Alma tried preaching here, but left because no one was listening.

Amulek joined him and they were able to convert a few people.

But then the head of the government in that city rounded up all the believers.

The men were cast out and stoned.

And the women and children were burned.

Pure evil.

Alma prophesied of the city’s impending destruction, and pretty soon, Lamanite armies launched a surprise attack.

They completely decimated the city. All the inhabitants were killed. There were too many bodies to bury, so the city just stank.

No one wanted to go near it.

Eventually, people started inhabiting that land again, but it was a weak city. It had been gutted, and it wasn’t easy to rebuild.

So when the Lamanites wanted to attack again, they knew exactly which city would give them the easy win and build momentum.

Ammonihah.

But when they got there, they were astonished.

This city had been rebuilt and fortified in a manner in which no city had ever been fortified before.

An easy win turned into a powerhouse stronghold, and the Lamanites turned away without even trying.

I have many weak places.

I have sins. I have weaknesses. I am a fallen woman.

But what does Christ do?

He makes weak things become strong.

He takes my sins, any hint of evil desire, and He cuts it down. He destroys it.

But then He builds.

He restores.

He strengthens.

The sin from my past now becomes my strength. I am able to connect and empathize with those who struggle with the same things. I am able to see evil for what it is. I am able to warn and teach.

I have been rebuilt, and now I will not fall.

How?

Because of my Savior.

Because I talk about Him, and read about Him. I think about Him, and serve Him.

He allowed His mortal body to be totally destroyed.

So that I can be rebuilt, stronger than before.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rebuilt by Christ first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Among the fantastic theories and advice that I learned in that class was the idea that every single culture is just one generation from becoming extinct.

Especially when you use the word “culture” in relation to individual families: every single family has a different set of traditions, hobbies, values, language patterns, shared experiences, specific food, etc.

Every single family’s specific culture is just one generation from disappearing.

And this is why it become so essential to learn about our ancestors and predecessors.

Because we are teaching the importance of our family culture and helping the next generation learn the patterns, values, and events that have shaped them.

When Alma was preaching in Ammonihah, he got a little frustrated:

“How have ye forgotten the tradition of your fathers”! Alma 9:8.

How can you possibly forget the miracles that brought Lehi across the ocean?

How can you possibly forget the countless times that God has saved us from our enemies?

It sounds like the people in Ammonihah had stopped learning about their history – both from spoken record and from reading scriptures.

How are we doing at remembering the traditions of our fathers and mothers?

We all have family culture to study. And the cool part is that we can prayerfully and wisely decide which parts of our culture need to continue.

And which parts need to stop with us.

And we ALL can use the scriptures to see even more examples of how God has helped the people who turn to Him.

This helps convince us more fully that He will still help us as we turn to Him today.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Keeping our culture alive first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.