At the waters of Mormon, Alma organized the people who believed his words into a church. More than 200 people were baptized in one day. Priests and teachers were selected. The people were instructed to meet together weekly, to love one another, and to share with one another. We can learn a lot about how the church should work by reading about the experience of Alma and his people in Mosiah 18.
Shortly after, King Noah died and his people fell into captivity. His son Limhi led the people through years of servitude before leading his people to safety with the help of Ammon (Mosiah 19-22). At about the same time, Alma and his people also fell into captivity. They also served the Lamanites for a time, before being freed by the power of God (Mosiah 23-24).
Captivity and deliverance is a common theme in the scriptures. As we study the captivities of Limhi and Alma, we can learn a lot about how to endure the trials we face, and how to maintain our trust that God will eventually liberate us.
Blog Posts about Alma Establishing the Church at the Waters of Mormon
- Spiritual leadership in the home: What Is the Relationship Between the Family and the Church?
- Spiritual leadership in the church: What Is a Priest?
- Spiritual principles reinforced when we are baptized: What Can We Learn from the Words of the Baptismal Ordinance?
- Renewing our covenants: Did Alma Baptize Himself?
- The practical obligations of baptism: What Does It Mean to Bear One Another’s Burdens?
- Entering the fold of God: What Is the Relationship Between Baptism and Membership in the Church?
- A support system for disciples of Jesus Christ: They Were Called the Church of God – Mosiah 18:16-17
- Sacred places: All This Was Done in Mormon – Mosiah 18:30
Blog Posts About the Captivity and Deliverance of Limhi and His People
- Civil disobedience: There Were Many That Would Not Leave Them – Mosiah 19:11-12
- Don’t let emotion impair your judgment: What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Anger?
- The power of pure motives: Like Dragons Did They Fight – Mosiah 20:11
- Knowing when to modify your tactics: They Went Again Even the Third Time – Mosiah 21:6-13
- Unexpected answers to prayers: The Lord Did Hear Their Cries – Mosiah 21:15
- Trusting the people you lead: Mosiah 20:17 Lay Not This Thing to Their Charge
- Fundamental components of baptism: They Were Desirous to Be Baptized – Mosiah 21:33-35
- Assessing our own worthiness: Why Did Ammon Consider Himself Unworthy to Baptize?
- Counseling together: That They Might Have the Voice of the People – Mosiah 22:1
- The courage to speak up: Gideon Went Forth – Mosiah 22:3-4, 9
Blog Posts About the Captivity and Deliverance of Alma and His People
- Preserving our freedom: What Does It Mean to “Stand Fast in the Liberty Wherewith God Hath Made Us Free?”
- Equal worth in the eyes of God: Ye Shall Not Esteem One Flesh Above Another – Mosiah 23:6-7
- Authority as a mechanism for transferring trust: He Consecrated All Their Priests and All Their Teachers – Mosiah 23:16-18
- Adversity proves us and helps us grow: He Trieth Their Patience – Mosiah 23:21
- Strategies for dealing with anxiety: They Hushed Their Fears – Mosiah 23:27-28
- Persistent petitions: What Should I Do When My Prayers Aren’t Answered?
- Trusting God’s timetable: What Is the Relationship Between Faith and Patience?
- Heartfelt expressions of gratitude: They Poured out Their Thanks to God – Mosiah 24:21-22
Blog Posts: May 12-17
“The Fold of God” – Mosiah 18:8
When Alma invited a group of people to be baptized at the waters of Mormon, he began his invitation with the following words: “As ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people…” (Mosiah 18:8). He then described the obligation they would have to one another: bearing one…
“As Often as It Was in Their Power” – Mosiah 18:25
After baptizing hundreds of people at the waters of Mormon, Alma gave them some instructions about how to fulfill the covenants they had made. He told the priests to teach the words of the prophets and to preach repentance. He told the people to avoid contention and to strive for unity. He told them to…
“They Had Sworn in Their Hearts That They Would Return” – Mosiah 19:19
Sometimes the hardest part of repentance is facing the social consequences of what you have done. I was thinking yesterday about the men who obeyed King Noah’s order to abandon their wives and children when the Lamanites attacked (Mosiah 19:11). The decision was instinctive, made under chaotic and confusing circumstances. It was a cowardly decision,…
“Ye Shall Not Slay Him” – Mosiah 20:14
Mosiah 20 can be read as a series of case studies about the importance of trust in relationships. Multiple times, key characters have to make decisions based on limited information. The stories illustrate the danger of jumping to conclusions and the value of giving other people the benefit of the doubt. When a group of…
“They Did Humble Themselves” – Mosiah 21:13-14
I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable. —Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1929-1932 (1973),…
The Legacies of Limhi’s People and Alma’s People
Sometimes it’s only in retrospect that we recognize the significance of our experiences, both in terms of our own spiritual growth and in terms of their influence on other people. We’ve been studying this week about two groups of people—the people of Limhi and the people of Alma—both of whom endured a difficult period of…
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