If I could ask them one question . . . Come Follow Me, Lesson 32

[annotatedbom]

For Come Follow Me, Lesson 32, Aug 10-16, 2020, Alma 53-63

If I wanted to encourage thought and try to understand devout believers better, I might ask:
“Does He protect the righteous or not? Which way is it?”

See the Things to consider for this lesson.


And, here’s a list of some other observations about this lesson’s reading.

Enjoy!
A-Bom

[Corsair]

I wanted to acknowledge how much I appreciate the work that annotatedbom puts into these presentations each week. My family is doing home church and I try to use each Come Follow Me commentary to move the direction a bit away from the Orthodox LDS view. The CFM lesson manual is really simplistic and has virtually nothing beyond what might be taught in the 12 year old Sunday School class.

[annotatedbom]

I wanted to acknowledge how much I appreciate the work that annotatedbom puts into these presentations each week. My family is doing home church and I try to use each Come Follow Me commentary to move the direction a bit away from the Orthodox LDS view. The CFM lesson manual is really simplistic and has virtually nothing beyond what might be taught in the 12 year old Sunday School class.

Thanks Corsair!

But now you've piqued my curiosity. If this is too personal, I totally get you not wanting to share more. If it's not, how on earth do you make it work to use any of my commentary in your fam? Are they already questioning? Are you all out emotionally/spiritually and this helps validate? Are you just that talented in presenting it to believers that they don't feel threatened?

My wife is the only one in my family who still believes. The kids are all out. I didn't really express anything about my views of the Church's problems to my kids. I tried to love them, set a good example, and teach them critical thinking. For some, I know the critical thinking wasn't a factor. They left because of social issues. And, my example is only so good, but they managed to work their way out anyway.

But, for my wife, I've been a raging idiot in the few times I have brought up Church problems. If you're using any of this with believers, hats off to you amigo!

A-BoM

[Hagoth]

I wanted to acknowledge how much I appreciate the work that annotatedbom puts into these presentations each week.

I'll second that!

[Corsair]

But now you've piqued my curiosity. If this is too personal, I totally get you not wanting to share more. If it's not, how on earth do you make it work to use any of my commentary in your fam? Are they already questioning? Are you all out emotionally/spiritually and this helps validate? Are you just that talented in presenting it to believers that they don't feel threatened?

My wife is the only one in my family who still believes. The kids are all out. I didn't really express anything about my views of the Church's problems to my kids. I tried to love them, set a good example, and teach them critical thinking. For some, I know the critical thinking wasn't a factor. They left because of social issues. And, my example is only so good, but they managed to work their way out anyway.

But, for my wife, I've been a raging idiot in the few times I have brought up Church problems. If you're using any of this with believers, hats off to you amigo!

A-BoM

The correlated material in "Come Follow Me" is really thin. The LDS church tries to pull out principles that show the LDS church to be true and relevant. But the church will be winning no awards for theological depth. There is virtually none. Your commentary provides some depth that is a breath of fresh air even if it does not support the original thesis and desire of the authors. "If I Could Ask Them One Question" helps me to know what material to avoid and come up with a presentation that fits mildly with the topic and scriptural material, but still fits a generic, ethical, Christian worldview.

I check your commentary to get the perspective on what actually makes no sense whatsoever. I'm the heretic with a believing spouse and children at various levels of belief. I don't want to tick off the believer, but I don't want to bore or annoy the less believing people. I have quoted Aquinas and Kierkegaard in my lessons. I do not want to give up control of that part of the Sabbath because it would then fall to my wife who would be much dismayed by the reactions of her children who have never found the Book of Mormon to be particularly relevant in their lives. If I don't prepare the lesson then I might end up as a passive observer of what a believer thinks should be presented. I'm happy to retain weekly control for the sake of giving ethical guidance to my family where they probably would resent the correlated message.

I'm walking a tightrope and it's a delicious challenge. Your material helps give me ideas of what to actually present. Thank you for the time you spent preparing it.

[annotatedbom]

The correlated material in "Come Follow Me" is really thin. The LDS church tries to pull out principles that show the LDS church to be true and relevant. But the church will be winning no awards for theological depth. There is virtually none. Your commentary provides some depth that is a breath of fresh air even if it does not support the original thesis and desire of the authors. "If I Could Ask Them One Question" helps me to know what material to avoid and come up with a presentation that fits mildly with the topic and scriptural material, but still fits a generic, ethical, Christian worldview.

I check your commentary to get the perspective on what actually makes no sense whatsoever. I'm the heretic with a believing spouse and children at various levels of belief. I don't want to tick off the believer, but I don't want to bore or annoy the less believing people. I have quoted Aquinas and Kierkegaard in my lessons. I do not want to give up control of that part of the Sabbath because it would then fall to my wife who would be much dismayed by the reactions of her children who have never found the Book of Mormon to be particularly relevant in their lives. If I don't prepare the lesson then I might end up as a passive observer of what a believer thinks should be presented. I'm happy to retain weekly control for the sake of giving ethical guidance to my family where they probably would resent the correlated message.

I'm walking a tightrope and it's a delicious challenge. Your material helps give me ideas of what to actually present. Thank you for the time you spent preparing it.

You certainly are walking a tightrope. It sounds like you don't use my material directly in your presentations, but I think that probably is the best approach. You might say you're using my posts as a catalyst for your inspiration.

I admire you for your effort and concern for your fam. Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Corsair, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. Or, at least the world would be a much better place.

Thanks for sharing amigo!
A-BoM

[wtfluff]

Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Corsair, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. Or, at least the world would be a much better place.

I'm printing this out and posting it up all over my house: Mirrors, refrigerator, computer monitors, etc. You know, like I would have done back in the day as a believing COJCOLdS MORmON.

Which chapter/verse of the ABOM should I quote as reference? Corsair 48:17?

[Hagoth]

Take the story of Alma and Amulek in the merry, merry land of Ammoniha. The women and children who believed the missionaries' teachings were burned alive while Alma and Amulet looked on. Sure, they could have stopped it with their mighty priesthood powers, but Alma realized that it would be better for them to suffer just so God could really have a good reason to send their persecutors to the Telestial Kingdom (which is still waaaay better than their current life, but with fewer genitals):

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

And why did this horrible thing happen in the first place?

14 ...the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?

Because Alma and Amulek were preaching false doctrine! Maybe if they had been accurately teaching the Mormon Plan of Happiness, as attested by Modern Prophets™ all of those innocent people wouldn't have suffered so horribly and needlessly.

[alas]

Take the story of Alma and Amulek in the merry, merry land of Ammoniha. The women and children who believed the missionaries' teachings were burned alive while Alma and Amulet looked on. Sure, they could have stopped it with their mighty priesthood powers, but Alma realized that it would be better for them to suffer just so God could really have a good reason to send their persecutors to the Telestial Kingdom (which is still waaaay better than their current life, but with fewer genitals):

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

And why did this horrible thing happen in the first place?

14 ...the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?

Because Alma and Amulek were preaching false doctrine! Maybe if they had been accurately teaching the Mormon Plan of Happiness, as attested by Modern Prophets™ all of those innocent people wouldn't have suffered so horribly and needlessly.

According to the theory of Bednar, they had enough faith not to be saved.