Do Good Continually

When Alma taught his son Corianton he gave him this counsel: “Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward” (Alma 41:14). Several years later as Mormon described Shiblon he wrote this: “And he was a just man, and he did walk uprightly before God; and he did observe to do good continually, to keep the commandments of the Lord his God; and also did his brother” (Alma 63:2). So Corianton was invited to “do good continually” and Mormon’s description of him and his brother show that he did indeed “observe to do good continually.” This was the same desire of the people of King Benjamin when they were converted: “We have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). As Mormon taught his people he said this: “That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God” (Moroni 7:13). His son Moroni expressed his desire in these words: “Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved” (Ether 8:26). He and his father yearned for the day when men would indeed do good continually, and the invitation from all of these passages is that we seek continually to do that which is good in our lives. If we truly have the Spirit of the Lord with us, if we are converted unto Him, we will not have a desire to do anything but good continually.

               The Book of Mormon similarly invites us to “pray continually,” and that is perhaps a key for us if we want any change of being able to do good continually. Nephi wrote at the end of his life that he prayed without ceasing for his people: “For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry” (2 Nephi 33:3). His brother Jacob invited the Nephites in this language: “Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night” (2 Nephi 9:52). Jacob’s son Enos followed that counsel to pray continually, for he recorded, “I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it” (Enos 1:15). Alma invited the people of Ammonihah, “But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering” (Alma 13:28). The people he taught soon thereafter at Sidom followed that counsel and “began to humble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually” (Alma 15:17). The sons of Mosiah taught that their missionary success was dependent upon praying continually: “He that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God… and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance” (Alma 26:22). Mormon wrote to his son Moroni with this description of his continued prayers: “I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end” (Moroni 8:3). And Moroni recorded that in general those brought into the fold of God were urged to pray continually: “Their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith” (Moroni 6:4). All of these passages stand as invitations to likewise pray continually in our lives for help and strength. As we do that surely the Lord will help us to work towards the even more challenging invitation to do good continually. I know that I am personally a long ways off from having my deeds described as “good continually,” but these Book of Mormon passages should encourage us to try hard to pray continually for help to work towards that ideal to “do that which [is] right in the sight of God continually” (Helaman 3:20).