Alma, Chapter 27

What is the bond between missionaries and converts?

The lamanites who, in the last chapter, had chased after the nephites to kill them were not able to find them, so they went home.  The amalekites did not like the outcome of the fighting so they began to stir up the lamanites against the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi were still committed to leaving their weapons buried and not fighting, so more of them were killed by the lamanites who had not been converted (v. 1-3).  At this point, I am sure that the hearts of Ammon and his brothers were really sad for the attack on these innocent people who they had helped to convert to the gospel.  I am sure they wanted to find a way to be able to help them.  My husband talks about the people who he baptized while on his mission, with a great love for them.  I am sure that this is the way that most (if not all) missionaries feel about the converts because they have seen them work so hard to make changes and find the right path in life.  If a missionary has a great love for those he or she baptizes, I can imagine that a convert feels an even greater love, because the missionary helped to change their lives.

“Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved them—for they were treated as though they were angels sent from God to save them from everlasting destruction—therefore, when Ammon and his brethren saw this great work of destruction, they were moved with compassion, and they said unto the king (v. 4):  Let us gather together this people of the Lord, and let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed (v. 5).  But the king said unto them: Behold, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them (v. 6).  And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go (v. 7)?  And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren, and we will be their slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them (v. 8 ).  But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any slaves among them; therefore let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren (v. 9).  But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the land (v. 10).  And it came to pass that Ammon went and inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said unto him (v. 11):  Get this people out of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will preserve them (v. 12).  And now it came to pass that Ammon went and told the king all the words which the Lord had said unto him (v. 13).  And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land (v. 14).”

Ammon and his brothers, not only brought the gospel to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, which saved them spiritually, but they helped to bring them safely out of the land and saved them physically from the lamanites and amalekites.  The people trusted their missionaries and the Lord with their lives.  What an awesome bond they had.

What is the source of joy and happiness?

I think the time that I have felt the most joy was the moment my second daughter was born.  (Not that the first wasn’t a wonderful moment, but I had been given too many pain killers and such to really get what was going on at the time.)  When I saw this beautiful baby I just knew she was sent from heaven and I felt an immediate love and bond with her that I had never known before.  My joy was so full, I couldn’t help but cry.

I know the time that I have felt the most unhappy was when I had felt broken-hearted as a youth.  I felt confused and very upset at something that had happened and it made me extremely sad.  I cried and struggled for a while.  In my anger I got rid of things that brought memories of that person.  I became depressed, did not want to talk to people and just was a mess for several days.  (Finally I got down on my knees and prayed for help.  I was immediately comforted by the loving arms of the spirit and I knew I would be okay.)

Ammon went to talk to the Nephites.  ”And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting (v. 16).  Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth (v. 17).  Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness (v. 18 ).  Now the joy of Alma in meeting his brethren was truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; but behold their joy was not that to exceed their strength (v. 19).”

Their joy was because they were seeing their dear friend again, who they had been converted with.  Their joy was also because they realized that they were all safe and had had some wonderful experiences along the way.  And as we learned earlier, their joy was because they realized they were all still strong in the gospel.  On the other hand, the Amalekites felt angry and unhappy and wanted to bring others down with them.  The gospel brings the greatest joy to people, where sinning and evil brings people the greatest unhappiness.  To feel more like Alma and the sons of Mosiah, we need to be living the gospel- not just having the gospel in our lives, but truly living the principles of it in all we do.

How do covenants work for us?

“And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his own house. And they went and told the chief judge all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites (v. 20).  And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people concerning the admitting their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi (v. 21).  And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance (v. 22).  And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness (v. 23).  And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies (v. 24).”

The Nephites promised land and protection to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  In return the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi would help to pay for the army that was protecting them.  I think that this was more than fair for them.  I think one of the things that the people should pay for is protection, which in this case was an army to stand against the Lamanites and Amalekites.  The example this gives us, is that when we have new converts to the gospel, we should do more than what is necessary to help them to keep their covenants.  We need to do all that we can to protect their testimonies from the temptations of Satan.

The covenants we make at baptism are in preparation for the covenants of the temple.  In the temple, we can find safety in gathering our families together to be sealed for eternity.  We need to work towards making these covenants and then work to help those converts to do the same.

What’s in a name?

At birth we are all given a name by our parents.  When we are baptized we take on the name of Christ.  This is saying that we become part of the family of Christ.  Why is this important?  Because it is a way to distinguish us from the rest of the world.  We take upon us His name to show others that we are members of His church and His family of the gospel.  Throughout the scriptures, people who are converted have changed their names to reflect their conversion.  For example, recently in the scriptures, the Lamanites who were converted by Ammon and his brothers, changed their name to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

“Now, it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him, into the wilderness, where they had pitched their tents, and made known unto them all these things. And Alma also related unto them his conversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren (v. 25).  And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the Nephites the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after (v. 26).  And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end (v. 27).  And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it (v. 28 ).  Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them (v. 29).  And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord (v. 30).”

The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi moved into Jershon and became part of the people of Nephi.  They were then known as the people of Ammon, and no longer the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  They were very righteous and “highly favored” by the Lord, because they were faithful in keeping the covenant that they had made with God.  They must have understood that their was life after death, because they did not fear it.  They knew that they would be blessed in the life after if they died righteously in this life.  What a great example of holding true to our covenants no matter what.  This can sometimes be a difficult thing to do, when Satan is so desperately trying to pull people away from the gospel.  I hope that I can always remember that their are greater blessings than I can imagine that will come for being faithful in keeping all the covenants that I have made with God.

Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved them—for they were treated as though they were angels sent from God to save them from everlasting destruction—therefore, when Ammon and his brethren saw this great work of destruction, they were moved with compassion, and they asaid unto the king:

5 Let us gather together this people of the Lord, and let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed.

6 But the king said unto them: Behold, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them.

7 And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?

8 And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren, and we will be their slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them.

9 But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any aslaves among them; therefore let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren.

10 But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the land.

11 And it came to pass that Ammon went and inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said unto him:

12 Get this people aout of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will bpreserve them.

13 And now it came to pass that Ammon went and told the king all the words which the Lord had said unto him.

14 And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land.