Slain for the Word of God

Today I finished listening to the book The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas, a historical fiction novel about a Roman soldier name Marcellus who received the robe of Jesus at His crucifixion.  The robe had a powerful influence on him, and ultimately Marcellus found out everything he could about the life of Jesus and became converted.  In the final scene Marcellus stood condemned before the new emperor of Rome because he was a Christian, and he boldl declared his faith despite the risk to him.  Unwilling to denounce his convictions, he was taken off to his death with his wife who courageously declared the same thing, and the book ends with that scene.  The story begs the question for all of us who today profess to also follow Jesus—would we die for our faith in Him?  Could we, if it were a matter of life and death as it was for so many of those early Christians, still hold fast to our loyalty to the Savior? 

               The scriptures contain powerful stories of those who died for their testimony of the Savior.  Abinadi was found worthy of death with this charge from King Noah: “For thou hast said that God himself should come down among the children of men; and now, for this cause thou shalt be put to death unless thou wilt recall all the words which thou hast spoken.”  He boldly responded, “Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you” (Mosiah 17:8,10).  And he was indeed burned to death because of His profession of faith in the Savior.  Alma and Amulek taught the people of Ammonihah about the Savior and how through Him we gain a remission of sins, and some believed on their words.  Those who did were condemned by the people and like Abinadi suffered death by fire: “They brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire” (Alma 14:8).  The Lamanite converts of Ammon and his brethren were similarly valiant in their faith to the point of being willing to offer their lives for God.  When their enemies came upon them to slay them, “They would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword” (Alma 24:23).  What incredible devotion to the Lord!  In our dispensation of course the prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum also were slain because of their testimony of the Savior: “Like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, [Joseph] has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum” (Doctrine and Covenants 135:3).  All of these, and so many more across the ages, have valued their witness of God and His Only Begotten Son above even their very lives.

               Most of us hopefully will not have to die in the cause of Christ.  But the example of all the “souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” should inspire us to give more of our lives every day to follow the Savior and be true to our covenants with him (Revelation 6:9).  In the book Marcellus changed the course of his life because he witnessed Jesus give up His life on the cross, and ultimately Christ is the supreme example of giving up everything in faithfulness to God.