24 Have Ye Experienced This Mighty Change in Your Hearts?
Have Ye Experienced This Mighty Change in Your Hearts?
Have Ye Experienced This Mighty Change in Your Hearts?
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Alma 5:26 Alma experienced a mighty change of heart. Have you? Do you remember it? What are you going to do, so that the song of redeeming love plays more loudly, sweetly, and persistently in your soul?
Alma 5:14, 49 What is it like to be spiritually born of God? How does that change things in our lives? How do the desires of our heart change? Once we feel the Savior’s love in our lives, how do we begin to feel about others? When we are truly forgiven, we desire this peace and joy for our fellow man. Alma spent all his days, from the time the angel appeared to him until he was taken, serving the Lord, teaching the gospel, and serving the people.
Don’t we all need a change of heart? We all need to turn to Jesus Christ and allow Him to heal us.
Alma 4:6–15 Inequality will be lessened as we feel the Savior’s love, learn to love Him, and strive to do the Father’s will.
Alma 7:15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
Come, and Fear Not! The Savior can change a hardened, sinful, or wounded heart into one that is humble, pure, and new. Even yours; especially yours.
I must experience—and
continue to feel—a mighty change of heart.
“[We] need to regularly take time to ask [ourselves],
‘How am I doing?’(President Ballard). Alma 5 can help us take inventory.
As you read Alma 5:14–33, honestly interview yourself and examine the condition of your heart. Answer the questions. Ask the Lord to help you in the areas where you know you are struggling. (See notes for chapter 5 below.)
Preserving the
Heart’s Mighty Change
For kids:
I can gain my own
testimony through the Holy Ghost.
How do we help baby animals to grow? How do we help plants
to grow?
What do you think you can do to help your testimony grow? What kind of care and
attention do you need to give in order to gain and sustain a testimony? How can
we tell when they are growing.
Alma 5:44–46 Alma’s
strong testimony of Jesus Christ came from his personal righteousness and
desire. He fasted and prayed many days to know the truth for himself; and, he
received a witness from the Holy Ghost. He had the spirit of revelation within
him, which is a testimony of Jesus Christ.
Choose one thing you can do this week to help
your testimony in Jesus Christ and His gospel grow.
I can gain my own witness
of the Savior and His teachings through the Holy Ghost.
Mosiah 27:10–17 Although we know that Alma changed his life’s pattern and purpose after being visited by an angel; he did not talk about this experience when he related how he gained his testimony.
Alma fasted and prayed many days to know the truth; and by the power of the Holy Ghost, he received a witness (or maybe multiple witnesses).
Read Alma 5:44–51 and write down a recipe for obtaining a testimony of Jesus Christ and His teachings. What “ingredients” (truths of the gospel) and “instructions” (things we can do to seek for truth) did Alma include? What “ingredients” and “instructions” could you add to your recipe from your own experiences or other experiences in the scriptures? (See chapter 5 below.)
“I perceive that ye are in
the paths of righteousness.”
Alma 5:32
There are times that we need to be called to repentance. We should be thankful
for the Lord’s love, that He sends messengers to help us return to Him.
Alma 7:19
Other times, we are diligently walking in the paths of righteousness, staying
on the covenant path which leads to the kingdom of God.
How are Alma’s messages to Zarahemla Alma 5 and to Gideon Alma 7 similar? How are they different? What are Alma’s messages that will help you stay on the covenant path? (See notes in chapters 5 and 7 below.)
The Savior took upon
Himself my sins, pains, and afflictions.
The Lord understands each of us individually and knows our suffering.
How did Savior suffer for me? Why did
He choose to suffer for me? Alma
7:7–16 (see also Isaiah
53:3–5). (See notes below.)
Matthew 4:1–13
Jesus fasted 40 days and nights to prepare for His ministry. He endured
temptations and resister the tempter.
26:55–56
Jesus was wrongfully arrested for sharing His gospel of salvation.
27:39–44
Jesus endured ridicule and mocking from judgmental people.
Mark 14:43–46 Jesus was betrayed by one of His closest friends.
Luke 9:58 Jesus had no place to rest and call his own.
How does Jesus Christ’s suffering on your behalf make a difference in your life? Do you live with more gratitude? Do you live with more sincerity? Do you seek to repent and have His Spirit to be with you? Do you strive to serve others? Are you quick to condemn or forgive? Do you show compassion or do you ridicule others? What will you do to make the Atonement of Jesus Christ of more efficacy in your daily life?
Jesus can and desires to help and succor you!
Enos 1:5–6
God forgave Enos’s sins and said He would be blessed. He knew that God is
truthful, so his guilt was swept away.
Trust God when He tells you that you are forgiven.
Mosiah 16:7–8 Jesus Christ rose from the grave, conquering death and given us hope of the resurrection.
21:15 The Lord will hear us when we return to Him, and He will help, heal, and deliver us.
24:14–15 The Lord will ease our burdens and help us carry them, so that they will be light and manageable.
3 Nephi 17:6–7 Jesus is compassionate. He wants to bless and heal all that are willing to come unto Him.
Ether 12:27–29 Our weaknesses do not have to define us. With the Lord’s love and help, they can refine us and make us stronger in the faith of Him and choosing to follow Him. Our weaknesses can be a blessed reminder that we need to turn to the Lord and rely on His grace and mercy.
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–10 Even though our trials are often overwhelming, they do not have to be all encompassing. This life is short. The Lord will help us endure and get through, if we choose to walk with Him. I know this is true. I have experienced this in my own life.
Testify of Jesus Christ. Consider ways you can share your testimony of the Savior and His divinity, grace, and love. You can encourage the people you teach to testify of Him by asking questions that prompt them to share how they feel about Him.
For kids:
The Savior took upon
Himself my sins, pains, and afflictions.
Read Alma 7:10–13
Jesus was willing to go through a lot of sufferings and trials, so that He can
understand us perfectly and help us even more. He loves us. “Jesus
suffered___________ , so He can help me.”
Who has helped you when you’ve been sick, or when you fell and got hurt? How
did that make you feel? Who has cheered you up when your feelings were hurt or
you were sad? How did that make you feel?
Jesus will always be available to help us, cheer us, comfort us, forgive us,
and deliver us. He loves you that much! How do we ask for His help? Who do we
pray to? In whose name do we close our prayers? What special member of the
Godhead conveys Heavenly Father’s and Jesus’s love to us and helps us feel
Their love?
How are we more like Jesus when we are willing to help others?
For kids:
Following Jesus Christ
keeps me on the straight path back to Heavenly Father.
Read Alma 5:14 as you look in the mirror.
What does it look like if we have the Savior’s image in our countenance?
Alma 7:19–20
Let children try walking in crooked paths and in a straight path.
What does it mean to walk in a straight path back to Heavenly Father? What are
the things we need to choose and do in order to be on the covenant path? What
kind of distractions do we need to avoid to stay on the path? If we get of
course, what can we do to get back on the path?
What did Jesus do to show us the path? Who can we rely on, like a flashlight,
to help us see the path?
I’m Trying to
Be like Jesus
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/5?lang=eng
To gain salvation, men must repent and keep the
commandments, be born again, cleanse their garments through the blood of
Christ, be humble and strip themselves of pride and envy, and do the works of
righteousness—The Good Shepherd calls His people—Those who do evil works are
children of the devil—Alma testifies of the truth of his doctrine and commands
men to repent—The names of the righteous will be written in the book of life.
About 83 B.C.
Vs 6-7 Remember the captivity and deliverance of your parents. They were
taught the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Vs 7 We have been delivered
from darkness into light.
Vs 9 The song of redeeming
love is salvation through Jesus Christ.
Vs 10-11 Our ancestors
believed the testimony of missionaries who spoke the words of God.
Vs 12-13 By faith a mighty change was wrought in their hearts. Through humility and trust in God, we can be faithful and be saved.
As you read Alma 5:14–33, honestly interview yourself and examine the condition of your heart. Answer the questions. Ask the Lord to help you in the areas where you know you are struggling.
Vs 14 Have you
yourself been born of God? Does it show in your countenance? Does it show in
the desires of your heart?
Vs 15 Faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ is essential for our salvation.
Vs 16 Choosing to live
righteously is imporant for our salvation.
Vs 21 Repentance is
essential for our salvation.
Vs 26 Have you held on to the Spirit that you felt when you repented and
committed yourself to following the Lord, or do you need to quickly repent and
get on the covenant path again. Do you feel the joy of the gospel of Jesus
Christ? If you don't, you are missing out.
Following are things we need to do in order to feel to sing the
song of redeeming love.
Vs 27-29 Blameless, humble, repentant, stripped of pride
and envy.
Vs 30 Love your
neighbor as yourself.
Vs 33 Personally invited to come unto Christ.
Answering of the questions:
Vs 38 Jesus Christ
is the Good Shepherd. He is calling all of us, by our own names, to follow Him.
We need to learn to listen for and to His voice.
Vs 40-41 Don't confuse
good and evil. All that is good comes from God. Whose child are you choosing to
be?
Read Alma 5:44–51
and write down a recipe for obtaining a testimony of Jesus Christ and His
teachings. What “ingredients” (truths of the gospel) and “instructions”
(things we can do to seek for truth) did Alma include? What “ingredients” and
“instructions” could you add to your recipe from your own experiences or other
experiences in the scriptures?
Vs 44 Alma was called to be a high priest after the holy order of God, which
is now called the Melchizedek priesthood. He was called to be a prophet and
testify of all that the prophets had spoken concerning that which is to come.
Vs 45-46 We can all know the truth for ourselves. The
pattern is asking in faith with prayer and fasting. The truth will be revealed
to us by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Vs 47 Through studying the
words of the prophets, we can come to know for ourselves that their words are
true, that Jesus is the Christ, that He will come again. Follow the list above.
Be humble and prayerful, repentant, abounding in good works. Seek knowledge by
study and faith. Pray for the Holy Ghost to guide you and answer your queries.
Vs 50 Repent Now! Jesus is
on His way back. He will be here soon, and He will rule in power and great
glory.
Vs 51 Invite others to Come
unto Christ, repent, and find happiness.
Vs 53-55 Accept Jesus, let
go of pride. Do what you can to lighten the load of others, the poor and the
needy. Be humble, be repentant. Seek to have the Holy Ghost as your companion.
Vs 57 If you want to follow Jesus, come out from among the wicked and
choose to be clean. Don't engage in their unclean practices. Don't do things
that will offend your Lord and the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him who is
calling you. Don't allow any ravenous wolf into your safety zone.
60 And now I say
unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken
unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and
he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye
may not be destroyed.
Vs 62 You are both invited and commanded to heed these things, so that you may
have all of the blessings of the Celestial Kingdom.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/6?lang=eng
The Church in Zarahemla is cleansed and set in
order—Alma goes to Gideon to preach. About 83 B.C.
Vs 2 Repentance and baptism are
necessary components in becoming members of Christ's church.
Vs 5-6 Everyone is
welcome in our sacrament meetings. All are invited. We need to pray for those
who have gone astray and for those who don't yet know God. We need to be inviting
others to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Vs 8 Teach with the Spirit and act in the office and stations to which you have been called.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/7?lang=eng
Christ will be born of Mary—He will loose the
bands of death and bear the sins of His people—Those who repent, are baptized,
and keep the commandments will have eternal life—Filthiness cannot inherit the
kingdom of God—Humility, faith, hope, and charity are required. About 83 B.C.
How did Savior suffer for me? Why did He choose to suffer for me? Alma 7:7–16 (see also Isaiah 53:3–5). He did it because of love!
Vs 7 This has always
been the most important news. We have a Savior. He came in the meridian of
time, and He is coming back to earth again.
Vs 9-10 Like all the prophets before and after Alma, the Lord told Alma to
testify of Jesus Christ, and to invited the people to repent and prepare the
way of the Lord.
How can we prepare His way? We can prepare ourselves, and extend
His invitation to others.
Alma also, like the prophets before him, testified that Jesus
would come to the earth to live among mortal men. He knew that he'd be born in
the land of his forefathers to a virgin named Mary. He knew that Jesus is the
Son of God.
Vs 11 Alma also taught that Jesus would suffer pains,
afflictions, and temptations; and that he would take upon Himself our pains and
sicknesses.
Vs 12-13 Jesus has always been willing to carry our load and make
repentance and progression available to us.
He went through a mortal experience so that He would know more
intimately how to help us.
He died for us, so that we all
might live.
Vs 14-16 It is important to have faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and be baptized
and then continue to be faithful; and we shall be given eternal life. This is
the doctrine of Christ.
If we are not willing to be baptized unto repentance, so that our
sins may be watched away, we really don't have faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb
of God. He is the One who is mighty to save and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. We need baptism, and, after that, the Gift of the Holy Ghost
in order to progress and be faithful.
He will help us to lay aside every sin that holds us back. The
sacrament is important for us to renew our faith, commitment, devotion and
covenants. We show love for the Lord through our repentance and our obedience
to His commandments.
If we honor the doctrine of Christ and keep the commandments of
God, we will be given the gift of Eternal Life. Alma testifies of this
according the the testimony of the Holy Ghost, who testified this to Alma.
Vs 23-25 Here we receive
counsel from the Lord, given through Alma, on the way to increase our devotion
and discipleship.
He then pronounces a blesses, through the Lord, that if we do the
Lord will bless us and keep our garments spotless. Then we will be able to be
with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the holy prophets, in the kingdom of heaven.
Vs 27 And now, may the apeace of
God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and
herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to
your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever. And thus I have
spoken. Amen.
Isaiah
53:3–5 3 He is adespised and rejected of men; a man of bsorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we cesteemed him not.
4 ¶ Surely he hath aborne our
bgriefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted.
5 But he was awounded for our btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his cstripes we are dhealed.
Further
comparison:
How are Alma’s messages to Zarahemla Alma 5
and to Gideon Alma 7
similar? How are they different? What are Alma’s messages that will help you
stay on the covenant path?
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