Questions for Today

This morning for me was an “Alma 5” morning, meaning that I really needed to hear Alma’s call to repentance and reflect upon my many shortcomings and sins. This chapter, a rebuke and invitation for the people of Zarahemla who had turned to wickedness, invites us all to consider the state of our souls and how well we are preparing to one day meet our Maker. Many of the questions are in present tense, inviting us each time we read it to answer for today no matter how we may have answered the questions in the past. Here are some of these questions that for me are most profound and thought-provoking:

         ·         “Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?” (v15)

  ·         “I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?” (v19)

  ·         “If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (v26)

   ·         “Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?... Behold, are ye stripped of pride?” (v27-28)

Each of these questions invites us to consider the present state of our spirituality. Do we truly exercise faith today in the Savior? Do we seek to act as He would act so that others will see His image in our countenances? Do we feel the desire to follow Him and are we changed today by His love and redemption? For me these questions are all a reminder that I need to do much better to follow Him as I feel with Nephi and Paul to exclaim, “O wretched man that I am!” (Though of course I have much greater reason to so feel than they did!)

                Though this chapter is a call to repentance and probably condemns all of us to some extent in its probing questions about the state of our souls, it is also a hopeful and positive invitation to follow the Savior. After Alma’s many questions inviting us to carefully analyze our own righteousness, he followed with numerous repeated invitations to come unto the Savior. We read, “Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you. Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely; Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness” (v33-35). The Savior’s invitation is for all to come unto Him and to partake freely of His salvation as we repent and bring forth works of righteousness. Alma also said, “Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ” (v38). The Savior knows each of us and calls us to repent and come unto Him. Alma also testified and invited in these words, “I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name” (v48). He is full of mercy and grace for us, despite our many failings and flaws, and He will forgive those who repent and come unto Him. Alma gave us these words of the Spirit to him as an invitation to all: “Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion” (v50). Ultimately the message of Alma 5 is to repent of our pride and selfishness, of our wickedness and uncleanness, and come unto the Son of God through faith in Him that we might “be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life” (v62).