Mosiah 23

 (Below is a list of questions and quotes that help me think about each verse as I read it. The numbers represent the verses in the chapter.)

The Lord will try your patience and faith to help you increase your trust in him. When the government has leaders who are elected by the people, the people share the responsibility for the good and bad in that society. Once the Lord has delivered you from sin and you experience the freedom of forgiveness, you must make righteous choices to maintain that liberty. When you repent and choose to live righteously, the Lord will bless you and free you from the bonds of iniquity.

1-5, 19. How did the Lord bless Alma and his people as they repented and chose to live righteously?

1. What warnings have your received from the Lord? By what means do you receive these warnings? How important is it to listen to the prophet and heed his counsel?

2. How does the Lord help you when you listen to His servants?

6. What influence does a king have over his people?

7-14. What qualities do you think are important for leaders to have? What responsibilities do people have when selecting a leader?  Identify the pro's and con's of having a king. According to Alma, what kind of men make good kings? Who should be trusted to be a teacher or minister?

8. How does this verse apply to Jesus Christ being our King? When Jesus Christ reigns personally on the earth during the Millennium, how do you imagine life will be different? 

“Jesus Christ [is] the Son of God, who by His matchless and eternal power overcame death. He is the Redeemer of the world. He gave His life for each of us. He took it up again and became the firstfruits of them that slept. He, as King of Kings, stands triumphant above all other kings. He, as the Omnipotent One, stands above all rulers. He is our comfort, our only true comfort, when the dark shroud of earthly night closes about us as the spirit departs the human form. … He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God” - Gordon B Hinckley, GC April 1996

9, 12. What do the phrases “caught in a snare” and “bound with the bands of iniquity” teach about the effects of sin? Why is it helpful for you to recognize the influences that have led you to sin in the past? After you repent, why might it be important to remember how “sore” repentance can be?

13. How does Alma’s counsel to “stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free” apply to the process of repentance?

14-18. What is a chain of authority? Why is it important for the chain of authority to extend from Jesus Christ to the prophet? What would happen if this chain of authority were broken? Why is it essential for all priesthood holders to be called by proper authority? 

"Priesthood is a part of God’s own power that he bestows upon his chosen servants, that they may act in his name in proclaiming the gospel and officiating in all the ordinances thereof. … Man cannot act legally in the name of the Lord unless he is vested with the priesthood, which is divine authority. No man has the power or the right to take this honor to himself. … Should he do so, his act is not valid or recognized in the heavens.  The question of priesthood, or divine authority, is a vital one, since it concerns the salvation of each of us. It is impossible for a man to enter the kingdom of God without complying with the laws of that kingdom. Only authorized officers may properly officiate in rites and ceremonies of his kingdom. No man has the right to assume the authority and officiate without being ordained to the ministry. To do so is an unauthorized and illegal act.” - Joseph Fielding Smith, GC Oct. 1966

15-29. What kind of people were Alma's followers? What reasons are given in verses 21-24 as to why the Lord let Alma's righteous people be put in bondage? Read Mosiah 11:23. Did Alma's people repent when Abinadi first warned them to? Read Mosiah 12:1-2. What other reason did the Lord have for allowing Alma's people to be put in bondage. What does this teach you about the Lord's warnings and promises? What are some of the causes or reasons that you experience suffering in your life? Which of these reasons helps explain why Alma's people were placed in bondage? 

"[1] Some things happen to us because of our own mistakes and our own sins... [2] Still other trials and tribulations come to us merely as a part of living ... We are not immunized against all inconvenience and difficulties nor against aging ...[3] There is another dimension of suffering, and other challenges that come to us even though we seem to be innocent. These come to us because an omniscient Lord deliberately chooses to school us: 'Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea he trieth their patience and their faith.' (Mosiah 23:21)" - Neal A Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, p 29-30

"Testing … is needed even when you are living a worthy, righteous life and are obedient to [God’s] commandments. Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously” - Richard G Scott, Trust in the Lord, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 16

21-22. Why does the Lord allow those who are choosing to live righteously to experience trials and adversity? What are some of the trials and afflictions you have had or are having in your life now? How can you exercise faith and trust in God during your times of trial? Which of Elder Maxwell's reasons is the cause of these afflictions? How can praying and following the counsel of a prophet help us during a trial? What promise has the Lord made to those who put their trust and faith in Him when faced with trials and challenges? (See verse 22)

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.” - Orson F Whitney, in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 98

“When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11–12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain.” -Richard G Scott, “Trust in the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 16–17