These were great chapters on missionary work and the teachings of Alma, Amulek and the Sons of Mosiah as they traveled from town to town preaching the gospel, teaching repentance, and converting those who would listen.
Chapter 14 - Has an amazing account of when Alma and Amulek were cast into prison and the believers were burned by fire. The spirit constrained Alma not to intervene and save the women and children from the painful death. In verse 11 he states, "For behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day".
That is a good lesson to remember that bad things can happen to good people sometimes and even though it seems unjust and unfair in this world, God knows the beginning from the end and has a reason for everything. We just have to have faith that all will be made right in the end. Sometimes people wonder how a loving God could allow tragedy or accidents to happen to righteous people. Sometimes others have made poor decisions that have bad consequences and it's a good lesson to see that the righteous, even though they suffered an awful death, were welcomed with glory and that God would use their deaths to hold the guilty accountable.
Alma and Amulek were not burned since their ministry was not finished but they were beaten repeatedly, mocked, and put into prison without food or water. They were there for many days when finally Alma prayed asking for deliverance. Immediately, he was able to break his bonds and the earth shook and the prison walls fell and killed all the judges and priests who had held them captive. That is a powerful illustration of God's ability to conquer all things in His due time. Faith and patience is what is required on our part.
Alma and Alma continue to preach, establishes places of worship, perform miracles (healing of Zeezrom), administer to the people and teach of Christ.
Chapter 17 - Alma meets the sons of Mosiah in his travels, and they all continue to preach the gospel. Ammon is a servant to the king who is given special strength to protect the king's flock of sheep and through his great combat skills, is able to win favor with the king. He preaches of God and of repentance. Many believed on his words and "their hearts had been changed; they had no more desire to do evil".
Chapters 22-23 - Aaron converts the king who prays and falls to the earth. The queen almost has Aaron killed but through Aaron, the Lord allows the king to stand and all are converted and religious freedom is granted through the kingdom. God works miracles and they "became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren."
I can only imagine a world where people not only don't fight God but they treat their neighbors with kindness, love and respect. That is the ideal we are striving for, and in our crazy world where so much is in turmoil, peace is missing from so many. I liked these verses as a reminder that "every member is a missionary" and that we should do all in our power to share the gospel of peace.
As the Christmas season approaches, I'm thankful to know that through Christ, we can have that peace that the world seems to be missing. We can pattern our lives after the Savior and have no more desire to do evil. We can see God's hand in so many of the generous services that people do a little more of during the holiday season and as we contemplate our blessings and have gratitude for our families, our comforts, our trials and our very lives, our testimonies will grow and we will be truly "converted unto the Lord, never to fall away".
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