#98: The REAL Reason for Alma's Testimony.

As I have mentioned once before, I love the story of Alma the Younger. In a nutshell, when Alma was a teenager in ancient America, he went about trying to destroy the Church, much to the chagrin of his father, Alma the Senior. Anyway, on one of Alma Jr.'s escapades, he and his friends were suddenly visited by an angel of the Lord who basically told them to knock it off or be damned (read the Book of Mormon for the full story--you'll totally dig it!). After the visit from the angel, Alma's life took a 180 degree turn as he went from "zero to hero, just like that!" (thanks to Disney's "Hercules" for the catch phrase).

Now available on VHS!

One interesting thing about Alma's story is that many years later while teaching the people about the reason why he has a testimony of Jesus Christ, he actually DOESN'T mention seeing the angel at all! Instead, he says this:

Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me (Alma 5:45-46).

To me, this is very interesting. Alma could have chosen to say, "Hey folks, I gained a testimony that Christianity is true because I saw one of the Lord's angels. I experienced an awesome miracle that changed my life. If you want a testimony, this is the way to get it." But that is not what he says! Instead, he says that he REALLY gained his testimony by praying and fasting for many days. Did he see an angel? Indeed. But does that mean he was fully converted at that time? It does not. Alma knew that a true testimony is nurtured over a lifetime of daily obedience and faith in God.

For me this is a good reminder that we can ALL gain (and maintain) a testimony by doing the little things that invite the companionship of the Holy Ghost into our lives--praying, fasting, studying the scriptures, and serving others. As cool as it would be to have a miraculous visit from an angel, it is not something that we need to experience in order to live a righteous life and have a sure testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. If you don't believe me, just look at Laman and Lemuel, two other men in the Book of Mormon. Laman and Lemuel had many miraculous experiences (seeing an angel, hearing the voice of the Lord, being physically shocked by the power of God, etc.), but ultimately they both rejected the truth and tried to kill their righteous younger brother Nephi because of his unwavering faith in God. This gives me hope that even if we never see an angel or hear the voice of the Lord during our mortal lives, as we commit to doing the little things, we will  be able to gain an undeniable testimony through the power of the Holy Ghost--just like Alma the Younger.

#97: The Mona Leia.

We went to Disneyland this week (I know, I know, it's only been seven months). Man, I love that place! Besides all of the great memories, I also brought home one other souvenir: please allow me to introduce you to "The Mona Leia".

The rest of my T-shirt collection now pales in comparison.
It is TRULY a work of art.

#96: "The Staying Power of Star Wars".

A couple of years ago, I started Mormon Wookiee because I enjoyed the way that Star Wars and the gospel had certain parallels to one another (the battle between light and dark, the force in comparison to the Priesthood, the fact that both Obi-Wan and Brigham Young have sweet beards, etc.).

Beards: They grow on you.

Anyway, last week I read a great article in the Deseret News about Star Wars and the gospel that totally made me my day (and made me excited to have kids). Here are some highlights from "In the Whirled: The Staying Power of Star Wars" by Tiffany Lewis.

"We did something this year that has tilted the Lewis world on its axis. We introduced our children to Star Wars. Life will never be the same again.

"We used to have regular conversations at the dinner table. Now they all involve distant galaxies, strange ships and names that involve a lot of Fett and Sith and Darth. We used to come home from the library with heaps of classics. Now it’s all 'Clone Wars' and 'Anakin Rises Again.'

"What astonishes me most is the urgency of this story, the need for them to connect it all in their heads. My 9-year-old calls to me after I’ve put him to bed. 'Mom, Mom!' He is frantic. I run in and kneel by his bed. 'What is it?' 'Would you rather live on Cloud City or Alderaan?' he asks. I slow my breathing. 'Go to bed,' I tell him.

"I sat my kids down to dinner the other night, intent on having a real conversation, the kind that happened B.S.W. — Before Star Wars. 'We’re studying the prophet Lorenzo Snow in Relief Society,' I tell them. 'He lived on a farm, and because his dad was gone so often, he had to do all the work. Can you imagine?' Their interest is piqued. 'He lived during the time of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young,' I continue. They are listening. This is going to be a great discussion. We’re going to talk about hard work and conversion and the powerful choices you can make at a young age. There is a pause. My 7-year-old pipes up: 'So if Lorenzo Snow lived that long ago, I guess he wouldn’t have known George Lucas?' You see what I’m up against here."

I love it! I think I would have followed up with, "No, but as a farmer, he definitely would have known Luke Skywalker." Thanks for the great article, Tiffany!

#95: Six hours of genealogy today...

...made me feel as tired as this little guy.

#93: Missionary Portrait.

I had some fun with a free drawing app called DrawCast tonight.

Elder Chewbacca, you are hereby called to serve in the Tatooine Mos Eisley Mission. Your companion will be a spice smuggler. May the force be with you.