Good Morning Brothers and Sisters! 

Happy Independence Day weekend!  I hope that you have all recovered from one impressive Firework show last night!  It was wonderful to meet with a few of you last week for Sacrament meeting.  Sacrament meeting definitely filled a hole inside of me that I have been missing.  I look forward to when we will be able to meet together again.  I don’t have a specific story to tell this week, so I am touching on some of the scripture passages from this week’s readings that I found meaningful. 

The story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies is one of the most beloved in the Book of Mormon.  We often recite the end of the story with the 2000 Stripling Warriors marching into battle with Helaman.   I am grateful that our lesson this week focuses on the events of the parents of these young men who created an environment in their families to develop strong, valiant and brave children. 

Alma 23:  1-4.  I find it interesting that the first thing that the King of the Lamanites does when he is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ is to proclaim religious freedom to his kingdom.  The king did protect Ammon and his brothers from harm and did allow Ammon unfiltered access to the people to preach freely.  However, the Lamanites were still given a choice on how they wanted to believe. We were just having a conversation in the car yesterday about tolerance and freedom.  I thought of the 11^th Article of Faith, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”  We do not have to look far in our current world situations to find examples where religious freedom (or any kind of belief) is not socially acceptable.  If your belief does not match what the world says it should, you could lose your job, your friends and your family to be made a public example.  The King of the Lamanites should teach us that when we are truly converted unto the Lord, we are not afraid to allow others to think differently than we do.  We can do all that we can to teach others about our beliefs but we teach with the Spirit.  We teach with kindness and love.  We teach and allow others to make their own choice.  Converted disciples are an example of the Savior in word and in action.

Alma 23:6-7; 24.  “…as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.  For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.”  For some reason, when I read this passage this time, the order of the words made an impression on me.  When I read that the Lamanites, “… did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more”, it signified to me a spiritual change.  We know the Lamanites physically buried their weapons in the ground but they buried everything that kept them from God.  As I read these scriptures, the word “Conviction” kept coming to mind.  I feel that I am strong about certain things.  Some issues are not even a temptation for me.  However, there are things that I can rationalize about and say that they are not really a big deal.  Anything that keeps us from God should be considered a weapon of our rebellion and should be buried.  “Conversion means changing and becoming a new person through the power of God.”  Spencer W. Kimball said, “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions…He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that he has changed the situations surrounding the sin.  He should avoid places and conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most readily breed it again.  He must abandon the people with whom the sin was committed.  He may not hate the persons involved but he must avoid them and everything associated with the sin.”  Elder Jeffrey R Holland said, “It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, “I’ll change” and mean it.  Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make.  You may well spend – indeed you had better spend- the rest of your life proving your repentance by its permanence”.  We can see the strength that this group of Anti-Nephi-Lehies had in their conviction to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They drew strength from overcoming their past, strength from a hope in their future and strength from supporting each other.

Alma 26:15; 29.  “…and we have been instruments in his hands.”  I love reading in Chapter 26 – Ammon and Chapter 29 – Alma, about the testimonies of these great men.  These men had a past that wasn’t in harmony with the gospel.  They buried the weapons of their rebellion and were truly converted unto the Lord.  They spent the rest of their lives preaching the gospel and seeing others lives change because of the truth they had found.  Not only did Ammon and Alma see people change but the tide of the belief of generations turned and was brought back to the teachings of truth.  Ammon and Alma saw things happen by the power of God that everyone said would never happen.  Alma 29:10, “And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he has heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.”  This is true everlasting, eternal joy.

I hope that as we have read these scripture passages this week that we have been reminded of some of our weapons of our rebellion.  I hope that we will make a stronger resolve (with more conviction) to follow the Savior with more exactness.  We are building strong families not that are free from mistakes but who know how to overcome weakness, sin and rebellion with gratitude, humility and love. 

Brothers and Sisters, I am grateful for the gospel.  I love the Book of Mormon.  I love my Savior and know that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father.  I am so grateful for families for the teaching, healing and strengthening power that they can provide.

Enjoy your week!   The war chapters are coming.  I hope that you have fortified your defenses!

Sister Rooley