29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.
31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.
32 For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren.
Alma 26:29-32 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon gives us more insight into what they experienced when teaching the Lamanites. They taught anywhere they could, but they suffered for their teachings. They were cast out, spit upon, hit, stoned, and bound and thrown into prison.
Why did the suffer this? To be the means of saving souls. The souls who were sincerely converted. How did he know they had been converted? The people were willing to bury their weapons and die because of their love towards their brethren.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2 Corinthians 11:23-29 (Emphasis mine)
Paul would have understood Ammon.
33 And now behold I say unto you, has there been so great love in all the land? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, there has not, even among the Nephites.
34 For behold, they would take up arms against their brethren; they would not suffer themselves to be slain. But behold how many of these have laid down their lives; and we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred to sin.
35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.
Alma 26:33-35 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon marvels in the love the people have. He says there has been no greater love found anywhere within the land.
This is why they have reason to boast. God has all power, wisdom, and understanding. He will bring salvation to those who repent and believe in Him.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
Psalms 103:17 (Emphasis mine)
4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Psalms 116:4-5 (Emphasis mine)
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2 Corinthians 1:3 (Emphasis mine)
36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.
37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.
Alma 26:36-37 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon concludes by telling us that, if praising God is boasting, the he will always boast. He is his joy, salvation, and redemption. He has been merciful to wanderers in a strange land.
And God is not only merciful to them, but He is to all people. This is Ammon’s joy and thanksgiving.
Hugh Nibley commented on Ammon’s comments is verse 37.
“Now he gets into a universal theme in verse 37, which is very important. ‘Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.’ You can't divide the earth into the godly and the godless, can you?” [1] (Emphasis mine)
“He numbers them as his own, not as being on one side or the other of a boundary; the Lord doth grant unto all nations . . . to teach his word . . . all that he seeth fit that they should have (Alma 29:8).” [2]
[1] Lecture 53: Alma 23-27, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 4, 2011.
[2] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 4, 2011.
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