Mosiah 24:15-16 -- On Patience and Faith

"And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
And it came to pass that 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 out of bondage."
Mosiah 24:15-16

I like this story because it illustrates the idea that the more faith and trust we put in God, the more he helps us.  It is super clear that God doesn't prevent bad things from happening to those that believe in him, because although these people who had joined together in a covenant to serve God were spared some hard wars by being forced to flee from their homes, they still ended up in slavery.

We know it was super hard for them because earlier in the chapter it says "And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God" (verse 10). Unfortunately that just brings down more affliction, because their captors decide to kill anyone who they find praying.  So they have to stealth-pray: "Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts" (verse 12).

Now, to be clear, these people are the good guys, right?  They joined together because they believed the words of the prophet Abinadi, spoken to them by Alma, and they wanted to be good.  And because of that they got death threats, lost their homes, had to flee into the wilderness, were found and lied to by the Lamanites (who they helped in an agreement, but then the Lamanites didn't hold up their end), and then were made slaves.  I mean, the story so far is pretty much reinforcing the world's idea that good guys finish last, right?

So, here they are in slavery, crying to the Lord in their hearts because if they speak their prayers they will be killed, and the Lord doesn't deliver them yet, even so.  He allows them to be treated like beasts of burden for the Lamanites, and instead of deliverance, they are made able to bear their burdens more easily.  So, still slavery, but cheerful slavery. :)

Then, finally, they are so faithful and patient that the Lord delivers them miraculously.  ... And I think that most of the time this is also the pattern of our lives, except we often give up way too soon.  We know that our faith and our patience are going to be tried in life, but even so, we too often start doubting our faith and doubting God's love the minute something hard blocks our way.  We think, well, maybe we should go a different direction.  But that isn't what God is telling us when there are obstacles to our progress (or at least usually... we obviously have to listen to the spirit for what God desires of us).  Typically, obstacles are there to teach us how to deal with obstacles. :)  How to tear them down or get around them or how to endure them.  And that's okay.  It doesn't mean that God doesn't love us, just like it doesn't mean that our parents don't love us when they force us to learn how to sit still, or tie our shoes, or learn our multiplication tables.  Those hard things are going to help us in the future, and making us do it is actually showing that we are loved.

Today, let's work on our faith and our patience.  Let's be willing to endure and learn the hard lessons that are preparing us for the future.  Let's pray to God always, with our voices and in our hearts.  He will hear our prayers and lighten our burdens, and always eventually deliver us, as we learn patience and faith. :)