Believe the Holy Scriptures

One thing that is perhaps easy to miss in the story of the sons of Mosiah and the conversion of thousands of Lamanites is the vital role that the scriptures played in their repentance and total transformation. Mormon highlighted that these missionaries knew the scriptures well as they embarked on their mission: “They were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God” (Alma 17:2). After the dramatic events surrounding Ammon’s protection of the sheep, when he taught the king he turned to the scriptures: “Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man, and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people, which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem…. He expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time” (Alma 18:36, 38). Ammon’s service and love opened the door for him to teach, but it was the word of God that led this people to true conversion and a knowledge of the Savior.

Aaron similarly used the scriptures as he taught the Lamanites. We read, “Now Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood” (Alma 21:9). When he was given the opportunity to teach the king over all the land, Aaron again started with the scriptures: “And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen. And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.” Reading and understanding the plan of redemption from the scriptures is what led the king to exclaim, “What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken?” (Alma 22:12-15). Aaron’s strength and love for Lamoni had softened his heart enough to let the message be taught to him, but it was the scriptures and the Spirit they bring which changed his heart.

               Later both Alma and Samuel the Lamanite highlighted the importance of the scriptures in the conversion of the Lamanites in case we missed it. Alma taught to his son, “And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls. Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer” (Alma 37:8-9). Alma’s heroic efforts defending the king’s servants was not enough to convert Lamani—without the scriptures he would have not been brought to repentance. Later Samuel the Lamanite also said this to the Nephites about Lamanites who had been converted: “And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them” (Helaman 15:7). It is a belief in the scriptures that leads to faith in the Lord, repentance, and lasting conversion. Hearts are not changed by miracles or dramatic displays of power; they are changed through a belief in the words of the holy scriptures. No matter what we do to help people be interested in learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we should not minimize the importance of reading and developing faith in the words of the scriptures in order to be converted unto the Lord.