23 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?
24 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, 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.
25 And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us.
Alma 26:23-25 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon now reminds his band about the responses they faced when they said they were going to preach to the Lamanites. They laughed at them.
But, they didn’t stop there. They challenged them. Do you really think the Lamanites will listen? Do you really think that the Lamanites will turn away from their traditions? They are a stiffnecked people who delight in shedding blood. What was their solution? Destroy them.
The doubters are always with us. There are always those that can tell us why we can’t do something. Ammon and his group did the best thing one can do. Ignore them, and then prove them wrong. And how they proved them wrong!
49 ¶ While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
Luke 8:49-55 (Emphasis mine)
26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.
27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
Alma 26:26-28 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon and his group ignored the criticism and went forward to save a few souls. Here, for the first time, we find out that things weren’t going well. In fact, they were ready to give up and return home.
Instead, the Lord comforted them and helped them remain patient in their sufferings. They relied up on the mercies of God.
Hugh Nibley writes:
“They weren't getting anywhere at all; they met what they thought they would. Things looked very bleak when they got there …They went back again because ‘the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.’ And this is what the mightiest warrior in the Book of Mormon had to put up with: ‘And we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house [and let the people kick us around], relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.’ “ [1] (Emphasis mine)
Discussing how the Book of Mormon influence him, Andrew Dodson wrote specifically about verse 28.
“I learned at this early age that walking with the Lord did not necessarily mean that our paths will be paved with gold at all times: trials, challenges, and temptations are an integral part of mortal life. The Lord's words of encouragement to the sons of Mosiah apply to us as well: ‘Bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success’ (Alma 26:27).” [2] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Lecture 53: Alma 23-27, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 3, 2011.
[2] A Priceless Gem, Andrew E. Dadson, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 3, 2011.
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