"And they came unto Alma; and the one who was the foremost among them said unto him: Behold, what shall these my brethren do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea, and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us out of our synagogues which we have labored abundantly to build with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our exceeding poverty; and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do?
And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word."
Alma 32:5-6
This verse is part of the story of Alma and Amulek's journey to preach to the Zoramites. As with most things, God has a different perspective than we do about afflictions, and here, when the poor among the Zoramites asks Alma how they can worship God when they are barred from church because of their clothing, he rejoices because he perceives that their afflictions have made them humble ("for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance" (verse 13)).
Obviously neither Alma nor God wanted these people treated the way they were because of their poverty, but from a spiritual perspective their persecution and mistreatment actually helped some of them accept the gospel and ended up being a huge blessing in their lives while the other Zoramites condemned themselves, and ended up destroyed more sooner than later.
I think maybe this is a good lesson for us as well--to take a step back from our problems and realize that there are opportunities as well, and things that we learn through the tough times that are invaluable. God always provides a way. Today let's remember that there are advantages to being exactly who we are. Let's not waste time wishing that we were anything or anyone else, but instead take the lessons that we have learned and the faith that we have gained, and grow and thrive. Let's worship God despite the hardships, and dedicate our lives to him, seeking his approval and not the approval of the world.
And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word."
Alma 32:5-6
This verse is part of the story of Alma and Amulek's journey to preach to the Zoramites. As with most things, God has a different perspective than we do about afflictions, and here, when the poor among the Zoramites asks Alma how they can worship God when they are barred from church because of their clothing, he rejoices because he perceives that their afflictions have made them humble ("for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance" (verse 13)).
Obviously neither Alma nor God wanted these people treated the way they were because of their poverty, but from a spiritual perspective their persecution and mistreatment actually helped some of them accept the gospel and ended up being a huge blessing in their lives while the other Zoramites condemned themselves, and ended up destroyed more sooner than later.
I think maybe this is a good lesson for us as well--to take a step back from our problems and realize that there are opportunities as well, and things that we learn through the tough times that are invaluable. God always provides a way. Today let's remember that there are advantages to being exactly who we are. Let's not waste time wishing that we were anything or anyone else, but instead take the lessons that we have learned and the faith that we have gained, and grow and thrive. Let's worship God despite the hardships, and dedicate our lives to him, seeking his approval and not the approval of the world.
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