Book of Mormon Sunday II- Mosiah 23-29

   The deliverance of Alma's people shows the power of the atonement. Mormon. the editor, comments that affliction is given to the righteous as well as the unrighteous to show the power of Jesus Christ's deliverance. I get that; I am not comfortable with that truth but I understand that every child of God must come to see Jesus as their Savior. 

    Mos.24:14 "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

    This people will have burdens placed upon them and the help they receive from the Lord will be talked about for generations. Their deliverance will be an example of the mercy of God and will stand as a testimony to their posterity.
   Mos.24:16 "And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage. And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage."     Mosiah 26:8 "Now king Mosiah had given Alma the authority over the church." What confidence the King must have had in this Alma who had changed his heart at the words of Abinadi. As the chosen head of the church he found himself in the position of judging the actions of his people. 

    Mosiah 26:13 "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."

  Every church leader should feel that humility and the Lord assures Alma of his confidence.

  Mosiah 26:20 "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.

   I  think of the soul searching Alma did about the behavior of his own son. What deliverance and mercy it was that the angel interceded and stopped these young men from further sin.

    Mosiah 27:29 " My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."

    Mosiah 28:4 "And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever. And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi"

    These stories of repentance are a comfort to me as they show the mercy of our Savior.