Every Saint Has A Past, Every Sinner Has A Future (Book of Mormon - Week 14).

The Story of Zeezrom

Hey guys! So... this is my last "official" Book of Mormon blog post. I know it's coming at you a little earlier than usual! My teacher isn't allowed to accept grades after midnight tonight because of finals week, so that is why.

Today I wanted to write to you about Zeezrom, for a few reasons. A. His name reminds me of see-saw (even though I don't think that's how it's pronounced:)). B. His story is really interesting and we can gain a lot from it - mainly because of how he teaches us about becoming converted and judging others.

We first see Zeezrom in Alma 11. He contends with Amulek in verse 22. Zeezrom asked Amulek if he could ask him some questions about God. Amulek responds saying, "Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord." Zeezrom then says, "Behold, here are six onties of silver, and all these will I give thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being."

Maybe the thing you remember about this story is the very beginning, before Zeezrom even gets introduced. Yup, this is that chapter where they spend the first 19 verses talking about the monetary system at the time and you just skim it. I kid you not, I read this chapter waiting to do baptisms for the dead, inside the temple, and even in that situation, I thought "Who cares about the monetary system at the time?" and skipped it. But here's the thing - there was a lot of scripture Moroni had to go through, and the process required to carve the scriptures onto the brass plates was rigorous - if he included something in the scriptures, there's a reason it is there. In this case, the first 19 verses are to emphasize exactly how much money six onties of silver is - it's estimated to be around what $33000 is to us today. And all Amulek had to say is "there is no God" to get it.

But what does he say instead? "O, thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?" Okay - how great is that insult? I wish I could find a reason to call someone a child of hell! But also, look at Amulek's faith! I wonder if I would be that fast to just say "There is no God" to get that - I wouldn't have to mean it, right? But this shows how strong Amulek is and makes me want to be stronger and more diligent in my faith. The fact that he turns Zeezrom down so quickly and so harshly sparks something in Zeezrom, and he begins to ask questions. By the end of the chapter, "Zeezrom began to tremble" (v. 46).

So fast-forward a few chapters, to chapter 15, where you will find these words: "And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he [Zeezrom] began from that time forth to preach unto the people." I'm sorry, what? How did we get from throwing thousands of dollars to tempt Amulek to being baptized and doing missionary work? It was because he listened to the words of Amulek in chapter 11 and 12 and became converted unto the Lord in Alma 12:7. He humbled himself and went on faith to find truth and happiness.

The thing I really want to emphasize about Zeezrom is how amazing he is. He went from a rather wicked man to a very good missionary. But what if we were around Zeezrom in his community and witnessed this change? If we saw Zeezrom the missionary and recalled Zeezrom the wicked lawyer, how would we handle him? I know it would be hard for me to take his conversion seriously. I would doubt his faith. But how should we handle it? We should be happy for him. We should encourage him. We should try to understand how he changed so that we could learn. We should love him.

Thanks, mormonwiki.com!

There's a phrase I really like that I think almost everyone knows: "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." It's so true. So often, I find people who have become anew through the Lord, or even through other means, and they were the last person I expected to change for the better. And every single time, I'm humbled. I'm a little too quick to judge them and doubt them, until they show me how faithful they are and I'm embarrassed, because I forget that I've been there too.

My challenge for you? Think of those people you know have changed. When they come up in conversation, don't talk about how they used to be. Talk about how amazing they are - does it matter how they were? "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." Even the Lord forgets our sins when we truly repent, we must forgive and forget what others have done to us, otherwise we stand more in the wrong.

I also challenge you to liken yourself to Zeezrom. If there is something you need to change in your life, but you're afraid of what people will think or what you'll have to give up, humble yourself and have a little more faith. I promise that what you need to do to be closer to Him is the most worthy cause you can pursue, no matter what you give up in the process.

Thank you guys for sticking with me and reading my posts! I hope that I've answered some questions, busted some myths, and helped you become closer to Him. Expect a post from me soon about a couple silly issues people have with the Book of Mormon: the mentioning of horses in the text, and Moroni correcting himself.

Hope you have a great week!

What If We Retained Every Scar? (Book of Mormon - Week 13).

Wow! It's been a while, guys! Sorry to have been so bad at posting. I had much better intentions for my blog than what my action on it has been reflecting. One of my goals for next semester is to blog once a week. You can hold me to that if you want:)
Today, I wanted to write you guys a pretty simple post. These next few weeks are nuts. I have tons of papers due this week and finals are next week. But man, after that I'm home free! Maybe I can give you some really stellar blog posts then. But for now, all I can give is something simple.
Last week, we read in Alma 5. Many of you might know of this as your "spiritual check-up". If you don't, I challenge you to read this carefully and answer the questions Alma asks. Don't be discouraged - you're not going to be able to say yes to most of them, and remember, this is Alma the Younger who is asking these questions, I'm guessing most of you haven't done nearly the wicked things he has (he understands having a past).
There's one scripture in this chapter that I really like - verse 48, "I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoeveer 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."
It's really simple, and basically sums up Christ's mission in one verse. But really think about this - he takes away the sins of the world. Doctrine & Covenants 58:42 says, "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more." Through the Atonement, Christ and Heavenly Father won't remember your sins. It's as if they never happened, as long as you are repenting. Can you imagine if every single scar, cut, or bruise you had ever received stayed on your skin? We're pretty lucky to be able to get rid of all of these mistakes, and we can do the same thing with our countenances!
So, if Heavenly Father no longer remembers our sins thanks to Christ's Atonement, why do we? It seems like a silly question, but if both of them forget the sin, it seems fitting that it would be easy for us to get over it and we would remember it no more too. But it doesn't work like that. I think (this isn't doctrine) that guilt is a powerful tool that has affects us intentionally. If we never felt guilt for our actions, we wouldn't feel a need to fix our mistakes, and we would commit them over and over without a care in the world. We need to remember our past sins so that we remember the consequences. Just as you might forgot some silly sins - maybe you pushed your sister down once when you were little, maybe you said a curse word and quickly tried to take it back -  some cuts heal without a scar. Some more serious sins or hard-to-break habits are harder to forgive yourself for, and some leave a big scar so you'll never forget, like a scar from a skin graft.

Thanks, intechopen.com!

When I was younger, I struggled a lot with some temptations I had. I didn't want Christ in my life, and I didn't have a relationship with Heavenly Father. But then, something changed, and I decided I really did want to be a part of the Church and know Christ and His gospel. Even after a year of growth, working with myself, a close friend, and my bishop, I felt unworthy to go into the temple. I remember crying during a temple recommend interview, telling the first counselor (who was also a close family friend) I still didn't feel worthy enough to go into the Lord's house (which is one of the interview questions). He smiled at me, and said he had been there too. The important thing to remember was that Heavenly Father has us remember our sins, and how bad we felt because of them to help encourage us to not commit the sin again. I still struggle with the temptations I had, but because I remember my sins, I know the consequences and it helps encourage me to be better than I was, even when my faith lacks a little.
All plans have some flaws. The fact that we remember our sins also makes it very hard to forgive ourselves, especially if you're a sensitive, self-conscious little soul like me. As I cried, my leader smiled at me, and said "Heavenly Father has already forgiven you, right?" And I said I was quite sure he had. He then said, "If he has forgiven you, you need to forgive yourself." That night, I knelt down by my bedside and asked Heavenly Father if he had forgiven me, and asked him for comfort to know that I am forgiven and for Christ to take away the burden of my guilt and show me how to forgive myself. And you know what? Christ didn't take away all of my guilt (I now know it is because guilt is a great tool), but took the majority of it from me, leaving enough for me to remember how bad I felt at the time and to stay humble. As I stayed and meditated by my bed, I felt a warmth I had never felt prior to that night. As typical as it sounds, it really felt as if Heavenly Father had wrapped His arms around me and he made it clear that He loved me, He knew me, and He appreciated my efforts to be better. That night, I slept for 12 hours and woke up, knowing that I was forgiven and I didn't have to feel my pain anymore. It had been taken from me. The following week, I went to the temple and thanked Heavenly Father for a very clear answer to my prayer.
I know that this topic is hard to understand until you come to know Christ's Atonement better and your Heavenly Father's plan. If you don't understand, I challenge you to get on your knees and ask to. It's a beautiful and humbling experience.
I hope you all have a great week! You'll hear from me on Friday.