Alma 21-23

Quote "No part of walking by faith is more difficult than walking the road of repentance. However, with 'faith unto repentance,' we can push roadblocks out of the way, moving forward to beg God for mercy...One simply surrenders, caring only about what God thinks, not what 'they' think...Giving away all our sins is the only way we can come to know God."

~Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Question "What are you willing to give to know Him?"

I love this whole story in the BOM where the sons of Mosiah, who were at one time not that different than the Lamanites in their unrighteous behavior, convert so many Lamanites. What touches me so much, and it goes along with today's question, is that when you have lived unrighteously, and caused pain to others, and then you come to a real knowledge of the Lord, it is just about unbearable to think that you could have been so horrible to your very own creator who loves you and has done nothing but bless you. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much, and His son Jesus Christ layed down His very own life for our sins....how wretched are we to so carelessly disregard that?

Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah, were raised with the truth, they had been taught, and chose to ignore it. They chose to try to harm the church, and behave in such a rebellious way. They had the unique and fortunate experience to have an angel come down and tell them to stop or else... What they experienced was so painful, and wonderful at the same time, that for the rest of their lives, they were IMMOVABLE! We don't all get that privilege, but non-the-less, we need to "act as though we did see an angel". We need to be as humble as King Lamoni, and recognize the truth, and accept it as though our very eternal souls depended upon it....'cause....they do!

We do need to be willing to make any and every sacrifice that the Lord requires in order to show Him that we are willing and ready to do whatever it takes to live with Him again! The funny thing is, Satan wants us to think "oh, we are giving up so much..." when in reality, not only does the Lord help us give up the worldly things, but He blesses us with even more wonderful things than the thing we gave up! It's amazing!

I'm sure it was tough for those Lamanites to give up their weapons of war, as they were a blood thirsty people, just as it is difficult for us to give up the things that we need to....but it is sooooo worth it! I can really identify with Alma the younger, and the sons of Mosiah. I didn't try to persecute the church, but I have been somewhat inactive at times in my life, and know what it is like to be "converted" to the Gospel. I have never regreted anything of the world that I have sacrificed to have the Gospel in my life!