This chapter, if you haven't read it recently, is amazing. There is so much practical, spiritual advice packed into 62 verses. It is so great. One of my favorite set of verses is Alma 5:14-19. In this verse we are asked to ponder if we have the image of God engraven upon our countenances. When I think of this, I remember experiences I had as a missionary. I served in Baltimore Maryland, which is not the most suburban paradise. It is actually very urban, and has a fairly high crime rate. Many convicts recently out of prison end up in Baltimore city, so safety is a big concern when living there. As a missionary, I remember many instances where myself, or other missionaries, were saved from harm due to our "countenances", or as the people of Baltimore said, we were "those God people"! So many times I met with people on probation, or who quickly after the meeting went to prison, and I never felt scared to be with them, because they knew we were of God, and they respected that. Even if they didn't want to keep the commandments, or join our Church, they understood that we were of God, and didn't want to harm us.
When we have the image of God engraven upon us, we stand out in a good way. People recognize the Spirit about us, and our goodness.
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