If We Had Not Come Up

I was struck by this statement from Ammon as I read his words of reflection on their mission to the Lamanites: “For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us, yea, and they would also have been strangers to God” (Alma 26:9). Their mission had such an enormous impact on the history of their peoples, with thousands of Lamanites who were converted and surely even more of their descendants who came to know God because of it. What would have happened if they had listened to the other Nephites? They said to Ammon and his brethren: “Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning?” (Alma 26:9, 24) What if the sons of Mosiah had been convinced by them and not gone on their mission to the Lamanites? Of course we can’t know the answer to that question, but it highlights the fact that some of the decisions we make are seemingly small but enormously impactful upon the future and we must not let the world deter us from the mission the Lord has prepared for us. So how can we make sure we don’t miss the important opportunities the Lord has in store specifically for us?

               Two lessons from the sons of Mosiah come to mind which perhaps help to answer that question. The first is that they followed their righteous desires. I believe that the Lord grants us desires which if cultivated will lead us to do those things He has in store for us. Mormon recorded this about the sons of Mosiah: “Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3). Because they cultivated that desire and acted upon it by preaching first to the Nephites and then to the Lamanites—despite the difficulties that could have deterred them—the Lord provided them marvelous experiences. Surely as we cultivate the righteous desires that we feel and seek to act on them, the Lord will lead us to accomplish great things in His work. As Alma declared, “He granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life” (Alma 29:4). But if we let the world dissuade us from those desires we may fail to reach our potential as the Lord sees us.

               The other important lesson from the story of the sons of Mosiah is that they sought to follow the Spirit of the Lord in all they did. Surely that is the most important key for us as we seek to accomplish all the Lord has in store for us. Ammon recounted, “When our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success” (Alma 26:27). They listened to the Spirit of the Lord which comforted them and encouraged them to continue on their mission even when it was hard. Mormon described their actions as missionaries, after they had their initial success, in these words, “And they went forth whithersoever they were led by the Spirit of the Lord, preaching the word of God in every synagogue of the Amalekites, or in every assembly of the Lamanites where they could be admitted” (Alma 21:16). They preached as they were led by the Spirit of the Lord and went where the Holy Ghost directed them. After Aaron was freed from prison, “He was led by the Spirit to the land of Nephi, even to the house of the king which was over all the land.” He followed the Spirit to go teach the king, and while there he said this about his brother Ammon: “The Spirit of the Lord has called him another way; he has gone to the land of Ishmael, to teach the people of Lamoni” (Alma 22:1,4). These missionaries were led by the Spirit to do those things that the Lord wanted them to do and be where He wanted them to be, and that made all the difference as they found the people prepared to hear the gospel from them. Surely He will do the same for us as we seek each day to follow His promptings and fulfill the righteous desires of our hearts.