This semester in my Book of Mormon class we get to choose three Christ-like attributes to work on. One attribute every four weeks. This first four weeks I have chosen to work on Faith. Since this week’s reading was Alma 30 – 35 there were many examples of faith and also those that tried to lead the people away from their faith.
There are two that really stand out to me.
First, there was Korihor in Alma chapter 31. Korihor was very prideful, vain and conceited
and Satan had great influence on him. He
taught that each person should lean on their own understanding, that there was
no God, there was no penalty for sin and there was no Christ. He taught the people that they were servants
to a God that did not exist. When Alma testifies that Christ will come and that
all things are of God, Korihor demands a sign that God is real, Alma tells him
that is not what faith is, if we had proof we wouldn’t need to have faith. Korihor is struck dumb because he refuses to
acknowledge God and it is better that he should be silent so that he cannot continue
to lead more people astray. Satan
deserts him (because Satan does not support his children) and he becomes a beggar
and is soon killed.
In April 1997 General Conference, President Eyring
said: "Korihor was arguing, as men and women have falsely argued from the
beginning of time, that to take counsel from the servants of God is to
surrender God-given rights of independence
But the argument is false because it misrepresents reality. When we reject the counsel which come from
God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We reject the
protection of a perfectly loving, all powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven,
whose whole purpose, as that of His Beloved Son, is to give us eternal life, to
give us all that He has, and to bring us home again in families to the arms of
His love." In other words if we do
not serve God we are serving Satan.
Second, is Alma’s teaching on faith. In Alma 32, Alma teaches us about how to gain
and grow our faith. He teaches that we
must plant a seed within our hearts and do so willingly. Then we must understand that faith is not a perfect
knowledge of things; but a hope for things that we cannot see, but are
true. In President Uchtdorf’s talk “What
is Truth” he tells us the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
President Uchtdorf also says we will know the truth
by the Holy Ghost who will testify to us of truth, if we are worthy of his
companionship. Alma goes on to teach
that we must exercise our faith and work to gain it. He says that we will then see that the seed
is good because we have nourished it with good.
If we continue to have faith and act upon it our faith continues to
grow. Alma teaches that our faith is
light and because of our diligence and faith and patience the Word of God is
nourishing our seed and it will take root and grow into a true that will
produce fruit that is white and sweet and pure above all other fruits and we
will be filled and not hunger or thirst.
So what do these two teaching have to do with each other and my attribute of faith? The first shows to me how easily people can be lead astray. How when we let the things of the world influence us we hurt and start to destroy our seeds of faith. The world is full of hate and unkindness and it is easy to fall for the things we hear every day. When a Presidential hopeful singles out a group of people who are mostly peace loving, kind people, but because of a few among them who have chosen a different way, they are shunned. I really wonder what our world is coming to. I try each day to teach my children correct gospel principles to combat the things of the world. Often it seems like an uphill battle but Alma’s teachings give me hope. I know the seeds are planted and taking root. I just need to help to keep nourishing them. And then I need to exercise faith and know that Heavenly Father has a plan and his plan is perfect!
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