The oft-described poverty and pride cycle in the Book of Mormon means that the peoples in Zarahemla and elsewhere repeatedly have to repent, generally in response to preaching or adversity. The first few chapters of Alma are no exception. In chapters 5-7, Alma preaches repentance, urging them to experience a “mighty change” of heart, and many Church members respond, reforming their lives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The following poem, I think, describes a kind of change of heart that we must seek. While perhaps not the “mightly change” or heart that Alma talks of \u2014 the change that leads from a life of sin to baptism and repentance, this is still a change of heart that is very relevant to all of us. Even those who have been baptized and have undergone the “mighty change” that Alma describes can sometimes fall into the kind of problem that Lamont describes below.<\/p>\n
I’ve found it somewhat difficult to find any biographical information on Ruby Lamont. She was a resident of Richfield, Utah and her poetry appeared on occasion in Utah and Mormon periodicals. She was one of the poets included in the book of poetry prepared as part of Utah’s entry into the Chicago World’s Fair. However, in spite of the fact that her poetry appeared in many Mormon publications, one source I found indicated that she was catholic (perhaps supported by the fact that one of her poems is titled Sonnets on the Virgin Mary<\/em>).<\/p>\n Still, this poem works just as well for Mormons, and appeared in a Mormon publication:<\/p>\n by Ruby Lamont<\/em><\/p>\n I do not love her for she is my foe; But hush, my soul! I hear a deep, still voice\u2014 The Juvenile Instructor, v30 n24, What I like most about this poem is how it follows the thought process — showing us something of what goes on in our own head. Its also the kind of view that is very common, something that all of us can fall into and perhaps not even realize that we need to repent of. How easy is it to see ourselves as the victim of someone else, and then act wrong, develop a hate and act discourteously, and still think that we are in the right to do so.<\/p>\n Regardless of which sect you belong to, that message is an important one and clearly a part of being Christian.<\/p>\n [If anyone has additional biographical information on Ruby Lamont, please either post it in the comments or pass it on to me. I’d love to know more.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The oft-described poverty and pride cycle in the Book of Mormon means that the peoples in Zarahemla and elsewhere repeatedly have to repent, generally in response to preaching or adversity. The first few chapters of Alma are no exception. In chapters 5-7, Alma preaches repentance, urging them to experience a “mighty change” of heart, and many Church members respond, reforming their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-school-lesson-book-of-mormon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20681"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20689,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20681\/revisions\/20689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Christian’s Temptation and Triumph<\/h3>\n
\nHer very look is evil; in her heart
\nShe curses and would gladly do me wrong;
\nHer lips speak evil falsely; every friend
\nThat should be mine she\u00a0 poisons with her tongue
\nThat they may hate and shun me through her lies.
\nI cannot love her; for my constant good
\nShe gives me evil; for my patience sneers,
\nFor every act of love, for each kind thought,
\nShe hurls but insult and the bolt of hate.
\nMy heart is not of steel; I loved her once
\nAnd strove to bear her cross; her good was mine;
\nHer woes were mind and sank into my heart;
\nFor I remember One who sweetly said:
\n“My little ones, see that ye each love each
\nAnd each bear other’s burdens.” For the love
\nOf Him I loved her, too, that thus I might
\nBecome His child and by good deeds aspire
\nTo dwell among the mansions of His love.
\nAnd this is my reward. Her evil eye,
\nOf envy born, with base ingratitude,
\nWould blast my life, it ’twere within her reach.
\nAnd that it is not, that she is so weak,
\nSo impotent to do me harm is not
\nHer fault. And so I say, no more of pearls
\nHave I for trampling under foot of swine,
\nTo be thus turned upon and rend; and where
\nI have done good I now will seek revenge,
\nObeying thus a natural human law.<\/p>\n
\nIn pleading tones it bids my passion cease
\nAnd brings to my remembrance words of peace
\nSo long forgot. To Him that overcomes,
\nAnd through dark tribulation shines supreme
\nAmid more worldly souls! Ah, joy! ’tis true!
\n‘Twas for His sake and in His sacred name!
\n‘Twas not for love of her but love of Him
\nThat I would serve! Was I her servant? Nay!
\nThank heaven it was not He, my Savior dear,
\nWho sank the iron in my heart and laughed!
\nHis words, “Forgive them, Father!” still be mine!
\nSo shall my soul ascend to heights so pure
\nNo earthly hate can reach, no gall so vile
\nCan ever dim the brightness of my robe,
\nOr singe with blackness e’en a single hair.
\nThank God, I am not weary in His work;
\nAnd though a waiting servant, I can wait
\nWith heart as light as morning, with no guide
\nTo weigh ‘gainst her whom once I called my friend
\nAnd said, but now, I could not love again!
\nAh, yes, but that I can! It was the world,
\nWith all its fall’n idolatry and sin,
\nThat He so loved! I am his child again!
\nHis rain and sun, that fall on all alike,
\nHave fallen on my heart, and I can feel
\nThat still I love her; that no harm can come
\nTo her from this repentant heart; that still
\nMy prayers can rise to utmost tenderness;
\nForgive her, Father, still forgive and bless!
\nSo shall my vengance be complete and pure
\nThe while I dwell secure from darts of hate,
\nMy soul triumphant on its throne of peace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n15 December 1895, pg. 795.<\/p>\n