Abish, Part II with A Pocket Full of Principles

Image: Book of Mormon Seminary Student Study Guide

 

Last we read, Abish (pronounced

ā´bĭsh) the Queen's servant had a decision to make...would she keep her testimony in her heart or would she make her beliefs known.....

Abish seized the missionary moment!

She decided to share her beliefs and her long-held testimony with those in her village.  She wanted to let everyone know that God was real!   She believed that if the villagers saw the unbelievable scene of King Lamoni, his Queen, Ammon and the rest it would cause these people to believe in the power of God, as she did.

I love her plan of attack. She ran from house to house, letting everyone know. We don't know how old Abish was, but I picture her middle aged, running around with skirts a flying, yelling for everyone to come to the house of the King. Abish did a good job of promoting the situation, because the scriptures say a multitude assembled together.

This multitude saw the King, the Queen and servants lying there as if they were dead.  To make matters worse....they saw Ammon that Nephite, lying there as well.

Things started to take a turn for the worst...the people began to murmur among themselves. Some believed it was evil that came upon the people because the King allowed a Nephite to stay in their land. The brother of one of those that Ammon killed at the waters of Sebus (remember the whole arm-chopping, flock scattering incident) happened to be in the crowd. This guy was NOT happy and was bent on avenging the death of his brother.   He lifted up his sword to kill Ammon and just as he did so, HE fell over dead.  Not Ammon, the other guy!  One more miracle at the hands of the Lord!

Remember that Ammon could not be slain. "For the Lord had said unto Mosiah, his father; I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith--therefore, Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord." Alma 19:23

I LOVE how the Scriptures work. Here we are in the middle of a great story and....boom...we are smacked over the head with an AMAZING parenting principle! The Lord promised Mosiah, Ammon's father, that he would be spared.   But how would he be spared?  

The Scriptures say he would be spared by the faith of Mosiah. Mosiah trusted Ammon and his other sons to the Lord with all his heart, that they would be safe. As parents, it is not always easy to trust in the Lord, to let him guide us and the lives of our children. I have re-read and re-read that one simple line...."Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord." We need to trust more in the Lord and rely less on ourselves when it comes to parenting and everything else, for that matter!

Back to the story.... Fear came upon the whole crowd and no surprise, they did not try to touch or hurt Ammon from that point on. Some thought that Ammon was the "Great Spirit". Others thought he was a "monster, who had been sent from the Nephites to torment them" Alma 19:26.

Then it seemed the Lamanites began to do what they did best.   They started to complain that they had been picked on. The Great Spirit had always favored the Nephites and that it was the Great Spirit who had destroyed so many of their brethren, the Lamanites.   Blah, blah, blah....these guys were still haters and complainers hundreds of years later!  I think there's a great principle to be learned in that too!  (Remember President Uchtdorf's talk at last General Conference?   Read it here:  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng

With all this commotion, Abish who had caused this whole multitude to gather in the first place burst into tears. She took the Queen by the hand, in hopes of raising her from the ground. As soon as Abish touched her hand, the Queen stood up on her feet and cried with a loud voice "O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!" Alma 19:29 

I can only imagine the relief that Abish must have felt!

The queen then took Lamoni by the hand and he stood as well. The King immediately began to teach the crowd the words that he had been taught by Ammon. I love Alma 19:31.."And as many as heard his words believed, and were converted unto the Lord."  Amazing!

But look at the very next verse. "There were many among them who would not hear his words; therefore they went their way."Alma 19:32   How could they have seen all this and then just walked away?  Maybe it's similar to us when we hear the words of the Lord or his servants and just turn the other way and do our own thing!

Ammon also rose and administered to the people. Many were baptized, "and they became a righteous people, and they did establish a church among them." Alma 19:35. I don't know if you got that last part, THEY ESTABLISHED A CHURCH AMONG THEM! The greatest desire of Ammon's heart had happened!

And here's the perfect principle to clinch the whole story...."And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name" Alma 19:36

So many principles...so little time.

 

How many principles could you get out of this chapter? Here's just a few I came up with:

1. I must have faith and rely on the Lord, like the heroes in this story.

2. The Spirit of God is powerful. Am I feeling it enough each day?  If not, what do I need to do differently to have the spirit with me more?

3. Am I willing to let the Spirit of God work in my life? 'Like it worked in the lives of King Lamoni,his wife, servants & Ammon?  Or am I too 'busy'?

4. Do I have enough faith to share my testimony, like Abish, with those who don't believe
the same as me?

5. Am I willing to do whatever it takes to share the gospel, like Ammon and Abish?

6. Am I truly 'converted' to the Lord, like those who heard the gospel & believed?

7. Or am I like those who heard the words, but just went their own way? Even though I know the
gospel is true, is it sometimes just inconvenient to put my whole heart in it?  When I hear a talk in General Conference or Sacrament Meeting do I apply it to myself or pay little attention?

8. God's arm is extended to ALL people who repent & believe in him, no matter who we are or
what we have done. That is the best true principle of them all!

Ammon's mini-mission is about over in the land of Ishmael...but what in the world has happened to his brothers.....

Abish & The Queen

Our last encounter with Lamoni, the Lamanite King was that he had fallen to the earth, as if he were dead.  His family was mourning over his body, greatly lamenting his loss.  They were about to take his body to the sepulchre....

The Queen in a last ditch effort to do something before her husband was entombed, called upon Ammon to meet with her.  Ammon did as he was commanded.  When he got the word that he had an audience with the Queen, I wonder what he was thinking?  A lot of drama had happened since Ammon showed up in town!

The Queen said to Ammon, "The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that thou art a prophet of a holy God, and that thou hast power to do many mighty works in his name; therefore, if this is the case, I would that ye should go in and see my husband, for he has been laid upon his bed for the space of two days, and two nights; and some say that he is not dead, but others say that he is dead and that he stinketh, and that he ought to be placed in the sepulchre; but as for myself, to me he doth not stink." Alma 19:4-5

All of this was EXACTLY what Ammon had hoped for.   He was overjoyed!

Ammon knew that a"...dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his [King Lamoni's] mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness-yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul..... that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God." Alma 19:6

Ammon went to the King and immediately knew that he was not dead.  He promised the Queen that the next day Lamoni would rise again....a very bold promise!

Ammon boldly questioned the Queen and asked her if she believed his words.  Could she believe the words of a Nephite?  The Queen simply said, "....I believe that it shall be according as thou has said." Alma 19:9

Ammon was overcome with the faith of the Queen when he said in tribute to her, "Blessed are thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites".  Alma 19:10

The Queen stayed by the bedside of her husband until morning.  Just as Ammon had promised, awaken he did. 

Image by James H. Fullmer

The King awoke, stood and stretched his hand out to his wife.  What a reunion that must have been!  Lamoni began to proclaim his testimony to her.  He had seen His Savior, our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

"Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.  For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name." Alma 19:13



Image: www.lds.org

Just as these words came out of his mouth, he was so overcome with joy and the spirit that again he sunk down to the earth.  And this time, the Queen fell to the earth overpowered as well!

Ammon saw the spirit of the Lord working in the lives of these Lamanites.  This group of people who had been the cause of so much sadness and mourning among the Nephites because of their sin, rage and wicked traditions. 

Ammon fell upon his knees and began to pour his heart and soul out to the Lord in prayer.  He prayed in gratitude and thanksgiving to Heavenly Father for what had just happened.  Ammon was so overpowered with joy and happiness that he too sunk to the earth!

Can you picture it?  King Lamoni, the Queen and Ammon all so overcome with the spirit they are all flat on the ground....looking pretty dead.

Servants were all around.  What must they have been thinking!  They began to cry to God, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them too.  These servants called on the Lord with such fervor and with all their might, that even they started to fall to the earth as well. 

People are dropping like flies, but in a good way!

Now enters one of my favorite un-sung heroes of the Book of Mormon.  You might even miss her part of the story, if you don't read carefully.
 

Image by James H. Fullmer

This woman, Abish, was a servant to the Queen.  While the King, his servants, the Queen and Ammon were all on the ground, there was Abish, a witness to it all. 

As she saw the events unfold,  she was not afraid.  She knew that it was the power of God. 

How did she know this?  Why wasn't she fearful?

Alma 19:16-17 gives us the answer. "She having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father--Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known..."

Abish, was a convert to the Church, but had never been able to share her beliefs because of the wickedness of the Lamanite traditions.  She had only been able to keep her testimony in her heart.  

Abish now had an important decision to make....
Would she stay quiet or would she take this opportunity to make her beliefs known?