Reading The Book of Mormon this time around has brought new understanding to some of the things I've been reading. Here is a recent discovery I made while reading in Alma:
Alma & Amulek:
Reading in Alma 15, I saw Alma and Amulek's friendship differently than ever before. Until then, I just saw them as being brothers in the Gospel - teaching together, going through the same tribulations...
But then last night I came to Alma 15:16, which reads, "And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred."
Amulek's tribulations went beyond the huge stuff from the previous chapter. He had to leave everything behind, much like Lehi and his family. But he also left behind friends and his closest family members, knowing they didn't want anything to do with him.
It would be a sad story if it ended there, but then we get to verse 18: "Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord."
What a true friend!!! This is the kind of friend I want to be! He saw that Amulek was struggling, so he took him to his own house and took care of him. But even more important than that, he "strengthened him in the Lord." Kind of like that saying, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Alma could have made him feel better about this single tribulation, but instead he taught him how to deal with ALL the tribulations he would ever have to go through. He taught his friend to look to God in times of hardship. What an amazing friend!!
Alma & Amulek:
Reading in Alma 15, I saw Alma and Amulek's friendship differently than ever before. Until then, I just saw them as being brothers in the Gospel - teaching together, going through the same tribulations...
But then last night I came to Alma 15:16, which reads, "And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred."
Amulek's tribulations went beyond the huge stuff from the previous chapter. He had to leave everything behind, much like Lehi and his family. But he also left behind friends and his closest family members, knowing they didn't want anything to do with him.
It would be a sad story if it ended there, but then we get to verse 18: "Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord."
What a true friend!!! This is the kind of friend I want to be! He saw that Amulek was struggling, so he took him to his own house and took care of him. But even more important than that, he "strengthened him in the Lord." Kind of like that saying, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Alma could have made him feel better about this single tribulation, but instead he taught him how to deal with ALL the tribulations he would ever have to go through. He taught his friend to look to God in times of hardship. What an amazing friend!!
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