What Good Have I Done?

Alma tells his son Helaman of his conversion and being born of God.

He heard a voice and saw an angel. The voice said to him: "If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God." For three days and three nights he could not open his mouth nor use of his limbs. He suffered the pains of a damned soul, but before succumbing, he remembered what his father had taught him about the coming of Jesus Christ. He called upon the name of Jesus, and was then born of God. A sweet joy filled his soul.

16: And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Picture: "Alma arise" by Walter Rane

Labels: Alma, Born again, Conversion

Alma and his companions went to preach among the wicked Zoramites,
because as he wrote the word had greater power in changing people than
anything else. This is a lesson we could learn from and apply today.
However, it is as important in our day as in Alma's that our words be
honest and sincere.

Alma 31:5 And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency
to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more
powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or
anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it
was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.

See http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/31

Picture: Thomas Monson speaking at a General Conference of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Labels: Alma, change, Conversion, monson, scriptures, sword, war