Helaman 7 & 8

These two chapters give us counsel for our day. In chapter 7:21-22 it states, "O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you? But behold, it is to get gain to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity."

These verses are for our day. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. It is so easy to forget God, and all that He has done for us if we are not keeping our focus set on Him. These scriptures explain that as we set our hearts on riches, and the vain pursuits of this world, we will forget our God, and find ourselves in iniquity.

This isn't something that happens over night. I think it happens in slow degrees. Satan cannot pull us down with one massive pull; however, he can lead us away little by little if we allow him to do so. If we stop saying our prayers, if we stop reading our scriptures, if we stop doing the "little things", I think it is then that we will find our hearts set on the things of the world rather than God.

In chapter 8 we are given more direction on this matter when Nephi compares their day to the days of Moses, which then can be compared to our day. Nephi explains that the people in Moses' day only had to look to a serpent and live; however, many did not, and they perished. He then says, "even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal" (verse 15).

And so it is with us. Are we looking to our Savior? It seems easy to focus on the Savior, and yet we don't.  The Lord declared, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3: 14-15). In Mosiah 3: 17 it states, "There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men."

Therefore, we must look to the Savior. We must make Him our focus. I think we do that by continuing with daily scripture study, and daily prayer. It seems so simple to keep our focus on Him through these two means. And yet, it can be so difficult. I pray that I will continue in the faith. I pray that I will not be deceived by Satan. I pray that I will be what the Lord needs me to be, and then when the day comes that I stand before Him, I pray that I will be ready.

Alma 46

Alma 46: 7-10

• Book of Mormon

7And there were many in the church who believed in the flattering words of Amalickiah, therefore they dissented even from the church; and thus were the affairs of the people of Nephi exceedingly precarious and dangerous, notwithstanding their great victory which they had had over the Lamanites,... 

8Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity , and to be led away by the evil one. 

9Yea, and we also see the great wickedness one very wicked man can cause to take place among the children of men. 

10Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly; yea, and to seek to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, or which God had granted unto them, or which blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous' sake.

These scriptures seem so poignant to me. They seem to describe how easy it is to find ourselves on the other side of the line. The line between good and evil. These scriptures remind me of the necessity to constantly be working on our testimonies. If we slacken even a little, Satan will use that opportunity to try and drive us from the things of God. These scriptures remind me of the importance of reading my scriptures daily, of saying my prayers daily, and of attending church. It seems to me that our day isn't much different from that of Alma's. As I contemplate on the issues facing his day compared to our day, I see many similarities. All around me, I have people I love that are listening to the cunning words of the Amalickiah's of this world, and they are falling away.

I understand the temptation to quit, to give up, to simply be done. I hear Satan screaming these phrases at me, and to be honest--sometimes it feels appealing. We all struggle with our own set of sins, and as I struggle with mine, I feel discouraged and beaten. I sometimes wonder how to use the enabling power of Christ to make myself clean, or to remove these struggles from me. It's sometimes difficult to see my progress, because that progress is so small, so minuet. There are moments when I feel so discouraged that quitting seems like a good alternative to these constant attempts to choose the right. However, because I have been diligent in working on my testimony,I can hear these voices, but I am strengthened by a far greater power. A voice that shouts, "Don't you dare give up, hold on, keep going, I am here..." I know that He is there. Our Savoir died for us, and He loves us. If we will listen, He will shout His encouragement, which will fight against those negative voices; however, in order to hear Him, we must be holding His teachings. Satan is all around us, and he desires to have us. He will use every tactic to pull us away from the Savior. Our only protection is through the Savior, and it is our choice.