Alma 17-22 Commentary
“...be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.” (Alma 17:11) Ammon and his companions have embarked on a fourteen year mission to the Lamanites and, much like Alma and Amulek, faced many great trials along the way. This verse teaches us how facing adversity in a way that brings glory to the Lord can be a great blessing to many. As an example of the believers we have an opportunity to show others how the gift of the Holy Ghost brings peace to our otherwise troublesome circumstances. This opportunity is magnified in equal proportion to the greatness of the trials we face, such as now. When we are sequestered in our homes, distancing ourselves from others, dealing with issues of great concern that are very taxing upon our physical, social and spiritual, well-being; the work of the Lord will move forward still. In that we can take comfort. It is easy to become overwhelmed by our circumstances, if we were to count daily the increase in trials that are being heaped upon the innocent, or the overflowing suffering of many caused by the unrighteous decisions of a few. It is our responsibility, as children of light, to let it shine in the face of darkness. And what are you doing to let it shine? We can be the rock, the sure foundation upon which a society can build, or rebuild. We can still be instruments of conversion such as Alma, Ammon and their companions.
What are you doing to participate in the work of the Lord? Holding sacrament and Sunday school meetings on the Sabbath, keeping a journal of your gospel study, current events and your personal feelings, doing family history, sharing the gospel through social media, being faithful ministers to our wards and neighbors. These are all activities that I can imagine these ancient missionaries doing while separated from each other in the land of Nephi. Though their social media probably worked a little differently than ours does today.
We can also learn something of the character of Ammon, attributes that allowed him to be an effective servant of the Lord:
- Filled with the Spirit of God 18:16
- Wise yet harmless 18:22
- Speaks with boldness 18:24
- Received knowledge and power according to his faith 18:35
We can also learn from the example of the queen, who exercised faith in the words of Ammon despite not seeing any evidence to explain the cause of Lamoni’s condition. To which Ammon said, “blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith...” And because of her faith she also received the outpouring of the spirit. And the example of the servant Abish who, having received a testimony of truth even while living among the Lamanites, was able to recognize the work and power of God and invited all to come and see that they might also believe. We can find attributes of ourselves in the many characters in this history, and see how each allowed the light of Christ to work within them.
May we all receive the same righteous desire to serve like Ammon, to know the truth like king Lamoni, to believe like the queen, and to invite others like Abish.