Thursday, May 12, 2016

Alma 47-48 - The difference one person can make

If you ever wondered what difference one person can make, this section in the Alma should convince you that one person can make a BIG one! On one hand you have Amalikiah who’s ambition and lust for power was insatiable. He was Machiavellian in that whatever moved him closer to his goal, regardless of the cost on other people, was acceptable. Murder, betrayal, fraud were all on the table. In contrast, you have Moroni who lead by example, personified sacrifice, hard work and always making the harder right choice.

It’s worth pointing out, they both needed help of other people. One of the greatest differences between them is how they inspired other people. Amalikiah appealed to people’s sense of justice, their self interests and their patriotism. Moroni appealed to the same, including religious duty, but unlike Amalikiah, he told the truth.

To discern between the two is the challenge. I pity the Lamanites to a degree because they were deceived and went to war under false pretenses. They gave their lives for a lie.

So, how do you tell the two apart? We are faced with similar dilemmas in our day. We have many voices appealing to our self-interest, patriotism and sense of justice. Which is the safe way forward through all these competing messages? Ultimately, it comes down to the basics it always does: prayer, talking to God. Scripture study and pondering, where we listen to Him and by serving others, which gets us more in tune with God’s spirit.

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