Today I read Alma 17, which any Latter-day Saint teenage boy can tell you is the story of Ammon chopping off the arms of the Lamanites who attempted to scatter King Lamoni's flocks of sheep. I'm struck by several elements in this chapter and will get to the meat of it in a moment but wanted to dwell on a few other topics first.
First, the power of fasting and prayer. I know we have touched on the power of fasting already a couple of times in my blog, but it bears repeating that Mormon points out that the sons of Mosiah came to their knowledge of the scripture through study, and much fasting and prayer. I think sometimes we short change the power that fasting can have, I know I do. And yet the scriptures are filled with examples of the Lord honoring a fast and a prayer. It really deserves it's own post I think and there may be a chapter where I can dedicate a blog entry just to fasting. For today's discussion, it is enough to point out that the sons of Mosiah gained their phenomenal testimonies in part from fasting and if you desire to increase your testimony, I suggest fasting as means to facilitate that.
Secondly, I have always found it a little odd that King Lamoni wanted Ammon to marry one of his daughters. Everytime I read this verse I can't help but wonder what King Lamoni's motives were in doing this. Was he trying to trap Ammon? Or maybe did he feel the Spirit pouring out of Ammon and acted as his spirit was touched, not really knowing himself why he was acting, only knowing he must act. I have had many people that just seemed drawn to me over the years, and I think it usually has to do with the Spirit. I have been approached by people before who wanted to know what made me so special, why was I so happy all the time? The answer of course is the Spirit and it's not something that can be taught. It can be cultivated surely, but it requires a lifestyle change in most cases. But feeling the Spirit when you are not used to it can cause people to act in goofy ways, and I think that is most likely the cause of Lamoni's proposal to Ammon.
Finally, the meat of this chapter, is about loving thine enemies. In a time when the Nephites were very much still living the Law of Moses, a law that fully endorsed revenge and an eye for an eye, some took a higher road. Ammon, as well as his brethren including Alma and Amulek, were such men. They had found that which any missionary who truly servers with all their heart, might, mind and strength finds, that you can't serve a people without coming to love them.
No one who reads Alma 17 can refute that Ammon loved his brethren, the Lamanites. It is also clear from this chapter that Ammon was not a man who delighted in bloodshed, a trait shared by many in the Book of Mormon. It is a HARD thing to stand up to persecution without retaliation. As a missionary myself many years ago, I came face to face with people that hated me. I had things thrown at me, dogs set upon me, profanity hurled at me and open threats made to me. And through it all, I loved them. It was a heart wrenching thing to be treated so poorly and at times it was depressing to be treated so poorly, but it did not change how the Spirit worked on my heart.
In today's world, the "enemy" of the American people are the extremist Muslims. The only thing that even compares to what Ammon and his brethren did, would be to serve a mission to the extremist Muslim groups. The groups that would love nothing better than to wipe out all the "infidels" for all time. Imagine not hating, not fearing these people, but being afraid for these people. Being so worried about their well being and eternal salvation that you gave up your comforts and your materialist life to go and serve those people and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Imagine your love for them overcoming your fear and almost certainty of being killed by them just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And imagine placing your life on the line to protect a few of them.
Jesus Christ taught that greater love hath no man than he who gives his life for his friends. Ammon was willing to die rather than let the Lamanites die in their sins and be confined to an eternity of damnation. How many of us could say the same today? I'm not sure I can. We are commanded to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and to pray for those who despitefully use us. It is hard, but with the help of the Spirit we can do just that. We can through prayer and fasting overcome those feelings of hate and anger. May we all turn to the Lord for assistance in overcoming those hurtful feelings for those who we do not like. Until tomorrow.
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