Day 38 Alma 5

Alma 5:14

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

Relating Alma 5:14 to myself

Have I received His Image in my countenance?  Has my heart been changed?  Alma 5 starts out with Alma teaching the people about his Father who taught and baptized the Church at the Waters of Mormon.  He shared about how Alma his father, taught the people to rely on the Lord, be obedient, repent, and remember the ancestors who had trials and stayed loyal to God.  The people had their hearts changed and they were truly converted to the Lord.

Am I converted?  Has my heart been changed?  Do people see me and wonder what have I accepted that makes me look like someone who has accepted something that has made my life worth while?

Are the things that I say and do in line with Christ's teachings?  Am I fulfilling the divine calling God has for me?  I always wonder about the idea of accepting this life and what promises I made in the pre-existence.  I said yes to finding the Gospel and converting.  I said yes to the parents I was sent to.  I said yes to the man I married.  I said yes to the children I was blessed to give birth to, love, raise, teach, and rejoice over.  What other promises did I say yes to that have yet to happen?  Are there friends I have promised to teach the gospel to?  Are there friends I promised to do Temple work for?  Are there still many opportunities that I have to keep my promises to Heavenly Father. I think so.  I pray so.  I desire it.

Many times in Alma 5, Alma the Younger makes mention of "The Mighty Change of Heart" that comes among the converted believers who listen and Follow the Prophet.  He also mentions exercising faith.  Let's talk about that a second.   When our physical body needs strengthening, we exercise to build muscle and strength.  In like manner, when our Faith is young or even weak, we are encouraged to exercise our Faith, to work it out.  Exercising Faith is the action of doing.  To have faith is to believe something that doesn't necessarily have proof until it becomes a knowing.  It is to not have a perfect knowledge but to just believe.  When I am in a place in my life where I feel weak or underdeveloped spiritually, I know that I am in need of spiritual exercise!  Action.  Doing.  Growing.  All of the things that build strong testimony like reading scriptures, reading from good books, praying to the Lord, singing songs that are spiritual and uplifting, avoiding anything that drives the Holy Ghost and Angels away.  Action.  Movement and progress are essential to building belief and faith.

I love Alma 5:16 so much.  It says, 

"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

Likening these verses unto me:

(Verse 19) Stacey, "I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you Stacey, can you look up, having the image of God engraved upon your countenance?"

(Verse 24) Stacey, "do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?"

Alma 5:26

"And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

I want to share my feelings about Alma 5. I feel like this Sermon has the same spirit as the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave.  The two sermons being read and applied hand in hand have the power to transform my life!  When you get an opportunity, please go read Matthew 5-7 and then come back and re-read Alma 5.  It will be a feast for your soul as it has been for mine.

There are so many things I want to add here and write, but I really want to stop here so you can go read and take in Matthew 5-7 and then come back and re-read Alma Chapter 5.  Take notes, liken these Sermons unto yourself and "bask in the life giving light" of these Sermons.

I will finish this blog post with this.  I believe these words in Chapter 5.  Christ is the Good Shephard.  The things that we do that are good and invite us to do good are from God and those that are not are from Satan.  I know that what we say and do reflects whether we really believe the words of Jesus Christ.  This life is hard, we struggle, we hurt, we grow, we celebrate, we laugh, we love, we are tested, and all of these things bring us experience.  Having said this, in my life in 2025, post-stroke 7 months this week, having lost relationships near and dear to me because of my past actions of insensitivity, selfishness, weakness, and pride, and being in a fallen world, I know that the only thing that is going to SAVE me from sin and death and this fallen state of being is Jesus Christ, The Atonement, His Sacrifice for my sins the wages of which are spiritual death, and Jesus Christ's Eternal and Undying Love for ME, Stacey Dawn.

I want to share my Testimony that I know that Jesus Christ LIVES.  He atoned for my sins and died for me.  Christ accepted coming here to this earth and making a way where my sin is not eternal damnation.  I love Jesus.  I love Him so much.  I ache for his arms around me and to hear his voice.  I hope that one day, I will see him again and live with him forever and ever into eternity.  I love the Holy Prophets who bless us and teach us.  i know they are men of God.  I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  I know the Book of Mormon is TRUE.  In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

This song was a song I was supposed to perform in Sacrament Meeting with Cello and Piano back in May 2025.  I had a stroke and was not able to perform after it.  I still want to share the YouTube video of this song because it is so beautiful and true.  

Sara Jane ("I know that my Redeemer Lives"}