On Monday, July 25th we went with Elder Williams and Quarnberg to visit Peso da Regua. This is a pretty city, of about 20,000 people located on the Douro river 25 minutes from us.
SCRIPTURE POWER
Sometimes we are warned and other times we are not. Sometimes we may be able to avoid being taken and bound and other times we maybe required to suffer. “thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.” (Alma 24:27)
Consider these experiences of Alma and Nephi.
First Alma:
“Now Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah. And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to destroy them.” (Mosiah 23:1-2; 18:34)
Alma with authority baptizes and organizes a group of about 450 into the church of Christ. He teaches them “that there should be no contention..having their hearts knit together in unity and in love towards another.” (Mosiah 18:21) “Thus did Alma teach every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them.” (Mosiah 23:15) “did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness” (Mosiah 23:18)
They “prosper exceedingly” and build the city of Helam. However, without being warned an army of Lamanites comes into their land “Alma and his brethren delivered themselves up into their hands; and the Lamanites took possession of the land of Helam.” (Mosiah 23:29) Amulon, a former wicked priest of King Noah who would have urged the execution of Abinadi is appointed king over them. He persecutes Alma and does “cause that his children should persecute their children” (Mosiah 24:8-11) He threatens execution if anyone is found praying.
How would Alma and the members of the “church of Christ” (Mosiah 18:17) feel toward God? Why was Alma warned at the waters of Mormon when they dwelt in tents but not warned after they had built a city and were living righteously? They escape from King Noah only to build a city and have the king of the Lamanites appoint wicked Amulon as their king in Helam. (Mosiah 23:39)
The answer was to help them develop increased patience and faith.
“Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people. For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God,... And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.” (Mosiah 23: 21-24)
After Alma and the people of the Lord “did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” (Mosiah 24:15) “so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you our of bondage” (Mosiah 24:16) The Lord causes a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, they escape and travel all day, and in the valley of Alma “all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God” (Mosiah 24:22) Once again they are warned. “And now the Lord said unto Alma: Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land” (Mosiah 24:23)
Sometimes we are warned and other times we are not.
Now Nephi:
On 4 separate occasions Nephi’s older brothers Laman and Lemuel are so angry at him that they attempt to kill him. (1 Ne. 7:16; 1 Ne. 16:37; 1 Ne. 17:48; 2 Ne. 5:2-4)
The first attempt Nephi describes : “they were angry with me..they did lay their hands upon me…and did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life” (1 Ne. 7:16) Nephi prayers to: “give me strength that I may burst these bands”. Instead his prayer is answered as “the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet” (1 Ne. 7:17-18)
The 3rd attempt on his life was when Nephi was commanded to build a ship. “and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not,…and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed;…for God shall smite him….they were confounded and could not contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me with their fingers, even for the space of many days… And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not wither before thee, but I will shock them, [IE cause to shake or tremble] saith the Lord, and this will I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God. And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand unto my brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken. And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us. And they fell down before me, and were about to worship me,” (1 Ne. 17: 48-55)
Imagine the power Nephi felt. His brothers who are angry at him again come to lay their hands on him with the intent to kill him by throwing him into the sea. However, this time he commands them to not touch him or God will smite them and they will wither as a dried reed. They are confounded and won’t even touch him with their fingers. Many days go by and he is told to stretch forth his hand and God will shake them. He stretches forth his hand they are shaken physically and they recognize that Nephi has the power of God, they fall down before him and are about to worship him. (1 Ne. 17:48-55) That would have been a very powerful and miraculous experience. Previously, they lay their hands upon him and bind him with cords now they wont even touch him with their fingers.
Not long after this the ship is built and they are at sea when Laman and Lemuel “were angry with me,…and did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it..” (1 Ne. 18:11) After being bound for 4 days and “my wife with her tears and prayers, and also my children, did not soften the hearts of my brethren” (1 Ne. 18:19) Nephi’s ankles and wrists “had swollen exceedingly..and great was the soreness thereof. Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.” (1 Ne. 18:15-16)
Imagine the trust it would take to have successfully experienced commanding his brothers “In the name of the Almighty God” to not touch him but now to recognize that the Lord’s will was that “they bound me insomuch that I could not move” (1 Ne. 18:12) and suffer for days “that he might show forth his power” (1 Ne. 18:11)
“For every Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego who are saved from the flames (Daniel 3), an Abinadi is allowed to burn (Mosiah 17). For every wayward Alma the Younger that is brought to the light from a pleading, faithful parent (Mosiah 27), a Laman and Lemuel continue to stray (1 Nephi). For every 2,000 stripling warriors who leave the battle with nothing more than wounds (Alma 56:56), 1,005 are left to be slain by the sword (Alma 24:22). For every Ammon who brings thousands of souls to repentance (Alma 26:22), a Mormon and Moroni labor all the days of their life and never see the fruits of their labor (Moroni 9:6). For every blind to see, deaf to hear, and lame to walk (Matthew 11:5), the experience of unfathomable suffering awaits in Gethsemane (Matthew 26). However, For every Abinadi who is burned, sometimes an Alma takes the doctrine to heart and begins a lifetime in service to God (Mosiah 17). For every 1,005 who are left to be slain, sometimes we see ‘the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people' as more souls are brought to repentance than the number who perished (Alma 24:27). For every ‘thy will be done' in submission to the agony of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:39), there is a prayer too beautiful to be recorded, the blessing of children one by one, angels descending from the opened heavens, and tears streaming down the face from One who can finally declare full joy (3 Nephi 17).” (Bruce and Marie Hafen— “Faith Is Not Blind”.)
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) The witness only comes “after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6)
