Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Alma 26:35

"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."
Alma 26:35


Ammon is great. :)  To review some history here, Ammon was one of the sons of Mosiah, and they in their early lives had been the bad sort... hanging out with Alma the Younger and really trying to tear down the church.  And they kept doing this until one day when an angel appeared to them because Alma (the elder) had been praying for God to help his son.  It was a huge thing for Alma, and also for the sons of Mosiah, and they worried that they had done so much bad in their lives that they would never be able to make up for it.  Even though their father was the king, they refused to rule, and instead went on the seemingly-impossible mission of converting the Lamanites.  Seemingly impossible because the Lamanites and the Nephites had been at war for generations, and Lamanites were taught to hate Nephites from way back when Nephi and Laman had a falling out.
Anyway, so... here is Ammon.  He and his brothers have turned from the dark side and given up the kingdom, and they've suffered a lot in the hands of the Lamanites... but have also had a lot of success.  And here you see the complete change in his heart.  He doesn't care about himself at all.  He is this happy because he feels like that wake up call that God gave him, through the angel, he has had the opportunity to share with other people... so they can be saved just like he was.  He glories in God, who granted them the opportunity and the success, and he has a huge testimony of repentance, because he has seen it work in his life, and in the life of all these Lamanites, many of whom were also dark siders... killing people for minor infractions and whatnot.
And what's not to love, really?  It applies to us as well.  God is a merciful being, even unto salvation, if we will repent and believe on his name.  Even if we've been fighting against God.  Even if we have harmed others.  Let's turn around and embrace God, find our way to forgiveness and salvation.  Ammon's joy can also be ours as we repent, and change, and become the people we want to be rather than the people we regret being in the past.
Dark side cookies taste like sawdust anyway.

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