Alma

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Alma

• www.kevinhinckley.com

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Moms

• After putting her children to bed, a mother
  changed into old slacks and a worn out blouse and
  proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the
  children getting more and more rambunctious, her
  tolerance grew thin.
• At last she put a towel around her head and
  stormed into their room, putting them back to bed
  with severe warnings.
• While leaving the room, she overheard her
  three-year-old say with a shaky voice, "Who was
  'that'?"

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Holocaust Survivor

• If there is one word that describes all the woes
  and threats that exits today, its indifference.
  You see tragedy on television for three minutes
  and then comes something else and something else.
  
• Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil. The
  opposite of love is not hate, its indifference.
  The opposite of art if not ugliness, its
  indifference.
• The opposite of faith is not heresy, its
  indifference. And the opposite of life is not
  death, its indifference.
• Elie Weisal, BYU Commencement, Aug. 89

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Three Grand Keys?
Key 1 There will be burdens- despite our
worthiness!
Key 2 The Lord will make them light (lighter)

• as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God,
  and to be called his people, and are willing to
  bear one another's burdens, that they may be
  light
• Mosiah 18

• And now it came to pass that the burdens which
  were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made
  light yea, the Lord did strengthen them that
  they could bear up their burdens with ease,
• Mosiah 24

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. for I am meek
and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light. Matt 11
Key 3 Often through the willingness of others
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Elder Sterling Sill

• I was recently discussing some religious
  opportunities with a friend of mine. He shrugged
  his shoulders and said, "But I am just not
  religious"the shrug meaning, "There's nothing
  that I can do about it." I said, "Bill, I am sure
  that what you say is true, that you are not
  religious. But have you ever thought about the
  circumstances that brought this situation about?
• How could you ever expect to be religious? You
  don't go to church, you don't read the
  scriptures, you don't pray to God. Actually, what
  right do you have to be religious?"
• I told him about the man who once said to a
  little boy, "Who gave you that black eye?" The
  little boy replied, "No one gave me that black
  eye, I had to fight for it." That Ye Might Have
  Life, 111-116.

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What Alma taught

• And now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled
  from the servants of king Noah, repented of his
  sins and iniquities, and went about privately
  among the people, and began to teach the words of
  Abinadi
• And as many as would hear his word he did teach
• And it came to pass after many days there were a
  goodly number gathered together at the place of
  Mormon, to hear the words of Alma
• And it came to pass that he said unto them and
  now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of
  God, and to be called his people, and
• (WE Promise)
• are willing to bear one another's burdens, that
  they may be light
• Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that
  mourn yea,
• and comfort those that stand in need of
  comfort,
• and to stand as witnesses of God at all times
  and in all things
• Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your
  hearts, what have you against being baptized in
  the name of the Lord, as a witness before him
  that ye have entered into a covenant with him,
  that ye will serve him and keep his commandments,
  that
• (HE Promises)
• he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon
  you?
• And now when the people had heard these words,
  they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed
  This is the desire of our hearts.

We receive his spirit more abundantly- to do what?
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Ancient Roman to his friend

• This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I
  view it from this fair garden under the shadow of
  these vines. But if I climbed some great mountain
  and looked over the wide lands, you know very
  well what I would seebrigands on the high road,
  pirates on the seas, in the amphitheaters men
  murdered to please applauding crowds under all
  roofs misery and selfishness.
• It is really a bad world, yet in the midst of it
  I have found a quiet and holy people. They have
  discovered a joy which is a thousand times better
  than any pleasure of this sinful life. They are
  despised and persecuted, but they care not. They
  have overcome the world. These people, Donatus,
  are the Christians and I am one of them.
• Quoted by Marion D. Hanks in Freedom and
  Responsibility, p. 11.

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Elder Holland

• It is an immensely satisfying thing to be needed
  in the body of Christ. Whether I function as an
  eye or arm is irrelevant the fact is I am needed
  in this most majestic organism, and the body is
  imperfect without me.
• A popular singer made a small fortune reminding
  us that people who need people are the luckiest
  people in the world. In The Church of Jesus
  Christ of Latter-day Saintsthe restored
  ecclesiastical body of Christpeople do need
  people and everyone is welcomed.
• This includes (in Pauls assertion) not only the
  attractive, talented, comely members, but those
  of us who seem to have fewer gifts and face
  greater challenges, those who receive less honor
  and attention. In the Church of Jesus Christ
  more abundant honor is given to these. Every
  member matters, and the less favored member most
  of all.

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LDS Writer

• Being a go-to-church Mormonmeans living so
  close to fellow ward members that not much
  happens that the entire congregation doesnt know
  about in five minutes tops.
• This kind of cheek-to-jowl living can be
  intrusive. It also happens to be one of our
  greatest strengths.
• At work on Tuesday, I caught the noon news
  broadcast on television. A van had been
  obliterated in a traffic crash. A young mother
  and two small children were being rushed to
  emergency rooms by helicopter and ambulance.
  Hours later I learned that the van belonged to
  the young couple living across the street from
  meEric and Jeana Quigley.
• Heres where all that nosiness pays off.
  Although the accident occurred several miles from
  home, the dust literally had not settled before
  someone from the ward stopped and was pulling
  through the wreckage. The rest of the ward knew
  about it before the cops and paramedics showed
  up.
• Ward members went to all three hospitals,
  contacted Eric at work, and organized into labor
  squads. People who didnt get in on the
  immediate-need level were frantic for some way to
  help.
• In 48 hours, the Quigley yard was mowed, home
  cleaned, laundry done, refrigerator stocked,
  relatives fed and a trust fund set up at a local
  bank. We would have given their dog a bath if
  they had one.
• There is a positive side to the congregational
  microscope my ward lives under. What happens to
  a few happens to all
• (Robert Kirby, Well-Being of Others
  Is Our Business, Salt Lake Tribune, July 30,
  2005, p. C1).