Monday, November 9, 2015

Alma 31:31 - 31:38

Alma 31:31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.

Alma is really down in the dumps over the wickedness he sees among the Zoramites. He is praying for the strength to be patience because he knows that he will need it in dealing with the people. He is praying for the ability to continue even if it looks like a lost cause until the Lord tells him it is enough.

Alma 31:32 O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, and also my two sons—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.

Alma is praying for his companions as well as himself. He is praying the Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Amuled, Zeezrom and his two sons will be bless with the needed patience to deal with the people too. Let them know that their labors sanctified by the Lord.

Alma 31:33 Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may bear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people.

He pleads that they will be given the same strength that he is praying for in putting up with the wickedness of the people.

Alma 31:34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.

He is asking for the success as he and his companions labor to redeem the Zoramites and return them to the true gospel.

Alma 31:35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.

Alma recognizes that these folks are precious souls, as we all are, and is asking for the inspiration to know what to say or doing to wake these people up to the wicked religious and social practices that exists among them now.
It looks like some of the Zoramites are perhaps not Nephites in origin. Alma remarks that many of the are their brethren which I assume means they are Nephites or used to be Nephites and maybe Alma knew them in Zarahemla. IT maybe that the religious practices of the Zoramites were brought in by some group that came into the area that were unknown to the Nephites and that some of the Nephites were drawn to it.

Alma 31:36 Now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

When Alma said these words he clapped his hands over the heads of each of his companions and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.

Alma 31:37 And after that they did separate themselves one from another, taking no thought for themselves what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on.

Everyone now separates into small groups and go forth without money and relying on the generosity of the people to feed and shelter them as they labor among the Zoramites.

Alma 31:38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

Mormon remarks that all the things prayed for by Alma for him and his companions all came to pass. They all got what they needed to eat and drink. The Lord also gave them strength to endure the situations they found themselves in. The joy of knowing for whom they were working for overcame any discouragement. All these blessing all happened because Alma prayer with such faith.

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