He Could Not Rest

Another way in which Alma is a powerful example of priesthood service is the way that he loved and cared for others. We see this I think in particular with his relationship with Amulek. When Alma came back into the city of Ammonihah, he met Amulek who received him. We read that “Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he began to preach unto the people,” and clearly this was a time that Alma was ministering to Amulek (Alma 8:27). The latter described the experience in these words, “For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed me, and my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk; yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake” (Alma 10:11). Alma had a profound impact on Amulek, and he continued to minister to him after their difficult experiences in Ammonihah. After witnessing so much wickedness and cruelty, they departed out of the city. It must have been a very difficult time for  Amulek who had “forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred.” To help his friend, Alma “took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord” (Alma 15:16, 18). He ministered to the new missionary and helped him through his challenges by strengthening him in the Lord.

                Alma also showed his love for the people in many other ways as he served them, giving us an example to follow in our priesthood service. For example, after first repenting he “traveled throughout all the land of Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church” (Mosiah 27:35). He continued that pattern of service among the people as he served both as chief judge and high priest. As chief judge he “went up with his people, yea, with his captains, and chief captains, yea, at the head of his armies, against the Amlicites to battle” (Alma 2:16). He risked his life to protect them from the Amlicites and to preserve their freedom, even getting injured in the battle. After realizing that the people were straying from the word of God, he “delivered up the judgment-seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God” (Alma 4:20). He humbly gave up a position of prominence so that he could devote all of his time to his priesthood service. Alma traveled “throughout all the land” to deliver the word of God to the people, including at Zarahemla, Gideon, Melek, Ammonihah, Sidon, and Antionum. He willingly suffered great persecution as he preached the gospel, especially at Ammonihah, and yet this did not deter him from fulfilling his duty in the priesthood. He showed his care and concern for those he served with as shown in his prayer before preaching to the Zoramites: “O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, and also my two sons—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord.” We read that he “clapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Alma 31:32, 36). He clearly cared for each of them. And he also showed his love and concern for his family as he taught each of his three sons individually when he recognized their need to be nourished by the word. Even at the end of his life after so much time spent serving the people, he “could not rest” and continued to declare the word unto the people. His life after his conversion is a powerful example of what it means to serve and magnify our calling. He loved his people with all his heart, so much that he desired to “speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!” (Alma 29:1)