What is a Rameumptom? And Where Can I Get One?

I think we got ours from Shopko. Or Apostates-R-Us, I can't remember.

Alma the Younger went on a mission to a group of Nephites that had rejected the Church of Jesus Christ and dissented from the Nephites. They had followed the teachings of an anti-Christ called Korihor, and now worshiped an incorrect form of Deity due to their misunderstanding of the nature of God.

These people, the Zoramites, worshiped God once a week in their synagogues by standing on a pedestal in the center, raising their hands towards heaven, and 'praying' as loudly as they could,

"Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever. Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ. But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen." Alma 31:15-18

They then went home and didn't think about God the rest of the week. They called this Holy Stand a Rameumptom.

An Illustration of How Not to Pray

The example of the Zoramites teaches us things not to do. First, don't pray with vain repetitions. I think vain has two meanings here. When we're vain, we think only of ourselves, and so our prayers are only about us. Vain can also be pointless or futile.  You know how when you say a word several times over, it stops making sense and loses it's meaning? Sometimes we do the same thing, praying exactly same prayer over and over again because we're stuck in a routine.

Second, our religion needs to be a part of our lives, not a once-every-seven-days thing. I bet if the Zoramites, with their incorrect notions of God and Christ, had remembered God in their day-to-day lives, they wouldn't have been quite so wicked. How blessed are we to have a fullness of the truth. Imagine how much closer to God you could be just by reading your scriptures every day and praying sincerely each morning and night.

See, if you lean on something, your
legs don't fall asleep.

Speaking of family prayer.... My family did have a Rameumptom. My Dad's cushioned rocking chair came with an ottoman. Mom would lean on it during our family prayer so her legs wouldn't go numb. Sometimes one of us kids would steal it instead if she didn't get it fast enough. We used the Rameumptom daily, tried our best not to use vain repetitions, and I'm pretty sure if we tried to stand on it and raise our arms towards heaven, we'd fall off and crack our heads open. So I'm not sure why we called it that.

The point is: Pray Sincerely. It's good for you.

What is a Liahona, and How Do I Use It?

The Liahona is a round ball of curious workmanship made of fine brass. It has two spindles that give direction to the reader. It can take one safely across a treacherous wilderness, towards sources of food, and across a raging ocean. Like a compass it gives direction, but with two major exceptions. First, it points to food and shelter, not just to the north. Second, it runs on faith and diligence or obedience. It can often be found outside of tent doors. And by often, I mean just once in recorded history.

Recalculating...

Lehi found the Liahona outside his tent on the ground one morning just before he and his family began on their trek through the wilderness to the promised land. For the next eight years, the Lehites followed a tool of divine inspiration to keep them alive. God didn't give them a map; He gave them a compass that led them day by day. When Lehi and his family lived righteously, it guided them through the more fertile parts of the wilderness. When they didn't and murmured and complained, such as when Nephi's bow broke or Laman and Lemuel's mutinied on board the boat, it stopped giving directions.

Also notable about the Liahona was the writing that would appear on it. The writing changed from time to time, chastened Lehi when he wasn't obedient, and gave them understanding concerning the word of the Lord. Nephi called this one of the small and simple ways the Lord works to bring about great things.

The Johnson Family has Scripture Study

"Kids! Scriptures!" Madre yells. I try to get one more minute out of my show, but she calls again. "We're waiting on you, Sister Johnson!"

8:56 p.m. on a school night, and somewhat close to bedtime. The murderer on CSI finally breaks down and starts giving his monologue on why he shot his mother. The final nail in his coffin and the twist is...

With a groan, I turn off the TV and drag myself upstairs to the living room where my family, plus a spare brother, sits in a circle with their scriptures open on their laps. Four teenage boys and mi Madre have crammed themselves into the biggest couch. No doubt my brothers fought over who would sit next to Madre. I sit down in my usual spot, the left side of the smaller couch next to my little sister Melissa. I left my triple combination on the armrest the night before, so I open it up to Alma 49.

Papa Johnson, cross-legged on the floor by the stereo speaker, flips through the pages for the chapter. "30 verses."

I quickly do the math in my head. "Four each, except two people get five."

"Looks like you're the Power Couch."

"Power Couch!" Melissa and I cheer. Then we high-five each other as hard as we can. My hand tingles for a few seconds afterwards as Papa Johnson starts reading about another war fought by Captain Moroni.