Today I read Alma 16 where the prophecy of Alma and Amulek is fulfilled concerning the city and people of Ammonihah. It's interesting to me to note that as far as we can tell the fulfillment of the prophecy was only about 4 months after it was given. Because Alma and Amulek were liberated from the prison that held them in the 10th month of the year and according to Mormon the city was decimated in the 2nd moth of the next year.
The thing we need to remember is that if the Lord has spoken it, it HAS to happen. And by the Lord speaking it that of course includes His authorized servants because as the Lord has said in the Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 His servants speak with His authority.
I say this with some trepidation because I know there are some prophecies I would rather not see fulfilled if the truth be known, but really the alternative is unthinkable. If a prophecy that has not been rescinded goes unfulfilled then God will cease to be God and the universe will be no more we are taught. This concept was actually explored in the cult classic movie "Dogma".
The thing that I find interesting actually is that God knows the end from the beginning, He already knows who is going to repent and who is not. He already knew the people of Nineveh would repent when He sent Jonah to them to preach repentance to them. He already knew that most of the citizens of Ammonihah would not repent when He sent Alma and Amulek to them. So one has to wonder why does He send people to cry repentance to people who He already knows will not repent?
The answer is two-fold. First, I think it is so that the people cannot argue against His judgments at the last day. Although I have already explored the concept of the judgment here and I do not thing any of us will argue with God about where we end up, if we are truly honest with ourselves. But I don't really think it's so much of an argument as it is spending eternity blaming someone other than ourselves.
Secondly, I think it has more to do with the messenger growing and learning from doing the will of the Lord. I think Jonah grew more from learning to accept the Lord's will and forgo his own will than the people of Nineveh did from him. I think I learned more and grew more as a missionary than anyone I may have come into contact with on my mission with the exception of maybe 1 person. But just like with Abraham sacrificing Isaac, God already knew Abraham would obey him, it was Abraham who didn't know that he would obey God even in this until put to the test. We grow so much from things that are hard for us and put us out of our comfort zone. That is why effective leaders are almost always pushing us to reach, to strive, to get out of our comfort zone, because they know that will be the most effective for those they lead.
However, even though the entire city was destroyed, Alma and Amulek still had success in Ammonihah, Zeezrom and many other people believed in their words and repented of their sins and were baptized and started a church in the land of Sidom where they had been driven to. I know I have said it before, but I will say it again, a mission is not about how many people you teach, how many people you baptize, it's about how faithful you are to the commandments of God, to the promptings you receive. It's about what YOU learn and how YOU grow that really counts as a missionary. You should NOT come home the same person you left when you return from a mission. Sadly that was one of the things that made it so hard for me to go on my mission, is I understood that and realized that I would not want to see some of my friends anymore when I returned home. Part of me is still sad by that fact because I really do miss those guys and gals some days, but the rest of me is ok with it because I am in a really good place and I have grown so much since then.
A final thought for today, yesterday I blogged that sacrifice brings forth blessings. It can be very hard to sacrifice sometimes, that's why the word is called sacrifice. But I do not regret any of the things I have been asked to give up, no matter how hard it was at the time. Just like with Job, when the Lord taketh away, He will restore and generally give back more than was taken in the first place. When you sacrifice in the Lord's name to help fulfill His word, amazing things happen in your own life. Never be afraid to follow the direction He gives you, because it truly is for your own good. Until tomorrow.
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