Ammon’s Joy
These are the words of Ammon to his brothers. He said: My brothers, we have great reason to be happy. When we left the land of Zarahemla, could we have thought that God would give us such great blessings?
What great blessings has he given us? Can you tell? I will answer for you. Our brothers, the Lamanites, were in darkness. They were in the darkest place. But many of them have now seen the wonderful light of God! This is the blessing he gave us. We have been tools in the hands of God to do this great work. Thousands of them are happy. They have been brought into God’s group.
The field was ready. You are blessed because you used the sickle and worked hard. You worked all day long. Look at the number of bundles you have. They will be put in the barns so they are not wasted. They will not be beaten down by the storm at the last day. They will not be destroyed by the whirlwinds. When the storm comes, they will be brought together in their place. The storm cannot reach them. They will not be blown by strong winds wherever the enemy wants to take them. They are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest. They are his. He will bring them back to life at the last day.
Blessed be the name of our God. Let us sing to praise him. Let us give thanks to his holy name. He does what is right forever.
If we had not come from the land of Zarahemla, these brothers who now love us would still be filled with hate against us. They would still be strangers to God.
Aaron Worries About Boasting
When Ammon said these words, his brother Aaron told him he was wrong. Aaron said: Ammon, I’m afraid your happiness is making you brag.
But Ammon said to him: I do not brag about my own strength or my own wisdom. My happiness is full. My heart is filled with joy. I will be happy in my God. I know that I am nothing. I am weak. So I will not brag about myself. But I will brag about my God. In his strength I can do all things. We have done many great miracles in this land. We will praise his name forever. How many thousands of our brothers has he freed from the pains of hell? They now sing about God’s love that saved them. This happened because of the power of his word that is in us. So we have great reason to be happy. We have reason to praise him forever. He is the Most High God. He has freed our brothers from the chains of hell. They were trapped in darkness and destruction forever. But he has brought them into his light forever. He has brought them into salvation forever. They are surrounded by his great love. We have been tools in his hands to do this great and wonderful work. So let us be glad in the Lord. We will be happy because our happiness is full. We will praise our God forever. Who can be too glad in the Lord? Who can say too much about his great power and his mercy and his patience toward people? I cannot say even the smallest part of what I feel.
God Saved Us
Who could have thought that our God would be so kind as to save us from our terrible, sinful, and dirty condition? We went out in anger, making big threats to destroy his church. Why didn’t he destroy us? Why didn’t he let his justice punish us and doom us to sadness forever? I almost run away when I think about it. He did not punish us. Instead, he has been very kind to us. He has brought us over that big gulf of death and sadness. He has saved our souls.
My brothers, what person knows these things naturally? I tell you, no one knows these things except those who are sorry for their sins. Only those who are sorry and have faith and do good things and pray without stopping. God lets these people know his secrets. These people will be given the chance to tell about things that have never been told about. They will bring thousands of souls to be sorry for their sins. Just like we brought these brothers to be sorry for their sins.
People Laughed at Us
Do you remember, my brothers, that we told our brothers in the land of Zarahemla: We are going to the land of Nephi to teach our brothers, the Lamanites. And they laughed at us.
They said to us: Do you think you can bring the Lamanites to know the truth? Do you think you can show the Lamanites that their fathers’ teachings are wrong? They are such a stubborn people. Their hearts love to kill. They have spent their days doing terrible things. They have been doing wrong from the beginning. My brothers, you remember that this is what they said. And they also said: Let us fight them. Let us destroy them and their evil out of the land. If we don’t, they will take over and destroy us.
But my dear brothers, we did not come into the wild land to destroy our brothers. We came hoping that we might save some of their souls.
The Lord’s Promise
When we were sad and were about to go back, the Lord comforted us. He said: Go to your brothers, the Lamanites. Be patient in your troubles. I will give you success.
We have come and have been among them. We have been patient in our suffering. We have gone without food. We have traveled from house to house. We counted on the mercy of the people. But not only on the mercy of the people. We counted on the mercy of God. We have gone into their houses and taught them. We have taught them in their streets. We have taught them on their hills. We have also gone into their temples and their meeting places and taught them. We have been kicked out and laughed at and spit on and hit on our faces. We have been hit with stones and tied up with strong ropes and thrown into prison. But through the power and wisdom of God, we have been set free again. We have had all kinds of troubles. All this so that we might help save some soul. We thought our happiness would be full if we could help save some.
Great Results
We can look and see the results of our work. Are they few? I tell you, no, they are many. We can see that they are real because of their love for their brothers and for us. They would rather die than kill their enemy. They have buried their weapons deep in the earth because of their love for their brothers. I ask you, has there been such great love in all the land? I tell you, no, not even among the Nephites. The Nephites would fight against their brothers. They would not let themselves be killed. But look at how many of these have died. We know that they have gone to their God because of their love and their hate of sin.
Don’t we have reason to be happy? I tell you, no men have ever had such great reason to be happy since the world began. My happiness makes me brag about my God. He has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding. He knows all things. He is kind, ready to save those who are sorry and believe in his name. If this is bragging, then I will brag. This is my life and my light, my happiness and my salvation. This saves me from sadness forever. Blessed is the name of my God. He has remembered this people. They are a branch of the family of Israel. They have been lost from their people in a strange land. Blessed be the name of my God who has remembered us wanderers in a strange land. My brothers, we see that God remembers every people in whatever land they are in. He counts his people. His kindness covers all the earth. This is my happiness and my great thanks. I will give thanks to my God forever. Amen.
Influences
- 26:2 — 1 John 3:1 (KJV)Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- 26:3 — 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
- 26:5 — Revelation 14:15 (KJV)And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
- 26:7 — Luke 10:2 (KJV)Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
- 26:7 — John 6:40 (KJV)And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
- 26:12 — 1 Corinthians 13:2 (KJV)And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
- 26:12 — 2 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
- 26:12 — 2 John 1:8 (KJV)Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
- 26:13 — Acts 21:20 (KJV)And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
- 26:16 — 1 Corinthians 16:19 (KJV)The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
- 26:17 — 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (KJV)Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
- 26:21 — 1 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV)But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- 26:22 — Matthew 12:35 (KJV)A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
- 26:22 — 2 Timothy 1:3 (KJV)I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
- 26:22 — 1 Corinthians 4:1 (KJV)Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
- 26:28 — Romans 12:1 (KJV)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
- 26:29 — Matthew 4:23 (KJV)And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
- 26:35 — Matthew 11:9 (KJV)But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
- 26:35 — Romans 1:16 (KJV)For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
- 26:37 — Philippians 4:1 (KJV)Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.