Difference between revisions of "Alma 17:1-19:36"

Revision as of 11:56, 7 July 2008

Why is it referred to as the "first" appearance of "the" angel? Was it the same angel that appeared to Alma every time? If so, what does that teach us about how angels operate?
What does it mean that the sons of Mosiah "waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth"?
What does it mean to have a sound understanding?
What does searching the scriptures diligently entail? What is the difference between reading and searching diligently? What were they searching for?
What is the word of God? What does it mean to "know" the word of God? Does that mean to just memorize scriptures, or to be able to find scriptures you are looking for? Or is there something else involved in the idea of "knowing" here?

What might qualify as "much" prayer and fasting? Is it just once a month fasting? How much fasting and prayer is necessary to obtain the "spirit of prophecy"?
What is the "spirit of prophecy" and "spirit of revelation"? How does fasting and prayer bring that spirit? How does that spirit impute power and authority to gospel teachings? How is obtaining this spirit related to searching the scriptures (vs. 2)? Is scripture study a prerequisite for obtaining the spirit of prophecy and revelation, or does that come more from prayer and fasting?
What does it mean to teach "with power and authority of God"?

Why did the Sons of Mosiah stay with the Lamanites for 14 years?
What constituted success for the Sons of Mosiah?
What does it mean to bring souls "to the knowledge of the truth"?
Does it matter that the Sons of Mosiah helped convert "many" souls? What if they had only been able to help a few? How does their helping large numbers of people influence how we think about their missions?
What does it mean to bring people "before the altar of God"? Is this a real altar, or just a way of speaking?
Why are people calling on God's name and confessing their sins before an altar?
How did the "power of their words" bring people to repentance? How was this power manifest? What made their words powerful?
How can we follow the example of the Sons of Mosiah? How do our own missionary and member missionary efforts compare or contrast with those of the Sons of Mosiah? Do their missions provide a model for us to follow, or are all missions so unique that we shouldn't see their missionary efforts as something to try and follow/

Spirit of Prophecy--also called the "testimony of Jesus" (cf. Rev 19:10, see commentary at D&C 76:51).

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ===Verse 4===
+* Why did the Sons of Mosiah stay with the Lamanites for 14 years?
+* What constituted success for the Sons of Mosiah?
+* What does it mean to bring souls "to the knowledge of the truth"?
+* Does it matter that the Sons of Mosiah helped convert "many" souls?  What if they had only been able to help a few?  How does their helping large numbers of people influence how we think about their missions?
+* What does it mean to bring people "before the altar of God"?  Is this a real altar, or just a way of speaking?
+* Why are people calling on God's name and confessing their sins before an altar?
+* How did the "power of their words" bring people to repentance?  How was this power manifest?  What made their words powerful?
+* How can we follow the example of the Sons of Mosiah?  How do our own missionary and member missionary efforts compare or contrast with those of the Sons of Mosiah?  Do their missions provide a model for us to follow, or are all missions so unique that we shouldn't see their missionary efforts as something to  try and follow/
 ===Verse 5===