them, and tie them up. The people then cast stones at them. They then take all the wives and children that believed the missionaries' words and cast them into the fire, along with all the records and scriptures they had. Alma is commanded of the Lord not to save the righteous people or the burning records. The angry mob then puts them in prison for three days. Once they are let out, the people try to get Alma and Amulek to deny Christ and what they believe in. The people say if they do, they will let them go. But Alma and Amulek won't deny their beliefs, so they are smote on the cheek by every one of the people who are angry with them. They continue doing this to the missionaries, and even make them take their clothes off. The people continue to mock them and give Alma and Amulek more opportunities to deny what they believe, but they still remain faithful. They receive many more beatings, until Alma prays to the Lord, asking him to give them the strength to break the bonds they are tied with. The Lord, pleased with Alma and Amulek, does, and the missionaries are able to escape.

I would like to bare my testimony of the gospel and of its truth. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior and because of him we are able to return to our Heavenly Father. I know the Book of Mormon is the true words of prophets and apostles, and that they were all inspired by the Lord to write what they wrote. I know we have a true prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson. I am thankful for the church building and for the temple we have so close to our homes. I know that our bishopric was called of God, and I am thankful for them. I am thankful for the preisthood, and for the miracles that are performed through it. I am thankful for my family, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.