Alma 32-35: "Plant This Word in Your Hearts" (July 22-28)

By Paul Anderson on July 22, 2024

The gospel really is simple. When a humble group of Zoramites approaches Alma and Amulek in frustration because they are excluded from worship services, Alma encourages them to go back to the basics. Begin to believe in the Son of God. "Exercise a particle of faith." Amulek encourages them to pray everywhere and about everything, and to "live in thanksgiving daily."

Above all, don't constrain your worship. "If ye suppose that ye cannot worship God, ye do greatly err," taught Alma (Alma 33:2). Remove the artificial barriers you have erected. Reach out to God today, and "immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you," promised Amulek (Alma 34:31).

Here are some other lessons I've learned from these chapters:

Outline

Alma 32 - Alma teaches a humble group of Zoramites about faith, using a metaphor of a seed that gradually becomes a tree of life.
Alma 33 - Alma quotes Zenos, Zenock, and Moses to explain that our faith must be in the Son of God.
Alma 34 - Amulek testifies of Christ and urges the people to pray always, repent promptly, and be grateful for everything.
Alma 35 - Believers are cast out. The people of Ammon receive them and minister to them.

Key Themes

People learn when they're ready to learn, not when we're ready to teach them.
Faith leads to knowledge, and knowledge strengthens our faith.
We can begin or reinitiate our spiritual growth by praying, believing in Jesus Christ, and repenting.
From God's perspective, mercy and justice are not in conflict.
None of us can pay for another person's sins, but an infinite Being—the Son of God—can atone for our sins.

Connections

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus teaches us how we can be good ground, so that the seed of the gospel can grow and flourish in us. (See Matthew 13:3-8.) Alma uses a similar metaphor, urging us to plant the word of God in our hearts, to "give place" for it, and to not to "cast it out by [our] unbelief" (Alma 32:28).
In the middle of a series of admonitions to church members in Thessalonica, Paul writes, "In every thing give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Amulek gives the same counsel to the poor among the Zoramites: "Live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you" (Alma 34:38).

Applications

Choose to convert humility into penitence. It doesn't happen automatically.
Pray about practical things, including your projects at work.
Repent as quickly as possible, instead of relying our your future self to bail you out.
Live in thanksgiving, no matter how challenging your circumstances.
Serve people in your community, even if it is inconvenient or even intimidating to do so.
Teach the gospel individually to each of your children.