ALMA 59-63

Today we finished Alma. What a great book. It is filled with doctrine, wars, peace, great leaders, bad leaders -- everything that would make you want to read it again and again. We read an epistle Captain Moroni sent to Pahoran accusing Pahoran of leaving Moroni and the warriors to fend for themselves. Capatain Moroni had some accusations about Pahoran that just were not true. So....when Pahoran received this epistle, how do you think he felt? How would you feel if someone accused you falsely? In Pahoran's epistle to Captain Moroni he tells him why he hasn't sent him help and then he tells him he is not angry. We can learn a lesson from Pahoran. He definitely would have been "justified" in being angry with Moroni, but instead he was not angry. Maybe we can turn the other cheek more often and remember Pahoran.
We read about a man name Hagoth who made ships and sailed north. In one of the verses it said that "we assume they all drowned". But modern day prophets have taught us about what happened to Hagoth and his people. President Spencer W. Kimball in an area conference in Samoa said, "And so it seems to me rather clear that your ancestors moved northward and crossed a part of the South Pacific. You did not bring your records with you, but you brought much food and provisions. And so we have a great congregation of people in the South Seas who came from the Nephites, and who came from the land southward and went to the land northward which could have been Hawaii. And then the further settlement could have been a move southward again to all of these islands and even to New Zealand. The Lord knows what he is doing when he sends his people from one place to another."
President Joseph F. Smith, when president of the Church, said to the Maori people of New Zealand, "I would like to say to you brethren and sisters from New Zealand, you ARE some of Hagoth's people, and there is NO PERHAPS about it!"

ALMA 40

It has been so long since I logged in....I forgot how. Thank goodness for a little help! I am back and ready to finish Alma, Helaman, and part of 3 Nephi before Spring break. Some of my students are VERY, VERY tired! I took a survey today thinking students who took vitamins would be less tired than kids who didn't. Turned out it doesn't matter (well, maybe it really does -- but not by my survey). Please help your kids get the rest they need. Winter is dark and gloomy and I know things will get better in the spring. But right now they are like the groundhog and want to go back into their burrow.

I had wonderful substitutes while I was gone: Brothers Mount, Mount, Roach and Bishop were the subs. I know the kids were in great hands!

Today we talked about Alma 40. Talked about all kinds of miracles from the scriptures from turning water into wine and the mummy (the mummy? it was Lazarus). Alma 40 has a great miracle -- the Resurrection. Alma gives one of the Book of Mormon's longest discussions on the Resurrection. You can think of many of the verses as puzzle pieces. Many religions have some of the pieces -- we have them all. We know that there was no Resurrection until after the coming of Jesus Christ (Alma 40:1-2), that Jesus Christ brings the Resurrection (Alma 40:3), there is a time appointed for all people to be Resurrected (Alma 40:4), there is a period of time between death and the Resurrection (Alma 40:6-9), righteous spirits await the Resurrection in a state of happiness called paradise (Alma 40:11-12), the wicked wait the Resurrection in darkness and fear of judgment (Alma 40:13-14), the body will be restored to its proper place (Alma 40:23) and the Atonement makes the Resurrection possible, and the Resurrection brings everyone back into the presence of God to be judged (Alma 42:23).

I am thankful we have all the pieces of the puzzle. I am glad I have the knowledge of the Resurrection. Knowing about our Heavenly Father's plan brings me peace. Peace in knowing that this life is not the end -- it will continue on and on and on.