Alma 30 describes an interaction between the anti-Christ Korihor with different Christian leaders eventually ending with Alma. Reading this chapter carefully, I found a few unexpected insights.

The chapter begins with the Christian community reckoning with the disastrous wars described in previous chapters. In verse two, Mormon describes the Nephites deep mourning, fasting and prayer as a result of mass death from war. This deep reckoning with the horrors thrust upon them seem to place them into deep humility, righteousness and peace. In verse three, “they were strict in observing the ordinances of God.”

The preceding chapters in Alma were horrifying. Alma’s witness of the mass slaughter of women and children. Ammon’s converts being slaughtered after laying down weapons of war and taking on a covenant of pacifism. The resulting wars and violence that ensued because of the political upheavals that occurred after the religious conversion of Lamanite kings.

Korihor interrupts this two years of peaceful pause by coming into Zarahemla and the surrounding cities to preach against the gospel of Christ.

It’s difficult to miss the common experiences Korihor has with the Nephits and Ammon and Aaron have with the Lamanites just a few chapters earlier. In both cases, these missionaries preach against the dominant positions of the community. In verse 14, Korihor preaches against the “foolish traditions of your fathers.” (Alma 30:14, compare with Alma 17:9, among other references). When Korihor confronts the people, they tie him up and bring him to their leaders, in much the same ways that happened to both Ammon and Aaron. There doesn’t seem much toleration with pluralism in these communities despite that Mormon tries to convince the readers otherwise (see Alma 30:7-11).

One thing to note about Mormon’s interjection about the freedom of speech was this emphasis on justice in verse 11 in that “all men were on equal grounds.” There was a law, there was a punishment, everyone in society was subjected to it. They were all equal.

Back to Korihor. First of all, what was driving him? He did not believe in the prophecies of Christ. The Book of Mormon is unique in that it describes Christ life, ministry, death and atonement in remarkable detail ahead of when he would come. Through the chapters of the Book of Mormon, various prophets describe revelation in terms of angelic visits, visions and dreams about the coming Christ. But what’s at the core of the belief of Christ is atonement. Verse 16, “Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins.” and Verse 17, “telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature;”

Korihor rejects the need for and the possibility of atonement. He rejects the resurrection in verse 18, “telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof.” What seems to be driving Korihor is the reliance on empirical evidence, none of which exists for him in a belief in Christ, see verse 13, “Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.”, verse 15 “Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.”, and verse 28 “offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who ^anever has been seen or known, who ^bnever was nor ever will be.”

And he suspects the motives of religious leaders is less than good, binding them down to foolish traditions, verse 23 “to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance” and in verse 27 “that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands.”

No one knows what to do with him, so he’s passed up the ranks until Alma engages with him. Alma, wearied Alma, who has fought and has been injured in civil wars of mass slaughter among his people. Alma, whose already had to deal with Nehor, killer of Gideon, who was bound with Amulek while women and children burned. And then more war. Alma knew deeply the consequences of bad ideas.

Alma’s responses are interesting. He first shuts down Korihor’s first attack., in verse 32-35, “Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have ^alabored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine ^bown hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people.”

And then the question in verse 35, “And now, believest thou that we deceive this people, that ^acauses such joy in their hearts?” Of which Korihor simply answers “yea”. But the question answers itself. The entire point of the doctrine of Christ is to “cause such joy in their hearts.” There’s no deception there when the aim is joy.

Then Alma turns the table on Korihor, “what evidence have ye that there is no ^aGod, or that Christ cometh not?” Korihor has none. And Alma recounts his – the witness of prophet after prophet recorded and passed down from generation to generation. But this is not all, he describes the wonders, mysteries and copmlexities of nature, in verse 44 “The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the ^bearth, and ^call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its ^dmotion, yea, and also all the ^eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”

The confrontation ends in the same way the interactions between Jacob and Sherem ends, Korihor asks for evidence, a sign, and Alma strikes him dumb. I find Alma’s pessimism here disturbing, though given Alma’s life experiences, understandable. What’s interesting is that Korihor loses his ability to speak, he becomes disabled, and vulnerable and utterly reliant on the care and goodwill of society, which goes exactly against the ideas he was touting in verse 17, “therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength;”.

But society ends up being incapable or unwilling to care for him and he’s run over by the Zoramites and that leads to a convenient transition to chapter 31.

I think we can see a distinct change going forward with Alma. Chapter 31 describes Alma’s deep pain, verse 2 “For it was the cause of great sorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people; therefore his heart was exceedingly sorrow because of the separation of the Zoramites from the Nephites.”

Worried they would collaborate with the Lamanites and start a war, they decided an intervention was in order, verse 5 “And now, as the ^apreaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just.”

What they witnessed, shocked and horrified them. Rather than incorporating deep faith and humility in a way that would lead to transformation and care for others, they didn’t think of God on any day but one. On the “day of the Lord”, they would enter their synagogue, stand up on a high pedastal and recite a prayer of thanks that God chose them over everyone else, the elite, those worthy of God’s favor, while all those around them would “cast by thy wrath down to hell.” verse 17.

The Zoromite theology rejected Christ and the atonement believing it to be “handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers” verse 16 and “that he did not lead them away after the tradition of their brethren, and that their hearts were not stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about.” verse 22.

But none of this is transformational nor did it have to be. They were born into this elite status, chosen by God, so therefore, “they returned to their homes, ^anever speaking of their God again.” but rather were caught up in their riches and pride and elitism.

And again Alma’s pain at seeing this, verse 26, “O, how long, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that thy servants shall dwell here below in the flesh, to behold such gross wickedness among the children of men?” and verse 30 “For I am infirm, and such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul.”

Alma’s love for these people is palpable, verse 35 “Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.”

Alma here is different than the one we read about in the early chapters of this book. He’s scarred, torn, tired and desperate to redeem these people.

Finally, how much of Korihor and of the Zoromites do we see among us today? The strict reliance an empirical evidence, the elitism, the unwillingness to live in solidarity and concern for others, the rejection, if not explicitly, of atonement. I think much of this is prevalent today, but within and outside of religious communities

What does it take to help others to conversion.

Spiritual Preparation:

• Alma 17:3 Given themselves to much prayer and fasting
• Alma 17:9 – Fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit.

Recognition and full awareness of the Task at Hand:

• Alma 17:14-16 – The Lamanites were in bad shape.
• Alma 21:3-4 – Built synagogues after the order of the Nehors.
• v5, 6 – Why haven’t we seen angels? How do you know we have cause to repent?

Willingness to serve.

• Alma 17:11 – Patient in long-suffering and afflictions, showing good examples. Become instruments in God’s hands. Establish the word of God.
• Alma 17:23, 25
• Alma 22:3 – Aaron expresses a desire to serve.

Deep Faith in His Abilities to Solve Difficult Problems

• Alma 17:29, 31 – Didn’t give up when flocks were scattered. Re-gathered and defended them.

A Deep Concern/Love for those We Serve

• Alma 17:23, 25 – Desire to dwell with this people for the long haul, even until they day I die.
• Alma 18:10
• Alma 19: 8-9 – Perhaps the Queen was already converted. She believed readily in the words of Ammon who she felt was a prophet from God.Alma
• 19:14 – Ammon’s deep love for these people.

Your Worldview Gets Disrupted

• Alma 18: 4, 5 – He worried that he had done wrong in slaying his servents.
• Alma 19:17 – The people would see their political leaders collapsed with a Nephite.
• Alma 19:29 – Abish took the queen and lifted her up. The Queen’s testimony.
• Alma 20:26 – Ammon had no desire to destroy him and had deep love for his son Lamoni.
• Alma 22:3, 5 – For I have been somewhat troubled in mind because of the generosity and greatness of the words of thy brother.
• Alma 22:22-23 Aaron raised the king. Family and servants are converted by the king.
• Alma 22:25 – The king administered the people.
• Alma 23:2-4 King changed the laws, culture and systems to give the gospel more currency with the people – allowing for broad conversion.
• Alma 24:23-24 Converted when they saw their brethren praise God while being slain.
• Alma 25:6 Converted after much loss and many afflictions stirring them up in remembrance of the words which Aaron and his brethren had preached.
• Alma 25:13 Could not overpower the Nephites returned to dwell with those who were converted and then converted.

Teach about God first, history second, redemption third

• Alma 18:25-33 – Ammon teaches about God.
• Alma 18:36-38 – Their history from Adam to present.
• Alma 18:39 – Plan of redemption.
• Alma 22:7 – Start with God.
• Alma 22:13 – Began with the creation of Adam, the fall, the redemption.
• Alma 23:5 – Thousands brought to the incorrect traditions of the Nephites.

The individual’s own heart has to be open and willing to experience the full weight of their reality and dependence on God’s grace

• Alma 18:40-41 King Lamoni’s prayer and collapse
• Alma 19:6 – Ammon knew he was experiencing the marvelous light of his goodness.
• Alma 19:13 – I have seen my Redeemer. Born of a woman.
• Alma 19:16 – Abish’s earlier conversion on an ccount of her father’s vision.
• Alma 22:15 – What shall I do that/ That I may be born of God and have this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast?
• Alma 22:18 – If there is a God, if thou art God, make thyself known unto me.

Results of Conversion

• Alma 19:33 – They had no more desire to do evil.
• Alma 23:6,7 – Converted and never did fall away. Became a righteous people, laid down weapons of rebellion..
• Alma 23:16-18 – A new name, Became an industrious people, friendly with the Nephites, the curse of God did no more follow them.
• Alma 24:6 Now there was not one soul who would take up arms against their brothers.
• Alma 24:8 – Soft hearts.
• Alma 24:10 – Taken away our guilt through the merits of his Son.
• Alma 24:17-18 They ritually buried their swords into the earth as a testimony
• Alma 24:21 – They did run up to meet them, prostrated themselves before the earth, called on the name of the Lord.
• Alma 25:15 – Obedient to the law of Moses – a type of Christ’s coming.
• Alma 25:16 – The law did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ.
• Alma 27:17 Joy of Ammon was so great, swallowed up in the joy of his God.
• Alma 27:18 None receiveth it save the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
• Alma 27:27 – Distinguished for their zeal towards God and men. Perfectly honest and upright, firm in the faith of Christ.

The Two Prayers

Prayers of Ammon – Alma 26

• What were his blessings.
  • Alma 26:3 – Lamanite conversion.
  • Alma 26: 9 Brethren – who were enemies.

Sing the song of redeeming love.

Alma 26: 21 – No one knows these things save it be the penitent.

Alma 26:22 – Repent, exercise faith, bring forth good works, pray constantly, know the mysteries of God

Alma 26:37 – God is mindful of every people.

Prayers of Alma – Alma 29

Oh that I were an angel.

Alma 29:2 – That there not be sorrow upon all the earth.

Alma 29:4 – I ought not to harrow

v11 Remembererd the captivity of his fathers.

Introduction

I can’t help but noticing that Mormon devotes a very short chapter in Chapter 7 to Alma’s sermon to the righteous people of Gideon, but lingers on for eight chapters in order to describe Alma’s encounter with the people of Ammonihah, definitely among the worst people described in the Book of Mormon. The challenges Alma faces in Ammonihah, seems to draw from Alma religious and spiritual insights not previously seen as he struggles to bring these stubborn people into repentance. While Alma has partial success, helping to bring notably Amulek and Zeezrom along with others who aren’t named. However, the majority not only rebel, they rebel with unspeakable violence.

The story begins early in the tenth year of the reign of judges (Alma 8:3). From the beginning, but throughout the narrative, we get a sense of Alma’s anguish:

Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance.

And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow,

And now, my brethren, I ^awish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great ^banxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not ^cprocrastinate the day of your repentance;

Alma 8:10, 14, 13:27

His first attempt doesn’t go well, the people of Ammonihah don’t respect his authority, reject his message, spit on him and cast him out of the city. He was about to give up and move on but instead an angel tells him to return. Which he does, speedily, by another way and immediately meets Amulek, who had been prepared for this meeting through an Angelic intervention.

The People of Ammonihah Response

Reject Alma’s Authority – Twice

“And now we know that because we are not of thy church we know that thou hast no power over us;”

“Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of ^aone man,”

Alma 8:12, 9:2

Reject Alma’s Traditions

” we know that thou art high priest over the church which thou hast established in many parts of the land, according to your tradition; and we are not of thy church, and we do not believe in such foolish traditions.

Alma 8:11

Insulted at Alma’s harsh words

Now it came to pass that when I, Alma, had spoken these words, behold, the people were wroth with me because I said unto them that they were a hard-hearted and a ^astiffnecked people. And also because I said unto them that they were a lost and a fallen people they were angry with me, and sought to lay their hands upon me, that they might cast me into prison.

Alma 9:31-32

Shocked at Amulek’s Witness

And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was ^amore than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.

Alma 10:12

Tried to bait them into committing false witness

Alma’s Strategies to Convert

An appeal to a shared tradition embedded deep in their shared family history

And have ye forgotten so soon how many times he ^adelivered our fathers out of the hands of their enemies, and preserved them from being destroyed, even by the hands of their own brethren?

Alma 9:10

An appeal to a deep sense of vulnerability – their very survival hangs in the balance

But behold, this is not all—he has commanded you to repent, or he will utterly ^adestroy you from off the face of the earth; yea, he will visit you in his ^banger, and in his ^cfierce anger he will not turn away.

Alma 9:12

This messaging doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t think God works this way. I don’t resonate with an angry God that exacts revenge. I prefer to see this differently. They were outnumbered, surrounded by the Lamanites who hold a centuries long grudge against them. They were a people surviving in the wilderness. They’ve built cities and have prospered, life on this planet is tenable at best, especially then. They needed deep societal commitments and care to survive and prosper. Ammonihah’s individualism left them vulnerable.

I think the numbers game helps make Alma 9:13-23 work for me. Over the history of the Book of Mormon, many Nephites desert and join with the Lamanites, thereby receiving the same fate described in these verses.

For there are many promises which are ^aextended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the ^btraditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ^cignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and ^dprolong their existence in the land.

Alma 9:16

But to keep a covenant community in place within this environment without the benefit of modern technology required constant vigilence.

For behold, the ^apromises of the Lord are extended to the Lamanites, but they are not unto you if ye transgress; for has not the Lord expressly promised and firmly decreed, that if ye will rebel against him that ye shall ^butterly be destroyed from off the face of the earth?

Alma 9:24

An appeal to prophecy

“And ^anot many days hence the Son of God shall come in his ^bglory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of ^cgrace, equity, and truth, full of patience, ^dmercy, and long-suffering, quick to ^ehear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers.

Alma 9:26

Alma responds to Zeezrom good faith question with deep theology – Accountability

For our ^awords will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the ^bmountains to fall upon us to ^chide us from his presence.

Alma 12:14

At some point we need to be honest with ourselves, our words, our thoughts, our intentions, our desires. We need to face who we are at a deep level. We can surrender into the loving, goodness of God and experience redemption through grace, or we can persist in our self-deceit, pretending we are more than what we are, and in our damaged, self-deceptive state, leave a wake of hurt and damage in our path.

Zeezrom is forced to reckon with himself whereas everyone else doubles and triples down in a violent and hateful response.

Then is the time when their torments shall be as a ^alake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will.

Alma 12: 17

These words are later used against Alma and Amulek as they invoke a literal hell on earth by burning women and children in a fire, forcing them to watch.

Alma responds to Antionah’s bad faith question with deep theology

Alma describes the fall of Adam, and the reasons why we find ourselves in this fallen world.

And we see that ^adeath comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto ^bman in which he might repent; therefore this life became a ^cprobationary state; a time to ^dprepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

Alma 12:24

I struggle a bit with Alma’s pat, easy answers throughout these chapters. Describing this life as a test, that we’re on “probation” until we can prove ourself worthy of returning home with God, does not resonate. I’m wondering if this is why he has a more difficult time than he should have otherwise because of this. I’m wondering if the message in Alma 5 would have worked better? But I like this better:

Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on ^amercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a ^bremission of his sins; and these shall enter into my ^crest.

Alma 12:35

The call really is simple. A step into grace through commiting to a life of repentance and humility (a soft heart), dedicating our life in Christ, retaining a remission of sins, finding rest in a troubled, at times difficult world.

The Priesthood – Eternal and Holy

Now they were ^aordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end

Alma 13:8

Melchizedek through his role as high priest did establish peace in the land as Alma is striving to do.

Amulek’s Strategies to Convert

Appeals to his connections to this people

Amulek begins by laying out his family history, reminding them that just like them, he descends into Lehi. He describes his connections – family, friends, reputation among those in the city. (Alma 10: 1-4)

Describes his Conversion Story and his Testimony

And the angel said unto me he is a ^aholy man; wherefore I know he is a holy man because it was said by an angel of God. And again, I know that the things whereof he hath testified are true; for behold I say unto you, that as the Lord liveth, even so has he sent his ^aangel to make these things manifest unto me; and this he has done while this Alma hath ^bdwelt at my house.

Alma 10:9-10

Strong Rebuke

O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.

O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?

Alma 10:17-18, 11:23

Expounds Deep Theology

In response to Zeezrom bad faith questions, Alma does a deep dive on the Resurrection (Alma 11:40-41).

“The wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made…”

The people burn women and children

All of this deep, sincere, anguished, painful effort by Amulek and Alma end up in horrifying tragedy.

And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be ^acast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be ^bburned and destroyed by fire. And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of ^amartyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the ^apower of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in ^aglory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the ^bjudgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the ^cblood of the ^dinnocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

Alma 14:8-11

This level of brutality comes at us quick. I could see the anger in their questions and responses. The frustration coming from Alma and Amulek is clear as their rebukes and pleadings get stronger and stronger. The hostility was there from the very beginning, Alma was spit upon right from the beginning. But it makes no sense to kick out the men and burn the women and children. And then to do it as a way to mock Alma’s own words:

After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a ^blake of fire and brimstone?

Alma 14:14

Or when they question his own power to delivery:

Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not ^adeliver yourselves? And many such things did they say unto them, gnashing their teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are damned?

Alma 14: 20-21

This who experience from beginning to end takes just less than a year. Alma and Amulek find deliverance with a desperate plea from Alma:

And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great ^aafflictions, O Lord? O Lord, ^bgive us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto ^cdeliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.

Alma 14:26

Soon after, Alma and Amulek find Zeezrom in agony and fever, worried over the damage his words and influence caused having been convinced of his own sinful state by his interaction with these two prophets. He’s healed, repents and begins a life of ministry. In Alma 16, less than two years later, Ammonihah is destroyed by the Lamanites as if a fulfillment of Alma’s warnings.

These are tough chapters. I don’t resonate with everything Alma and Amulek say in these chapters. In some sense, their teachings seem too transactional, too simple. I think, perhaps, there’s a tendency to tie everything to God, including the Lamanite desire for their demise, that God steps in or doesn’t based on His whim or our righteousness.

I think taking a few steps back, for a moment, there are real consequence for sin. Real sin, prideful, unrepentant sin, brings division and hate. In our sin, we forget, willfully or not, our own vulnerabilities and dependencies on each other, on a functional society and on God. And as we forget, we leave ourselves more vulnerable and consequences come from that vulnerability.

I think we also learn from these passages how helpless we can be, even when we act with courage, repentant and humble, to real tragedy. We all die, but some of us die tragically, at the hands of evil or by the whims of nature. There aren’t always good explanations for it. Life can be tragic and hard.

Introduction

So far in the Mormon’s summary in the Book of Mormon, everything seems to hinge on the first few chapters of Mosiah when King Benjamin delivers an eloquent sermon urging listeners to “put off the natural man” and become children of God. He explains conversion, urges listeners to put off their ego and accept grace, repent of their sins and becoming a new person in Christ, moving those in attendance into an intense experience of conversion, “having no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually”. Deep conversion, according to Benjamin, moves a person into love, compassion and service toward others, having no concern for wealth or fame, but rather a devoted life towards establishing Zion, which means the elimination of poverty and violence.

Alma 5 is no different. Alma the younger, who in Chapter 4 gives up the judgment seat, realizing the deep struggles happening within the church. He begins Chapter 5 with a plea to remember their ancestral deliverance. As I look back into Mosiah, I find three narratives, but Alma focuses in this chapter on the one most relevant to his specific family line.

For reasons not totally explained, King Benjamin was able to get almost universal conversion through the power of his sermon, earned, likely, through the deep trust and love his people had in him based on years of faithful service for and with his people. Benjamin passes on the kingdom to his son Mosiah and the people experience a period of peace in Zarehemla, though the details are not well documented.

Alma’s father, Alma, a member of King Noah’s court in a community established by Zeniff near Lamanite land was complicit in Noah’s wicked rule. Alma becomes Abinidi’s sole documented convert, possibly because Abinidi spoke within no obvious authoritative position. Alma, by contrast, preaching the words of Abinidi, converts a number of people, who afterward flee into the wilderness when discovered by Noah’s people. Through inner dissent and a Lamanite invasion, the people kill Noah, but then succumb to the Lamanites. The rest of the people, led by Limhi convert after suffering the consequences of war and bondage to the Lamanites. Both groups, led by Alma and Limhi make it back to Zarahemla. Alma establishes a church in Zarehamla. “And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one church, yeah even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God.” (Mosiah 25:22)

But something happens with the next generation, a generation that didn’t hear King Benjamin’s speech or weren’t part of Limhi’s or Alma’s deliverance from Lamanite bondage. Like every new generation, they had to find their own path into deep conversion. But growing up within a believing, faithful community, perhaps, they experienced nothing to really push them into faith in God. Prominent men like King Benjamin’s sons, Alma’s son Alma, Nehor and Amlici and many others, developed skepticism in the coming Christ, in the need for conversion and even in the existence of sin, believing as Nehor did, “that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.” (Alma 1:4)

Through the prayers of faithful and concerned parents, an angel confronts Alma the younger and Mosiah’s four sons. This miraculous confrontation force them into a realization of the damage they have done as they have actively tried to tear down the church their parents have built. This event moves these men into deep, sincere conversion and a desire to repair the damage. Alma realizes his fairly to fully consider the painful lessons his father learned and God’s mercy in their ultimate deliverance.

Remember and Learn From History

Perhaps that’s why Alma the younger starts off his sermon in Alma 5 with a plea to remember.

And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in ^aremembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has ^bdelivered their souls from hell? Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the ^abands of death, and the ^bchains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.

Alma 5:6-7

The stark contrast separating the two sides of conversion seems to mirror both Alma’s experience and the experience of his father, but it doesn’t reflect the conversion experiences sparked by Benjamin’s speech, nor does it reflect my own experience. I can’t really describe my life by a clean before/after hinging on one memorable experience. There’s no obvious story in my history that I can point to in quite this way. I don’t think Joseph Smith’s life, the person who kickstarted Mormonism, reflects this either. I believe, though, we need to remember and learn from our history so that deep knowledge can be passed down, keeping each new generation from the pain of having to relive passed mistakes. It feels like we struggle to do this well.

The Nature of Conversion

Alma’s next set of question begins in verse 14:

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?  Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body? I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

Alma 5:14-16

Here, as in many other places in scripture, conversion is compared to birth. I think this is a nice metaphor but I think there is something literal about this point of view. Conversion as a birth experience brings us into a new life born into the Spirit, a child of God. This new life puts us on a life-long journey to become like God, walking a child, still immature at first but willing to grow. To learn how to care for and nurture others in an expansive way. We become a seed of Christ, another metaphor. His seed begins to sprout in us. We become new creatures, with a deeply changed heart. It doesn’t mean we’ll no longer make mistakes, but it means our life should be changed forever.

Alma’s Frustration or Why The Harsh Language?

After describing being spiritually born of God or the experience of a mighty change of heart, Alma describes the consequence of not doing so. The audience, he says later, is in a deep struggle.

18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect ^aremembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

Alma 5:18

It gets much worse later.

Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire— For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever ^abringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.

Alma 5:35-36

and here:

And again I say unto you, the Spirit saith: Behold, the ^aax is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be ^bhewn down and cast into the fire, yea, a fire which cannot be consumed, even an unquenchable fire. Behold, and remember, the Holy One hath spoken it.

Alma 5:52

I get the rhetoric to an extent. We all believe or want to believe we’re on the right path. I think conversion requires deep humility. That without a mighty change of heart or a spiritual birth, we can never really get on that path. We’ll always fall short. He describes God’s ultimate rejection if we fail to experience conversion which is a rough way to think about God. Perhaps it’s more like just being outside the fold, not God’s rejection of us, just us not accepting the invitation to become part of God’s family. Maybe we don’t feel like we fit in because we’ve lived our lives outside of Godly concerns.

But Alma gets violent in these later verses. An ax laid at the root of the tree, to be cut down and hewn into the fire? Harsh. I don’t believe it in any literal sense. I have a hard time imagining in a figurative sense, other than those people who are bitter here, engulfed in pride, jealousy and hatred for others, not able to feel engulfing love with others close to them, I don’t know.. fire?

He shifts slightly to address those in his audience that probably have already experienced conversion but had begun to slide from earlier commitments.

Not Just Once, But Again and Again, For All

And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

Mosiah 5:26

First of all, these phrases, experiencing “a mighty change of heart”, “singing the song of redeeming love”, can only approximate the experience of being born into the spirit, its mystical, revelatory, prophetic. It’s a loss of control, irrational, a step into the poetic. And this verse makes it clear, it’s an experience one should try to have throughout one’s life. I think, perhaps having conversion, being someone with deep love for others, it’s a change in how one is, not just in how one behaves. It’s the act of becoming, an identity, one tries never to move out of.

Life is not a resume to be filled up. Being on this earth is not about developing a list of achievements. Our primary task is to experience a conversion into grace. I use grace here as a replacement for Christ because I believe non-Christians have access to this as well. This born again experience is something all of us ought to experience, regardless of age.

And now I say unto you that this is the ^aorder after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be ^bborn again.

Alma 5:49

Sin

Alma lingers on all the way a person can stumble. We tend to get caught up in ranking sin. And certainly, the degree to one strays away from having their heart deeply enveloped in love for others, the greater likelihood they’ll behave in a way that causes deep damage to others. But Alma, for reasons not fully explained, lingers on specific examples – pride (Alma 5:28), envy (Alma 5:29), making a mock of others (Alma 5:30), heaping upon persecution of others (Alma 5:30), turning your back upon the poor and needy (Alma 5:55).

Christian Identity

A better way of thinking of God as a being with infinite love, ever patient, ever merciful, ever beckoning upward. Consider, though, the specific way Alma describes this beckoning. It’s almost as if he’s tuned into a specific frequency and we have to be tuned into it to even hear it.

O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are ^apuffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as ^csheep having no ^dshepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath ^ecalled after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not ^fhearken unto his voice! Behold, I say unto you, that the good ^ashepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not ^bhearken unto the voice of the ^cgood shepherd, to the ^dname by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

Alma 5:37, 38

God calls us in his own name. The way to hear is to tune in our lives as if we already were born into the Spirit. We need to have the desire to be like Christ to become like Christ. We have to take upon his name to hear his voice. One way to express that desire is through the very public event of baptism.

Church

 For I say unto you that whatsoever is ^agood cometh from God, and whatsoever is ^bevil cometh from the devil.

Alma 5:40

The Book of Mormon lives in binaries and I think these binaries can be hopeful or harmful depending on how they get interpreted. In one sense having only two options really flattens lived reality. It’s hard to really categories people, their actions, their motivations into only one of two options.

But in some sense, talking about church in this specific way is hopeful. To think that anything that leads people to do good comes from God should and does include a lot of institutions, religious and otherwise. No one church can be all things for all people. Having a plurality makes the world rich and interesting. As they come together in interfaith cooperation, I believe we can do more good in the world than if we’re forever in interfaith competition over membership.

In Alma 6, Alma describes the response and gives a nice window into what church should be about.

Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God. Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in ^afasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.

Alma 6:5-6

In Alma 7, Alma discovers the people in Gideon are doing well. The phrase in 7:3 that they continue to supplicate in God’s grace is another poetic phrases that’s really required because this sort of life in Christ is difficult to pin down precisely in language. Alma presumes in verse three that through grace, we can become blameless. I’m not sure this is instant. We sin in church, but if we do it while in Christ, we find a way toward healing and repair. Grace makes us blameless, lifting us out of our mistakes.

And behold, I have come having great hopes and much desire that I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye had continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye were blameless before him, that I should find that ye were not in the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla. But blessed be the name of God, that he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they are established again in the way of his righteousness.

Alma 7:3,4

Finally, in the conclusion in chapter 7, Alma describes church beautifully:

And now I would that ye should be ^ahumble, and be ^bsubmissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have ^afaith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

Alma 7:23, 24

It always comes back to this, faith, hope and charity, always abounding in good works – the outcomes of conversion.

Alma’s Final Testimony to the people in Zarahemla

In earlier chapters, we hear of Alma’s dramatic confrontation with the angel. The angelic intervention was an obvious turning point for Alma, forcing him to reckon with who he was and what he was doing, but more work was required. It’s interesting here, in the first full sermon presented from Alma, he doesn’t mention this experience at all and more interesting in his closing testimony he describes the work that went into his own conversion experience. It required fasting and prayer for many days – pure desire.

And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I ^aknow of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety Behold, I say unto you they are made ^aknown unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have ^bfasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of ^crevelation which is in me. And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.

Alma 5: 45-47

Christ

I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.

Alma 5:48

As an aside, I think describing Christ as being full of grace and mercy and truth has a poetic feel, but I’m wondering if there’s a need to include both grace and mercy here as complementary but not exact descriptions. I don’t think we should be quick to pass over truth. I think being born into Christ requires a firm loyalty to truth no matter how inconvenient they may be.

What does it mean to fast and pray on behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God? What does it mean to know not God. That ye had continued in the supplicating of his grace – what does that mean?

Notice the sins Alma is concerned with in Alma 7:6 -> unbelief, pride, heart set upon riches, heart set upon the vain things of the world, idol worship, worship of the true and living God, repentance and faith for a better world to come.

Alma 7:8 – The limits of prophetic knowledge.

Alma 7:15 – ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his comma

How is Alma so perceptive regarding the state of the souls in Gideon

Attributes of the converted soul: Alma 7:23 – Be humble, submissive, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of patience, long suffering, temperate, diligent, prayerful, grateful. Faith, hope, charity.

Book of Mormon – A Story of Conflict

Disputes between Laman/Lamuel and Nephi

• 1 Nephi 2:11 “for behold they did ^bmurmur in many things against their ^cfather, because he was a ^dvisionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem,”
• 1 Nephi 2:12 And they did ^bmurmur because they ^cknew not the dealings of that God who had ^dcreated them.
• 1 Nepth 2:13 Neither did they ^abelieve that Jerusalem, that great city, could be ^bdestroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.
• 2 Neph 5:3 Yea, they did murmur against me, saying: Our younger brother thinks to ^arule over us; and we have had much trial because of him; wherefore, now let us slay him, that we may not be afflicted more because of his words. For behold, we will not have him to be our ruler; for it belongs unto us, who are the elder brethren, to ^brule over this people.

Disputes between Lamanites and Nephites

• Mosiah 10:11Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. Yet they were a strong people, as to the ^astrengthof men.
• Mosiah 10:12 They were a ^awild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the ^btradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were ^cwronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea;
• Mosiah 10:13 And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their ^afirst inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore ^bhe was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness.
• Mosiah 10:14 And his brethren were ^awroth with him because they ^bunderstood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord.
• Mosiah 10:15 And again, they were ^awroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ^bruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him.
• Mosiah 10:16 And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the ^arecords which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he ^brobbed them.
• Mosiah 10:17 And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.
• Alma 3:11-

Disputes between Jacob and Sherem

• Jacob 7:2 And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be ^ano Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might ^boverthrow the doctrine of Christ.
• Jacob 7:7 And ye have led away much of this people that they pervert the right way of God, and ^akeep not the law of Moses which is the right way; and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that this is ^bblasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot ^ctellof things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me.

Disputes between Abinidi and Noah

• Mosiah 12:28 => And they said: We teach the law of Moses.
• Mosiah 12:32 => And they answered and said that salvation did come by the law of Moses.

Disputes between Alma and the next generation

• Mosiah 26:2 => They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.
• Mosiah 27:8 => nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an ^bidolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much ^cflattery to the people; therefore he ^dled many of the people to do after the manner of his ^einiquities.
• Mosiah 27:30 I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto ^aall.

Disputes between Alma the Younger and Nehor

Alma 1:3-4 And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he ^atermed to be the word of God, bearing down ^bagainst the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become ^cpopular; and they ought ^dnot to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that ^aall mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they ^bneed not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had ^ccreated all men, and had also ^dredeemed ^eall men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.

Alma 1:12 But Alma said unto him: Behold, this is the first time that ^apriestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to enforce it by the sword; and were ^bpriestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction.

Disputes with followers of Nehor

• Alma 1:17: therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief; and now the law could have no power on any man for ^bhis belief.
• Alma 1:22 Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their ^afists.
• Alma 1:32 For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in ^asorceries, and in ^bidolatry or ^cidleness, and in ^dbabblings, and in ^eenvyings and ^fstrife; wearing costly apparel; being ^glifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible.

Disputes between Alma the Younger and Amlici/Amlicites

• Alma 2:4 Therefore, if it were possible that Amlici should gain the voice of the people, he, being a wicked man, would ^adeprive them of their rights and privileges of the church; for it was his intent to destroy the church of God.
• Alma 2:10 Now when Amlici was made king over them he commanded them that they should take up arms against their brethren; and this he did that he might subject them to him.
• Alma 3:18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come out in open ^arebellionagainst God; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.

Church of God

• Mosiah 25:21 – 24 Therefore they did ^aassemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma. And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one ^achurch, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God. And now there were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla. And it came to pass that whosoever were desirous to take upon them the ^aname of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God; And they were called the ^apeople of God. And the Lord did pour out his ^bSpirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.
• Mosiah 26:18 Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my ^aname; for in my ^bname shall they be called; and they are mine.
• Mosiah 26:22 For behold, ^athis is my ^bchurch; whosoever is ^cbaptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall ^dbelieve in my name; and him will I freely ^eforgive.
• Mosiah 27:25 Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be ^aborn again; yea, ^bborn of God, ^cchanged from their carnal and ^dfallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his ^esons and daughters;
• Alma 1:26 And when the priests left their ^alabor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man ^baccording to his strength.
• Alma 1:27-29 And they did ^aimpart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the ^bpoor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly ^capparel, yet they were neat and comely. And thus they did establish the affairs of the church; and thus they began to have continual peace again, notwithstanding all their persecutions. And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly ^arich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of ^bsilk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely ^ccloth.
• Alma 4:13 Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the ^apoor and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of ^bafflictions, for Christ’s ^csake, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy;

Book of Mormon – Prophetic Transfer

• Nephi (brother)- Jacob -(son) Enos – (son) Jarom – (son) Omni – (son) Amoron – (brother) – Chemish – (son) Abinadom – (son) Amaleki – (non-related) Benjamin -(son) Mosiah – (not related) Alma

Key Verses & Themes

Dangers of a kingdom.

• 29:1: A democratic election for kingship.
• 29:5-6: for ye are desirous to have a king. Now I declare unto you that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong has declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom.”
• 29:9 And if my son should turn again to his pride and vain things he would recall the things which he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which would cause him and also this people to commit much sin.
• 29:13 “Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.”
• 29:17 “For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!”
• 29:21 “ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood….”
• 29:26 “Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right;

Benefits of a democracy

• 29:10 “Do that which will make for the peace of this people.”
• 29: 14: “to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering.”
• 29:28-29 “And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge. If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.”
• 29: 30 “That if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads.”

Doctrines and Consequences of Nehor

• Alma 1:3 – 4 “preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men, in the end all men should have eternal life.”
• Alma 1:16: “Nevertheless this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor”.
• Alma 1:22: “Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; they would smite one another with their fists.”
• Alma 1:32: “For those who did not belong to their church did indulge in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife, wearing costly apparel;
• Preaching for wealth and popularity skews natural incentives if those are the motives. There’s no room to change your mind. You’re kind of tied to your audience.

Questions

• Why would the people be so insistent to have a king? Why is Mosiah’s oldest son the person to “whom the kingdom doth rightly belong.” How does this help explain the original schism and the Lamanite’s long-lasting grudge with the Nephites?
• Is Mosiah right that democracy protects society against societal sin? The main argument he makes is that while the minority often wants that “which is not right”, it is “not common” for the majority to go against that “which is right”. Is this actually true? (thinking here of slavery, genocide, etc.).
• It’s interesting that Mormon describes a society anxious to have “an equal chance throughout all the land” and a “willingness to answer for his own sins” and that “they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them”, as if this weren’t already true, but reading about King Benjamin and Mosiah, it seems like they had these experiences were already given to them. I understand the risks they might lose this and maybe it’s a projection of that possibility but it seems like inevitably, democracy and accountability doesn’t end up saving them.
• Nehor’s doctrine is similar to Noah’s in that they wanted the people to lift up their heads and rejoice that they will be saved as they are. (Salvation in their sins. Salvation by the law of Moses alone), but Nehor seems to take it further, dropping the law of Moses altogether, whereas other dissenters, including Alma the Younger’s dissension focused on Christ.
• Sherem, Alma the Younger and Mosiah’s sons seem to have similarities but are decidedly dissimilar to Nehor (we don’t know actually exactly what Alma the younger or Mosiah’s sons preached). But in the cases of Sherem, Alma and Mosiah’s sons their conversion was triggered by a miraculous intervention and their testimonies healed their community.
• Nehor had no such conversion and in fact enforced his words with the sword, killing Gideon who withstood his words.
• What is priestcraft? What are modern day examples of those who preach for the sake of riches and honor?
• There’s some interesting descriptions about the church – they were modest, their hearts were not on riches, they cared for the poor, but then they prospered far more than those who were seeking for riches. There’s something about wealth, that if you don’t seek for wealth, often you get it, especially if you’re goal is to use it for good.
• What is this attraction for Amlici? Alma 2 describes the vulnerabilities of a democracy. You can vote away your freedom.

Introduction

The Book of Mormon is an ambitious book in it’s scope, covering 1000+ years of history and multiple civilizations, while putting forward, as its primary purpose, a sophisticated theology. As a result, the narrative runs pretty quickly, weaving together the story with enough strategic pauses to make these theological points. Given the scope and reach of the book, it leaves plenty of room for personal interpretation, forcing the reader to fill in gaps, often with their own biases and predispositions. The narrative is delivered from the point of view of very human narrators. If the reader believes in the book’s historicity, the primary narrators are Nephi, Mormon and Moroni, if not, than Joseph Smith with possible assists from Oliver Cowdery and their contemporary influences tell the story. Either way, the book’s narrative comes through flawed filters, allowing for very human, though potentially, and I will try to make this case, inspired points of view.

I worry, then, that the standard interpretations of the Book of Mormon suggested by official church manuals, have played too heavy of a hand for the typical, faithful reader. As church members are encouraged to read the Book of Mormon daily, we aren’t encouraged, often enough, to read it carefully or critically. We don’t allow, nearly often enough, the book to take an active role in our lives. The characters in the book are portrayed superficially, not spending time on backstories or motivations that might paint the “evil characters” with greater sympathy and nuance or the “good characters” more critically. The casual reader may assume the book to be merely a training manual on how to be on the good side of that ledger. We need to go deeper and allow the book to challenge us in unexpected ways .

Background

With that introduction, let’s dive into Mosiah 25-28. Mosiah begins with a deep dive into King Benjamin’s sermon, but then moves back in time to describe the story of Zeniff’s attempt to build a society near the Lamanites. After establishing a successful community, things change abruptly when Zeniff’s wicked son Noah takes the reigns. Abinidi’s warning sermon to Noah and his priests that lead to Abinidi’s death. Alma, one of Noah’s priests, end up becoming Abinidi’s lone convert, but as he attempts to share Abinidi’s message, enough people are convinced to form a church. Forming that church gets them chased into the wilderness. Things don’t end up well, when Lamanite military conflict lead to Noah’s death and Lamanite control over the people. Both Alma’s people and Limhi’s people ultimately escape Lamanite bondage and control and find their way back to the people of Zerahemla under King Mosiah’s rule.

Brief Summary of Mosiah 25-28

Mosiah 25 describes the reunion, Alma’s call to organize churches among the people of Zerahemla. In Mosiah 26, we read about the rising generation that include both Mosiah’s and Alma’s children who reject the church’s teaching and work to persuade others out of belief. Mosiah 27 describes Alma’s and Mosiah’s conversion through an angelic rebuke. Finally, Mosiah 28 describes Mosiah’s sons desire to live among Lamanites in hopes of converting them to the church.

Through these chapters, church organization, conversion and rebellion contrasts the conflict between believers and unbelievers. In that tension, we can about the role sin plays for those inside and outside the church, what it means to live lives of faith, and why and how each of us must experience our own conversion.

The next three sections describe general themes and verses that specifically reference those themes.

Theme One: Sin

• 25: 11 “And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls.”
• 26: 1 “They did not believe in the traditions of their fathers. They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.”
• 26:2-4 “And now because of their unbelief they could not believe the word of God; and their hearts were hardened. And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church. And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God.”
• 26: 32: “Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward.”
• 27:8 : Alma “became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.”
• 27:14 “that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.”
• 27:16 “Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them.”
• 27:30 “I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all.”
• 28:2 “That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.”

Theme Two: Church

• 25:15 “And Alma did speak unto them, when they were assembled together in large bodies, and he went from one body to another, preaching unto them repentance and faith on the Lord.”
• 25:18 “and as many as he did baptize did belong to the church of God; and this because of their belief on the words of Alma.”
• 25:22 “And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one church, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God.”
• 25:23 “And it came to pass that whosoever were desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God; and they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.”
• 26:15-18: “Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi. And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou hast spoken unto them. And blessed art thou because thou hast established a church among this people; and they shall be established, and they shall be my people. Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.”
• 26: 22 “For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.”
• 27: 5 “Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.”

Theme 3: Conversion

27:25 “And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God.”

Questions and Possible Answers

• These verses are very vague on what what it means to sin, what sort of sins do these verses point to?
• These verses describe a very active role within church membership. It comes down to repentance and faith in the Lord. But there are a few passages that connect belief, primarily belief the resurrection and the coming prophecies of Jesus Christ to this kind of life. How are belief and behavior connected?
• The Book of Mormon constantly connects prosperity with righteousness. How are they connected in ways that don’t sound like the prosperity gospel?
• Why is it important to remember the sacrifices, deliverances, and traditions passed down from our heritage or to consider the sins and mistakes of this heritage? Verses in these passages describe both.
• What is church and how broadly can we define it?

Possible answers:

• When the Book of Mormon describes sin and righteousness, I think it has much more to do with a willingness to be led by truth. If God is truth, belief in God is belief in truth. It’s a willingness to shed ideologies, personal stories, or anything else that keeps us from living in the world in its fullness.
• Facing the world without deep conversion is unbearable. We must accept our own limitations, we must be willing to deal with pain, the pain we experience and the pain others feel, and in all the ways we’ve been complicit in it. We must accept our own failures. This kind of honest living in the world, requires grace. A willingness to walk in faith, live by grace, readily forgive others, readily repent and ask for forgiveness. It’s not easy. It requires deep conversion.
• Conversion is a willingness to become children of God, to live and abide in spirit, to connect ourselves with others, to be merciful and to accept mercy. To be concerned with the welfare of both the group and of the individuals living within the group. To seek for both equality and peace and to love our enemies.
• A willingness to live in deep truth, opens up the doors toward prosperity in ways that are equitable and sustainable. Conversion does not free us from suffering, but in the suffering, we learn and as we learn, we find connection with others and with the world in ways that allow us to live with more fullness, deeper understanding and in this way, with more abundance.

Broader application:

• Deep conversion yields fruit, allowing us to face our heritage – it’s sins as well as its accomplishments – American slavery and native American genocide, but also the drive toward freedom, equality and prosperity. Or within the Mormon tradition, the deep and painful consequences of polygamy, exclusions of blacks from the priesthood, early Utah theocracy, Mountain Meadows Massacre, etc. But also the strong leadership of Brigham Young, the vision of Joseph Smith and the significant sacrifice of early Mormon pioneers who managed to build up the Utah community and eventually build a thriving, global church.
• Expand the notion of church that extends beyond institutional boundaries. Recognize that there are many who live by word and deed in grace, forgiveness, and a vision for a better world. There are churches across the world, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist that share in these goals. We should find common cause. Deep conversion happens across institutional boundaries. We should support each other in the core goal of broad conversion and help as many people find their way to it through whatever cultural and religious contexts works for them.

The philosopher Simone Weil once said “the glossy surface of our civilization hides a real intellectual decadence”. In the Great Gatsby, the surface-level sophistication of Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan hides a shallowness of spirit, made possible through inherited extreme wealth and privilege. The conflict comes to a deadly and tragic end between Daisy between her husband, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby who has developed all-consuming infatuation for Daisy developed after a single fling many years earlier.  Underlying this specific tragedy, are streams of entitlement and decadence running through each of the central characters in the story in different ways.

Tom Buchanan comes to his decadence as a birth-right. He inherits obscene wealth and privilege. Moving from place to place around the globe before taking residence in an upscale neighborhood near Manhatton. His wife, Daisy, of similar wealth and social standing enters the marriage for purely transactional reasons, taking Daisy as another possession he could just acquire at his desire. Tom “came down with a hundred people in four private cars and hired a whole floor of the Seelbach Hotel, and the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” For her part, Daisy is drunk a half hour before the bridal dinner wanting to back out of the marriage altogether, her bridesmaid and hired helped straighten her up and set her back on a path back into Tom Buchanan, wealth, privilege and decadence. Meanwhile, Tom carries on an affair with a Myrtle Wilson, the wife of Tom’s mechanic. An affair he barely attempts to conceal and everyone seems to know about except for Daisy and Myrtle’s husband.

Jay Gatsby comes at his decadence from different circumstances. As a young officer, he had a romantic fling with Daisy, doomed by the war and economic class differences. While Daisy quickly moves on with Tom, Gatsby can’t shake her. Back from the war, he takes advantage of bootlegging during prohibition to quickly develop an enormous amount of wealth. Using that wealth in hopes of luring Daisy, he buys a mansion across the bay from Daisy’s and throws regular parties, inviting all the elites in the area hoping to get Daisy come without having to directly invite her. This scheme doesn’t work, but he soon learn’s Daisy’s cousin, Nick Carraway, the story’s narrator, happens to be his next-door neighbor. Jay uses Carraway to connect with Daisy and the conflict between Gatsby and Buchanan takes lift.

Tom is at first dismissive of Gatsby’s wealth and suspicious of his intentions. In an early conversation with Nick, he asks “‘Who is this Gatsby anyhow?’ demanded Tom suddenly. ‘Some big bootlegger?'” Tom’s suspicion of Gatsby’s designs on his wife grows. But at the same time, Jay Gatsby presumes too much of Daisy. “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’ After she had obliterated three years with that sentence they could decide on the more practical matters to be taken.” Tom eventually gets to the bottom of Gatsby’s ill-begotten wealth, planing to use it against him to stop his design on Daisy. The event culminate in a confrontation in New York with Tom trying to pin down Gatsby’s identity and history. Gatsby retaliates with the claim that Daisy never loved Tom, something Daisy can’t fully admit to. Tom accuses Gatsby of criminal activity, shaking Daisy’s confidence in Gatsby. Daisy  “hesitated. Her eyes fell on Jordan and me with a sort of appeal, as though she realized at last what she was doing—and as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all. But it was done now. It was too late.”

Daisy’s wavering confidence in Gatsby instills Tom with confidence ‘She’s not leaving me!’ Tom’ words suddenly down over Gatsby. ‘Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger.” Tom dismisses Daisy and Jay allowing them to drive back home together in Gatsby’s car. Daisy ends up driving and in the ultimate irony, kills Tom’s mistress and flees the scene. Gatsby ultimately gets blamed for the killing. Wilson murders Gatsby in retaliation and then kills himself. Daisy and Tom flee all responsibility leaving others to clean up the massive mess they leave behind.

Underlying this tragedy, ultimately is decadence. Obscene parties prioritizing casual indulgence over meaningful relationships. Tom’s unearned wealth puts him in a position that he can play around with other’s lives without consequence, and that inherited wealth makes him believe in the false superiority over Gatsby. Gatsby who believes his machinations can wipe away five years of Daisy’s life so that things can be as he imagines them, believing wealth no matter how ill-gotten can bridge the chasm of class. Daisy, without the courage to follow her emotions, follows through on a marriage of convenience with Tom despite serious reservations and unable to leave Tom once the instability of Gatsby’s wealth reveal themselves. Decadence all the way through.

I celebrated the 2001 New Years in New Dehli, India. Some years earlier I read an article in the newspaper about volunteer vacations and I really wanted to try one. I dragged my feet on this for a while, but then early in the year 2000 I started dating someone I felt I would probably end up marrying and I wasn’t sure I’d get this opportunity again because this kind of thing seemed like something best done while single, and so I pulled the trigger. I found an agency that orchestrated such things, picked a part of the world as different from my own as I could imagine, and organized a trip. I chose India.

I was set to spend three and a half weeks doing… something. I was hoping to be able to do a bit of good, but mostly I wanted as much of an immersive experience possible. Living and working, not as a tourist but approximating someone who was planning on staying for a while. I always bring a stack of books, reading has been a life-long endeavor. For reasons I can’t fathom now, I found myself spending my time in India reading Angela’s Ashes.

I wasn’t quite prepared for the extent of the poverty I faced in New Dehli. I know the country has experienced a lot of economic development since I’ve been there, but I know the massive ghettos I experienced first hand still exist. I still remember the existential pain I felt, laying in bed one day in my flat, thinking about all of the poverty immediately around me and how arbitrary it seemed that I was enjoying an extremely privileged middle class life American life, while so many people seemed to be barely surviving. The injustice in that experience remains with me.

Reading Angela’s Ashes while living there was some kind of perverse masochism. That book is a memoir that recounts the author’s life growing up in incredible destitution,  poverty and disease during the Great Depression in Limerick, Ireland. Reading this book in New Dehli was an experience reading about one kind of poverty while experiencing another kind of systemic poverty.

All of this is prequel for my current experience.

I just got through reading The Great Gatsby again, during the time of Trump, a pandemic, and what seems to be massive political dysfunction and general stagnation.

The Great Gatsby takes place in the early 1920’s and is a story of decadence, the way that obscene levels of  wealth can be corrupting. The 1920’s is an interesting time, an era of prosperity, innovation and economic growth that ended up turning into a bubble, sandwiched right after WW1 and the horrifying 1918 pandemic and the Great Depression which led directly into WW2 and all of its horrors.

The book centers on a man, Jay Gatsby, who falls for a rich young woman, Daisy, even though he himself had limited resources about to be shipped off into war. Gatsby recognizing the class barrier between them determines to acquire enough financial resources in order to make a marriage a possibility. Unfortunately, while Gatsby was off to war and wealth building, Daisy ends up marrying Tom Buchanan, a entitled guy born into an obscene amount of wealth. Gatsby does build up wealth from the bootlegging industry, uses that money to buy a giant house across the New York bay from Daisy’s mansion and throws wildly lavish parties, open to all of society’s elites hoping to somehow get Daisy to stop in. Nick, the narrator, a distant cousin of Daisy’s and a college friend of Tom, coincidentally moves in next door to Jay Gatsby. He makes an acquaintance with his neighbor and begins to attend the nightly parties. Daisy however doesn’t ever hear about the parties. Once Jay realizes Nick’s connection to her, uses Nick to setup a meeting.

These parties attract real people with complicated backstories, lives, and emotions, but they are presented in the book as caricatures. The book describes a fantasy world, devoid of life’s rough edges. Even Nick has trouble separating the person from the fantasy. Early in chapter 4, Nick describes some of the people he sees attending these parties and he goes on for several pages:

He starts out this way:

But I can still read the grey names and they will give you a better impression than my generalities of those who accepted Gatsby’s hospitality and paid him the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him.

The list goes on and on, here’s a segment:

And the Catlips and the Bembergs and G. Earl Muldoon, brother to that Muldoon who afterward strangled his wife. Da Fontano the promoter came there,
and Ed Legros and James B. (“Rot-Gut’) Ferret and the DeJongs and Ernest Lilly—they came to gamble and when Ferret wandered into the garden it meant he was cleaned out and Associated Traction would have to fluctuate profitably
next day. A man named Klipspringer was there so often and so
long that he became known as ‘the boarder’—I doubt if he had any other home. Of theatrical people there were Gus Waize and Horace O’Donavan and Lester Meyer and George Duckweed and Francis Bull. Also from New York were the Chromes and the Backhyssons and the Dennickers and Russel Betty and the Corrigans and the Kellehers and the Dewars and the Scullys and S. W. Belcher and the
Smirkes and the young Quinns, divorced now, and Henry L. Palmetto who killed himself by jumping in front of a subway train in Times Square.

Benny McClenahan arrived always with four girls. They were never quite the same ones in physical person but they were so identical one with another that it inevitably seemed they had been there before. I have forgotten their names—Jaqueline, I think, or else Consuela or Gloria or Judy or June, and their last names were either the melodious names of flowers and months or the sterner ones of the great American capitalists whose cousins, if pressed, they
would confess themselves to be. In addition to all these I can remember that Faustina O’Brien came there at least once and the Baedeker girls
and young Brewer who had his nose shot off in the war and Mr. Albrucksburger and Miss Haag, his fiancée, and Ardita Fitz-Peters, and Mr. P. Jewett, once head of the American Legion, and Miss Claudia Hip with a man reputed to be her chauffeur, and a prince of something whom we called Duke and whose name, if I ever knew it, I have forgotten.

All these people came to Gatsby’s house in the summer.

None of these people really knew Jay Gatsby, but then neither Nick or Jay really knew these people. He throws in startling tidbits about the people as casually as if he were announcing their current job or pass-time, real tragedies – a divorce, someone getting so drunk someone drove over his hand, another committing suicide by jumping in front of a train, someone who had his nose shot off in the war, and so on.

The context matters here, the subtext is the world war, a devastating pandemic, the utter vulnerability of a human life. But they hoped to escape it, through wealth, connection and enjoyment.

The story itself is tragic. Tom Buchanan keeps a mistress, is friendly with the mistress’s husband, keeps the secret from nobody, and only his wife acts as if she has no idea. As the book begins to climax, Jay, Nick, Daisy, and Tom go off together to New York. Tom’s suspicious about Jay’s intentions to steal his wife, but is not sure. Tom’s mistress’ husband discovers his wife’s infidelity and is planning a move. Tom is about to lose both women. There’s an eventual confrontation, Daisy and Jay speed off together in Jay’s car with Daisy at the wheel. She tragically and accidentally runs over Tom’s mistress, killing her but doesn’t stop. Tom implicates Jay in the hit and run. The mistress’ grief stricken husband kills Jay and then himself. Tom and Daisy escape into their wealth from all responsibility.

It ends with Nick’s commentary and the whole lot of them:

I couldn’t forgive him or like him but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made….

I shook hands with him; it seemed silly not to, for I felt suddenly as though I were talking to a child. Then he went into the jewelry store to buy a pearl necklace—or perhaps only a pair of cuff buttons—rid of my provincial squeamishness forever.

Reading this in the time of Trump I cannot help but see parallels. Blind partisanship trumps an actual reckoning with the real challenges plaguing our country. We’re living in a time of  deep decadence and stagnation but are now staring down a pandemic, and many parts of our society still refuse to come to terms with it. American society has severe problems but not the heart to really do anything significant about it. We want to live lives free of consequence. A man-child leads us, but we all kind of want to be children ourselves. Nobody wants to grow up and truly deal with the rough edges of actual life.

We’re sucking the life out of the accumulated accomplishments of our ancestors and are threatening to have nothing left for our children.

There’s nothing more decadent as a hit-and-run and the ability to flee into one’s wealth to avoid the consequences of careless action. We have to start taking responsibility.

The world is hard. We need to be willing to admit that, all of us, at all levels. We’re in this together, or we should be.

My daughter was stuck on a particularly challenge mathematical proof. She felt like she was close, but couldn’t quite push it further to resolution. The problem was to show that:

(1+cot^2y)(cos(2y) + 1) = 2cot^2y

She had a sheet of identities she could use as reference. Not really knowing how to get there from here, she played around with identities that seemed like steps in the right direction only to hit a roadblock. Stooping over her shoulder, I tried to play around with it and struggled.

I finally had to get my own sheet of paper so I could play around with it on my terms – my mind just works better with pen on paper. I love problems like this.

Not that there’s any immediate application for it in my life currently. At one point I worked on developing software for modems in military radios and there is, believe it or not, application for this in the real world. Cosines and sines are ways to model waves mathematically. Waves are all over the natural world – oscillating impulses of energy propagating through space. It all begins with a unit circle – a circle with a radius equal to one. To represent a position on that circle in terms of the angle, cosine represents the value of the x position,  sine gives the y-position. Rotating around the circle at a certain speed, the x and y position oscillates between one and negative one in a periodic fashion that looks a wave.  The frequency of the wave is the speed of the rotation. The mathematics is deeply embedded in my brain from years of calculus starting in high school extending deep into an Electrical Engineering undergraduate degree and as I said, practical application when I coded modem software for military radios not too long after graduation.

Anyway, it turns out the solution to the proof is fairly straightforward but requires a bit of pattern recognition, searching for steps that get you ever closer to the goal, the steps are as follows:

Step 1: (1+cot^2)(2-2sin^y) => using the idenity cos2y = 1-2sin^y, and then adding the 1’s together.

Step 2: 2-2sin^2y + 2cot^2y – 2sin^2ycot^2 => multiplying everything out.

Step 3: 2-2sin^2y -2sin^2(cos^2y/sin^2y) + 2cot^2y => convert cot^2y to cos^2y/sin^2y

Step 4: 2-2(sin^2y + cos^2y) + 2cot^2y => cancel out the sin^2y and factor out the 2.

Step 5: 2-2 + 2cot^2y => sin^2y + cos^2y = 1, pythagorean theorem,

Proof: 2cot^2y = 2cot^2

There’s a certain amount of endorphin kick solving this, but it’s also frustrating to get stuck on it. Frustrating and demoralizing. My daughter gets stuck on these problems, more often than not. And I know having your parent help you sucks for teenagers. Everyone’s brains are wired differently. Training has something to do with it as well – nature vs. nurture.

During the pandemic, with schools basically closed, I’m trying to get my son to take a music theory course with me on coursera. The video we watched today, we had to recognize chords and identify whether they were tonic or dominant. I got the basic idea, but I had trouble recognizing them by ear. My son could hear it far better than me – he’s better trained musically. Or maybe he has musical genes (from my wife) I just don’t have.

I don’t know.

Showing my daughter the proof she screamed, “why do I have to know this stuff anyway”. I don’t have good answers for it. It’s a basic existential question on the utility of school generally. Everyone understands the basic utility of math through algebra, the basic utility of reading comprehension and the importance of learning to write well. But school, especially a college prep school, pushes students far past this – reading books not especially enjoyable to read, especially for a young person without life experience, then being forced to write something enlightening about this book they could barely get through. Why do we teach writing in this precise way?

The problem with these question though is I have no idea. She’s 17. Nobody really knows what knowledge will end up being useful for her down the line. Most of it will largely not be. But I think there’s something essential about learning as much of the world as we possibly can, so we can make sense of it, recognize our place in it, and then perhaps have a shot to make some small contribution within it.

Steve Jobs took calligraphy in school for the fun of it. He then later revolutionized fonts on apple computers, largely because of this training he happened upon. Likely nothing that extraordinary will come out of any of this. Sometimes it’s just fun to use our brains – or not.

I don’t know.