Follow Speedily

Alma the Younger had given up the judgment seat so he could devote all of his time preaching the gospel and leading people in the right way. One of the cities he went to was Ammonihah. In this wicked city, his message was not well received at all. The people told Alma they didn't believe what he was teaching them, and that he had no power over them because they knew he had given up the judgment seat.

"Now when the people had said this, and withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city, he departed thence and took his journey towards the city which was called Aaron." (Alma 8:13)

They didn't just express their disinterest in his message. They reviled him and spit on him. They cast him out of the city. He had done what he could there, but people just weren't interested. And I'm sure it wasn't a pleasant experience to be kicked out of the city in the first place. He probably even feared for his safety.

Their reaction to his message bothered him. He was troubled by their wickedness. While he was in this mindset, traveling to the city of Aaron, he was visited by an angel. In fact, it was the same angel that visited him when he was going about purposely trying to destroy the Church with the sons of Mosiah. The angel explained a couple of things about the people of Ammonihah, and told Alma that he needed to back and preach again to those people.

I think based on their treatment of Alma earlier, they probably would not be overly welcoming to him if he came back. I also imagine he had to thought of it a little bit as a lost cause. However, he decided to obey:

"Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah." (Alma 8:18)

I think this shows Alma's willingness to do what the Lord asked of him. Not only did he return, but he returned "speedily".

I read about people who react this way and I wonder if it could be said of me that I followed direction from the Lord speedily. It is so easy to be busy, or to put something off. I definitely need to do better at not only following all the promptings and directions I receive, but also doing it speedily.

It turned out pretty well for Alma.