6 Now these were their
journeyings: Having taken leave of their father, Mosiah, in the first year of
the judges; having refused the kingdom which their father was desirous to
confer upon them, and also this was the minds of the people;
7 Nevertheless they
departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and took their swords, and their spears,
and their bows, and their arrows, and their slings; and this they did that they
might provide food for themselves while in the wilderness.
8 And thus they
departed into the wilderness with their numbers which they had selected, to go
up to the land of Nephi, to preach the word of God unto the Lamanites.
9 And it came to pass
that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and
prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go
with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands
of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the
knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of
their fathers, which were not correct.
10 And it came to pass
that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted.
And they were comforted.
11 And the Lord said
unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my
word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may
show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee
in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.
12 And it came to pass
that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took
courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God. (Alma
17:6-12)
Mormon begins by telling us the sons of Mosiah had left,
with King Mosiah’s approval.
“And it came to pass that they did plead with their father
many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi.
“And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should
let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word.
“And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many
shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will
deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.
“And it came to pass that Mosiah granted that they might go
and do according to their request.
“And they took their journey into the wilderness to go up to
preach the word among the Lamanites” (Mosiah 28:5-9).
He had wanted to confer the kingdom on one of his sons. The
people wanted the kingdom conferred on Aaron. Mosiah had wanted to confer the
kingdom on one of his sons., but they refused.
“And it came to pass that the voice of the people came,
saying: We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler.
“Now Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, therefore the
king could not confer the kingdom upon him; neither would Aaron take upon him
the kingdom; neither were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them
the kingdom” (Mosiah 29:2-3).
When they left, they took swords, spears, bows, arrows, and
slings. They planned to use these to provide food for themselves.
Their group consisted of the sons of Mosiah and those they
had selected to go with them. “Now it came to pass that after the sons of
Mosiah had done all these things, they took a small number with them and
returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto
them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of
Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they
might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites” (Mosiah 28:1).
They travelled many days. They fasted and prayed, asking the
Lord to grant them a part of His Spirit to go with them. “And now behold,
Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni, and their brethren did rejoice
exceedingly, for the success which they had had among the Lamanites, seeing
that the Lord had granted unto them according to their prayers, and that he had
also verified his word unto them in every particular” (Alma 25:17).
They asked Him to make them and instrument in His hands to
bring the Lamanites to the truth and the traditions of their fathers were
wrong.
“Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites,
were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them
are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing
which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the
hands of God to bring about this great work” (Alma 26:3).
“The missionary experiences of the sons of Mosiah also help
us understand how to become instruments in God’s hands. “And it came to pass
that they journeyed many days in the wilderness” (Alma 17:9). We must be
willing to journey. The sons of Mosiah were willing to step outside their
surroundings and do that which was uncomfortable. Had Ammon not been willing to
journey into a foreign land, inhabited by a wild and a hardened and a ferocious
people, he never would have found and helped Lamoni and his father, and many
Lamanites may have never learned about Jesus Christ. God has asked us to
journey, go on missions, accept callings, invite someone to church, or help
someone in need.”[1]
The Lord did visit them with His Spirit. “And behold,
whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my
Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit” (D&C
5:16).
The Spirit told them to be comforted, and they were
comforted. “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” (Alma 26:27).
‘Occasionally, in the midst of our desperation, we seek
other ways, other guides. But those who counsel us are not always prepared to
help, because they do not understand our spiritual needs. They are not prepared
to give us the counsel and the revelation that we need in trying circumstances.
“We have the great example of the sons of Mosiah, who
endured so much adversity and so many trials. Because of the trust they had in
the Lord, “the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be
comforted. And they were comforted.”[2]
The Lord told them to go to the Lamanites and establish His
word. They were told to be patient and long-suffering through their
afflictions. “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” (Alma 26:27).
They were to set the good example for the Lamanites. “For I
have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the
believers, in word, in conversation [GR conduct, behavior], in charity, in
spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
If they do this, they will be an instrument in His hands to
bring the truth to many.
“[W]e are told that at the beginning of their dangerous
missionary venture, the sons of Mosiah learned through the Spirit that they
should be patient in afflictions and would be instruments in the Lord’s hands
for the salvation of many souls (Alma 17:11). Thus the essential events are
known ahead of time—both by the narrator’s foretelling and by prophecy.”[3]
“And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah,
and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites
to declare unto them the word of God” (Alma 17:12).
[1] Becoming
Instruments in the Hands of God, Elder Don R. Clarke, October 2006 General
Conference.
[2] We
Have Kept the Faith, Elder Eduardo Ayala, April 1995 General Conference.
[3] “Great
Things the Lord Hath Done” – Epic Elements, Feasting on the Word, The
Literary Testimony of the Book of Mormon, Richard Dilworth Rust.
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