BEING STRIPPED OF PRIDE, THE MASTER SIN

When Alma preached in Ammonihah, few believe him.  Those who did were run out of the city with him and their wives and children were put to death by fire. Ammon warned them that if they did this thing, they and their city would be destroyed.  Divine justice prevailed when, just a few month later, part of the Lamanite army attacked the city, slaughtering every Nephite therein and totally destroying the city. (Alma 15)

Destruction of Ammonihah

There was another city near the borders of the Lamanites which was called Antionum.  The people of this city were the followers of antichrist and the philosophies of Nehor and Korihor.  Alma had heard of the blatant idolatry of the city and was concerned about, not only their spiritual welfare but in their apostate condition, they would be easily recruited by the Lamanites.  Alma took two of his sons, Amulek, Zeezrom, and the four sons of Mosiah to preach to the Zoramites. 

When they entered the church building, they were appalled to see the Zoramites, one-by-one, standing on a elevated platform, called the Ramiumptom.  In Hebrew, the word ram meant being lifted up.  God wants to lift us up to exaltation, but the Zoramites were lifting themselves up in pride. They all prayed the same prayer:

Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever. . . we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children and . . . hast made it know unto us that there shall be no Christ. . . . thou has elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell. . . We thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and holy people. Amen. (Alma 31:15-18) 

Ramiumpton: Lifted Up in Pride

In their pride and arrogance, they looked down on the poor people or those without much education and would not allow them to worship in the very building their labors had built!

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Pride is an insidious thing.  I never thought of myself as prideful or arrogant, but in retrospect, I have been.  These past four years have humbled me and stripped me of the hidden pride I once had.  I now look at the education I received and the projects I have created and the success I've had as miracles performed by God's hand in all things.  I realize that of myself, I am nothing. 

I am grateful for this horrible affliction and the depression I have suffered these past years.  It took a lot to purge the pride in my soul and bring me to such a state of gratitude for my Savior, who has given me a new heart.  As King Benjamin noted, I, too, am a beggar.  Only the Atonement of Jesus Christ can save me. To paraphrase Paul, 

Therefore being justified by faith, I have peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also I have access by faith into this grace wherein I stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and not only so, but I glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hop maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto me.  (Romans 5:1-5)

Alma and Amulek on Faith

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson July 2020