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Continuing in the Path 

"And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end." - Alma 38:2

There are great figures in the Book of Mormon, such as Nephi or Alma, who take up much of the writing in the record and fill the book with its' true and inspiring messages. Many lesser figures, like Sam and Joseph, are briefly mentioned and never receive much focus. One of these "lesser" figures was Shiblon, as he is only mentioned a handful of times as a missionary with his father, Alma, and others. However, Shiblon receives a page of attention found in Alma 38 as Alma instructs and advises him before Alma passes away. This tiny, 15-verse chapter is sandwiched between much larger messages to Shiblon's brothers, Helaman and Corianton, but it contains several powerful messages. Some refer to chapter 38 as the "Proverbs" of the Book of Mormon.

One verse, which I have quoted above, has stood out as my favorite verse in the entire Book of Mormon. As a kid, I always tried to do what is right because- well, it's the right thing to do. I would read my Scriptures and all that, but I didn't really know if I knew this was all true. When I was twelve, I attended a "Pioneer Trek" with other youth from my area. This was a three-day campout where we reenacted as closely as possible the experience of the Mormon pioneers. That meant pulling hand-carts, wearing suspenders and straw hats, and the whole bit.

On the second or third day we had about an hour to go and just be alone somewhere and study our Scriptures. Everyone also got a letter which had previously been written by our parents. My mom and dad quoted Alma 38:2, encouraging me to continue in the right path. This left a strong impression on me. Throughout the hour I continued to study from the Scriptures, and prayed to God at the end.

From this prayer, I felt for certain that God loves me. I was doing the right thing. Counsel Alma's advice to Shiblon and continue in righteousness. Do what you think is right, and confirmation will follow. If you plant a seed of truth and let it grow, it will "enlarge [your] soul [and] enlighten [your] understanding" (Alma 32:28). Experiment with the Gospel and continue in righteousness, until you find for yourself if it is true and good (Alma 32:27).