Alma Chapter 19: Tuning and Tapping In

What was your favorite radio station to tune into as a young teen?  Do you remember?  

Growing up in San Francisco Bay Area, my mother set our dial to A.M. 610 KFRC.  I can hear the jingle now as I type this.  The disc jockey from 6-9 a.m. was Dr. Donald D. Rose — aka; “Dr. Don” or just “The Doctor”.  Between the top 40 hits of the day, Dr. Don would chime in with jokes and one-liners, followed by infamous sound effects.  A favorite memory was feeding his imaginary radio dog, “Roscoe”.   As Dr. Don shared his dinner menu from the previous night, we would listen to Roscoe devour the leftovers.  

“The Doctor”

I decided to do a bit of research on this long ago inspirational figure and was quite surprised to discover 1) he spent a great deal of his life in physical pain 2) had one leg amputated  3) for one month did his radio show from his home hospital bed - while flat on his back, and 4) even suffered a heart attack on those radio airwaves.  All I ever knew is that each morning this jolly man broadcast a contagious, upbeat persona, influencing thousands of listeners in a positive way.  

You know, I have often told others that “I’m a Morning Person” - meaning I love to be up early.  It’s when I’m at my happiest and most productive. There is also a peace I find so much more accessible in the early morning hours.  Perhaps I owe more to Dr. Don then I realize.  He may have had a great deal more impact than just establishing a smiling start to each day.

Although both AM and FM are ways of broadcasting radio signals, presently we are more likely to prefer FM for our favorite songs and AM for News and  talk shows.  This is because FM signal is encoded better for music and AM better for voice.  However, there is an amazing fact about AM transmission.  While FM signals are limited to your immediate area, AM can be broadcast at far greater capacity, increasing to an unlimited mode at night through a phenomenon called “Skywave Propagation”.  Without getting too ‘science-y’, this is because AM radio waves rise above the earth into a layer of the earth’s atmosphere containing great amounts of ions.  As waves reflect off ions they literally reproduce and grow with the ability to bounce about the globe.  Surely you find that fascinating!

Today we have a smorgasbord of media options.  Hundreds of internet apps enable us to enter endless worlds of entertainment with just a ‘tap’ of our finger.  We channel and tune

into countless media sources each day, listening to an array of broadcasters like never before.  We are far more likely to have a favorite YouTube Channel than a radio station.

For the moment, I have tapped into Alma Chapter 19.  Previous chapters familiarized us with Ammon and his..shall we say, astonishing talent with the sword?  As we transition away from the dozens of severed arms and Ammons powerful storytelling and testimony — which has now led to King Lamoni falling to the earth as if dead…Chapter 19 brings us to ‘two days and two nights’ from that moment.  

To Me He Doth Not Stink

As a sepulcher is being prepared for a ‘thought to be dead’ king, we find a loving wife and queen desperately seeking Ammon for the wisdom he has become famous for.  Obviously, many at this point believe the King is dead, some say he is not.  There is pain, fear and confusion in the queen’s earnest plea to Ammon:

“Therefore, if this is the case, I would that ye should go in and see my husband, for he has been laid upon his bed for the space of two days and two nights; and some say that he is not dead, but others say that he is dead and that he stinketh, and that he ought to be placed in the sepulcher; but as for myself, to me he doth not stink.”  (Alma 19:5)

As a youth, coming to the end of this verse in class always brought a little giggle.  Thankfully with time, we dig past mud pies and deeper into meaning.  It may even surprise you today when I say how very significant this ‘stinky’ line is.

Decomposition is not a pretty sight.  The corrupting odor of death is nothing we want to be near.  The servants who witnessed Ammon and his obedience to the King were tuned in enough to know something other than death was occurring.  King Lamoni was not dying and decomposing - quite the opposite was happening!   In this embryonic state, he was being taught the beautiful plan of Eternal Life and Salvation, and literally being cleansed and bathed in the Savior’s redeeming power.  As his spirit was being lifted up into the presence of our Lord - being taught from on high -  he was not dying...he was being Reborn!

In Ammon’s words;

“Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that THE DARK VEIL OF UNBELIEF WAS BEING CAST AWAY FROM HIS MIND, and the LIGHT which did LIGHT UP HIS MIND, which was the LIGHT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, which was a MARVELOUS LIGHT of HIS GOODNESS— yea, this LIGHT HAD INFUSED such JOY INTO HIS SOUL, the CLOUD OF DARKNESS having be DISPELLED, and that the LIGHT OF EVERLASTING LIFE was LIT UP in his SOUL, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was CARRIED AWAY IN GOD—“ (Alma 19:6)

Please excuse my excessive use of capitals, but there is so much love in this verse I feel compelled to accentuate it.  How do you convert an individual, let alone a society that has been indoctrinated with bitter lies and hatred for generations?  The answer is you don’t — but the Spirit does.  The moment Ammon lays eyes on the king, he is spiritually tuned into his conversion.  

“Believest Thou This?”

As Ammon conveys to the Queen that her husband is not dead, he also reassures her that he is only sleeping and will wake up in the morning.  Immediately after his spiritual  assessment of king Lamoni, he poses a simple question of the queen followed by a great compliment.

“And Ammon said unto her:  “Believest thou this? And she said unto him:  I have no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.

And Ammon said unto her:  Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites.”  (Alma 19:9-10)

“Woman” in Hebrew language of ancient Israel was an expression of great respect and reverence— think of modern titles such as “my lady” or “Madam”.   Ammon’s sincere dispersal of it upon the queen would have induced her to recognize humility.  This subtlety would have further allowed the queen to understand Ammon was not above her — he wasn’t some crazy witch doctor she needed to fear.  Such meekness is always in tune with our Savior, and I’m sure would have comforted the queen and increased her faith.

It is here I am often prone to shout, “For crying out loud!  She believes...there’s a sepulcher

in the background!  Can’t Ammon just wake her husband up now?”  But he doesn’t.  The queen’s faith is left to brew as she lovingly attends over her husband all through the night. As morning breaks,  the king arises from his spiritual slumber, taking her by the hand exclaiming two significant blessings.

“....Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.” (Alma 19:12)

Why is he blessing his wife? The next verse clarifies this.

“For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a WOMAN, and he shall redeem all mankind who BELIEVE on his name…”. (Alma 19:13)

The love of Christ, his Gospel and his mission to come to earth to save everyone has encompassed King Lamoni’s entire soul.  Being overcome with the Spirit, this loving couple are overpowered, sinking together to the earth with joy (fainting so it would seem) and igniting a wave of spiritual propagation.

Whose Name was Abish

Recognizing the King and now Queen are favored to continue their slumbering conversions,  Ammon falls to his knees with a prayer of gratitude so full that he too is overcome and sinks to the earth.  With many servants (because that’s what kings and queens have) in attendance to this sight, they are first struck with fear, but find debilitating joy in prayer as all now fall to the earth, overcome by the Spirit.  All except one...

“And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father.”  (Alma 19:16)

Not only is it awesome to discover the Lord was preparing hearts and minds of other Lamanites, but the altruistic nature of this sweet ‘lady in waiting’ , sought an opportunity to expand the spiritual festival that seemed to be taking place. Coincidentally, the name “Abish” means “My father is a wanderer; father of error”. How curious on reflection - as we can assume Abish’s father truly would have been considered to be in error had his family’s earlier conversion been publicized.

“Welcome to Station M-U-R-M-U-R in the Land of Nephi”

One benefit of a car stereo are those private moments when you can crank up a favorite song and sing along with all the power a good set of lungs will lend.  I say private, because I tend to always keep my windows rolled up when participating in such pleasure.  Inevitably there is always “THAT PERSON” who drives along with windows rolled down, blaring music so loud and drowning out everything within a 5 mile radius.  You know what I’m talking about.  On one such occasion as “THAT PERSON’s” Bass found it’s way under my seat and rattling through my windows, I Annoyingly and silently wondered, “What makes you think the whole world wants to listen to your music mister??!!!” 

As Abish runs from house to house, rustling up as many subjects as possible to the royal residence, an eclectic assortment of speculation presents itself.  It is here, in the house of King Laban we find so many tuned into a number of different broadcasts—some louder than others. 

As the crowd descends upon such an unforeseen event, many begin murmuring (that’s Latter-day Saint talk for complaining, whining, and other grownup forms of tantrums).  Others start finger pointing with a judgement here and there - initiating the “blame game”, whilst most are simply just angry, fearful and confused. 

Although Abish had good intentions and believed the climate was right to share, she was caught off guard.  Not everyone wanted to hear this song.  Not everyone wanted to come to the party.  Certainly no one was prepared for it.

Tearful, Abish takes the queen’s hand to awaken her angelic ministry and for a brief moment, we are taken from our subdued and reverent way of worship, to a scene out of an early Christian Revival camp…

“...and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying:  O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell!....speaking many words which were not understood…”. (Alma 29-30)

As the king, queen, Ammon and all the servants awaken in turn and arise from the earth, the king — immediately aware of the contention — begins to teach his people what he now knows;  There is a Blessed Jesus.  There is a plan of salvation with Christ at the head.  He will come and redeem all those who repent and believe on His name.  The record shares with us:

“... as many as heard his words believed, and were converted unto the Lord.

But there were many among them who would not hear his words; therefore they went their way.”  (Alma 19:31-32)

When we put our faith in AND BELIEVE in the “Blessed name of Jesus” we allow our hearts to become in tune with His Spirit.  As we do this, the LIGHT of His Spirit can “CAST AWAY THE DARK VEIL OF UNBELIEF”.  It will LIGHT UP OUR MINDS and DISPEL THE CLOUDS OF DARKNESS and misleading traditions.  His light can INFUSE OUR SOULS WITH JOY and we can be CARRIED AWAY IN GOD. 

What will you tap into today?  Anger?  Confusion?  Fear?  Just as importantly, what will you broadcast today— painful, negative plights or positive tones like Dr. Don?  Will you choose to listen and hear His words or will you walk away?

The path to truth has been and always will be through Jesus Christ.  Accessing His station, we will learn his songs, and know His tunes and they will guide us through all the notes of our day.  Hearing Him first enables us to replace anger with understanding, confusion with clarity and fear with faith.  Inviting the presence of the Spirit will enable us to do what we cannot do ourselves.  It will change our minds.  It will change our hearts.  It will change us.  Indeed, embracing His Spirit and living by it can transmit a spiritual propagation extending beyond the boundaries of our world.  

It all begins as we tap into our scriptures each peaceful morning and choose to hear Him first.

~ Chimene Kirkpatrick