The Repentance Experience

I love Alma the Younger's account of his conversion. We remember the story told earlier in the Book of Mormon, where it talks about what happened to Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah. They went about seeking to destroy the church. After doing this for some time, they were hanging out together and were visited by an angel. After hearing the angel speak to them, Alma ended up basically collapsing as if he were dead. He couldn't move, speak, or interact. He was like this for 3 days. During this time, he went through a conversion process.

After this, Alma and the Sons of Mosiah were changed men. They left to preach the gospel and had great success. Many people were brought to the knowledge of the gospel and were converted because of their teachings.

Eventually, Alma sits down to teach his sons, one at a time. He sits down with Helaman and shares what happened to him while he was unable to move or speak.

"16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!" (Alma 36:16-20)

I love this account because I think this is basically the personal experience of anyone who has gone through the repentance process. Obviously the timeline can be a lot different for different people, but the experience is the same. First, there is the guilt and sorrow for having done something you understand is wrong. This is the torment that Alma describes. He suddenly has a very clear understanding that what he was doing was wrong, but he didn't know what to do about it. All he could do for 3 days was to think about what he'd been doing wrong.

I love the phrase "as my mind caught hold upon this thought". I think even for more minor things, we feel guilt for what we've done, but there comes a point that we really realize that Christ made an atonement for all of us, and that we really can be forgiven. In that moment, the hope and joy that I have felt, which comes at least in part from the Spirit, testifying of Christ, and the reality of the Atonement that allows us to repent.

Alma describes that he was racked with eternal torment and that he remembered all his sins and iniquities. He felt like he'd rather be "banished and become extinct, both soul and body" than to face God at the judgement day. Once he remembered the Savior the atonement, and "caught hold upon this thought", his experience was that there could be "nothing so exquisite and sweet as was [his] joy". I think it made it all the more sweet because of the bitterness that he was experiencing before, and how polar opposite those feelings were.

While I can't say I know what it feels like to realize that I caused the spiritual demise for some people, I have definitely sinned, and have felt that torment that comes with knowing you have sinned. I have also felt the opposite, the joy of realizing that Jesus Christ is my savior, not just in title, but in action.

I know the atonement is real. I know that Christ did that for me and for all of us, and I know that even though I'm not perfect, I can repent and still be able to return to our Heavenly Father in the end. How wonderful is that thought, truly causing, as Alma describes, joy that is more exquisite and sweet than anything.

One Way to Tell if Change is Needed

Alma and Amulek continued to preach the gospel, with mixed success the people that were converted were great, but there was a pretty big group of people who didn’t like the words that were being taught.

“And it came to pass that after the more popular part of the Zoramites had consulted together concerning the words which had been preached unto them, they were angry because of the word, for it did destroy their craft; therefore they would not hearken unto the words” (Alma 35:3)

Aren’t we all a little like that? Sometimes you hear something that you know is true, but it means you’re needing to change. Our natural selves kind of fight against that, so we get angry or defensuve.

If we ever find ourselves feeling that way when someone is telling us something, it might serve us well to take a step back and really consider why it is we’re feeling that way. It could be that we don’t agree with what is being taught, but it seems just as likely that we agree but that we know it will require changes that need to be made, but we kind of don’t WANT to make that change yet. If we shift our minds just a little, we might find that to be a very good red flag to catch us from succumbing to the temptations of the devil. It could work like an extra tool in the toolbox. I would love to be able to recognize those signs and watch out for them because they can help me know what’s right.

Now is the Time

Alma taught the people about faith, and what they needed to do to gain more faith and apply the Gospel to their lives.

When Alma was done talking, Amulek got up and started to talk. I noticed that the first thing he did was to add his witness to the words of Alma. He specifically points out one or two things that Alma talked about and confirms their truth.

He then goes on to teach the people about some things they should be doing, and then spends time talking about the Atonement. This is a natural progression from Alma's topic of faith, because the next principle of the Gospel is repentance. It's hard to teach people about repentance if they don't know about the Atonement.

He talked about that infinite and eternal sacrifice that would be made in the future, and how the law of Moses would be fulfilled. He talks about applying the atonement using prayer and being charitable.

This verse jumps out at me, though. This is the call to action, with the promise:

"Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you." (Alma 34:31)

Harden not your hearts. This is the phrase that Alma used to describe the children of Israel who refused to look at the staff and heal themselves. So we need to not do that anymore.

In fact, Amulek gives a sense of urgency to this process. NOW is the time and the day of your salvation. This part is individual. You have to ultimately do it yourself. Nobody can soften your heart for you. The good thing is that the timing for the blessing is described as well. Immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. I know when we're looking for a blessing, we have to wait for the Lord's timing. This is different though. This is what happens to us right away as soon as we try to make the atonement effective in our lives by repenting and even exercising a little effort toward that goal. When we do this, it immediately starts working in us to prepare us to meet God and for us to be ready for the meeting.

I know I can do better at preparing today rather than procrastinating the day of my repentance. He is there, waiting to give me the assistance I need, whenever I decide to exercise that option. So now is the time. 

Just Look Already!

Alma continues to teach the people about faith. Earlier, he compared it to a seed that will grow when planted (if it is a good seed, anyway).

He shares another example of faith from the scriptures. When Moses and the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, they had an experience. Some fiery serpent ended up coming and biting them, and Moses was instructed to raise up a staff with a serpent on it, and everyone that looked at the staff would be healed. There is something that has always bugged me about this story. I don’t understand how anyone in that situation would rather die than just look at a staff. I mean, are they out anything if they’re not healed? No. Anyway, Alma hits the nail on the head as he teaches this story. Their hearts were too hard to even do that much. And he poses the question asking if there was any way a sane, rational person wouldn’t just look.

“O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?” (Alma 33:21)

And so we are in life sometimes. In general, we’re pretty good, but a lot of us can kind of get to the point where we’re not even doing simple things on the off chance they improve our lives. Things like regular scripture study and saying prayers.  Sometimes we just need to get old, bad habits out of the way and take action. Faith is all about action. You can believe all day long but if you never do anything about it, you’ll never get the blessings. I have experienced this before. I want to believe, but I am just not in the mindset to make whatever the effort is that is being required of me. I don’t look at the serpent raised up on the staff, even though it is easy. I think that’s where I start: just turn my head and look.

You Have to Put Forth the Effort

Alma teaches a multitude about faith. We are all familiar with his analogy of faith being like a seed, and the way that we can know if a seed is good is to "try an experiment upon [his] words" and plant the seed, and if it grows, the seed must have been a good seed. In other words, if we aren't sure whether daily prayer is going to benefit our lives, and want to see if it does, the easiest way to do that is to start praying every day. When you see the benefit in your life, you can see that sure enough, it does bring the blessings. You now know (in that thing) that the seed was good because you saw it grow.

This is a great analogy because we have all experienced (to some degree) the growth of a plant from a tiny little seed. The part we sometimes skip a little bit is that it takes effort on our part to find out if the seed is good. We have our own work to do. We have to plant it, provide it good ground, plenty of water, etc. We all know that if we don't do those things, the seed won't grow, no matter how good the seed was to start out.

The same thing is true of faith. We have to try it out. We have to experiment upon the words before we can know for sure that they are good.

Alma explains it this way:

"38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.

40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life." (Alma 32:38-40)

I like that he explains that it isn't because the seed wasn't good, but our own neglect that causes it not to grow. If our desire is to grow that seed, then we are responsible for giving it nourishment and water, and proper soil, so that it can grow and flourish in our lives. Only then will we know that the seed is good.

Support From Above

In opposition to the way that the devil watches over and takes care of those who follow him, discussed in the previous post, we are given an example of how the Lord takes care of those who follow Him.

After Korihor died, Alma became aware of some people who had become wicked and started falling away from the right. The Zoramites, it turns out, needed some help. They were definitely worshiping, but definitely not in the manner that is pleasing to God. They were going to church once a week, declaring in front of everyone how grateful they were that they were better than other people, and then not thinking anything more about church for the rest of the week.

When Alma and those who went with him to preach the Gospel saw this, they were very sorrowful about the wicked state of their brethren, and they asked God for help in preaching to them and helping lead them back. Alma writes about how much they were watched over and protected. 

"And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith." (Alma 31:38)

This is how I feel when I follow Christ's example and do what I know He wants me to do. I feel strengthened and comforted. Even with this, I am for sure not perfect, and I wander off that path. I feel His strength and guidance as I try to do what I am supposed to do. I am grateful for the Savior and all that He has done for me, and I hope I can continue to work toward being the kind of person I know He wants me to be, and because of His strength and support, I know He will help me get there.

No Support from Below

There was a wicked man named Korihor who went around trying to destroy the church. He would basically try to convince them that they could not know the things they claimed to "know", and that people can't tell what will happen in the future.

I've often been impressed by people of faith that lived before Christ. They had to live by faith that Christ would come at some point in the future and atone for their sins and make it possible for them to be saved. Those of us who have lived after Christ still need faith, but at least there's some historical records of Christ and His actual mortal life and ministry.

Anyway, I think a man like Korihor, with the the arguments he used to convince people to turn away, could certainly have made an impact. He didn't necessarily say that he knew that Christ would NOT come, but he tried to make people question their faith by saying things like "For no man can know of anything which is to come" and "this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so".

He went all over the place preaching this way, working to destroy peoples' faith. He went to Jershon (where the people of Ammon lived), and they knew right away what he was up to and they took him to Ammon, who had him taken out of Jershon. They weren't going to let him do what he was trying to do.

Korihor was eventually taken before Alma, who had played that game before. He probably recognized exactly what Korihor was up to, both because he had the Spirit to guide him and give him understanding, but also because he had personally done something very similar in his younger years.

Eventually, Korihor is struck dumb so he can't lead people away from Christ anymore, and he ended up having to go around begging for food. Eventually, he was trampled and died.

"And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell." (Alma 30:60)

This is one of those things that is very clear to watch. The devil will tear people down, pull them away from the truth, and try to convince them to do wrong. But at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, he doesn't care about his "followers". His entire goal is to ruin peoples lives, and when their life goes to the bad because of the choices they make (with help from his influence), he just lets them take the fall.

This is so different from what happens when you follow God's commandments! Our Father in Heaven cares so much about us and our welfare. He wants us to be happy. He is there for us. He will help us, comfort us, and bless us, no matter what, but he provides extra blessings for those who follow Him. I have experienced this support and uplift and am so grateful for His watchful care.

Celebrate Others' Success

We have just spent time talking about all the success that Ammon and the other sons of Mosiah have had in preaching the gospel among the Lamanites. Many souls had heard the gospel because of the preaching of these men.

Alma the Younger, who was with the sons of Mosiah during all of their conversion, ended up not going with them to the Lamanites to preach because he ended up being the spiritual leader there among the Nephites.

He talks in this chapter about how he wishes he could just convince the whole world by speaking with the voice of an angel, and he also talked about how great it is to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord in leading even one soul to repentance.

Then his thoughts turned to the sons of Mosiah and he talks about their successful mission.

"Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy." (Alma 29:16)

I think in this application, with the success equating to people being saved, I can see the reaction of how much Alma is trying to put into words how happy he is that his brethren were successful. Basically, he said "I'm beside myself!" about this.

As I read that verse, though, this thought popped into my mind. Here is Alma, who honestly probably wanted to go with his friends and share in their experiences and success. He has his own successes and disappointments in his life while these others were gone preaching the gospel. But here he is rejoicing in THEIR success. His soul wasn't carried away at the thought of HIS success, but theirs.

Imagine how this world would be if we just celebrated other peoples' successes as often as we highlight their failures. We can learn from Alma's example, and celebrate others' successes, no matter what our own current circumstances or experiences are.

The Great Call of Diligence

The people of Anti-Nephi Lehi, now known as the Ammonites had settled into the land of Jershon, the land given to them by the Nephites so they would have a place to stay and be protected from the wicked Lamanites. 

A battle occurred. A very large battle. It is described as being such a tremendous battle that one such battle had never been known from the time Lehi left Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Lamanites were slain, it says. That's just one side of the fight.

Anyway, there is a description about the people after the battle is over. Everyone was mourning because of the loss of people that were dear to them, but not everyone felt the same way about it. Because it is a different thing to mourn the loss of someone who you are worried about because of how they acted, the choices that they made, in this life. To be worried about their eternal state is a far bigger worry than not having them around for the rest of this mortal life. On the other hand, it talks about how there are some who "rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know...that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness."  Who wouldn't ultimately rejoice if there was confidence that they would fine themselves in a "state of never-ending happiness"?

The conclusion of this chapter seems fitting to write about.

"And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life." (Alma 28:14)

See, we start to see how it all connects. We know that not everyone is righteous, and we know that we are worried about them, and want them to wind up in a state of never-ending happiness. THIS is why we work hard in the vineyard, whether that particular vineyard be the full-time mission we are called to and assigned to labor in. Or if it is our own ward. Or our friends and neighbors. Our co-workers. Our families. This is why we reiterate and discuss frequently the "GREAT CALL of DILIGENCE". Because it's about the people and the love and care we have for them.

I could definitely be better in this area. I'm pretty open about my faith, and I'm willing to have that conversation any time, but it's hard for me (for some reason?) to just open my mouth and start the conversation. I hope I can answer that great call of diligence myself and also in doing so, be an example to those around me.

Wonderful Tribute to the People of Anti-Nephi Lehi

The people of Anti-Nephi Lehi were again in jeopardy because the Lamanites, fueled by the hatred and anger of the Amalakites (Nephites who had fallen away), were coming again to attack them.

Ammon and his brethren, who had spent so much time teaching and serving these people were loathe to just watch them perish, so after consulting with the king, and the Lord, they all went up to the land of Zarahemla, and appealed to the Nephites to take them in and protect them. The Nephites put it to a vote, and they decided to give them some land and go ahead and provide protection for them going forward. Then, they are described in this way:

"And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end." (Alma 27:27)

I can't think of a better tribute to an entire group of people, to be described this way. They were wonderful people, for the rest of their lives.

I have to say, that it makes me want to live my life in such a way that someone could get up at my funeral and say "Shawn was distinguished for his zeal towards God, and also towards men; for he was perfectly honest and upright in all things; and he was firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end." I have a long way to go before these things could be said of me, but it gives people hope to see this people, who were wicked, murderous, bloodthirsty people, totally change their lives and desires, and become a people that can be described this way. This is indeed the epitome of what the atonement is for. That we can learn and grow, and become better all the time, until eventually we can become perfect.

Who Can Know the Mysteries of God

Alma 26 is a pretty cool chapter almost entirely about what it feels like to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to bring about His purposes. Ammon was talking to his fellow missionaries, the sons of Mosiah, and expressing how awesome it was to be able to have been part of the conversion of so many Lamanites. He was talking about it so much that Aaron cautioned him to make sure he wasn't boasting. Ammon made sure it was clear he was referring to praising God for the merciful blessing it was to have and take part in their experiences with the Lamanites.

There are these couple of verses just thrown in the middle of all this praising that really intrigue me. It's always nice to have a formula for success, if you will, especially in the Gospel. The use of patterns and formulas is a great way to learn. In fact, that's frequently how Heavenly Father teaches us. Anyway, so Ammon provides us with a formula that help us understand what it takes to know the mysteries of God:

"Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance." (Alma 26:22)

I mean, if this doesn't spell it out for you, I'm not sure what would. So there's just a handful of things that Ammon is teaching, which will lead to us being given to know the mysteries of God.

At first I thought that "know[ing] the mysteries of God" meant that you'd know something that nobody else knows, or that you'd be taught the details behind some deeper doctrine or something like that. I have come to realize that to know the mysteries of God is more like having a testimony. You are still learning something personal, something that can only really be taught one way: through the Spirit. It is truly a mystery of God that each person must individually experience. So really it makes sense that it's not a complicated pattern or formula. It's just a set of things things that get us in the mindset of having the the Spirit with us. The more we have and recognize the Spirit, the more open we are to learning spiritual truth for ourselves. What a blessing to have the opportunity to learn those things directly from their source!

Let Us Glory

Ammon and the sons of Mosiah, who had spent years with the Lamanites, preaching the gospel, had a conversation with each other. Ammon is so excited and feels so blessed that he describes how awesome it is to have been an instrument in the Lord's hands in bringing the Gospel into so many of the Lamanites' lives. Aaron warns Ammon not to boast, but Ammon explains that he's not saying it had anything to do with them, but they did get to participate.

Anyway, here is some of the kinds of things he says about the experience:

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel" (Alma 26:16)

He is really just overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and amazement to be part of that process.

Remember that Ammon those sons of Mosiah were with Alma the Younger going around and attempting to destroy the church. They saw an angel and Alma was out of it for 3 days. These men know how far they've come, and I'm sure that makes them even more grateful to be part of the conversion process of the Lamanites.

I would ask one question of myself about this verse. Do I feel the same way? Do I go about glorying in the Lord and praising him forever? Do I feel this way? I hope that I can answer yes to that question. I do like how he asks if there is any way to glory too much in the Lord. I think we sometimes limit our own rejoicing in the Lord, not because we want to hide it, but because we get busy or fill our day, even with good things, and we don't spend enough time rejoicing. I know I could do better at this.

The Purpose of the Law of Moses

The people who were now converted, and righteous, kept the law of Moses, but they knew what it was for because of the words of the prophets.

"Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come." (Alma 25:16)

They knew that the law of Moses was given to men before Christ so they would be strengthened in their faith in Christ, who would be coming.

Because of the words of the prophets, they knew that Christ would come, and perform the atonement. They knew a number of details because of all that the prophets had foretold. It is interesting then that at the time Christ was on the earth, in Jerusalem, the Jews who kept that law of Moses did not understand what they were supposed to be looking for. The plain and precious truth of the coming of Christ (at least, the circumstances surrounding His coming) were lost to them. They had a law which was very strict, and they interpreted it literally. They didn't understand the greater meaning.

I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon because in it are such plain and simple and precious truths of the Gospel. Without the Book of Mormon, there would be many things that would remain a mystery, and our lives, and their purposes, would be hard to understand. Many of the guiding principles and understanding that I have of the Gospel (i.e., where my testimony comes from), come from the principles laid out clearly in the Book of Mormon.

I'm grateful for the many wonderful blessings that the Lord blesses me with every day. Hopefully I can take the words that I stud lead me toward increased faith and understanding.

Conversion Opportunities Come in Different Ways

There are many ways for people to be introduced to the Gospel, and spiritual experiences can happen in many ways. These people, who called themselves the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, had been a wicked and bloodthirsty people, but they heard the Gospel through the preaching of the sons of Mosiah. They felt the Spirit testify of the truthfulness of those words, and they were converted. Their conversion was so strong, and their repentance so complete, that they buried their weapons and changed their name.

Other Lamanites came upon them, egged on by some Nephite people who had dissented from the Church, to come to battle. The Anti-Nephi-Lehis simply fell down and started praying. The Lamanites started to slay them.

"And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God." (Alma 24:22)

This is tragic! People who had just converted and found the Gospel were slain! As it says in the verse, however, they were known to have been living their life right at the point of their death, so they definitely could have been slain at a worse time.

But an interesting thing starts to happen. The Lamanites don't want to just kill these people who are making it all too easy. They see that the people are worshiping and praying right up to the end of their lives. There were many who were converted through that experience. They felt their "hearts swollen in them" (v. 24) and they "repented of the things which they had done." (v. 24) They followed the Anti-Nephi-Lehis' example and dropped their weapons and started worshiping God.

"And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved." (Alma 24:26)

More people were converted through this experience than were killed. I think this is interesting because I wonder how many of these Lamanites would have been open to listening to the missionaries. Maybe some of them, had they had the opportunity. However, this was a unique opportunity for them to have a spiritual experience in an unlikely place, during a battle. They were overcome by the spirit and were converted. 

Another interesting thing is that we often think of God as "punishing" the wicked and "protecting" the righteous. Well, in this case, God was watching out for both the righteous and the wicked.

"And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people." (Alma 24:27)

This indeed showcases that there are many ways for people to become converted. It's interesting to me that it specifically says that there was not a wicked man slain among them. I feel as though God protected the wicked here but allowed the righteous to be slain. It is sad when a righteous person leaves this life, but at the same time, it is comforting for those left behind to know that they are saved (as mentioned in the end of v. 26). I think if the wicked people had been slain too in this particular battle, they would have been so much worse off than if they had the chance to repent and accept the Gospel into their lives.

What are other "interesting" ways that people become converted? How can I turn situations that are not great into missionary or teaching opportunities? This is something that I need to do better about, especially in my family with my own children.

Staying Converted

It's one thing to become converted, to go through a conversion experience. It's entirely another to stay that way. Conversion is not a one-time event. In order to stay converted, you need to continue to live your faith and work at it.

After King Lamoni's father was converted, he enacted some laws that really allowed for religious freedom in his kingdom. He made sure that laws were in place that made it so people could preach and teach and practice their religion. Ammon and his brothers could now go throughout the land teaching and sharing the Gospel with the Lamanites, with great success. The scriptures teach that thousands were converted.

So great and deep was their conversion that this is what is said about them:

"And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were  brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many   of the Lamanites as believed in  their preaching, and were converted unto the   Lord, never did fall away." (Alma 23:6)

For it to be said that they "never did fall away", they must have changed so much. They put away their weapons of war, and no longer fought. Lamanites, historically, were a more wicked and bloodthirsty people. Not all Lamanites were converted, but so great was this peoples' conversion that they even wanted to change their name to be able to be known by something else. They decided from then on to be called the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. They worked hard, and lived the gospel, and they were a good people.

I feel like it would be great if, at the end of my life, it could be said of me "he never did fall away". I still have a long way to go, but I do desire to have that depth of conversion. I want to do what is right, and help people along the way.