Alma 21

(April 2, 2013)
Scriptures like this one often make me believe that I am in the wrong profession.  The arguments that the Order of Nehor engage in are the very types of arguments that I make my living from.  Being a lawyer may prepare me to argue on behalf of God (in, say, Sunday School), but unfortunately He is often not my client.  Instead, I am placed in an environment of near constant contention.  When I return home from this environment, seeking peace at home, I at times find more contention and more conflict.

I would love for all of this contention and conflict to simply go away.  But I suppose that it never will.  And, after all, I know I am in the right profession (thank you, Patriarchal Blessing) and I know that I married the right girl (thank you, experiences in the temple while still single).  So if I am to be in this position, I suppose I need to find a way to make the best of things.

The other thought I had was about Aaron opening up the scriptures.  After all, most of the people he was preaching to had long since lost their access to the scriptures (the Plates of Brass were taken from the Lamanites, after all) and those who had the scriptures were apostates.  Aaron’s appeal to the scriptures seems as though it would have limited prospects for success.  It also seems to parallel some modern religions, where people don’t often read from the scriptures, and their only exposure is to have the scriptures read to them by those who have their own agendas.

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As I wrote this entry, however, I had another epiphany.  I think there is something to be learned by the differing approaches of Ammon and Aaron.  Ammon went and served the people, and as a result was ultimately the motivation behind a large number of people converting to the Gospel.  Aaron went to preach the Gospel, and few if anyone accepted it.  I don’t think that is a coincidence.