Alma 10:1-12 Amulek begins to speak

[MaidservantX]

As I was reading these verses I was struck -- I don't know that I'd ever thought of this in this exact manner -- that the Book of Mormon presents to the modern reader an example of every kind of possible person each of us might be -- meaning, there is at least one person (and their story) in the Book of Mormon with whom we can identify; particularly as it relates to weaknesses we might have. Amulek is (among other things) one of those presentations. Not only that, but he may be the person/ story with which most of us identify most easily with.

As Amulek starts speaking to the Ammonihahites, we learn or realize several things:

1. Amulek is an Ammonihahite -- he is one of them.
2. He has much of the material world's bounty, success in the terms or definition of the world. He gained that success not by any evil means but through character traits most of us would say were good. (But had it become his "gospel"? and shouldn't have? hmm)
3. He's a good guy. He has no great sins.
4. He has a family, a large one, and he loves them and has been spending his life caring for them.
5. He believes and always has believed -- he wasn't overly surprised at the visitation of an angel, and he didn't have to "choke" to be willing to learn from a prophet, or et.
6. He was willing to serve (a mission).
7. He had understanding -- he learned quickly the things that Alma was telling him, and had a command of the principles of the gospel to the degree that he was soon able to teach his neighbors with great testimony and articulation -- some of the loveliest and most plain and powerful passages in the Book of Mormon.
8. Apparently he was even well up on his Family History, he he. (v2-3)

But Amulek has a deep and subtle realization -- the crux of his weakness. Those of us who have studied these chapters before will find these phrases very familiar.

v6 "Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times,and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart"

I find this very interesting for a couple of reasons. I ask myself again -- exactly what is Amulek's wickedness? What lesson is it for us? There is no indication in the story of whether Amulek "went to church" or "paid his tithing" or "offered sacrifices" (law of Moses) or "did his home teaching" or "date night with the wife" or "refrain from eating pork" (law of Moses dietary) or anything of that nature. In fact, he may well have been doing all of those things. (We simply don't know.) For me, I think it is implied that he had a loving family and did a lot of good things in his community and that he had a great deal of faith tradition (to be able to recognize an angel?). But for a person like this -- what is the next lesson then? What is the next step in following God?

What is the "wickedness of [the] heart"? Is it any different than wickedness of deeds done in the body? What does Amulek mean? What couldn't he hear? He knew, but he would not know. Hmmm. So -- we do need to be *soft and clean-hearted; * we need to hear when called; *we need to embrace what we know -- maybe?

In Amulek's case, the change that he made was to receive the prophet (holy man, chosen man of God) into his house (and feed him), and allow the prophet to instruct and bless his family. That is an interesting proposition. He allowed the prophet to dwell in his house.

Can we do the same? (I think I need to do more of that, myself.)

[tomk]

6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was acalled many times and I would not bhear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling cagainst God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.


Footnotes
6a 2 Chr. 33: 10.
10 And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

Isa. 50: 2.
2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

Alma 5: 37.
37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!

b D&C 39: 9.
9 Nevertheless, thou hast seen great sorrow, for thou hast rejected me many times because of pride and the cares of the world.

c Acts 9: 5.
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.



I enjoyed your comments.


If we stop for a moment, and "humanize" this a bit -- what are we really talking about? What is "wickedness" and what is "righteousness" in the eternal "God's View" sense of those words, especially when you remember that we were, and still are, one great big family. Whether we are pre-existant spirits waiting to come down, or here in mortality (at various levels of progression and "gospel maturity") or in the Spirit World, or like Christ or Abraham, have gone on to receive our exaltation --we are still family -- and we are family in every intimate sense of the word.

What Amulek was describing in himself is pure "terrible two's" in God's eyes. He doesn't look upon us with any less love. In other words, He lets us have our "tantrum" and when we come to our senses and come looking for Him again, He is there. A Faithful Dad with infinite patience and longsuffering.


Those are my thoughts.

[Hemidakota]

Originally Posted by xhenli

As I was reading these verses I was struck -- I don't know that I'd ever thought of this in this exact manner -- that the Book of Mormon presents to the modern reader an example of every kind of possible person each of us might be -- meaning, there is at least one person (and their story) in the Book of Mormon with whom we can identify; particularly as it relates to weaknesses we might have. Amulek is (among other things) one of those presentations. Not only that, but he may be the person/ story with which most of us identify most easily with.

As Amulek starts speaking to the Ammonihahites, we learn or realize several things:

1. Amulek is an Ammonihahite -- he is one of them.
2. He has much of the material world's bounty, success in the terms or definition of the world. He gained that success not by any evil means but through character traits most of us would say were good. (But had it become his "gospel"? and shouldn't have? hmm)
3. He's a good guy. He has no great sins.
4. He has a family, a large one, and he loves them and has been spending his life caring for them.
5. He believes and always has believed -- he wasn't overly surprised at the visitation of an angel, and he didn't have to "choke" to be willing to learn from a prophet, or et.
6. He was willing to serve (a mission).
7. He had understanding -- he learned quickly the things that Alma was telling him, and had a command of the principles of the gospel to the degree that he was soon able to teach his neighbors with great testimony and articulation -- some of the loveliest and most plain and powerful passages in the Book of Mormon.
8. Apparently he was even well up on his Family History, he he. (v2-3)

But Amulek has a deep and subtle realization -- the crux of his weakness. Those of us who have studied these chapters before will find these phrases very familiar.

v6 "Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times,and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart"

I find this very interesting for a couple of reasons. I ask myself again -- exactly what is Amulek's wickedness? What lesson is it for us? There is no indication in the story of whether Amulek "went to church" or "paid his tithing" or "offered sacrifices" (law of Moses) or "did his home teaching" or "date night with the wife" or "refrain from eating pork" (law of Moses dietary) or anything of that nature. In fact, he may well have been doing all of those things. (We simply don't know.) For me, I think it is implied that he had a loving family and did a lot of good things in his community and that he had a great deal of faith tradition (to be able to recognize an angel?). But for a person like this -- what is the next lesson then? What is the next step in following God?

What is the "wickedness of [the] heart"? Is it any different than wickedness of deeds done in the body? What does Amulek mean? What couldn't he hear? He knew, but he would not know. Hmmm. So -- we do need to be *soft and clean-hearted; * we need to hear when called; *we need to embrace what we know -- maybe?

In Amulek's case, the change that he made was to receive the prophet (holy man, chosen man of God) into his house (and feed him), and allow the prophet to instruct and bless his family. That is an interesting proposition. He allowed the prophet to dwell in his house.

Can we do the same? (I think I need to do more of that, myself.)

Something you find interesting, he was quick to repent. Even those who already had visitations of Angels or the Godhead make mistakes over time. Some even fall away from the church; later would return repenting of their own mistakes. They still retain that bedrock testimony of the truth but not doing the works as they are called.