Come, Follow Me June 17-23: Alma 8-12
In 2024, the Maxwell Institute will offer a weekly series of short essays on the Book of Mormon, in support of the Church-wide Come, Follow Me study curriculum. Each week, the Maxwell Institute blog will feature a post by a member of the Institute faculty exploring an aspect of the week’s reading block. We hope these explorations will enrich your study and teaching of the Book of Mormon throughout the coming year.
Cultivating a Soft Heart
By Steven L. Peck
Let's think about hearts. At the close of Alma chapter 11, Amulek has just confounded Zeezrom, not by defeating him in a contest of logic nor by the force of his superior skills in the art of debate and persuasion. Instead, he has looked into this man's heart and has begun to help him recover a deeper and truer self. Zeezrom has just tried to tempt Amulek into recanting his beliefs about the gospel for a substantial amount of money. Not much of a temptation for those whose hearts are set upon higher things, but Zeezrom's heart is focused on material things and assumes others are also so inclined. His heart is set on a model in which money is his aim—his ultimate concern. He is convinced that Amulek is a kindred spirit, and once he is offered a sufficient sum of money, he can count on the missionary to recant his beliefs. He thinks Amulek's heart is like his own—a small and narrow thing focused on the power that a few senine of gold will convey, or how, he thinks, a certain number of senums of silver will also bring Amulek around to his way of seeing things. Of course, Zeezrom’s heart, being what it is, has no intention of giving him the heap of gold promised. However, Amulek, seeing into that very twisted heart, calls him out on it. Zeezrom doesn't expect this. He is used to manipulating people through his wealth, power, position, and training. He is not used to people seeing into the stratagems that infect his heart like a disease. When his interlocutor does not give in to his temptation for money, he is confused and discomfited. His anxiety becomes apparent in his trembling hands and a loosing of his intransigent lawyerlike previous interrogation of Amulek. In chapter 12, Alma takes over from Amulek, and unsurprisingly, the prophet, in the presence of two such different manifestations of hearts, focuses on that spiritual organ to ground his discourse.
Alma begins talking about the adversary’s chains and points out various dooms that await Zeezrom should he not repent. Suddenly, Zeezrom becomes afraid. Something is working on his heart. He suddenly switches from asking loaded questions, largely from a place where he can use them as tools to win arguments, to real questions. Questions that lead to change. Questions about principles he genuinely doesn't know the answers to. Alma wants to teach him, and he lays down some advice on how to do this.
It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless, they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. (Alma 12:9)
Then he tells the man leaning toward some significant changes,
And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now, this is what is meant by the chains of Hell. (Alma 12:10-11)
First, he must not harden his heart. What is a hard heart? I’ve been thinking about the deep divisions we are facing today. Hard hearts abound. At least, it seems so in so much media interaction and even in our daily walk as we hold those we meet in deep suspicion, both our fellow saints and strangers.
So, I want to pivot here and think about my own heart for a minute. I’m struck by the scene in Matthew 26:21-22 when, at the Last Supper, Jesus reveals to his disciples that one of them will betray him. They do not respond with, "I would never do that." Or cast their narrowing eyes at the others and wonder if it is that guy across the table, trying to unearth the culprit. No, they ask, "Lord, is it I?" A humble question that does not look outward. It looks closely at the only heart we can actually change—our own.
A soft heart, as I read this discourse in Alma, is one in which one interrogates their own place in the cosmos. It becomes concerned not with others' sins and perceived unrighteousness but with its own lack and failings. Not only that. It looks outward, not in judgment, but in kindness and gratitude. It asks, "Lord, is it I?" but also becomes concerned with others. We see this in how Alma’s teachings begin to reach Zeezrom in a way that moves him. Helps him look at this life and gestures to where his heart could use some work. And Zeezrom begins to see the way he has used disingenuous methods to accomplish his machinations. His heart begins to soften. And as it does so, he becomes curious about the gospel.
On the other hand, a hard heart becomes brittle in its engagement with others. Love flees. Change becomes impossible. Blame and suspicion reign instead of reflection and acceptance. Questions are not used to explore the mysteries of heaven but as a stumping block to convince others that I'm right and they are wrong. The world becomes less nuanced. Alma's description of a hard heart as the chains of hell seems apt.
As I read the scriptures, I see more and more that love in all its forms is the primary aim for this earth and its beautiful creations. Even so, I see so much trouble and confusion. So much fuss and bother. And even so much genuine tribalism and wicked hate. And in seeing this, I am forced to ask, “Lord, is it I?”
