Blessed in Chaos
Mosiah chapter 26 is packed with a number of great things. It all begins when the younger generation becomes rebellious and refuses to join the church. The dissensions grow, and it becomes a big problem, something the church had never faced.
Now there had not any such thing happened before in the church;
Mosiah 26:10
The people of the church brought those that had committed sins to Alma, but he didn’t know what to do with them, so he had them brought before king Mosiah.
King Mosiah wisely decides that it wasn’t his place to judge them, so he delivers them back into Alma’s hands. Alma was greatly troubled as to what he should do.
And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.
vs.13
Alma wisely seeks wisdom from God to figure out what to do. Note that he pours out his whole soul to God.
And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him
vs.14
I was really touched by this, even though I have read it many times, mainly because of what happens next. Alma is indeed given an answer, but in the midst of this dark and confusing time he is offered another blessing:
And because thou hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed. Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep.
vs.19-20
God doesn’t just give him an answer but he covenants with Alma that he will have eternal life. I believe that for Alma this is what is often referred to as “having your calling and election made sure.”
Joseph Smith wrote:
“After a person hath faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands), . . . then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after Righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoro[ugh]ly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and Election made sure.”
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 (2 November 1838–31 July 1842)
I think that Alma’s life of service and experiences and particularly God’s words to Alma in verses 19-20, indicate that he was a recipient of this blessing.
What I find most profound in this chapter is that Alma was not in the act of seeking this blessing; he was dealing with a significant problem that had never manifested itself in the church.
He may have been feeling frustrated or inadequate to the task by pushing the issue over to king Mosiah. Alma turns to God for guidance, but this struggle is a catalyst for not just new guidance for the church but a magnificent personal blessing for Alma himself.
When life feels chaotic, it doesn’t seem like the best time for spiritual experiences. The scriptures demonstrate that God is present and willing to bless no matter what our circumstances may be. That’s a great thing to understand especially with the frustrations that have been with us thus far in the first half of 2020.
There is never a wrong time to turn to God, and no chaos that will prevent him from blessing his children.
