"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God."
Alma 31:5
I really like the idea here that Alma thought that preaching the gospel could affect the political situation in his country... that it could solve problems of rebellion, dissension, unrest, etc. I wonder how often we miss the benefits that the word of God could have, just because we don't consider it as a solution to so many problems in our lives, and in our world.
We have a tendency to roll our eyes at things like this and think... yeah, right. Preaching to criminals is not going to solve their criminality. It isn't going to stop terrorism. It isn't going to cure cancer. It isn't going to solve anything important. ... And those feelings are understandable in this world of unbelief. But imagine if we had the faith of Alma, or the Brother of Jared, or Moses. How could we be restrained from changing the world, changing our own lives, and saving the people who are waiting for the gospel?
Alma doesn't prevent the Zoramites from starting something crazy after this... but he does save a ton of people, and those people are part of the solution to the political problems that they had been having. The word of God worked... perhaps not in the way that anyone but God had intended, but God's intentions are what matters anyway, right?
Today, let's try the virtue of the word of God. Let's consider this alternate solution to the worldly options that we think might solve things... as a world, but also as individuals. Even if we don't think that the gospel has any bearing on our problems, let's have faith enough to try. Let's go to God, tell him that we want to try the virtue of the word of God as a solution to what we face. And as we try in faith and sincerity, God will show us what to do, and how to face every situation.
Alma 31:5
I really like the idea here that Alma thought that preaching the gospel could affect the political situation in his country... that it could solve problems of rebellion, dissension, unrest, etc. I wonder how often we miss the benefits that the word of God could have, just because we don't consider it as a solution to so many problems in our lives, and in our world.
We have a tendency to roll our eyes at things like this and think... yeah, right. Preaching to criminals is not going to solve their criminality. It isn't going to stop terrorism. It isn't going to cure cancer. It isn't going to solve anything important. ... And those feelings are understandable in this world of unbelief. But imagine if we had the faith of Alma, or the Brother of Jared, or Moses. How could we be restrained from changing the world, changing our own lives, and saving the people who are waiting for the gospel?
Alma doesn't prevent the Zoramites from starting something crazy after this... but he does save a ton of people, and those people are part of the solution to the political problems that they had been having. The word of God worked... perhaps not in the way that anyone but God had intended, but God's intentions are what matters anyway, right?
Today, let's try the virtue of the word of God. Let's consider this alternate solution to the worldly options that we think might solve things... as a world, but also as individuals. Even if we don't think that the gospel has any bearing on our problems, let's have faith enough to try. Let's go to God, tell him that we want to try the virtue of the word of God as a solution to what we face. And as we try in faith and sincerity, God will show us what to do, and how to face every situation.
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