Surrounded

Helaman 1:31

"And now, behold, the Lamanites could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the Nephites."

We cannot let evilness take us over, rather we need to take it over. Just as these Nephites surrounded their enemies and gained control, we must gain control of our temptations.

Sacred Records.

Alma 63:13

"Nevertheless, these things were to be kept sacred, and handed down from one generation to another; therefore, in this year, they had been conferred upon Helaman, before the death of Shiblon."

The records were sacred and treated with respect. They were kept and handed down through family lines. I am so grateful that these records were preserved so well so that I can read them today. The Book of Mormon is a sacred record. It always has been and always will.

Hard or Soft?

Alma 62:41

"But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility."

All these people went through the same war. The same lengthy period of bloodshed. Some chose to be angry about the hardships and hardened themselves against God. Others humbled themselves because of the tough times and leaned on God for help and strength. Bad things happen. How we deal with them determines who we are. Will we become hard or soft? Angry or humble? Sad of glad? The choice is ours each day.

We are in the Hands of God.

Mormon 5:23

"Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?..."

This simple reminder can save us from pride. Remembering that the Lord is with us, watching over us, and helping us will keep our lives in perspective. When we put Him at the head of our lives we will feel His Spirit more and thereby be happier. We are in His hands. He is embracing us. He loves us!

Priorities

Alma 60:36

"Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle."

Moroni writes a very charged letter to Pahoran, who is a government leader. Moroni points out how the government has failed to support the armies against the Lamanites. He fears Pahoran is not fighting for the righteous cause. I like how Moroni does not fear what the government may think of his epistle. He writes what he feels is just and urges the government to repent. Moroni does not want glory. He wants his people to follow God and be protected by Him.

Easier to Retain than to Retake

Alma 59:9

"And now as Moroni had supposed that there should be men sent to the city of Nephihah, to the assistance of the people to maintain that city, and knowing that it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it from them, he supposed that they would easily maintain that city."

Moroni knew that it is easier to retain something than to try and get it back. Sometimes it is impossible to get back. This principle can be applied to the Law of Chastity, the Word of Wisdom, and other commandments. It is much easier to obey the commandments then to break them and try to get better. When we start on a path of sin, we sort of change. It's hard to change back.

Ask the Lord for Help

Alma 58:10

"Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people."

I love how these people had a problem and turned to the Lord for help. They were vastly outnumbered by their enemies, but they knew they could still withstand them if they had the Lord's help. They did not lean on their own strength and stratagem, rather they relied on the Lord. And you know what? They were successful in regaining all the lands their enemies took. It's amazing that they had so much power and strength!

God Watches Over Us

Matthew 2:12

"And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."

The wise men were warned not to return to Herod with the location of the Christ child. They heeded this warning and were spared. If they came to Herod, Herod would have tried to kill the Savior as a child. Herod did not want Jesus to take his place as King. Heavenly Father knew this and watched over Jesus so he would be safe. As we are all God's children, He watches over us too. He knows who we are and what we need. We just need to follow Him, ask Him for help, and have faith that He will help us. He will.

Humility

Alma 57:35

"And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us."

I love how Helaman gives credit to the Lord. He does not claim responsibility for the success of his army, rather he know that God is the one who protected them. He sees the hand of the Lord in his life and he's not afraid to share his experiences. I have a lot to learn from Helaman!

Charity

4 Nephi 1:15

"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people."

The people who lived in the Americas after Christ appeared to them lived as one. They were filled with the love of Christ and thus loved one another immensely. There were no wrongs done, and they were all on equal grounds. Love changed them and there was never a happier people.

Influence of Mothers

Alma 56:47-48

"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

These young men were so strong, courageous, and faithful. They were raised by wonderful men and women. I love their admiration and trust in their mothers' teachings. As a mother, I want my children to know how much faith I have. I want them to look to me as an example and say "I do not doubt my mother knows that." I want them to know I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and that through faith and prayer miracles happen. I admire these mothers and I want to be like them.

Continued Faith and Trust

Alma 55:31

"But behold, the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in this their time of affliction. They could not be taken in their snares..."

This was a time of war. The Nephites were constantly on the defense, and I'm sure that was stressful and hard. This did not shake their faith though. They were constant in their faith and knew that the Lord was with them. Afflictions come and always will. How we get through them shows who we are. When we have the Lord's help during these hard times, we become better people.

Eternal War

Alma 54:20

"Nevertheless, I will grant to exchange prisoners according to your request, gladly, that I may preserve my food for my men of war; and we will wage a war which shall be eternal, either to the subjecting the Nephites to our authority or to their eternal extinction."

Just as the Nephites and Lamanites were always at war, we are always at war against sin. There are so many temptations and evil influences in the world and they are becoming easier to access. We must always be on our guard so we don't become in subjection to these sins and lose ourselves.

Keep Covenants.

Alma 53:14,15


"...for they were about to break the oath which they had made. And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls..."

Helaman realized the importance of keeping covenants. He would not have the Anti-Nephi-Lehi people defend themselves. He would rather have a weak army then suffer those people to break a covenant. When we break the covenants we make with God, we can lose our souls. When we make covenants, we promise to God to always keep them! We must not take them lightly or forget how sacred and important they are.

Bad Choices Bind us

Alma 52:39

"But behold, there were many that would not; and those who would not deliver up their swords were taken and bound, and their weapons of war were taken from them, and they were compelled to march with their brethren forth into the land Bountiful."

These people would not surrender when the rest of their army did. They did not want to give up on their war.  The Nephites thus had to bind them and force them to be prisoners. Since they chose to stubbornly go on with their unjust cause, they suffered. Their poor choices literally bound them and they became captives.

How we Ought to be.

3 Nephi 27:27

"And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgement which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."

Christ wants us to be like Him. We 'ought' to be like him. He doesn't say that we should try to be like Him, but that we should always be like Him. Especially when we are in circumstances to help others. That is the best time to think of the Savior and act as He would.

Internal Strife

Alma 51:22

"Behold, it came to pass that while Moroni was thus breaking down the wars and contentions among his own people, and subjecting them to peace and civilization, and making regulations to prepare for war against the Lamanites, behold, the Lamanites had come into the land of Moroni, which was in the borders by the seashore."

There were disputes among the Nephites that left them weak and unable to defend some of their cities against the Lamanites. Sometimes, within our own families, there are disputes. These disputes do nothing beneficial. It is much better to resolve those matters so that we can focus on personal conflict with evil.

Blessings from obedience

Alma 50:19-20

"19 And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying:

20 Blessed are thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord."

The Lord does not forget what He says. These people were in the midst of wars, but they were protected upon the land because they kept the commandments of God. It's that simple and wonderful! 

Wisdom in Preparation

Alma 49:5

"Now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security."

In this chapter the Lamanites imagine themselves marching into weak Nephite cities and destroying them with ease. They were shocked that the city of Ammonihah was strong, so they go to the city of Noah which was usually weak. They come to a fully fortified city of Noah and are so amazed! They had no idea the Nephites had spent so much time preparing their cities for battle. This preparation was due to amazing leadership and divine counsel. There was no way the Nephites could lose to their enemies. It is so important to be strong! Think of the weak places in your life and aim to strengthen them. Satan wants to defeat us in our weak places, but we cannot let him do that.

Defense

Alma 48:14

"Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives."

The Nephites did not delight in war; rather they dreaded it. They would much rather live in peace and kindness. Sometimes, however, they had no choice. When an enemy comes upon them and wants to destroy  them they knew they needed to defend themselves. They were not afraid to die because they knew where they would go. They knew they were righteous and that God would greet them. They were saddened for the wicked people who died unprepared to meet God. They would only fight if they absolutely had to.

Mary

Luke 1:38

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."

Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and was told that she would conceive of the Holy Ghost and carry the Son of God. What an amazing thing to be told! I am amazed by Mary's reception of this news, knowing that it was true and of God. She knew the angel did not lie to her, and she knew that she would become pregnant while still being a virgin. Her humility and faith is outstanding and fitting for the mother of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world!

Subtle Evil

Alma 47:4

"Now behold, this was the desire of Amalickiah; for he being a very subtle man to do evil therefore he laid the plan in his heart to dethrone the king of the Lamanites."

The Lamanite king trusted Amalickiah with the command of his armies. Bad idea. Amalickiah was not content to be the leader of the armies; he wanted all the power. Through subtle tactics, deceitful planning, and murder he was able to become the King. He tricked so many people, just as Satan does today. Amalickiah was just as Satan is. Full of lies, flattery, and crimes to get personal glory. No one else matters, just himself and his personal power.

Christians

Alma 46:15

"And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come."

Christians are not a specific sect. They are people who take upon them the name of Christ and look forward to His coming. I am a Christian. I know Christ lives! I know He is coming again. I know He loves me and wants me to follow Him. He is my savior!

Tithing

3 Nephi 24:8

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."

Tithing and fast offerings have always been a part of Christ's church. We still have them today. Keeping these commandments brings so many blessings. I know I have been blessed because I pay my tithing and fast offerings. It helps me be more generous and not care so much about money. It is much more important to help those in need and contribute to the growth of the Church.

Gratitude

Alma 45:1

"Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yes, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy."

The Nephites were protected from their enemies because they had the Lord with them. They recognized the hand of the Lord in their success and gave thanks to Him. They fasted, prayed, and worshiped Him. This is how the showed their devotion to the Lord and great thanks to Him. We must remember the Lord in our daily lives and thank Him.

Power of Faith

Alma 44:3

"But now, ye behold that the Lord is with is; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith."

These people were saved in battle because of the power of their faith in Christ. They were firm in their belief in the Lord and they would not falter! This conviction strengthened them in battle as they had the Lord with them. With this power their enemies were delivered into their hands. Faith truly is powerful!