July 22–28: “Plant This Word in Your Hearts”
Alma 32–35
For the Zoramites, prayer consisted of standing where all could see and repeating empty, self-satisfied words. The Zoramites lacked faith in Jesus Christ—even denied His existence—and persecuted the poor (see Alma 31:9–25). By contrast, Alma and Amulek taught that prayer has more to do with what happens in our hearts than on a public platform. And if we do not show compassion toward people in need, our prayer is “vain, and availeth … nothing” (Alma 34:28). Most important, we pray because we have faith in Jesus Christ, who offers redemption through His “infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:10). Such faith, Alma explained, starts with humility and a “desire to believe” (Alma 32:27). Over time, with constant nourishment, the word of God takes root in our hearts until it becomes “a tree springing up unto everlasting life” (Alma 32:41).