Anyone who believes that the Book of Mormon is racist needs to read 4 Nephi. This single chapter contains a verse which describes the state of the people of the Book of Mormon when they finally accepted Christ and were living in perfection. And it makes the observation that there were no Nephites or Lamanites or any kind of "ites". Race, family privileges, lineage, birthright, wealth, class; none of it was important nor did it exist when these people were living the teachings of Christ to their fullest... Very cool. How I wish we could all do so.

--Ray

I'm in the middle of the teachings of Christ to the Nephites. It amazes me how far away my mind is from these teachings, when I turn it on in the morning or after work. Here're the pinnacle of Christian teachings, and I'm singing "Play that funky music, white boy" when it comes on. Something of a reminder of just how surreal life is, and a jarring refresh of what's important in life. And one wonders why we are encouraged to partake of the sacrament (bread and wine (water)) often?

--Ray

A little detail I never noticed today, that I did... When Alma meets Ammon when traveling to the land of Manti, because Ammon and the converted Lamanites are fleeing their brethren, Alma goes back with Ammon to the people of Ammon and in meeting with them, he tells them his conversion story. Just a fun little detail, I can imagine Ammon being terrified that he's leading his people to death among the Nephites, because here comes a horde of Lamanites and having known the Nephite stereotypes and terrible hatred of all things Lamanite (as evidenced by what the Nephites told the sons of Ammon when they left to go on their mission to the Lamanites), he probably feared that the Nephites would shun the Lamanites, not trust them, mistake them for an army, and so in this state of uncertainty and fleeing from the brutal Amalekites who openly sought their destruction, Ammon is wandering into the land of the Nephites, and who should he come across but ALMA his good friend and fellow convert. The very friend who was with the sons of Mosiah when they were all converted to the Lord. What a wonderful coincidence... as if it were solely a coincidence...--Ray

Want to make a quick update: still listening to the Book of Mormon everyday, but I don't have much time to update this blog. sadly...

I find it interesting that Ammon makes the distinction that (Alma 18:34) "in the beginning" man was formed in God's image. It makes me wonder if that doesn't imply something about the form of man now, and if it has at all devolved, changed, or implies a corruption of flesh, implying the physical creation, making distinction between a spiritual and physical creation. Yeah... it's space doctrine, but it is the way I think about things.

The same chapter is interesting because I find it amusing that Ammon is seen as 'exemplary' because he does a good job at his work. Says something about the Lamanite-Work-Ethic. I suppose the commentators don't lie whey they're described as idle. I think the same can be applied today. If you are excellent at what you do, people notice and are often mystified by it.

The second part I like from Chapter 18 of Alma is how the king marvels that Ammon can perceive his thoughts. This makes me wonder just how savage the lamanites were at that time. When I read the account, I think it's pretty obvious why the king would be alarmed. I am not entirely sure that Ammon's gift of perception wasn't something more common today, known as common sense or empathy. What would it be like to live in a society so brutal that it had no empathy for the suffering of others? What might it be like to live by the sword, kill or be killed, like so many did back then? You get a sense of the brutal nature of the lamanites from the Nephites who defected over to them. How they became savage and hell-bent on war. It makes me grateful of the society in I currently live, a place where differences are settled by discussion, rather than brutality.

--Ray