I recently finished reading a story in the Book of Mormon that changed the way I see my role as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
First a little background story: Alma, Ammon, and the sons of Mosiah are Nephites (a group of people that throughout the Book of Mormon are typically known as the believers, or followers of Christ). After they were converted, they went on missions to teach the Lamanites (the people typically known as the unbelievers, and almost always were filled with hatred towards the Nephities and often went to war with them) about Christ. These missionaries were VERY succesful in converting many Lamanites, an entire kingdom in fact. The stories of these men are amazing!! You can read about them in part starting in Mosiah chapter 27 (where Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah are introduced) to the end of Alma chapter 28.
The part of the story that I want to discuss right now is right at the very end of this long story. (Alma chapters 26-28) One group of people who were converted were previously a very wicked people: murderers, stole, you name it, they probably did it. Anyway, they were converted to the Lord, and the Lord redeemed them from their sins. This group of people, who called themselves the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, and latter the people of Ammon, had so fully repented that they dared not pick up their weapons of war again lest their sins be brought back on them. They would rather die. Well, after they were converted, some other Laminites were angry with them and came to fight them. The Anti-Nephi-Lehi's lay on the ground praising God as the Laminites came and slaughtered them. (Wow, this sounds so gory.) But then many of the Lamiinites were also converted due to their example, and they stopped. But not all of them were. As the Laminities were about to return to fight with them again, God told Ammon to lead them to the Nephites for safety. But the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's feared that because they had previously killed so many of the Nephities, that the Nephites would not help them. But they did. As the Nephites saw their conversion, they gave up an entire city for them to live in! (This is amazing thing number 1! Can you image moving everyone out of your entire city so that your previous enemies can live there?? Think about it.) Then, not only did they give them their city, but they put guards all around the city to protect them. (Amazing number 2: they put themselves in danger to fight for and protect them.) After this the Lamanites came to battle with the Nephites. It says that it was the greatest battle yet to be had between the Nephites and the Lamanites. But the people of Ammon still did not break their covenant with God. After this, there were many more wars. And it got to a point where they felt that they had to fight and help the Nephites, but NO ONE WOULD LET THEM! Even their own young sons went and fought that they would not break their covenants, and were miracoulsly protected.
So here is what really blows my mind, in summary:
The Nephites knew that the people of Ammon had entered into a covenant with God that they would not take up arms again. The Nephites, and remember that the people of Ammon probably killed a lot of their loved ones, but nevertheless they loved these people so much that they welcomed them into their lands, gave up their homes, and gave their own lives. The Nephites gathered around them and protected them. In essence they said, "I will give my own life in order to prevent you from breaking your covenants with God."
They gathered around them, gave their time, their efforts, their lives and said, I will not let you do the wrong thing. Now apply that to us, today. What if every member of the church today, gathered around each other, and new converts, gave of our time, our energy, our love, and said, "I will not let you return to your sins. I will love you, and I will protect you. I will give you a place in my life that you may live and be safe from the temptations of life." How would we be different? How would the world be different? If we stopped bikering, stopped fighting each other, stopped keeping-up-with-the-Jones's, stopped gossiping, stopped excluding. If we looked around at each other, realized we are all sinners, that we all need to be gathered and protected. Our hearts would be healed of so much pain and hurt. We would be united in strength and power, just as the Nephites were. The Sons of Helaman (as were called the sons of the people of Ammon) were saved and none perished in war. What if all of our sons and daughters could have that same blessing upon them, to be protected and strengthened as they go out into the ragging war of the world.
What a powerful example of one, the importance of keeping our covenants, but two, helping each other. Not turing the blind eye and letting others do what they know is wrong. Obviously it is not our place to dictate and demand perfection of others, but rather do as the Nephites. Open our homes and our lives and love in a way that we give our all to others.
There are a few times in my life, and a few people, that cross my mind at least multiple times a week, if not every day. I realized after thinking about this example, that those times in my life that are the most significant to me and that I am the most grateful for, are the times when those people gathered around me, loved me, and in essence interacted with me in a way that said, "I am not going to let you go back to your sins. I am going to lift you and protect you." Those are the moments that I hold dear to my heart, and are the most powerful in my constant conversion.
I know the scriptures are real. That as we read and study their words, things will be revealed to us that we need to know. Ways that we need to live our lives. How to act and treat others. And how to keep the covenants we've made with God. This story is not far from the life we all live right now. I hope that I can be converted to living this way, and gather in those in my life who need to be gathered, and pass on those blessings that I've received in the past.
