The Sublime Roundabout

All sins will be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost. It is not our place to judge. Perhaps we would say that someone has brought upon themselves their misery and heartache - that their punishment is just based on past transgression. But we cannot see into their hearts. As the hymn says - in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see. Repentance is a difficult process. It is fraught with hardships and setbacks, heartache and remorse. Yet those who will see this road through to the end find themselves richly rewarded and strengthened by the experience, having been through the refiner's fire. They are more humble, more submissive, and closer to the Lord. They have been the one lost sheep that the Savior leaves the 99 for and have been carried back to the fold on His shoulders. Life is good. There are miracles that happen daily. The greatest of these miracles is that of the penitent soul reaching out to God and changing his own life to that which God would...

People seem to put a lot of stock in the last things people say... As in "With his dying breath, he uttered the name of his true love..." Or something like that. I think there's some truth to that. I think that perhaps people who know they are about to depart say important things in an effort to influence the world one last time. Alma, knowing that this would be the last time he spoke to his sons, had them come in for some final counsel and direction. Helaman gets charge of the plates, the Liahona, the 24 plates found by Limhi's people, and the interpreters. The possession and use of the interpreters makes one a seer, so the leadership of the church at that time also passed to Helaman. His counsel is much of what you would expect one leader to give to his successor. Mainly, it amounts to - stay close to the Lord and He will direct you. His son Shiblon gets a few verses also, mainly in the form of commendation. He was a good son who had brought much honor to his father...

An aside: The name of this blog used to be "Bill's Random Blog" but that has changed. Now it is called "Wandering with Purpose". It will still be fairly random, but I have found that there is a common thread in most of my posts, so I wanted to acknowledge that. Also, for those who have become concerned (as have I) that my ramblings are becoming a little to "preachy" please know that it will not stay that way for long. Our Stake President has given our Stake a challenge to read the Book of Mormon by March 21 when our next Stake Conference will be and to write down our thoughts about things we have read. I have tried to be obedient to that counsel and have found a great outpouring of the Spirit in my own life. I may not finish in time - I'm trying my best but I'm still only in mid-Alma - but I don't know if that's really the point. Either way, as I complete the Book of Mormon this exercise will be over and it'll be back to the usual ...

When I was younger, I would often become frustrated listening to firesides, sacrament meeting talks, and even General Conference. There was nothing new! Everything was about repentance, reading the Book of Mormon, being good to your family, etc. It seemed that was all they could talk about! I wanted something more, something dramatic. I’m not sure, looking back, exactly WHAT I wanted – just something other than what I was getting. I am pretty sure that many of you have felt that way from time to time. In my last ward was a good sister named Victoria Stovall. She was in her 90s and was still very young at heart. She was a life-long member of the Church and had lived to see some very dramatic things happen to her and the Church. She had lived through two world wars and numerous other global and political upheavals. She had seen the Church membership grow dramatically – even exponentially. She had seen temples begin to dot the land in fulfillment of prophecy. Church welfare became a reali...

My mission president taught us that you can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the apples in a seed. Alma's glorious prayer of faith led him and his companions to great success among those in the land of Zoram. The contrast between the two prayers in chapter 31 are stark - the arrogance of the Zoramite prayer in comparison with Alma's humble entreaty. It speaks to the relationship the each had with the Almighty. The Zoramites thanked God that they were chosen, better than their brethren. Alma prayed that their brethren might be restored to the true knowledge, that their souls were precious, and that he knew that the Lord could help him. And help He did. Chapter 32 is probably the best discussion on faith as it applies to each of our lives found anywhere. The only place I can think of where faith is more excellently discussed and analyzed is Lectures on Faith by the Prophet Joseph Smith. While these two discussions are complimentary, I would not recommend that boo...

There he stands At the crossroads I watch him as he peers down each road He knows where he's been He knows where he wants to go But there is no way of knowing which road to take The paths are different One leads down One leads up One is well-traveled One is less One looks easy The other looks hard The destinations look different But there are twists and turns in the road So how can one say where they may lead? Does taking one road mean the other cannot be traveled? What of the unforeseen hardships attendant with any road? How can he know? I know. I can help. I have traveled enough of the road to know. I walk up to the youth I take him by the hand I lead him on the path That brings joy Peace Love Success The things we really want.

Alma talks about the song of redeeming love. Ammon glories in His God and His mercy, love, and mighty power. These few chapters in Alma (chapters 24-26) express what every missionary who has ever righteously served has felt - that the Lord is truly great. There is a miraculous change that takes place in people - beginning with ourselves and extending to fill the immensity of space - that alters us, refines us, makes us clean and pure. Jeremiah said it was like fire in his bones. This is as accurate a statement as exists on the subject. There are many manifestations, and each one is personal to the individual receiving it, because each person is different and the way the Spirit interacts with ours is different. Yet it is indelible, unforgettable, and undeniable. As a missionary, we have the opportunity to see that change come to people's lives. There are many different kinds of miracles - mountains moving, seas dried up, great signs and wonders in the heavens... But the greatest and...

King Laman, the father of Lamoni, encountered Ammon on the road to Middoni. After a brief altercation, Ammon only desired that King Laman would release his brethren from prison and grant Lamoni that he could be a free king over his own land, even though King Laman had offered Ammon 1/2 of his kingdom in an attempt to save his own life. This demonstrates the love of Ammon for his brethren and Lamoni, as well as his faithfulness and selflessness. King Laman, however, desired to know more about the things Ammon spoke about. Aaron went and taught the King about the plan of salvation (or plan of redemption) and how it brought such incredible joy to people. King Laman said he would give up everything he had for the Lord - even his entire kingdom - if he could come to know of the attendant peace and joy that the plan promised to bring. Aaron taught him that ultimately four things are required - humility, desire, faith, and repentance - to bring him this peace and joy. So in one of the most mi...

In all of the scriptures, there has probably never been a more successful missionary than Ammon. The reasons why he was so successful are formulaic and can be followed by anyone wishing to engage in missionary work. I would invite any considering a mission to seriously study and ponder the chapters written about Ammon and his brethren and identify the things they did to enhance their spirituality and closeness to the Lord, which gave them access to the blessings and power they needed in their work. They are the same things you will need in your work, also. In a larger sense, they are the same things we all need in our lives. We are engaged in a great latter-day work, sharing the gospel, redeeming the dead, and perfecting ourselves as saints. We find ourselves most truly and absolutely as we refine our lives and bring them in line with what our Heavenly Father wants of us. Thus, in losing our lives in His service, we find our lives all over again. It is in the abandonment of our own sel...

Helaman, the father of Nephi and Lehi, recounts in chapter 5 of the Book of Helaman the reasons why he named them this way... "...this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them." Ammon is my son. He has a great name to live up to. My name is Fredrick William Cobabe, III. I also have a great name to live up to. I hope I am worthy to bear the name that has become associated with so much goodness. Incidentally, it is common for people in Mexico or of other Mexican heritage to name their sons after great people. That's why Jesus is a common name in Mexico: there's truly no one greater than the Savior. As nearly as I can determine they d...

There is a desire on the part of many to understand the deeper mysteries. They spend their time reviewing obscure references, scouring ancient texts in an effort to learn more about the great mysteries that surround us. Who is God? What is man's relationship with Him? What is the condition of our existence after we die? Did our souls exist before we appeared here on this sphere, or did we live before we came here? Why is life so fraught with dangers, both physical and spiritual? Can we even know the answers to these questions? Is there a source of truth that we may look to? How can we know the validity of any of these things - not being deceived by those who would do so? In reality, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple: because of the fall of man, physical and spiritual death entered the world. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be made free of those effects if we exercise faith, repent, partake of the essential ordinance of baptism, and receive the Holy Ghost. Those who...

Alma and Amulek have the unenviable obligation to preach repentance to the hardened and unresponsive people in Ammonihah. Amulek states that it is the prayers of the righteous that is the only thing that stands between them and destruction. He notes that they will soon kick those people out, and when they do they'll be ready for destruction. That destruction, as we know, came swiftly and decisively - the entire city was destroyed in one day. So what do effect do your prayers have? What effect do your cries in the wee hours of the morning have on wayward children? What effect does the spiritual effort and wrestling with God and one's conscience have on the world at large? What difference does it make that you or I pray for each other? Much. God, in the beginning, gave us each our agency and commanded us that we must repent and choose Him. By so doing, He has promised us peace and prosperity in this life and eternal life in the next. Sounds like a win-win to me... By kneeling to ...

I've been there. I stood in darkness. Alone. Cold. All of those "friends" I had who had helped me get to this point were gone. I could not see anything. All was darkness and shifting figures. I screamed for my friends to come back, but all I heard was laughter. The last thing I had seen was the backs of those people I had trusted as they walked away into their own darkness. They were so persuasive. Their words like honeyed sweetness, their promises like golden bells in my ears Tinkling. I followed them. At first it all seemed fun and exciting, travelling in forbidden paths. But then I was left, empty and cold and so very, very, alone. My soul hungered, my mind darkened, and my screams and shouts were unheeded. But then I remembered There is a Light - a great and powerful Light My father had told me of this Light. He told me that if I was ever in darkness I could look to this Light for guidance. So I prayed to the Light: Please save me! And He reached out His hand to mine ...