THIS IS MY WORK AND MY GLORY

When I read the scriptures I choke up when I come across sentences such as "I am Helaman, the son of Alma" (Alma 58:41) or "I am Mormon, and I am a disciple of Jesus Christ" (3 Nephi 5:12,13). I lap up the war chapters of The Book of Mormon where Moroni, Helaman, Teancum and Antipus distinguish themselves in war strategies and moments of battle, and I want to bow to Lehi, at the mention of whose name the Lamanites trembled because "they feared Lehi exceedingly" (Alma 49:17). I long to have the penmanship skills of Isaiah and unnerving passion of Jeremiah who could not refrain from preaching because "the word of God was as a burning fire shut up in his bones" (Jeremiah 20:9). I see people all through the scriptures and I see people everywhere in this rich tapestry of life we call mortality. I imagine if there were no mortal days of probation I might never have heard of a man called Abraham Lincoln in the vastness of the Universe or been moved by music written by Mozart or heard Renee Fleming sing Casta Diva. What an amazing gift it is to be a witness of someone's unique expression of self and of the mark they leave on this world. What an amazing assortment of humanity we are. I marvel at our uniqueness, our creativity, our intelligence, our very essence and all that we are and are yet to become.

When Moses encountered God on Mount Sinai, God revealed Himself to him and Moses saw the glory of God and every particle of this earth and all the children of men (Moses 1:8,27) that have ever been created. The vision of God's power was overwhelming to a man who grew up in an Egyptian court believing that Pharoah was god and there was no one greater than him so he exclaimed that now he could see that man is nothing (Moses :10). God, however, didn't want Moses to miss the point so He showed him the same vision again and concluded it with the most important message in the scriptures: "For behold this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). The point that God didn't want Moses to miss is this: amongst all of God's creations, none are greater than man. Why? Because man constitutes Gods glory. All that we are and all that we become matters because it leads to our glory and adds to His.

Most of us will not earn a page in the annals of history. Most of us will never become another Abraham Lincoln or Mozart or Helaman or Isaiah. We can, however, fight a good fight, do much good, accomplish our purpose, become the best we can possibly be. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: "Whatever you are, be a good one". And in the process, share your uniqueness with the world because according to Dr. Seuss: "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You". How true and how magnificant are you!

HIS IMAGE IN OUR COUNTENANCE

Alma the Younger was a major achiever. Having become transformed through his experience with repentance, he went on to become an amazingly successful missionary, a foe to anti-Christs, high priest, chief judge, military leader and prophet. His doctrinal teachings were extensive and thought provoking but none more so than the following question he asked of his hearers when he inquired if they had been spiritually born of God: "Have ye received His image in your countenance?" (Alma 5:14). This question would have to be the most poignant question contained in the holy scriptures. If we should practice what we preach, then Alma indeed had the right to ask such a question.

Many years after his conversion, 'Alma delivered up the judgement-seat to Nephihah and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood' (Alma 4:20) that he might preach to the straying members of the Church and cry repentance to the unconverted. Having enjoyed success in Zarahemla and surrounding lands, he entered the city of Ammonihah and thus began the most grueling mission of his life. The people of Ammonihah not only rejected his message but they rejected him and his missionary companion, Amulek. So strong was the rejection that the very fires of hell gaped before them as those who dared to believe were stoned and burnt at stake (Alma 14:7,8). Alma and Amulek were stripped naked, imprisoned, spit upon, beaten and starved (Alma 14:22). After 12 days of such treatment, the humiliation deepened as the chief judge and the lawyers appeared at the prison to smite them again and to mock them tempting them to deliver themselves. The scriptures record no murmuring  or any retaliation from either Alma or Amulek. Even when the power of God descended upon Alma, his words were directed to God asking for deliverance and not to his tormentors (Alma 4:26). There is only one way to account for such godly temperance. In all his doing, Alma didn't neglect 'becoming', for it is not about what we do but what we become while we do it. It was less important what Alma became but more important who he became. Alma the Younger, high priest, chief judge, military leader and prophet, became Alma the Submissive, Alma the Meek, Alma the Humble, Alma the Patient, Alma the Loving, Alma, the man with Christ's imagine in his countenance.