A Lake of Fire and Brimstone

Today I read Alma 12, where Alma teaches the people of Ammonihah after Amulek is done speaking. Alma teaches them the second half of the Atonement, about the redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ.

Some people have accused the Latter-day Saints of believing in a literal hell, a hell with demons who torment mankind and with a giant lake of fire and brimstone. Alma chapter 12 should clarify nicely once and for all that Latter-day Saints do NOT believe in such a hell. Alma 12:17 clearly states that it is their torment that is like a lake of fire and brimstone, meaning there is no end to their torment and that their sins have a literal physical pain to them.

I remember as a missionary trying to help a teenager that we were teaching to understand the true meaning of hell. He was a total tech kid and we described it as he is in a room where everyone has a brand new computer with all the latest gadgets and he cannot partake of it, he just has to sit there and watch everyone else have a great time without being able to play himself. It was a very primitive analogy but it worked.

However, that's the last part. Before that, like Alma says, we have to pay the price for our sins. Because those that die in their sins like Alma says, it is like there was no redemption made. I actually feel kind of sorry for those people, kind of. I can be very cruel and mean spirited if I choose to be, I generally choose not to be, but the potential is still there, and I think about the evils those people did in this world and it makes me want to cry. I don't know how people can watch those police shows or detective shows where they solve the crimes. How do they not feel the awful pain and suffering in the world that such shows portray and remind us of? How do they not lose the Spirit watching such filth? I can't stand such shows, they spiritually hurt, a lot!

Doctrine and Covenants section 19 verse 18 tells us that paying the price for sin caused the Savior of the world so much pain that blood actually came out of every pore of his body. Can we even comprehend such pain as that? I don't think we can. And those people who are not repentant will also have to go through such pain until they have paid the price for everything wrong thing they have done. I shudder to think of such a fate and pray everyday that God will continue to change my nature and help me no longer even desire to do evil anymore.

Such is the wonderful gift we have been given is we choose to avail ourselves of it. However, only those who truly wish to live as God does will be able to receive the greatest gift of all, eternal life. And there are very, very few people who live as God does. It really blows my mind how people can not understand, I mean REALLY not understand what type of being God is. He's told us already for crying out loud! That's what the 10 commandments are, they are attributes of God, and yet people who are supposedly "saved" don't live them!!! How many people in this day and age in America at least, keep the Sabbath day holy? How many people in America don't covet? Please, don't make me laugh. How many people who are "saved" commit adultery? It's disgusting how horrible we are as a people and how dense people can be.

I digress. Another part of this chapter which is neat, is the first step in conversion that Zeezrom takes. This is where he turns from trying to destroy Alma and Amulek to actually trying to understand. It's actually heart warming to see, at least for me. It reminds me of being a missionary and seeing people take those steps that lead to Christ and watching them change. It truly is wonderful. Until tomorrow.