The Man Who Would Not Be King



Time to rewind our story to the day of the conversion of Alma the Younger.  If you will remember, Alma was not alone when the angel of the Lord appeared to him.  The four sons of King Mosiah were with him.  Although their experience didn't torment them as Alma's had, it was sufficiently awe-inspiring that they, too, repented of their many sins.  They were the ones who carried Alma to his father.  They, too, were born again and after their conversion, they went about with Alma, preaching the gospel of repentance. 

Not long after, King Mosiah spoke to his sons about the kingdom.  All four told their father that they had no desire to be king.  It had been laid upon each heart to serve a mission to the Lamanites.  Mosiah worried about them going into such a dangerous situation.  Nonetheless, he respected their choice.  It was at this time that he set about reforming the government and setting up a system of judges.

In the first year of the reign of the judges, Ammon, the chief among Mosiah's sons, came to him with word that they were ready to depart.  They took weapons with which to provide themselves food and departed into the wilderness.  There they fasted and prayed mightily that they might know where the Lord wanted them to go.  The voice of the Lord came to them and told them: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. (Alma 17:11)

They felt courage then to go into the land of their sworn enemies.  The Book of Mormon tells the story thus:

And it came to pass when they had arrived in the borders of the land of the Lamanites, that they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken.

And assuredly it was great, for they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

 

Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the curse of God had fallen upon them because of the traditions of their fathers; notwithstanding the promises of the Lord were extended unto them on the conditions of repentance.  Therefore, this was the cause for which the sons of Mosiah had undertaken the work, that perhaps they might bring them unto repentance; that perhaps they might bring them to know of the plan of redemption. (Alma 17: 13-16)

 

With God, nothing is impossible.

 

Text from the Book of Mormon.  Additional text copyright September 2013, Gebara Education

 

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