"And now it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together; and this they did that they might have the voice of the people concerning the matter."
Mosiah 22:1
Reading this today I was impressed that the king gathered everyone together to get their ideas and make a plan. The situation required it, of course, but I still get the feeling that a king like Limhi's father would have just commanded and expected to be obeyed. Instead, Limhi and Ammon really want to hear what everyone has to say, and talking about it together seems to have gotten them to the plan that they had to leave and go back to the land of Zarahemla. Gideon comes forth and helps them figure out how to make that overall plan work, and they escape.
For this plan, everyone had to be in on it, and I think God had made them ready to do something really hard, through wars and bad treatment, and internal dissent... so many things in their recent history, until they were ready to escape. And how cool of God, honestly, to save these people as well as Alma's group that had already left when king Noah was in charge? Both groups went through different things, but they both returned to God and got to the same place eventually.
God does a really good job of gathering and saving us, wherever we are. Let's consult with him today and talk to him about how to get to where we need to be for the next step in our own story, and how to accept the gift of salvation that he offers to all of us.
