Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 14:10-11
"And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day"
It always makes me cry to read this chapter. The people of Ammonihah harden their hearts against Alma and Amulek, even against Zeezrom who tells them he was wrong. They cast the people out that believe their words, which I have to think are all the men. They bound Alma and Amulek and then made them watch as they burned the women and children that believed in their words.
What breaks my heart is that Amulek is probably watching the death of his own wife and children, at least some family members. For later on Alma will take Amulek into his own home to strengthen him. How badly he must have wanted to use his priesthood power to save them. But, the Spirit tells Alma that the will of God is different. They must not stretch forth their hands and save them. That must have been such a hard test of faith to do God's will and not their own. I pondered on how hard it is in life to give up doing my own will and instead seek to do the Father's will. Sometimes when I think what I am asked to do is hard, I know it is nothing compared to what Alma and Amulek were made to witness. They had to leave justice in the Lord's hand. Doing so would be the only way they could live with what they saw. Isn't that the only way we can overcome any wrong that has been done to us? I know leaving justice in the hands of the Lord is the only way I have been able to find peace.
Day 288 Tami Fitzgerald Harris
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