Alma 5 “I . . . fell asleep, and beheld in vision something infinitely sublime. In the - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Alma 5Slide2

“I . . . fell asleep, and beheld in vision something infinitely sublime. In the distance I beheld a beautiful white city.

Trees with luscious fruit, shrubbery with gorgeously-tinted leaves, and flowers in perfect bloom abounded everywhere. The clear sky above seemed to reflect these beautiful shades of color. I then saw a great concourse of people approaching the city. Each one wore a white flowing robe, and a white headdress. Instantly my attention seemed centered upon their Leader, and though I could see only the profile of his features and his body, I recognized him at once as my Savior!

There was a peace about him which seemed sublime—it was divine!Slide3

“The city, I understood, was his. It was the City Eternal; and the people following him were to abide there in peace and eternal

happiness. But who were they?

“As if the Savior read my thoughts, he answered by pointing to a semicircle that then appeared above them, and on which were written in gold the words, “These are they who have truly….”:Slide4

‘ 

These Are They Who Have Truly Been Born Again!’

President David O. McKay, Conference Report, Apr. 1951, 157, 159Slide5

Alma 5

There are only 410 questions in the entire Book of Mormon. Alma 5 contains 42 question marks Read silently through Alma 5:6-31, 39, 53, 55

and hold a personal worthiness interview. Take note of which questions are the most poignant to you as you readSlide6

Alma 5

What did you discover?

“‘

Mighty’ change is mighty hard work, a labor made more difficult

by

the unflattering urges of the natural man.”

(Neal A. Maxwell, “Encircled in the Arms of His Love,” Ensign, Nov 2002, 16).Slide7

MORMON MESSAGE: Reclaimed http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7V2ET7p5FA

Alma 5

ReclaimedSlide8

“I recently recalled a historic meeting in Jerusalem about 17 years ago. It was regarding the lease for the land on which the Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies was later built. Before this lease could be signed, President Ezra Taft Benson and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, then president of Brigham Young University, agreed with the Israeli government on behalf of the Church and the university not to proselyte in Israel…

Alma 5:14

President James E. Faust,

Oct

.

2005Slide9

“You might wonder why we agreed not to proselyte. We were required to do so in order to get the building permit to build that magnificent building which stands in the historic city of Jerusalem. To our knowledge, the Church and BYU have scrupulously and honorably kept that non-proselyting commitment. After the lease had been signed, one of our friends insightfully remarked, ‘

Oh, we know that you are not going to proselyte, but what are you going to do about the light that is in their eyes?’ He was referring to our students who were studying in Israel”.

President James E. Faust,

Oct

.

2005

Alma

5:14

Slide10

“Sister Burton and I were walking along a street in Rio de Janeiro, when I saw a man walk past us who appeared as though he would make a good Mormon. I thought to myself, “If I could only speak Portuguese, there would be a fine missionary contact.” He stopped ahead of us to look in a shop window and as he did so, he turned facing us. When he saw us he waited until we came up to him and then spoke to us in English. We returned his greeting and he asked us if we were Americans. We replied in the affirmative and he asked, “Are you perchance Mormons?” I replied, “Yes. What do you know about the Mormons?” He told us he was a Mormon also and we had a lovely visit with him. We learned he was a bishop’s counselor in one of the Rio Wards

...

Alma 5:19

Theodore M. Burton, “The Need for Total Commitment,”

Ensign

, Jan 1974, 114Slide11

“How was it that we could recognize one another among the teeming thousands of people walking along that busy street? If we truly accept God, He will work a mighty change in our appearance and we will begin to appear more like our Heavenly Father, in whose image we have been created.

“Could it be this appearance we recognize when we meet men and women who are trying to live close to the Lord?” Alma

5:19

Theodore M. Burton, “The Need for Total Commitment,”

Ensign

, Jan 1974, 114Slide12

“Testimony isn’t something you have today and you are going to have always. A testimony is fragile. It is as hard to hold as a moon-beam. It is something you have to recapture everyday of your life” (Church News

, 15 July, 1972, 4, Harold B. Lee). “This is the call to keep our witness and our experience with the Spirit current and up to date… We cannot afford to pause on spiritual plateaus.” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary

, 3:32).

Alma

5:26

Slide13

“The natural life (natural man) in each of us is something self-centered, something that wants to be petted and admired, to take advantage of other lives, to exploit the whole universe.

“And especially it wants to be left to itself; to keep well away from anything better or stronger or higher than it, anything that might make it feel small.

“It is afraid of the light and air of the spiritual world, just as people who have been brought up to be dirty are afraid of a bath. “And in a sense, it is quite right. It knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that.” Mere Christianity, p. 53

Alma

5:26

Slide14

“My involvement with the building of the Manhattan Temple gave me the opportunity to be in the temple quite often prior to the dedication. It was wonderful to sit in the celestial room and be there in perfect silence, without a single sound to be heard coming from the busy New York streets outside. How was it possible that the temple could be so reverently silent when the hustle and bustle of the metropolis was just a few yards away?

Alma 5:57Slide15

“The answer was in the construction of the temple. The temple was built within the walls of an existing building, and the inner walls of the temple were connected to the outer walls at only a very few junction points. That is how the temple (Zion) limited the effects of Babylon, or the world outside.

“There may be a lesson here for us. We can create the real Zion among us by limiting the extent to which Babylon will influence our lives…. Alma

5:57Slide16

“Wherever we are, whatever city we may live in, we can build our own Zion by the principles of the celestial kingdom and ever seek to become the pure in heart…. “We do not need to become as puppets in the hands of the culture of the place and time. We can be courageous and can walk in the Lord’s paths and follow His footsteps”

(Elder David Stone, April 2006). Alma 5:57Slide17

Three Big Sins

Alma 5:28-31

PrideEnvy

Mockery Slide18

“Pride does not look up to God and care about

what is right. It looks sideways to man and argues who is right…Pride is characterized by “What do I want out of my life?” Rather than by “What would God have me do with my Life?”

To

the proud, the applause of the world rings in their ears; to the humble, the applause of heaven warms their

hearts”

(President Benson, Cleansing the Inner Vessel” 6-7,

Ensign

, May 86).

Alma

5:28

“Are you stripped of

pride

?”Slide19

“I remember

one interesting side effect of President Benson’s influential talk. For a while it almost became taboo among Church members to say that they were “proud” of their children or their country or that they took “pride” in their work. The very word pride seemed to become an outcast in our vocabulary. “So what is the difference between this kind of feeling and the pride that President Benson called “the universal sin”? Pride is

sinful

because it breeds hatred or hostility and places us in opposition to God and our fellowmen. At its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with “Look how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,” it always seems to end with “Therefore, I am better than you

.

Pride is the great sin of self-elevation

.”

Alma

5:28

“Are you stripped of

pride

?”

President

Uchtdorf

, “Pride”, October 2010 General Conference Slide20

“Pride

turns to envy: we look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. Some seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer.”

Alma

5:29

“Are you stripped of

envy

?”

President

Uchtdorf

, “Pride”, October 2010 General Conference Slide21

“Every day we see allurements of one kind or another that tell us what we have is not

enough, that we need to be more handsome or more wealthy, more applauded or more admired than we see ourselves as being. We are told we haven’t collected enough possessions or gone to enough fun places. We are bombarded with the message that we have been weighed in the balance and found

wanting…

Alma 5:29

“Are you stripped of envy

?”Slide22

“I testify that God loves each of us---insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone

.” (April 2002 General Conference).

Alma 5:29

“Are you stripped of envy

?”Slide23

Alma

5:30-31

“Do you make a mock of your brother

?”

“Perhaps

there is no better laboratory to observe the sin of pride than the world of sports.

The

lack of civility in sports is embarrassing. How is it that normally kind and compassionate human beings can be so intolerant and filled with hatred toward an opposing team and its fans?

“I

have watched sports fans vilify and demonize their rivals. They look for any flaw and magnify it.

“My

beloved fellow disciples of the gentle Christ, should we not hold ourselves to a higher

standard? We

must realize that all of God’s children wear the same jersey. Our team is the brotherhood of man. This mortal life is our playing field. Our goal is to learn to love God and to extend that same love toward our fellowman.

We

are here to build, uplift, treat fairly, and encourage all of Heavenly Father’s children

.”

President

Uchtdorf

, “Pride”, October 2010 General Conference Slide24

Alma

5:30-31

“Do you make a mock of your brother

?”

What does For the Strength of Youth teach?

“How

you communicate should reflect who you are as a son or daughter of God. Clean and intelligent language is evidence of a bright and wholesome mind. Good language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others invites the Spirit to be with you. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith, hope, and charity.

“Choose

friends who use good language. Help others improve their language by your example. Be willing to politely walk away or change the subject when those around you use inappropriate language.

“Speak

kindly and positively about others. Choose not to insult others or put them down, even in joking. Avoid gossip of any kind, and avoid speaking in anger. When you are tempted to say harsh or hurtful things, leave them

unsaid.”

(For

the Strength of Youth, 10‑‑11).Slide25

Alma

5:30-31

“Do you make a mock of your brother

?”Slide26

Alma

5:30-31

“Do you make a mock of your brother

?”Slide27

1. Before saying anything to anyone, ask yourself three things: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If it doesn’t meet all three requirements, don’t say it.

2. Be kind to unkind people. They probably need it the most.

3. Make promises carefully and keep them faithfully.4. When you talk about someone in his or her absence, don’t say anything you would not be willing to say in his or her presence.5. Have a forgiving view of people and their behavior. Most people are doing the best they can.6. Never miss the opportunity to compliment or to say something encouraging to or about someone.7. If someone criticizes you, consider whether there is any truth to what is said. If so, make changes. If there is no truth to the criticism, ignore it and live so that no one will believe the negative remarks

.Slide28

Alma

5:30-31

“Do you make a mock of your brother

?”

Who can testify of the blessing of

controlling one’s tongue and not mocking people?

Slide29

“The

Christian way is different: harder and easier. Give me All. I don’t want so much

of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked — the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.” - C.S. Lewis

Alma

5:28

“Are you stripped of

pride

?”Slide30

“In terms of preoccupation with self and a fixation on the physical, this is more than social insanity; it is spiritually destructive and it accounts for much of the unhappiness…in the modern world. And if adults are preoccupied with appearance---tucking and nipping and implanting and remodeling everything that can be remodeled---those pressures and anxieties will certainly seep through to children. At some point the problem becomes what the Book of Mormon called ‘vain imaginations’. And in secular society both vanity and imagination run wild. One would truly need a great and spacious makeup kit to complete with beauty as portrayed in media all around us

” (Elder Holland, Oct. 2005, 30-31).Alma 5:29“Vain things of the wicked world”Slide31

Born Again

“We must be born again and again

in order to know the full happiness.”Slide32

Born Again

 Conception begins with two peopleSlide33

Born Again

One cell in 40 week’s time grows to a baby fetus with tissues, bones, heart, nails, ears, etc.Slide34

Born Again

 Anchored in by an umbilical chordSlide35

Born Again

The umbilical cord helps to cleanse, feed, and protect the fetusSlide36

Born Again

The baby sheds lenugo (hairs) and vernix

caseosa (waxy coating)Slide37

Born Again

Baby’s hypothalamus sends message to the pituitary gland to the adrenal glands - release cortisol through umbilical cord to placenta;

the fetus initiates processSlide38

Born Again

 Occasionally, labor must be inducedSlide39

Born Again

 Both mom and baby feel pressure and painSlide40

Born Again

 The baby is now in a new environmentSlide41

Born Again

 The baby is slipperySlide42

Born Again

 The baby is covered by bloodSlide43

Born Again

 Heart changes form and functionSlide44

Born Again

5 times more oxygen available once the baby is outside of the wombSlide45

Born Again

The baby is namedSlide46

Born Again

 Receives inheritance from parentsSlide47

Born Again

 Highlights for the parents!Slide48

Born Again

 Are you glad you’ve had your umbilical cord cut?Slide49

Born Again

 Are you glad you’ve had your umbilical cord cut?Slide50

Born Again

 Are you glad you’ve had your umbilical cord cut?Slide51

Born Again

If your parents bailed, would you be able to stand on your own?Slide52

Born Again

If your parents bailed, would you be able to stand on your own?Slide53

Born Again

If your parents bailed, would you be able to stand on your own?Slide54

Born Again

If your parents bailed, would you be able to stand on your own?Slide55

Born Again

If your parents bailed, would you be able to stand on your own?Slide56

Born Again

If your parents bailed, would you be able to stand on your own?Slide57

Born AgainSlide58

Born Again

A pickle is a cucumber that has been transformed according to a specific recipe and series of steps. The first steps in the process of changing a cucumber into a pickle are 

preparing and cleaning. I remember many hours spent on the back porch of my home removing stems from and scrubbing dirt off of the cucumbers we had picked. My mom was very particular about the preparing and cleaning of the cucumbers. She had high standards of cleanliness and always inspected my work to make sure this important task was properly completed.Slide59

Born Again

The next steps in this process of change are immersing

 and saturating the cucumbers in salt brine for an extended period of time. Cucumbers can only become pickles if they are totally and completely immersed in the brine for the prescribed time period. An occasional sprinkle of or dip in the brine cannot produce the necessary transformation. Rather, steady, sustained, and complete immersion is required for the desired change to occur.Slide60

Born Again

The final step in the process requires the sealing

 of the cured pickles in jars that have been sterilized and purified. The pickles are packed in canning jars, covered with boiling hot brine, and processed in a boiling-water-bath canner. All impurities must be removed from both the pickles and the bottles so the finished product can be protected and preserved. As this procedure is properly followed, the pickles can be stored and enjoyed for a long period of time.Slide61

Born Again

Through faith in Christ, we can be spiritually prepared and cleansed from sin, immersed in and saturated with His gospel, and purified and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.Slide62

Alma 5