Alma 29:1 - 29:5

Alma 29:1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

Lamentations of Alma. He sometimes wishes he were an angel so that he could shake up people and bring them to their senses. That by his voice he could scare people into repenting of their sins by causing earthquakes to get them to start living as they should.

Alma knows this from personal experience. He was visited by and angel and the earth did shake and it did cause him to repent of his gross sins. He is fantasizing that it would work for everyone, but we know that it would not. Some folks would always have some explanation other than what actually happen when it comes to spiritual experiences.

Alma 29:2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

He great wish is that by declaring the word of God with thunder and earthquakes that he could cause people to repent and return to worshiping the true and living God. This would rid the earth of all sorrow and misery and we would live in joy and peace.

Alma 29:3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

But Alma realizes that he is but a man and his fantasy is just that a fantasy. God is not going to give him this power. He needs to realize that what situations he is in is what the Lord wants him to be in and that it is the best situation he could be for the time and place.

This is something we all need to have a testimony of. The time and place we find ourselves is the best for us and for those who we will associate with in mortality. There has been much planning and preparation for each of us and we need to be satisfied with our lot.

Alma 29:4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

Alma says that he should not want to disturb the plans of God concerning all of us. We are all living in situations in which we will be able to maximize our potentials. There could be no situation that would give us greater development in mind, body and spirit than the one we are in. And we have the choice of taking advantage of these situations to do good or to do evil. We can either save ourselves or damn ourselves.

Alma 29:5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.

Alma gives his personal testimony that men can pick between good and evil. However, for the individual who does not know the difference, they are excused. But for the person who does know does have the freedom to choose either good or evil. He can choose that which will bring joy and peace or that which will bring remorse of conscience.