Rameumptom

Alma 34:26-"ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness."

There are many ways to study the scriptures, and I recently noticed two good examples of why reading from start to finish at a good pace can be a good thing.  Although studying by topics, and reading slowly (dissecting everything as you go) have their benefits, sometimes reading in order at a quick speed helps you get a big picture (since sometimes its hard to see the forest through the trees).  However, we also have to be careful not to think that the Chapter cutoffs are set in stone and that is where we must start and finish our study sessions.  My first example demonstrates this.  Just the other day Gordy and I noticed that Alma 32 (one of the greatest chapters on faith) is only 2 chapters after Korihors attack on faith.  Even though Alma was addressing a different people, you have to believe that his encounter with Korihor made him feel a great need to strengthen the faith of his people.  We might not realize this if we read Chapter 30 and 32 as if they were completely separate.  The first quote above is another example.  Taken out of context this seems like a good lesson that is simply applicable in any era.  However, let's remember who Amulek is talking to.  He is teaching the people that were not allowed to pray on top of the Rameumptom in the synagogues that they built.  When we remember how public the prayers of the Zoramites were and how they thought they could only pray in their synagogue for everyone else to see, we realize that this verse was a profound lesson for these people.