‘Come, Follow Me’ for July 22-28: What have Church leaders said about Alma 32-35?

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Alma 32-35, which includes Alma’s comparison of “the word unto a seed” (Alma 32:28).

Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these chapters.

Alma 32

“We need the guidance of the Lord because at any particular time some are — and some are not — ready for the additional truths of the restored gospel. We should never set ourselves up as judges of who is ready and who is not. The Lord knows the hearts of all of His children, and if we pray for inspiration, He will help us find persons He knows to be ‘in a preparation to hear the word’ (Alma 32:6).”

— Then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2016 general conference, “Sharing the Restored Gospel”

“For those who are struggling with the high standard needed to qualify for the gift of the Spirit’s companionship, I offer this encouragement. You have had times when you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost. It may have happened for you today.

“You can treat those moments of inspiration like the seed of faith that Alma described (see Alma 32:28). Plant each one. You can do that by acting on the prompting you felt. The most valuable inspiration will be for you to know what God would have you do. If it is to pay tithing or to visit a grieving friend, you should do it. Whatever it is, do it. When you demonstrate your willingness to obey, the Spirit will send you more impressions of what God would have you do for Him.

“As you obey, the impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently, becoming closer and closer to constant companionship. Your power to choose the right will increase.”

— President Henry B. Eyring, then the first counselor in the First Presidency, October 2015 general conference, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion”

“We’ve come to earth to learn and gain experience we would not otherwise have. Our growth is unique to each of us individually and a vital component of Heavenly Father’s plan. Our physical and spiritual growth begins in stages and develops slowly as we gain experience sequentially.

“Alma gives a powerful sermon on faith — drawing on the analogy of a seed, which, if tended and nourished properly, sprouts from a small sapling into a full-grown, mature tree that produces delicious fruit (see Alma 32:28-43). The lesson is that your faith will increase as you give place for and nourish the seed — or the word of God — in your hearts. Your faith will increase as the word of God begins ‘to swell within your breasts’ (verse 28). That it ‘swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow’ (verse 30) is both visual and instructive. It is also sequential.

“The Lord teaches us individually according to our capacity to learn and how we learn. Our growth is dependent on our willingness, natural curiosity, level of faith and understanding.”

— Elder Vaiangina Sikahema, General Authority Seventy, October 2021 general conference, “A House of Sequential Order”

“Alma’s classic discussion on faith, as recorded in the 32nd chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon, is a series of choices to ensure the development and the preservation of our faith. Alma gave us a directive to choose. His were words of action initiated by choosing. He used the words ‘awake,’ ‘arouse,’ ‘experiment,’ ‘exercise,’ ‘desire,’ ‘work’ and ‘plant.’ Then Alma explained that if we make these choices and do not cast the seed out by unbelief, then ‘it will begin to swell within [our] breasts’ (Alma 32:28).

“Yes, faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith. We are also responsible for our lack of faith. The choice is yours.”

— Bishop Richard C. Edgley, then the first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, October 2010 general conference, “Faith — the Choice Is Yours”

“In the Young Women conference, emphasis was given to the words of Alma found in the 32nd chapter of the book of Alma. His teachings include these words: ‘Awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith’ (Alma 32:27).

“My beloved associates, far more of us need to awake and arouse our faculties to an awareness of the great everlasting truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past, and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities.

“We have work to do, you and I, so very much of it. Let us roll up our sleeves and get at it, with a new commitment, putting our trust in the Lord.”

— President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1995 general conference, “We Have a Work to Do”

“Alma also explained that one must start on the road to a testimony by having a desire, or as he stated, you must ‘awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith … even if ye can no more than desire to believe’ (Alma 32:27).

“Desire begets faith and testimony. Testimony isn’t achieved by logic and study. For example, we can list hundreds of evidences that the Book of Mormon and the New Testament are true, but the skeptic can probably match us point by point. …

“I don’t believe it was ever intended that the gospel be proven true by physical or documentary evidence acceptable to all. In this life, the believer must come to his witness by faith, not by logic and proof alone. And the starting point is to place the ingredient of desire in our soil.”

— Elder John K. Carmack, then of the Seventy, October 1988 general conference, “The Soil and Roots of Testimony”

Alma 33

“Numbers 21 isn’t the only scriptural account about Moses’ brass serpent saving the children of Israel. In the Book of Mormon, Alma spoke of this symbol as well:

“‘Behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.

“‘But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.

“‘O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?

“‘If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God’ (Alma 33:19-22).

“Consider the details Alma shared as he recounted this story. He focused his comments on the Savior and the healing power of His Atonement. He did not even mention the fiery serpents!

“What Alma chose to tell — and what he chose to leave out — teaches one key to overcoming pornography addiction (or any challenge we may have in this life): to ‘cast about [our] eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God’ (verse 22). ...

“When we spend so much time describing the attacking ‘serpent’ that we fail to see the source of healing, we’re not much different than the Israelites. The children of Israel did not have to focus on the serpents or the pain of their venomous bites or their fear of death in order to be healed. They simply had to look to the source of healing: their Savior, Jesus Christ.”

— Benjamin R. Erwin in the September 2012 Ensign article, “Overcoming Addiction Through the Atonement”

“The Lord is the ultimate caregiver. We must surrender ourselves to the Lord. In doing so, we give up whatever is causing our pain and turn everything over to Him. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee’ (Psalm 55:22). ‘And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son’ (Alma 33:23). Through faith and trust in the Lord and obedience to His counsel, we make ourselves eligible to be partakers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ so that one day we may return to live with Him.”

— Elder Robert D. Hales, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1998 general conference, “Healing Soul and Body”

Alma 34

“In this mortal life, we have no memory of what preceded our birth, and we now experience opposition. We grow and mature spiritually by choosing to obey God’s commandments in a succession of right choices. These include covenants and ordinances and repentance when our choices are wrong. In contrast, if we lack faith in God’s plan and are disobedient to or deliberately refrain from its required actions, we forgo that growth and maturity. The Book of Mormon teaches, ‘This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God’ (Alma 34:32).”

— Then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2017 general conference, “The Plan and the Proclamation”

“I recognize that, despite the overwhelming happiness embodied in God’s divine plan, sometimes it can feel far away and disconnected from our current circumstances. It may feel beyond our reach as struggling disciples. From our limited perspective, current temptations and distractions can seem attractive. The rewards for resisting those temptations, on the other hand, can feel distant and unattainable. But a true understanding of the Father’s plan reveals that the rewards of righteousness are available right now. Wickedness, such as immoral conduct, is never part of the answer….

“Our doctrine is clearly stated by Amulek in Alma 34:32: ‘Behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.’”

— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2015 general conference, “Shipshape and Bristol Fashion: Be Temple Worthy — in Good Times and Bad Times”

Alma 35

“Parents play an essential role in helping their children to understand the things pertaining to righteousness. In the Book of Mormon we find that Alma the Younger, being grieved because of the iniquity, the wars and the contentions that existed and distressed by the hardness of heart of his people, ‘caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge, separately, concerning the things pertaining unto righteousness’ (Alma 35:16).

“It is interesting to notice that he taught and gave his children their charge separately, adapting his instructions to each son, according to that sons’ needs. He bore testimony and taught them doctrine and principles, preparing them to preach those same principles to others. …

“Just as in the times of Alma, our leaders also watch over the members of the Church and nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness. Those things will help us to achieve an enduring conversion.”

— Elder Francisco J. Viñas, then of the Seventy, April 2010 general conference, “Things Pertaining to Righteousness”

“Alma, the son of Alma, ‘caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge’ (Alma 35:16). First he spoke to Helaman, then to Shiblon and finally to Corianton. He taught Helaman to ‘learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God’ and to ‘look to God and live … and declare the word’ (Alma 37:35, 47). Alma complimented Shiblon for his diligence and faithfulness and steadiness (see Alma 38:2-3). He concluded by counseling him to bridle his passions and to ‘go, my son, and teach the word unto this people’ (see Alma 38:12, 15). Goodly parents recognize differences in their children and teach them accordingly.”

— Elder Jay E. Jensen, then of the Seventy, in the November 1999 Liahona article, “Little Children and the Gospel”