Power Given Unto Them
After Alma returned to Ammonihah
and spent time with Amulek, the two of them went forth unto the people to call
them to repentance. Mormon said this, “And Alma went forth, and also Amulek,
among the people, to declare the words of God unto them; and they were filled
with the Holy Ghost. And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they
could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could
slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound
in bands and cast into prison. Now, this was done that the Lord might show
forth his power in them” (Alma 8:30-31). This gives us some interesting insight
into what happened after they finished preaching to the people and were taken
captive. We read that the leaders of the people took Alma and Amulek “and bound
them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land.” They
were forced to watch the murder of many of the believers, and Amulek commented,
“Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.” But Alma seemed to know they weren’t
destined to die at that point, but they were smitten and “cast into prison.” Mormon’s
earlier comment suggests that at that moment Alma had power to not go into
prison, but he did not choose to exercise that power. Instead, they “suffered
for many days” with terrible treatment from the people of Ammonihah. But Alma opted
not to exercise the power he had to deliver themselves out of prison and
instead endured the terrible and unjust treatment. Finally, Alma knew from the
Spirit that the time had come to exercise that power, and he cried unto the
Lord, “O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even
unto deliverance.” At that point “they broke the cords with which they were
bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of
destruction had come upon them” (Alma 14:4, 12, 17, 23, 26). What impresses me by
this story is the restraint that Alma had—though he apparently had the power to
not have to experience any of that suffering in prison, he understood through
the Holy Ghost that he and Amulek were meant to endure it for a time. He did
not exercise the power to make his life easier, but instead waited until he
knew it was the right time so that “the Lord might show forth his power in
them.”
Alma’s restraint in this story is perhaps symbolic of the divine restraint the Savior when He faced cruel treatment and death. As He was initially captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter understandably wanted to fight and defend themselves. The Savior responded, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” The Savior could have called upon angels to save Him; He could have stopped it at any point, but with perfect restraint He chose not to in order to fulfill the mission that His Father had conferred upon Him. While He was on the cross they mocked Him suggesting that He had not the power He had: “Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:41-42). And yet He still restrained Himself. Few are those in history who have had great power and yet held back so perfectly from using it to benefit themselves. The mocking words spoken to Jesus are similar to what Alma and Amulek heard as they were also being smitten: “If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?” Alma in that moment could have delivered himself according to Mormon’s statement, just as the Savior on the cross could have delivered Himself. But they both showed incredible restraint, trusting in the will and timing of the Father. Ultimately the Savior did triumph as He rose from the tomb and loosed the bands of death, even as Alma and Amulek rose from the prison and “they were loosed from their bands” (Alma 14:28). We too will succeed in accomplishing the work the Father has for as we, with restraint, strive to do His will instead of seeking our own lives.
Alma’s restraint in this story is perhaps symbolic of the divine restraint the Savior when He faced cruel treatment and death. As He was initially captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter understandably wanted to fight and defend themselves. The Savior responded, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” The Savior could have called upon angels to save Him; He could have stopped it at any point, but with perfect restraint He chose not to in order to fulfill the mission that His Father had conferred upon Him. While He was on the cross they mocked Him suggesting that He had not the power He had: “Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:41-42). And yet He still restrained Himself. Few are those in history who have had great power and yet held back so perfectly from using it to benefit themselves. The mocking words spoken to Jesus are similar to what Alma and Amulek heard as they were also being smitten: “If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?” Alma in that moment could have delivered himself according to Mormon’s statement, just as the Savior on the cross could have delivered Himself. But they both showed incredible restraint, trusting in the will and timing of the Father. Ultimately the Savior did triumph as He rose from the tomb and loosed the bands of death, even as Alma and Amulek rose from the prison and “they were loosed from their bands” (Alma 14:28). We too will succeed in accomplishing the work the Father has for as we, with restraint, strive to do His will instead of seeking our own lives.
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