To Be With and Strengthen

The Lord gave this simple direction for teachers in the Aaronic priesthood: “The teacher’s duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:53).  I love this straightforward call to minister to others and though it was directed specifically at a group of priesthood holders I think it applies to all disciples of the Savior to some extent.  We should seek to watch over, to be with, and to strengthen others.  Whether that is at church, work, and especially at home, our desire as followers of the Savior should be to lift those around us.  The admonition to “be with” is I believe particularly important for us today when we are so often present physically but not really with those around us.  I see this verse as an invitation for all of us to seek to really be present for those we interact with, to put our phones down and be with them in whatever trials they have and to encourage them in the gospel path.  Perhaps this verse of scripture says it best, “Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings” (Doctrine and Covenants 108:7).  Whatever else we are doing, we should always be seeking to strengthen and lift those around us.

                I believe that Alma the Younger exemplified this responsibility of a disciple of Christ throughout his life after his conversion, and we see two noteworthy incidents in particular in Alma 15.  After Zeezrom had railed against them in public and contributed to the hardship they faced in Ammonihah, Zeezrom started to regret his actions and was subsequently cast out from his wicked people.  After Alma and Amulek faced the excruciating trial of watching the faithful be burned, they too left Ammonihah and came over to the land of Sidom.  Mormon recorded, “Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.”  I love the response of Alma and Amulek: “And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom.”  They didn’t wait a little while and say, “Well, he had that coming to him,” or “Give us some time to find it in our hearts to forgive the harm he caused us.”  Rather, they went immediately to “be with and strengthen” him.  Alma encouraged him in his faith in Christ and healed him so that he “leaped upon his feet, and began to walk” (v4-5, 11).  After this, Alma then took to ministering to Amulek.  Mormon explained that Amulek had “forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred.”  He had also witnessed the death of numerous believers, no doubt some of whom he knew and loved.  In short Amulek’s world had been turned upside down and he certainly must have been struggling with all that had happened to him and those he loved.  Alma, understanding the difficulties Amulek had faced and knowing he was young in the gospel, “took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord” (v18).  Alma indeed followed the admonition of the Lord for teachers: he was with Amulek and he strengthened him.  In short, he was there for his new brother in the gospel in a time of need, and the Lord invites us to do the same as we seek to watch over, be with, and strengthen all those around us.