Alma 14:7-13

14:7-13 - We last saw Zeezrom (Z) as he was beginning to have his "Alma the Younger" experience, and was truly seeing for the first time "his own guilt." I have to admit, Z is a really interesting character when we see him in the light of how outspoken he is when stirring the people up, but then also how outspoken he is once he's shown that he's wrong. There are many people who, once shown publicly to be wrong, shrink away and go into hiding, but not Z, he's quick to "cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. And he began to plead for them from that time forth." We can see that unlike many of the people that he taught to be wicked, Z is not so far gone that the Spirit can not penetrate his heart and send him into the gulf of misery. So there's Alma, Amulek, Zeezrom, and all the people who believed on the words of A&A and began to turn to study the scriptures, but the vast majority of the citizens of Ammonihah took Z and "spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them." That's pretty extreme I think. The people who believed in the words of A&A didn't start fighting with those who did not believe, the unbelievers had absolutely NO threat come to them from those who became believers. The only reason why they would throw the believers out of the city like thieves, was because Satan was stirring in their hearts and desired to hurt those who did believe. It takes a special kind of evil to hurt people who pose no threat to you. The unbelievers took those who did believe and "cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them. And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire." Wow. Let's think for a minute of the dynamic of the people that are now at war with each other. Only just briefly before, they were all citizens of the same city, those who were being cast into the fire were probably being murdered by their own friends, neighbors, and maybe even family. They knew each other, they lived together, they did business together. The children who were being burned to death were being killed by the parents of their friends, look at how fast the crown turned on Z. One minute he's instigating a fight, and the people are cheering him on, the next minute he's realizing the errors of his ways, pleading for peace, and everyone all of a sudden decide to throw him out of the city and throw rocks at him, there's no loyalty there. It would seem to me that, if there is no loyalty to those who change their minds, like Z, then there would be no loyalty among those who stayed true to being wicked. And that would lead me to believe that if there was no loyalty to each other, even if they did remain similar in belief, that whatever is running this show, the unseen hand that is instigating has no loyalty to those who he is provoking into murderers. I could only imagine the scene, men being chased out of town, women and children being tied up and set on fire, and then just to show that there is no reason other than a pure hatred of God, they burn the scriptures. It's obscene, it doesn't make any sense, and yet here they were. Those who are doing the killing drag A&A over to watch all the madness, and Amulek says to 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." Amulek shows remarkable faith here when he clearly states his belief in the mighty power of God. But there's another side of faith, and that side is even more powerful, and that's when we know that God can work a mighty miracle, but chooses not to, and that we have to believe that it is better for all involved if the hand of the adversary isn't stayed. It's at that point that we have to believe that whatever the Lord has in store for us is much greater and much more amazing then whatever miracle it is that we asked for. The IM teaches that "through the power of the priesthood he held and his faith, Alma had the ability to deliver the faithful women and children of Ammonihah from their terrible deaths. The Lord did not permit him to do so, however. Alma explained to Amulek that the Lord would receive the righteous martyrs unto HImself as a testimony against the evil acts of the persecutors." I know we've talked before about what it takes for Lord to bring about violence as a means of punishment, and so far it's been through the murder of his prophets, but knowing what happens to the people of Ammonihah later, we know that murdering his righteous people, especially his righteous women and children, through an unfathomable painful way, is pretty much where he draws the line here too. We can see that the shedding of the blood of the righteous is pretty consistently where death becomes the only approach left on the table. My mom actually taught me a really good lesson once, using this story as an example. It was when I first went back to church and we were listening to a story on the news I think it was, that was talking about religious strife in another country and how one religion was trying to force other people to believe it, or they would kill them. And I said something like "yeah, if that was me, and it was convert or watch my children be killed, I would probably convert." My mom was shocked and said "remember the story of Alma and Amulek, when all the women and children who believed in Christ were burned to death? Amulek wanted to call down fire from heaven to stop it, but Alma told him no, that even though those people were dying, they were going to be with God. It's better to die believing than to become an unbeliever and live." The IM continues teaching "certainly we grieve to consider the deaths of the righteous who suffered at the hands of the wicked. But we rejoice in knowing of their rewards in the spirit world as well as their final state in the celestial kingdom. Doctrine and Covenants 42:46 reminds us: 'Those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them.' This does not mean that there is no pain involved in the death of the righteous, but that the eternal rewards for them are so great that in comparison their pains are nothing." I would like to think that this is true for all the righteous, not just those who die as martyrs. For instance, if we consider all those innocent people who have been murdered or tortured or even just harassed over the course of human history, take the most horrid event that has ever happened, and we have to think that like the murder of the righteous at Ammonihah, the reward of all those who suffer in this life must be far beyond anything that we can even comprehend as human beings right now in this life. For us to come to this earth, suffer this life, and still go back to the spirit world feeling like it was a step forward in spiritual progression, the rewards, or law of compensation, must be enormous, and in such a way that doesn't even make sense to us right now. Take the most tortured life that has ever been lived on this earth, Jesus Christ, through the Atonement, who suffered and descended below all things, who drank the dregs of the bitter cup, still came back in resurrected form with no regrets, with joy and happiness and peace. That's what waits for all of us who live likewise, who strive to keep his commandments and serve Him. The IM quotes Elder Ronald E. Poelman as teaching "Adversity in the lives of the obedient and faithful may be the consequence of disease, accidental injury, ignorance, or the influence of the adversary. To preserve free agency, the Lord also at times permits the righteous to suffer the consequences of evil acts by others." Interesting that it says that the evil acts of others are sometimes permitted to preserve free agency. What would happen if evil acts of others were not allowed to effect the righteous? If being righteous kept all the believers safe, then people would be righteous and believe just to keep out of danger, not to because they love God and want to be nearer to Him. The purpose of this life is to prove those who will keep the commandments out of love and faith, not out of selfish intent to stay safe. The IM continues with some amazing insight, comfort, and guidance but I've covered all that I want to, so I'm going to just post it directly here for your reference.

After Alma tells Amulek that, "the Spirit contraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand," Amulek seems genuinely concerned that "perhaps they will burn us also." But I love Alma's response, "be it according to the will of the Lord." He fully believes and holds no doubt in his heart of the teachings that were given to us in the IM by President Joseph F. Smith and President Spencer W. Kimball. He truly has the eternal perspective, but he, like Abinadi, also knows that his work is not finished and that the Lord will not allow his death until it is.

This is a very deep section and so even though I didn't cover a lot volume wise, it's been pretty intense for me, and I hope that I gave this section the respect and reverence that women and children who are burned to death for their belief in Christ deserves.