Once again, I'm going to get introspective on you--forgive me. :)
Faith is such an interesting topic to me.
As I've been trying to pull myself out of the depression I spent a lot of this summer feeling, I've been studying a lot about faith and gratitude. The interesting thing about faith is that we often hear about faith producing miracles--sickness and injuries healing, peoples' hearts changing, finding jobs when it seemed impossible, etc., etc... but for me, one of the most fascinating examples of faith is the one of Amulek, as recorded in the Book of Mormon.
In Alma 14 (you might recall this story), Alma and Amulek have been teaching among the people of Ammonihah. While they were able to have some success among the poorer class of people, they hadn't had any with the wealthier people; at this point in the story, the judges and lawyers have taken the believers and driven out the men with stones, and then thrown the women and children into a fire, which they forced Alma and Amulek to watch.
If you'll recall, this is Amulek's home, so many of these believers are probably people he knew--neighbors, cousins, friends, perhaps even a wife, sisters and daughters; so, as it says in verse 9, it says that when he "saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained;" At this point, he had the faith to turn to Alma, someone he KNEW as a prophet of God, and ask, "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."
I want to point out that he did the right thing here! His request wasn't a wrong one or a bad one--He exercised faith and turned to the prophet and asked him to use the power of the priesthood for this admirable cause--to save these innocent people from suffering at the hands of wicked men.
Alma's answer wasn't the one he wanted to hear; in verse 11, Alma responds: "The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand;" and explains why--that the blood of the innocent must stand as a witness against the wicked.
If I were Amulek and I were in that place, I would probably be angry. What? How is asking for such a good and worthy thing in any way wrong? I would probably have my doubts--how could a prophet of the God of Love sit by and coldheartedly view such a scene without using the power he has to change the outcome?
But Amulek's response inspires me. After asking if they, too, will be required to sacrifice their lives (in itself another show of faith, and something I think I would probably personally prefer to having to live through the trauma of what they had just seen), Alma answers in verse 13, "Be it according to the will of the Lord. But behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not."
After going through more torment and finally receiving the miracle to deliver themselves three days after the martyrdom of the people Amulek loved, Alma and Amulek are freed, and in chapter 15, verse 18, it says that Alma "took Amulek...to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord."
Later on, Alma and Amulek went on to serve many more missions and have many other miraculous experiences together, showing to me that Amulek, despite this HUGE trial of his faith, continued faithful until the end of his story.
So many times in my life, I feel as though I'm pleading for good things--worthy things--honorable things. I want nothing more than my friends who are struggling with infertility to be able to have children; for my brother who has been unemployed for years to find a job; for my family members and friends to be happy and healthy; for the people I teach to desire a testimony and use that testimony to guide their choices; for my own weaknesses and imperfections to be removed so that I can more perfectly accomplish the things I see lacking in my own life.
And as I've spent time on my knees in prayer, crying to the Lord in supplication for these and other blessings that I desire with all of my heart, I've had experience after experience where the answer hasn't been the one that I've wanted. People have gone on as before, and on the surface, everything seems unchanged in many of these situations.
But--over this journey I've been taking to try to truly trust in God, I've learned that I desire to cultivate faith like Amulek. I want to have the faith to trust not only in the Lord's power to cause miracles, but also in His wisdom to let burdens go unlifted and trials to go unchanged. I want to truly be able to say, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us...But if not...we will not serve (other) gods." (Dan. 3:17-18)
I want for the people I teach to be faithful and true to their covenants. But if not, I will remain faithful and true to mine.
I want for other people to treat me with respect and love. But if not, I will work to overcome my own imperfections.
I want for God to make his hand known in the lives of my family. But if not, I will still look for and acknowledge His hand in my life.
I want to be happy in my relationships with others. But if not, I will learn to be happy on my own.
As I'm learning to cultivate this trust in God, I'm seeing a difference--perhaps not in my outward situations, but definitely in my inward heart. The situations around me may or may not be changing visibly, but I am changing. I am becoming more peaceful, more focused on what I can and should work to change, and more able to let go of things outside my control. I am becoming closer to my Heavenly Father, and, I hope, becoming more like Him in my capacity to feel, to endure, and to love.
Have any of you had times where unanswered prayers have turned to your good?
Faith is such an interesting topic to me.
As I've been trying to pull myself out of the depression I spent a lot of this summer feeling, I've been studying a lot about faith and gratitude. The interesting thing about faith is that we often hear about faith producing miracles--sickness and injuries healing, peoples' hearts changing, finding jobs when it seemed impossible, etc., etc... but for me, one of the most fascinating examples of faith is the one of Amulek, as recorded in the Book of Mormon.
In Alma 14 (you might recall this story), Alma and Amulek have been teaching among the people of Ammonihah. While they were able to have some success among the poorer class of people, they hadn't had any with the wealthier people; at this point in the story, the judges and lawyers have taken the believers and driven out the men with stones, and then thrown the women and children into a fire, which they forced Alma and Amulek to watch.
If you'll recall, this is Amulek's home, so many of these believers are probably people he knew--neighbors, cousins, friends, perhaps even a wife, sisters and daughters; so, as it says in verse 9, it says that when he "saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained;" At this point, he had the faith to turn to Alma, someone he KNEW as a prophet of God, and ask, "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."
I want to point out that he did the right thing here! His request wasn't a wrong one or a bad one--He exercised faith and turned to the prophet and asked him to use the power of the priesthood for this admirable cause--to save these innocent people from suffering at the hands of wicked men.
Alma's answer wasn't the one he wanted to hear; in verse 11, Alma responds: "The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand;" and explains why--that the blood of the innocent must stand as a witness against the wicked.
If I were Amulek and I were in that place, I would probably be angry. What? How is asking for such a good and worthy thing in any way wrong? I would probably have my doubts--how could a prophet of the God of Love sit by and coldheartedly view such a scene without using the power he has to change the outcome?
But Amulek's response inspires me. After asking if they, too, will be required to sacrifice their lives (in itself another show of faith, and something I think I would probably personally prefer to having to live through the trauma of what they had just seen), Alma answers in verse 13, "Be it according to the will of the Lord. But behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not."
After going through more torment and finally receiving the miracle to deliver themselves three days after the martyrdom of the people Amulek loved, Alma and Amulek are freed, and in chapter 15, verse 18, it says that Alma "took Amulek...to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord."
Later on, Alma and Amulek went on to serve many more missions and have many other miraculous experiences together, showing to me that Amulek, despite this HUGE trial of his faith, continued faithful until the end of his story.
So many times in my life, I feel as though I'm pleading for good things--worthy things--honorable things. I want nothing more than my friends who are struggling with infertility to be able to have children; for my brother who has been unemployed for years to find a job; for my family members and friends to be happy and healthy; for the people I teach to desire a testimony and use that testimony to guide their choices; for my own weaknesses and imperfections to be removed so that I can more perfectly accomplish the things I see lacking in my own life.
And as I've spent time on my knees in prayer, crying to the Lord in supplication for these and other blessings that I desire with all of my heart, I've had experience after experience where the answer hasn't been the one that I've wanted. People have gone on as before, and on the surface, everything seems unchanged in many of these situations.
But--over this journey I've been taking to try to truly trust in God, I've learned that I desire to cultivate faith like Amulek. I want to have the faith to trust not only in the Lord's power to cause miracles, but also in His wisdom to let burdens go unlifted and trials to go unchanged. I want to truly be able to say, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us...But if not...we will not serve (other) gods." (Dan. 3:17-18)
I want for the people I teach to be faithful and true to their covenants. But if not, I will remain faithful and true to mine.
I want for other people to treat me with respect and love. But if not, I will work to overcome my own imperfections.
I want for God to make his hand known in the lives of my family. But if not, I will still look for and acknowledge His hand in my life.
I want to be happy in my relationships with others. But if not, I will learn to be happy on my own.
As I'm learning to cultivate this trust in God, I'm seeing a difference--perhaps not in my outward situations, but definitely in my inward heart. The situations around me may or may not be changing visibly, but I am changing. I am becoming more peaceful, more focused on what I can and should work to change, and more able to let go of things outside my control. I am becoming closer to my Heavenly Father, and, I hope, becoming more like Him in my capacity to feel, to endure, and to love.
Have any of you had times where unanswered prayers have turned to your good?
Comments