YOUR PURPOSE - ODE TO ALMA

 

Here is another person who can teach us about fulfilling our purpose…..Alma the Younger who went about with the intent to destroy the Church became the man who led the Nephite armies in battle (Alma 2:16); who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons (Alma 14:22);  who was spat upon by the unrepentant (Alma 14:21); who dumbfounded an anti-Christ (Alma 30:49,50); who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4,5); who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19).  Most people credit Alma’s eventual success to his repentance but I credit it to forgiveness.

When you look at Alma and his life, do you see a broken man with a past or do you see a powerful prophet of the Lord? The fact that we see a powerful prophet has more to do with forgiveness than with repentance. Certainly without repentance he would have never been set on the path to greatness but it was forgiveness that made him great. I am talking here about two-way forgiveness. The first and most important part is the Saviour’s forgiveness and the second is self-forgiveness. If Alma had never forgiven himself and had beaten up on himself for the rest of his life, he would  never have achieved his life’s purpose. 

If you are still 'harrowed' up by your past sins, you are missing the person that you could be.  If you believe you are no good, the Lord can make nothing of you. If self-forgiveness has not closed the circle of your repentance, you should examine Alma’s life post repentance. It is not enough to just stop doing the wrong things. What matters is doing the right things, the things that invite the spirit into your life so the Atonement can heal you and wipe away your guilt (Alma 24:10).  Abstaining from your sins is only the beginning of repentance.  What comes after is what brings about the change of heart and gives you lasting peace.  

If you have repented of your sins but can't let them go, you are giving them more power than you are giving God. The adversary wants nothing more than for your sins to continue to have power over you. Your forgiveness is not complete until you allow the Saviour to take away your remorse. The power of the Atonement can complete this process.  Believe in it, trust it, ask for it.  The Lord has a purpose for you and He is waiting.

He stood between you

And the gaping jaws of hell,

He cherished your soul

And snatched you from everlasting

Misery of the damned.

He planted the seed of faith

In your willing heart

But you, you tilled the ground

And nurtured the tree of faith

Growing the fruit, so exquisite and sweet.

So heavy in your overflowing arms

You sought to feed the hungry,

The spiritually maimed.

He who stood at the gates of hell

Your soul to save

Gathered the fruit,

The path to His throne to pave. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)