The Wicked Can Change

There are many examples in the Book of Mormon where specific individuals in need of repentance are preached the word of God.  The first two people in this group that the reader encounters are Laman and Lemuel, and if we stopped reading after their story we might be discouraged concerning the ability of the wicked to really change and accept the gospel.  But there are many examples of those whom we would not expect to repent who do in fact change their ways and cast off their wickedness.  These include Alma in King Noah’s court, his son Alma, the sons of Mosiah, Zeezrom, Lamoni, Lamoni’s father, and Corianton.  There are of course other groups who repent, but these are the individuals of whom we have personal details in the text who are able to make real changes in their lives.  This should give us great hope that people indeed can turn from even great wickedness and repent, even when reason would tell us that they are beyond hope.  For example, when we first see Lamoni’s father, he commanded Lamoni to “slay Ammon with the sword” and when he wouldn’t do it, the Lamanite king “drew his sword that he might smite [Ammon] to the earth” (Alma 20:16).  This is not exactly the kind of golden contact that get missionaries excited, but only a couple chapters later he pled with the Lord, “I will give away all my sins to know thee” (Alma 22:18).  The message for us is that we should never lose hope that someone can repent even after committing serious sins.  There are of course many others like Laman and Lemuel who have the gospel preached to them but reject it, including King Noah, his priests, Antionah, Sherem, and Nehor.  We don’t really know why, for example, Laman never accepted the gospel but Alma the Younger did other than that ultimately it all goes back to the agency of the individual.  The Book of Mormon stories should give us hope, though, that anyone can really change if they so choose.