17 Who could have supposed
that our God would have been so merciful
as to have snatched us
from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?
18 Behold, we went forth even in wrath,
with mighty threatenings
to destroy his church.
19 Oh then, why did he not consign us
to an awful destruction,
yea, why did he not let
the sword of his justice
fall upon us,
and doom us
to eternal despair?
20 Oh, my soul,
almost as it were,
fleeth at the thought.
Behold, he did not exercise
his justice upon us,
but in his great mercy
hath brought us over
that everlasting gulf
of death and misery,
even to the salvation
of our souls.
Alma 26:17-20 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon expressed his amazement that the sons of Mosiah were not cut off. They went out, fought, and opposed the church. Yet, they would eventually receive forgiveness and joy.
Remembering that the Book of Mormon was prepared, in part, for us in this day, we can have the same hope and joy. God forgave Alma(2) and the sons of Mosiah, among the most sinful of men. We must remember that we can have that same forgiveness constantly in our lives. There is no reason that, someday, we can sing a psalm of praise to God similar to that of Ammon’s.
21 And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.
22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.
Alma 26:21-22 (Emphasis mine)
Who knows these things? The natural man cannot know these things, only the penitent. When we repent, the mysteries of God will be revealed unto us.
Hugh Nibley wrote:
“What is a mystery here? Now he starts telling about his mission here. He had a plan to go out and convert these people. ‘Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn?’ They laughed their heads off; it was the funniest thing they ever heard of. Convert those characters? This is what they said. ‘For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers [in which they firmly believed], as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? Now my brethren, ye remember that this was their language.’ … These people are unthinkably vile. They just laughed at the idea of going up to preach to them. You are not going to get anywhere, is what they said. There's only one way to deal with those people; we have to get them before they get us. That's the only thing to do.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16 (Emphasis mine)
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