It's All About Love

Alma 57 and 58 are continuations of Helaman's letter to Moroni.  In the beginning of Alma 58, Helaman writes about waiting in vain for help from the government.  They were in great need of both men and provisions, but they received only a small amount of each.  In Alma 58:9-11 Helaman writes:

"...therefore, we were grieved and also filled with fear...Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us...and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him."

I love this.  I love that Helaman doesn't charge right into the story about how they were delivered, but wrote about the wonderful feelings--gifts, really--given through the Spirit so that they no longer feared.  Helaman writes how Heavenly Father didn't just give them the answer to their prayer, he also gave them the faith they so desperately needed, the hope to carry them through, and peace, the total opposite of that horrible feeling of fear.

I know I have received these great gifts as well.  So many times.  But probably not as often as my Heavenly Father wished to give them to me, because I didn't think to ask.  I am so grateful for my testimony that Heavenly Father loves me and wants the best for me.  I think it is true, that the strongest testimonies of that nature are formed during the hardest trials of our lives.  It makes me grateful for those trials because knowing that he loves me is so very important to understanding all the rest of it.  The gospel is all about love.

Stripling Warriors

The story of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors is by in large told in Alma 56 in a letter from Helaman to Moroni.  It is a great story...one of the "kid stories" of the Book of Mormon.  Kids love it, and it is often seen as a straight forward story about faith.  The 2,000 young men were taught to trust God and not one of them died.

I don't know why, but as I read that story this morning I did not see the faith and bravery of the young men, which is what I thought I would write about, all I could see was the way the two armies worked together.  Helaman and his sons marched speedily to lead away the Lamanites who pursued them with equal speed.  Antipus and his army followed, knowing that if they did not catch up, Helaman's army would be slaughtered.  They marched so quickly that it left little energy to fight by the time they did catch up and many men, including Antipus, fell quickly to the swords of the Lamanites.  But, it was then that Helaman's army returned, even though they were unsure about why the Lamanite army had stopped.  They were unsure if it was a trap or if Antipus needed their help and yet they turned back because unwillingly to stay away if it was the latter.

When Helaman's army arrived they found Antipus' men on the verge of scattering.  These young warriors fought with such vigor that the whole Lamanite army turned to fight them.  This gave the men of Antipus a chance to regroup and come again upon the rear of the Lamanite army, after which a victory was won.

Alone neither one of the Nephite armies would have survived.  Together, they conquered.  There is a lesson in that...It could be thought of in terms of ward members helping one another, families, spouses, or friends.  A chance to regroup is often all we need to face life's challenges head on.

I sometimes underestimate how valuable a chance to regroup is.  The Sabbath day is often a way for me to regroup.  Even some time spent with the scriptures, or cuddling with my kids makes all the difference.  But I suppose my point is that even when it feels like we are falling, or failing, we need not to give up.  Our Heavenly Father is aware of all of us and He will come to our aid if we reach out to Him, whether it is through other people or through the Spirit, the results are the same--we can conquer.

The Possible

In Alma chapters 51 and 52, we see the Lamanites gaining victories over the Nephites even though Moroni drew the line between himself and his enemy, fortified his cities, and prepared to the best of his ability.  I feel it is important to realize that this is true in our lives as well.  We, none of us, are perfect.  None of us have perfect children, perfect spouses, or perfect friends.

At times, our defenses fail.  The important thing is that we don't give up the fight.  We continue to fortify against Satan's bombardment.  We continue to defend the line between us and that which would eternally harm us.  It requires repentance, as well as forgiveness of ourselves and others.  It requires hope and persistence.  And it also requires that we recognize the difference between what a sin is and what is a choice of lesser consequence.

I have noticed a trend in myself lately as I try to find more peace in my life.  I find myself often thinking:  "Calm down.  What just happened is not a big deal.  It is not a sin.  Yes, you have disappointed another person because you couldn't accomplish what they wanted from you, but you have in no way done wrong."

I think as I have learned the great value of obedience in my life, I sometimes get caught up in wanting to please everyone.  I need to remember that obedience to Heavenly Father brings more faith, more understanding, and more happiness while obedience to the whims of all those around me brings stress.

I found a quote that I love that has helped me deal with this concept of continuing to strive and do my best even amidst what I often view as my failures.  It is from the American author, Sue Bender:

"My challenge was not to do the impossible--but to learn to live with the possible."

We know that Moroni, Teancum, Lehi, and Helaman don't give up when they lose a few cities to the Lamanites.  They rally.  They plan.  They pray.  They fight.  They are guided and blessed.  We will be also.  With faith in our Savior, winning the battle is possible.