#personalstudy — Public Fediverse posts

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/56?id=p3#p3

These boys were Lamanites. They were a credit to the idea of Lamanites, though we know that the only real definition of the disparate "Lamanites" was, "not Nephites."

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/55?id=p19#p19 Alma 55:19 But behold, this was not the desire of Moroni; he did not delight in murder or bloodshed...

Moroni does not delight in bloodshed; he keeps the bigger picture in mind. In the leadership of our own lives, what is our bigger picture?

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/54?id=p22#p22

And if it so be that there is a devil and a hell, behold will he not send you there to dwell with my brother whom ye have murdered, whom ye have hinted that he hath gone to such a place? But behold these things matter not.

Murder of his brother -- Teancum's actions totally left them open to such critique.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/54?id=p23#p23
Ammoron uses his story to express victimhood, and justification. Zoramites have various stories they could draw from, so Ammoron has chosen one which appeals to his pride. See also https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/david-b-paxman_zoram-and-i-getting-our-stories-straight/

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/53?id=p18#p18

The sons of Helaman were Lamanites. However, there were no brother-on-brother issues of them fighting other Lamanites because Lamanites are so diverse a body, coming from many surrounding peoples not mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

#PersonalStudy #GeneralConference https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/27phillips?lang=eng

"Many of the Savior's parabolic teachings focus on gathering, restoring, or striving to find that which has been scattered or lost."

#Parabolic, meaning "using parables"! Very different from the mathematical/geometric concept of Parabolic I normally use.

#PersonalStudy https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/50?lang=eng&id=p21#p21

"Whoredoms." Rarely in the #BookOfMormon does it blame the prostitutes, but rather the users. The exception is Isabel, but that got personal.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/49?lang=eng&id=p4#p4
Here is the common lesson about the importance of #preparation, #prophylaxis, and #SpiritualStrongholds. But two other amazements are first that #fortifying was apparently a novel idea to Moroni's inspiration, and also not thought of before by the Lamanites, who evidently did not know how to deal with it. Not too much later, fortifying will be a normal thing for both Nephites and Lamanites.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/48?lang=eng&id=p17#p17

#Heroes. Who is the "I" speaking? Our editor, Mormon, 500 years later. The man who named his son for this admired army captain. Mormon's admiration for Captain Moroni is very clear. How important it is to have heroes, especially when you are facing the challenges that Mormon faced.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/47

True villainy: Deceit, tricking into a #SlipperySlope, greed, murder, more deceit.

What was going through the minds of the Lamanites who were effected by this power-shift?

Never in U.S. history has there been such a distrust in leadership which allowed aberrants to get into power. Perhaps something similar effected the Lamanites who silently allowed evil to go relatively uncontested to the throne.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon Alma finishes a Personal Priesthood Interview with his son Helaman

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/45?lang=eng&id=p2-p8#p2

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon Alma 42:31 … that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. …

It needs repeating, certainly for me. Repentance is a piece of divine providence and NOT a penalty for misdoings. It is a success of the adversary, promulgated through the dark times of the Great Apostasy, that "repentance" is seen as a penalty. It is not! It is a merciful loving gift, and one mortality's foremost purposes. Now, how to use this fact?

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon Eternal justice and mercy in this -- that you receive the restoration (fulfillment) of that which you have sought.

Alma 41:15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon Alma 32:33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

Though it mentions experiment, Renlund notes in #Observation, #Reason, #Faith, and #Revelation, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dale-g-renlund/observation-reason-faith-and-revelation/:

Alma 24:30 … after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of … righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression … their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.

Like my "great whore" lesson in BYU Book of Mormon class, where the greatest evil is not a simple prostitute but an intimate betrayal. That class used the metaphor of the church and Christ as a marriage.

#PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon

My eternal focus could use some work. https://harmony.toryanderson.com/2023/08/14/daily-inspiration-eternal-focus/ #PersonalStudy #Focus #Distractions

#BookOfMormon Mosiah 29:25 Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord.

#PersonalStudy So a republic is chosen rather than a monarchy because it is so much the safer. This is very pertinent today: democratic republic is part of the United States founding concepts.

This morning's #PersonalStudy #BookOfMormon. It doesn't take much to recognize Nephi's bias in his writing, but that might actually increase the personal value of his words to us. https://orys.us/uy

#BookofMormon #PersonalStudy 1 Nephi 12:1 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea.

The Lord speaks to us according to our language, passions, and interests. Nephi beholds his seed: this is something that he has vested interest. He wonders and worries about his posterity.