Although I read, thought, prayed, took notes, and studied on my talk whenever I could for two weeks, I never really "wrote" my talk. Here is the very unpolished draft. From the response I received, I can only say, I think the Lord helped it along A LOT when I gave it.
It may have also helped that I cried - an embarrassing amount. That started in the introduction! I introduced myself as the happily divorced mother of 8. So far, so good. But when I mentioned how proud I am of my children and how happy I am with my children's loving marriages, I started to lose it. Then at certain key moments in the talk, not necessarily easily spotted in black and white, I did not just tear up a little, I cried. Not pretty! In fact, I remember at some point lamenting that I am not even a pretty crier. For some reason, people love that stuff - if they believe it.
This is the talk, such as it is:
Alma 39 - Alma chastises his son, Coriaton
why is Alma unhappy with Coriaton?
2 For thou didst not give so much heed unto my words as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites. Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.
3 And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.
5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?
Corianton has committed some pretty serious sins, but here's the thing
Alma 39:7-9
7 And now, my son, I would to God that ye had not been guilty of so great a crime. I would not dwell upon your crimes, to harrow up your soul, if it were not for your good.
8 But behold, ye cannot hide your crimes from God; and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day.
9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things.
Alma says except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. The flip side of this is if you do repent you can inherit the kingdom of God. You may have committed serious sins, but if you repent, you can inherit the kingdom of God. There is hope for you.
Chapter 39 is Alma calling Corianton to repentance. The next 3 chapters are Alma answering some of Corianton's questions and concerns and finally calling him to the ministry - despite his great sin.
Alma 42: 29-31
29 And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance.
Don't worry and fret. Don't wring your hands and cry, "woe is me!" Repent.
30 O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility.
Realize that God is a god of justice and mercy. Humble yourself and repent.
31 And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God grant unto you even according to my words. Amen.
Having repented, go thy way and help others.
Alma 43:1 And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them.
Not some of the sons of Alma, or most of the sons of Alma, but the sons of Alma. It sounds to me that Corianton is back on track and a called servant of the Lord.
Remember, Corianton's father is that same Alma who, son of a prophet, used to go around with his buddies trying to destroy the church.
Mosiah 27:10 And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king—
Mosiah 28:4 And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.
Alma had a great conversion experience. Once he saw the light and repented, he went on to become a great prophet.
What I learn from Alma and Corianton is that the Lord will forgive us, if we repent, even if we have done very bad things.
President Uchtdorf in his talk "Point of Safe Return" which he gave a year ago in General Conference reminded us, "Christ came to save us. If we have taken a wrong course, the Atonement of Jesus Christ can give us the assurance that sin is not a point of no return. A safe return is possible if we will follow God's plan for our salvation."
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
There are very few things that the Lord will not forgive.
So we might think that if God will forgive very serious sins, he must be an OK, lenient kind of guy and we don't need to worry about the little things.
D&C 1: 31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
33 And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
We all need to repent. We all need to repent every day. According to the manual Gospel Principles:
The prophets have declared that "this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32). We should repent now, every day. When we get up in the morning, we should examine ourselves to see whether the Spirit of God is with us. At night before we go to sleep, we should review our acts and words of the day and ask the Lord to show us the things for which we need to repent. By repenting every day and having the Lord forgive our sins, we will experience the daily process of becoming perfect. As with Alma, our happiness and joy can be sweet and exquisite.
President Spencer W. Kimball stated: "Since all of us sin in greater or lesser degree, we are all in need of constant repentance, of continually raising our sights and our performance. One can hardly do the commandments of the Lord in a day, a week, a month or a year. This is an effort which must be extended through the remainder of one's years" (The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], p. 202).
Who needs to repent? Each of us. When do we need to repent? Today and every day. What happens when we repent? The Lord forgives us.
"The gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ provides us at all times and at all places with the blessings of repentance and forgiveness."
President Uchtdorf "Point of Safe Return"
why we don't repent-
- despair that we are hopeless
- thinking we are not so bad ( I can think both at the same time!)
- fear of the pain of repentance - Christ suffered horribly that we might not have to suffer as much. We will have to go through some pain and sorrow, but if we don't repent, we waste Christ's suffering and we have to go through it ourselves.
If I were the only one who needed it, Christ would have suffered for me.
"I Will Remember Your Sins No More"
President Boyd K. Packer:
The angels of the devil convince some that they are born to a life from which they cannot escape and are compelled to live in sin. The most wicked of lies is that they cannot change and repent and that they will not be forgiven. That cannot be true. They have forgotten the Atonement of Christ.
"For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him" (D&C 18:11).
Christ is the Creator, the Healer. What He made, He can fix. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of repentance and forgiveness (see 2 Ne. 1:13; 2 Ne. 9:45; Jacob 3:11; Alma 26:13–14; Moro. 7:17–19).
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C 18:10).
"The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless" (D&C 1:31–32), the Lord said, "he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more" (D&C 58:42).
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