Gospel Message Day 35

Lessons from Alma and Amulek

I'm going to pause on the topic I have been writing about to talk about some things I learned in Institute tonight. We talked of 3 men, one of them being a favorite scripture hero--Amulek. I love that man. And someone pointed out yet another thing that showed how amazing he was. In Alma 9:34 we see that Amulek could have turned back. He could have backed out from having to say anything. The people were after Alma, angry with him and wanting to put him in prison. But Amulek was still safe from their wrath. He could have walked away. He didn't. He stood up and spoke out about what he had finally allowed himself to hear, listen to, and believe.

We talked of Alma 10:6--that the Lord tried many times to reach Amulek. Our teacher asked us how often do we give up after only a few times? How often do we give up early on? This could be in home/visiting teaching. In missionary work. In teaching harder-to-reach family members. We can't give up. They need us too much. We don't want to pressure them, push them away, or alienate them. But we can keep loving them.

And I also liked that we talked of how "Sometimes you're the Alma, and sometimes you're the Amulek." In Alma 8-9, we read the story of Alma trying to preach in the city of Ammonihah. They persecute him and throw him out and he is very low. But then a friend of his, who happens to be an angel (love the symbolism--again what we see what Elder Holland spoke about) reassures him that he has great reason to rejoice. His success is measured by his obedience, not by how many he has baptized unto repentance. He is then commanded to return to preach repentance. He does so, but he is so hungry because he has been fasting for days for the people of Ammonihah. He has no place to go and no one to turn to.

That is often us. We are weakened physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The Lord is always there for us, but often His love and strength have to come to us through someone in our life.

He can't be there to physically hold us and reassure us with a hug. I don't think I could ever explain how much good a hug does for me. Unfortunately, my life is rather short on those these days. :-(

He can't physically be there to feed us. Yes. I've been there when I had absolutely no food in the home and unexpectedly food was at my door).

He can't physically be there to say "I love you," "It's going to be all right," or "I'm there for you." Or to be a listening ear. We can find His words of love and comfort in the scriptures, but often we need to physically hear it.

We need someone. We need an Amulek. 

Because as Alma came back to the city, he met Amulek--there because an angel told him to be. Amulek took him to his home, fed him, and helped him during his low time. So, some times we are an Alma needing an Amulek. But often we need to be Amulek--reaching out to others in need.