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Book of Mormon Commentary
Alma Chapter 14
God did not promise a successful mission without trial. James wrote, "The trying of your faith
worketh patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing" (James 1:3,4).
Ammon declared that one who repents, exercises faith, does good works, and prays continually,
shall "bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our
brethren to repentance" (Alma 14:103,104). This should give direction and encouragement to
those laboring in the world- wide harvest of souls.
Ammon then recounted some of their trials while laboring among the Lamanites; "and all this, that
perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul" (115), but many responded. And these Anti-
Nephi-Lehis would "rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy" (118).
"Has there been so great love in all the land?" (119) .He answers, "Nay, there has not, even among
the Nephites" (120).
Alma 14:125 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and
my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo.
Ammon ends his discourse by praising God for being "mindful of this people, who are a branch of
the tree of Israel, ...wanderers in a strange land" (126).
It should be noted that no experience in the Old or New Testament compares with this mission of
Alma and Mosiah's sons. Men do not walk into a strange land among sworn enemies to preach the
love of God unless they have a strong testimony that God will be with them. Their testimony was
that they had seen an angel who said, "Seek to destroy the church no more. ...His voice was as
thunder, which shook the earth" (Mosiah 11:163-177). The testimony that God would go with
them among the Lamanites and give them success did not come until they had determined to go,
and their faith had been tried severely (Alma 12:11-19).