I Will Forsake My Kingdom

One of the themes of the Book of Mormon is that the things of God are worth more than the power and riches of the world. We see several important prophets and missionaries who choose to give up wealth and position to follow the Lord and to preach the gospel to the people. The first example of this is at the beginning with Lehi. Nephi summarized the sacrifice he made of his possessions: “And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness” (1 Nephi 2:4). Lehi left his considerable wealth in order to keep the commandments of the Lord. These opening chapters begs the question for each of us: could you do the same? The sons of Mosiah gave up the possibility of becoming king over the people in order to preach the gospel to their enemies. Mormon wrote that they desired to “go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites…. And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi.” The were the sons of the king but instead of assuming the throne they left for fourteen years to preach among the Lamanites, and “king Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for there was not any of his sons who would accept of the kingdom” (Mosiah 28:1, 5, 10). Instead of becoming king, they preached to kings among the Lamanites, and the king over all the land was converted. He declared, “I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.” He also prayed, “I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day” (Alma 22:15, 18). He was so powerfully converted that he was willing to give up his whole kingdom to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

                We find other examples as well in the Book of Mormon of those who had such faith in the Lord that they were willing to give up significant worldly power to preach the gospel. Alma, who had been with the sons of Mosiah, spent about eight years serving the people as the chief judge after the kingship was abolished. Mormon recorded what happened after that: “And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him. And he selected a wise man who was among the elders of the church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people…. He delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah. And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them…. Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word” (Alma 4:15-20). He was the ruler over the whole people but gave it up in order to go and preach the gospel the remainder of his days. While serving as a missionary to the people of Ammonihah he was led to find Amulek who described himself in these words: “I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry” (Alma 10:4). But he received Alma, joined him in preaching, and ultimately left all those riches to preach the gospel alongside Alma. Nephi, the son of Helaman also gave up his position to preach to the people. We read, “And it came to pass in the fifty and third year of the reign of the judges, Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi began to reign in his stead. And it came to pass that he did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity” (Helaman 3:37). About nine years later, in the 62^nd year, Nephi too chose to give up his power over the people: “And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram…. He yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days” (Helaman 5:1, 4). Though he had great power as the ruler over all the Nephites, he gave it up to devote himself to preaching the gospel to the people.

                These examples remind us that the things of God are of far greater worth than the power and riches of the world. Though the world would have us believe that fulfillment in life can only be found in riches and prestige, the word of God shows us that it is only in following Him that we can find that peace “which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). After many years of service, Mormon described the feeling that the sons of Mosiah and Alma had: “Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth. Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness. Now the joy of Alma in meeting his brethren was truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni” (Alma 27:17-19). If we want that kind of joy then we must also be willing to make the kind of sacrifices these powerful missionaries made to serve the Lord.