Welcome to Gaia! ::

I'm here!

My week was...busy, as always. sweatdrop But General Conference was AMAZING. I really loved Elder Holland's talk, it was so powerful.

That's right.

And I forgot to read again. sweatdrop Sorry about that...

The Nephites were treading on political pins and needles with the Zoramites, who were separatists from the Nephites. There was a very real threat that the Zoramites would ally themselves with the Lamanites and then use the Lamanites to perform acts of aggression on the Nephites, whom the Zoramites loathed. It was for this purpose that Alma gathered his band of missionaries, to subdue the Zoramites by a power more effective and more Christlike than contending with them, namely changing the Zoramites' lives from the inside out with the healing power of the gospel.

They apostatized because they didn't keep the commandments, and they didn't pray daily.

Which, I think, are the two basic points that if we follow, will never allow us to lose our testimonies. We've got to act what we believe. We know God has given us laws for our own safety and benefit and it's up to us to follow those laws or else we'll be miserable. And we need to keep open that avenue of communication with Him, the main way we learn His will for us and receive His guidance and comfort.

The Zoramites practiced a pattern of worship that was elitist and highly bigoted, which was understandably appalling to Alma and the other missionaries. It distressed Alma so much that he offered up a moving prayer to God on the problem, and as a result of that prayer they received the strength to go about their work proselyting.

The Zoramites' prayers were selfish, self-serving. They served no purpose but to build themselves up upon lies of superiority while condemning everyone else. On the other hand, Alma's prayer was one of humility and charity, recognizing his own weakness and suffering while simultaneously pleading with the Lord to help Alma and the others help the haughty Zoramites see the errors of their ways, not to antagonize them, but as a loving act of serving them and trying to bring them back to true happiness.

Their pride and their materialism.

Pride is, at its simplest, the putting of one's own will before God's, the implicit idea that one's own interests are of greater import than God's eternal wisdom. Hence, if we have this false and damaging attitude toward God, we will never be able to sincerely worship Him, and the road to our salvation will be similarly impaired.