Blessed Be the Name of the Lord God Almighty

After their miraculous preservation against the terrible Gadianton robbers, Mormon recorded this memorable reaction by the victorious Nephites: “And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies. Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God. And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies” (3 Nephi 4:31-33). They were overcome with joy and gratitude because of the goodness of God in delivering them from destruction.

               There are many similar passages in the Book of Mormon that shows the people’s deep gratitude and praise for the Lord when He delivered them through His power. After Alma’s people escaped from the Lamanites in Helam we read, “Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God. And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God” (Mosiah 24:21-22). After the Nephites defeated Zerahemnah and his army, Mormon recorded, “Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy” (Alma 45:1). Similarly, after the Nephites defended themselves against the attacks of the Lamanites under Amalickiah, “The people of Nephi did thank the Lord their God, because of his matchless power in delivering them from the hands of their enemies” (Alma 49:28). When the Nephite leader Gid saw the Lord’s powerful hand in preserving them, he declared, “And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us” (Alma 57:35). And in the story of the Jaredites, after almost a year on the ocean, they were overjoyed and full of praise to the Lord for their miraculous arrival: “And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them” (Ether 6:12).

All these examples show us the kind of gratitude and appreciation that we should show for the Lord as He helps us and delivers us out of our trials and struggles. We may not face Lamanite armies or Gadianton robbers or have to cross an ocean, but in our day to day battles as we seek the Lord’s help we know that He will aid us and strengthen us. As He does, these accounts of the Nephites remind us that we must not forget to express our gratitude and fill our hearts with praise for the Lord’s goodness and matchless power. Like them, we too can express from our souls, “Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God!”