A little while ago I was reading in the Book of Mormon. And something struck me differently than it had in the multiples times I had read the same story before. The story recounts the struggle of the people of Limhi while they are in bondage to their enemies, the Lamanites. In years past, this group of people (or Nephites) left their homeland of Zarahemla to inhabit another part of the land. When their leader Zeniff dies, his son Noah becomes a wicked king, and likewise the people become wicked. The Lord sends Abinadi the prophet to them to tell them to repent. After King Noah and his priests kill him for prophesying against them, the Lamanites (enemies of the Nephites) come against them. His priests end up killing Noah, and his son Limhi becomes king. The people submit themselves to be the Lamanite's slaves rather than be killed. Limhi is a righteous king, and the people begin to turn away from their wickedness while they are in bondage. However, they suffer much in the years that they are in slavery.
Then Ammon and his men come out from Zarahemla searching to know what happened to this particular group of their brethren years ago when they left Zarahemla. When King Limhi finds out who Ammon is, he is overjoyed, and he gathers the people together to let them know what has happened, and he says:
"O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain, yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made." (Mosiah 7:18)
I love that sentence. How many times do I get upset because good things don't happen when I think they should? How many times do my prayers seemingly go unanswered? Sometimes I wonder at the struggles I face, apparently in vain. People get frustrated with God because of the bad in their lives and won't believe there is a God because of the bad in the world. But that is because we as a people have forgotten God's very nature. We forget that we came to earth to become like Him. He will not save us from heartache, affliction, and suffering because He loves us. In fact I believe that is the very reason why He does not, no matter how much I'm sure He sometimes would like to.
There is no way we could become like Him without the very struggles we sometimes curse Him for. There is no way to become better or stronger without effort, the most effective of which often comes in the midst of suffering and opposition. We could never learn to trust Him if we weren't given the opportunity to experience situations in which require us to lean on Someone other than ourselves.
Do I believe the Lord is capable of mighty miracles? Of taking us out of our struggles, healing the heartache, and relieving our suffering immediately? Most certainly my answer is yes. But...
But most often, I think, He blesses us with smaller miracles. The ones that should remind us that we are not lost, we are not unknown, even when; and especially when; the finish line isn't in sight. Much like Ammon's small group of men finding the people of Limhi. There's no escape plan yet, they've brought no army to battle the Lamanites, there's no lightning bolt from heaven to strike down their enemies. But it's a miracle of hope. Limhi knows they are not lost, they are not unknown, their prayers have not fallen on deaf ears. For the truth of the matter is, even after everything they have done, after all they have endured, there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.
The Lord requires us to act, to work, to grit our teeth and move forward as best we can. Only then will the struggle be effectual. That is, it will work to our advantage as we are brought nearer to God, as we in small but significant ways become more like Him. And it will never be over as long as we still have room to improve and lessons to learn. This is the very purpose of our mortal experience! The blessing, the miracle, the wonderful message, is that the Lord is there in every moment.
And now I will forever read this scripture as 'O sweet Tycy, lift up your head and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when you shall no longer be in subjection to your sufferings, notwithstanding your many strugglings. Yet trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.'
Do I believe the Lord is capable of mighty miracles? Of taking us out of our struggles, healing the heartache, and relieving our suffering immediately? Most certainly my answer is yes. But...
But most often, I think, He blesses us with smaller miracles. The ones that should remind us that we are not lost, we are not unknown, even when; and especially when; the finish line isn't in sight. Much like Ammon's small group of men finding the people of Limhi. There's no escape plan yet, they've brought no army to battle the Lamanites, there's no lightning bolt from heaven to strike down their enemies. But it's a miracle of hope. Limhi knows they are not lost, they are not unknown, their prayers have not fallen on deaf ears. For the truth of the matter is, even after everything they have done, after all they have endured, there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.
The Lord requires us to act, to work, to grit our teeth and move forward as best we can. Only then will the struggle be effectual. That is, it will work to our advantage as we are brought nearer to God, as we in small but significant ways become more like Him. And it will never be over as long as we still have room to improve and lessons to learn. This is the very purpose of our mortal experience! The blessing, the miracle, the wonderful message, is that the Lord is there in every moment.
And now I will forever read this scripture as 'O sweet Tycy, lift up your head and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when you shall no longer be in subjection to your sufferings, notwithstanding your many strugglings. Yet trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.'
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