So a few months back I read something in the book of Mosiah, in the Book of Mormon, which has stuck with me and I think of from time to time. It takes place shortly after Alma (the Elder, a Nephite Prophet), leads a few hundred souls away from the wicked King Noah’s clutches. Alma refuses the people’s voice desirous that he should be their King, continuing instead “merely” as the High Priest.
Alma also admonishes the people that it’s not good to have a King because of the great wickedness a King may cause the people to commit (unless it could be guaranteed the King would always be righteous, which is never the King when not dealing with God as the King). Alma has some great words on the subject: “I desire that ye should stand fast in that liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you” (Mosiah 23:13). Alma exhorts them to many things pertaining to their freedom, all of which I commend to the reader and which is something worthy of considerable discussion in its own right. But that’s not the part I wanted to discuss tonight.
Reading along farther, starting in verse 25, the Lamanite army, lost after seeking Limhi’s people, stumbles across Alma and his followers in their city of Helam. Naturally, the Nephites fled from the adjoining fields into the relative safety of the city. Mormon records that they were “much afrightened” because of the Lamanites (verse 26).
With faith in an omnipotent God at his side, Alma boldly exhorts them “that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them” (verse 27, emphasis added). How did the people respond? This is the part I love – for some reason I still don’t understand yet it speaks to my soul:
“Therefore, they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord” (verse 28, emphasis added). The citizens responded with equal boldness and faith in their Lord, and Priesthood leader, that He would in fact preserve them if they but excercised sufficient faith. And, as always, the Lord responded according to their faith and their lives were spared.
I think the lesson is equally applicable in our lives. Although I don’t live in a war zone (and I recognize many Saints around the world do!), I can likewise hush my fears and exercise faith in the Lord’s (a) capacity, (b) desire, and (c) willingness to bless my life. Whether it’s fears about being a poor father, inadequacies in my calling, temperment, love toward others, et cetera, I can likewise “hush” my fears and trust the Lord to step in with His grace.
OK, so it’s not likely a huge eye opener for anyone -nor, really, for me- but there’s something about the way it’s documented, perhaps even the poetry of the statement to “hush” one’s fears (and I’m not into poetry!), something just makes me tingle.