Establishing Order

God said to Alma, “Blessed art thou because thou hast established a church among this people.” Then, he added this promise: “They shall be established, and they shall be my people” (Alma 26:17).

After Alma’s death, his son (also named Alma) became high priest over the church. Perhaps the church had already been established, but after a devastating civil war, the people humbled themselves, “and they began to establish the church more fully” (Alma 4:4).

About three years later, Alma became concerned about the state of the church and began to travel from city to city, preaching the word of God. After a sermon in his home city of Zarahemla, he took some specific actions to strengthen the church:

1. He called new leaders: “He ordained priests and elders … to preside and watch over the church.”
2. He welcomed new members: “Whosoever did not belong to the church who repented of their sins were baptized unto repentance, and were received into the church.”
3. He reaffirmed boundaries for church membership: “Whosoever did belong to the church that did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God … their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous.”

(See Alma 6:1-3.)

In summary, Mormon says, “Thus they began to establish the order of the church in the city of Zarahemla” (Alma 6:4).

One lesson from this story is that the work of establishing the church is never finished. The church may become more established, but it can easily drift without steady leadership and vigilance.

It’s the same with our personal lives. Today, as a result of Alma’s story, I’ve considered some things I can do to establish order more fully in my life. Here are some ideas:

• Recommit to basic governance. Take time on Sunday to review my progress and plan my week.
• Organize my environment and my schedule. Let go of clutter: activities and possessions which slow me down or distract me from my goals.
• Welcome new experiences. Accept new challenges, spend time in new places, and get to know new people.

Today, I will set my life and my home in order, just as Alma “began to establish the order of the church.” I will plan effectively, let go of low-value activities, and embrace new opportunities.