With the Strength of His Own Arm

One of the most dramatic scenes in the Book of Mormon occurred in the fifth year of the reign of the judges when the Nephites faced the Amlicites and the Lamanites in a great battle. When the Nephites found out that the Lamanites had come to help the Amlicites, they raced back to Zarahemla to defend it. This must have been a very frightening moment for them: “And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them.” In the ensuing battle Alma—the Nephite chief judge—and Amlici (who started the war) met face to face in this intense scene: “And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another.” It appears that this hand-to-hand combat between the two was not easily won by either, and Alma subsequently cried unto the Lord these words, “O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.” After this call for help to the Lord, “he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword” (Alma 2:27-31). Alma defeated him, though came away from the battle injured (see Alma 3:22). Through their faith the Nephites thwarted the attack and saved themselves from this innumerable enemy who sought their destruction.

               I love Alma’s example here of what true leadership is. He did not direct his army from behind but led them in the front and took the responsibility on himself to fight Amlici, even though there were likely other Nephite soldiers more equipped to do so. He was first chief judge and could have easily justified that it was not the role of the chief judge to actually fight, but he did. He took the hardest problem for himself and did not hesitate to risk his own life for his people and was injured because of it. He also knew where his power would truly come from and reached out to the Lord for strength as he faced a determined enemy. And even after defeating Amlici he didn’t draw back and consider his contribution enough; instead he went for the second major source of the combat: the king of the Lamanites. We read, “He also contended with the king of the Lamanites; but the king of the Lamanites fled back from before Alma and sent his guards to contend with Alma” (Alma 2:32). The king of the Lamanites, unlike Alma, was not willing to risk his own life fighting and delegated the responsibility to his guards. But Alma continued fighting until the battle was won and he had done all he could to protect his people from this dangerous enemy. Perhaps the lesson from Alma is that the best leaders will not delegate the hardest or most important challenges—rather they themselves will take those on and not consider their time or safety of more importance than that of others. Like King Benjamin, Alma did “fight with the strength of his own arm” and “in the strength of the Lord,” and his people were blessed because of it (Words of Mormon 1:3). To be effective leaders we too must learn to labor for ourselves and in the strength of the Lord like these powerful Nephite prophets did.