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I cannot begin to do justice to today’s reading, Alma 34. So I won’t try.
But I’ll mention a couple of quick points:
1.
Our Evangelical Protestant critics like to suggest that we believe that we’ll earn our way into heaven. And, unfortunately, some of us have spoken sloppily, and have given the impression that we do believe such a thing. It’s not true, of course — there would be little point in the Atonement of Christ if it were, and little reason to feel indebted to him or to the Father for our salvation, if and when we achieve it — and this passage alone should be enough to demonstrate that it’s not true:
For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
2.
I like the image, in 34:15-16, that mercy gathers us in her arms — the word mercy is feminine in Hebrew and Arabic — and protects us against threatening justice.
3.
I also like the counsel, given in 34:20-25, to pray over our flocks and our crops. In today’s terms, it advises us to, yes, pray over our small businesses and our dental offices and our law practices and our auto shops and our other temporal concerns.
Do we?
4.
Finally, the urgent warning of 34:32-35 is probably the most famous passage from this chapter and among the most well-known in the Book of Mormon — and for very good reason.
Posted from Brockwood Hall, Cumbria, England
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