That He May Know...How to Succor His People According to Their Infirmities
Physical, Spiritual, and Emotional Protection Gained through the Atonement
Through the suffering and death of Christ, each of us who come to Him can have our sins forgiven. Additionally, all mankind has the assurance that we will live again, and will be able to return to the Father to be judged of what we have become in this life. Those of us who came to Christ and became as He is will be cleansed of all unrighteousness. We will be able to live, eternally, in the presence of our Father in Heaven and become as He is. Yet, the scriptures testify of another form of assistance available for all mankind who come to God: the personal aid of Christ. Recall the beautiful words of Alma to the people of Gideon regarding the love of our Savior:
‘And He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions, and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith He will take upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people....and He will take upon Him their infirmities that His bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that He may know according to the flesh how to succor His people according to their infirmities' (Alma 7:11-13).
Christ, in His atoning sacrifice, did more than taking upon us the punishment of a broken law, that each of us may be cleansed from sin. In a very real sense, He felt the pain, the turmoil, the grief, the sicknesses, and the agonies of every mortal experience. Having done so, His heart was filled with mercy, knowing the travails of all mankind. He will succor, or run to the aid of, every soul who calls upon the name of God, seeking His assistance.
In seeking this aid from Christ, however, it is important to understand that those who come to Christ will not be exempt from the burdens of mortality. Certainly, the righteous saint who flees from sin will not suffer the lawful consequences of breaking an eternal law. However, the purpose of mortality is to learn to rely upon God, not only in protection against sin but in every aspect of life. God will, therefore, allow His children to experience trials and troubles, heartache and grief, pain and sickness, each as a test to see if mankind will come to Him in the moments of affliction.
For the righteous saint who comes to God in His affliction, there are two distinct ways through which Christ succors His people. The first is that Christ may, 'according to His own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage' (Mosiah 7:33). We can have the assurance that, according to the will of our Father, some burdens in this life can be completely removed.
For those in turmoil, the common refrain is to be released from the affliction and for whatever is causing the pain to cease. Yet, often the affliction continues, and we may question why a loving God would have us continue in trials after we have desperately sought for them to stop. The answer is that these times of trouble are opportunities to rely upon Him, to learn and grow, and refine our character.
As such, for those whom God does not will to yet be released from affliction, there is the promise that 'if ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me' (Moroni 7:33). Sometimes, Christ wills us to continue in this affliction, so that we may learn and grow and become more like Him through these trials. In this circumstance, we have the assurance that He will give us power that we can bear the burdens of our afflictions, learn the lessons He desires us to learn, and become perfected through the pains and afflictions of mortality.
The Book of Mormon offers examples of three ways through which, if we come to God, we can be strengthened in trials and ultimately overcome the challenges of this life: deliverance from Satan, deliverance from physical strife, and deliverance from emotional turmoil.
That We May Conquer the Enemy of all Righteousness
During His visit to the American continent, Christ called 12 apostles and taught them, and the multitude, regarding His gospel. In this time of establishing His church and preparing them for a time when He would not always be with them, He provided one of the most beautiful statements in all of scripture. This passage is similar to the words spoken to Peter the night before His crucifixion. They stand as a witness of the great love of the Savior for His children.
‘ And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, he turned again unto the multitude and said unto them:
‘Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. ‘Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you’ (3 Ne 18:17-20)
Disciples of Christ need to be aware that Satan, the enemy of all righteousness, desires to have each of them for himself. Each righteous son and daughter that falls to the buffeting of Satan grants him a much-desired victory in the battle of good and evil. Many feel that the temptations become too strong to overcome. Yet, we can have the assurance that if we ask for the strength to overcome our carnal desires, ‘behold it shall be given unto you.’ So it is with us, if we come to the Savior, He will offer us His assistance to overcome the natural man and come more fully to Him.
This assistance from the Savior is available to every humble saint who is 'watchful unto prayer continually, that [they] may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower [them]' (Alma 34:39). Those who receive this divine protection from the devil are 'armed with righteousness and with power of God in great glory' (1 Ne 14:14)
Yet, do not think that the prayerful saint is exempt from temptations. Even Christ suffered 'temptations of every kind' (Alma 7:11), and so it will be with us: for learning to overcome the natural man is an important part of this mortal experience. Yet, those who 'watch and pray continually' have the assurance that they will 'not be tempted above that which [they] can bear' (Alma 13:28). The temptations will come, but when we cry to God, we will receive power to withstand the temptations and 'conquer the enemy of righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God' (Moroni 9:6).
The scriptures are replete with righteous examples of saints who overcame the devil and stood with God. Yet, few statements regarding these individuals are as powerful as those regarding Captain Moroni, who led the Nephites to victory after years of war against their enemies. Of him it is said that 'if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men' (Alma 48:17). So it is with us, that if we build our foundation 'upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the son of God...when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have not power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall' (Helaman 5:12). This divine protection against sin is the first promise of assistance we may receive from God, but we have the assurance that His love and aid extends into every aspect of our lives.
That They Should Be Preserved by His Marvelous Power
Within the Book of Mormon our many impressive stories of people who received the Lord's succor to deliver them physically from the most daunting of situations Perhaps the most inspiring is that of the 2000 stripling warriors, led by Helaman. An excerpt of their incredible story is given below, as told by Helaman:
‘And these are the words which he wrote, saying: My dearly beloved brother, Moroni, as well in the Lord as in the tribulations of our warfare; behold, my beloved brother, I have somewhat to tell you concerning our warfare in this part of the land...
‘Therefore it sufficeth me that I tell you that two thousand of these young men have taken their weapons of war, and would that I should be their leader; and we have come forth to defend our country...
But behold, here is one thing in which we may have great joy. For behold, in the twenty and sixth year, I, Helaman, did march at the head of these two thousand young men to the city of Judea, to assist Antipus, whom ye had appointed a leader over the people of that part of the land. ‘And I did join my two thousand sons, (for they are worthy to be called sons) to the army of Antipus, in which strength Antipus did rejoice exceedingly; for behold, his army had been reduced by the Lamanites because their forces had slain a vast number of our men, for which cause we have to mourn’
The army of Antipus found themselves in dire need of assistance, and Helaman, in response, rallied his 2000 young men to their aid.
‘Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle? And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites. For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus. Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it...
‘And now it came to pass that we, the people of Nephi, the people of Antipus, and I with my two thousand, did surround the Lamanites, and did slay them; yea, insomuch that they were compelled to deliver up their weapons of war and also themselves as prisoners of war. And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered themselves up unto us, behold, I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain. But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war.
The next chapter we see this group, once more, fighting for their freedom, in the aid of their brethren. Here is the account of their victory:
‘But behold, my little band of two thousand and sixty fought most desperately; yea, they were firm before the Lamanites, and did administer death unto all those who opposed them. And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted. Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them. And now behold, it was these my sons...to whom we owe this great victory; for it was they who did beat the Lamanites; therefore they were driven back to the city of Manti...
And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had fled, I immediately gave orders that my men who had been wounded should be taken from among the dead, and caused that their wounds should be dressed. And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds. And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually. (see Alma 56-57)
These passages demonstrate, first, the remarkable faith of these 2000 sons. They obeyed every word with exactness, they did not doubt, they carried the testimony of their mother's in their hearts, and in the end they were saved from death. Likewise, we can understand that Lord has power to deliver His people from their trying situations. For those who rely upon The Lord, they can have the assurance that, no matter the difficulty that has beset them, they can be assisted and saved by their loving Father in heaven.
The number of examples in the Book of Mormon of deliverance from physical troubles are many. Samuel the Lamanite, who foretold the signs of the coming and death of Christ, was delivered from the wrath of the people, for ‘the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones, neither their arrows’ (Helaman 16:2). Nephi, after he was bound by his brothers and left for dead, was given strength to be delivered ‘from the hands of [his] brethren’ to ‘burst [the] bands with which [he was] bound’ (1 Ne 7:17). A later Nephi, when a multitude reviled against him, seeking to cast him into prison, ‘was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them’ (Helaman 10:16). So great was the faith of the Nephites during times of war that they were assured that ‘if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that the commandments of God that He would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; and also that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, The Lord would deliver them’ (Alma 48:15-16).
So it is with us. Though we might not experience the same difficulties as these people, we have the assurance that the Lord can and will deliver us in times of physical need, be they spiritual, emotional, physical, or temporal. The Lord truly will succor us in all our physical needs.
Note, though, that though the Lord ran to the aid of the 2000 stripling warriors, this does not mean that they were exempt from the wounds of battle. Though all were saved miraculously by the hand of the Lord, all were dealt many wounds’ from the battle. So it is with us: as we fight against Satan, we will be assisted by the Lord to overcome him. However, in the battle we may receive wounds as we strive to fight for the right. These wounds, too, may heal through through the atonement of Christ. This emotional healing is the third means through which the Lord offers us His divine assistance in this mortal experience.
I, the Lord God, do Visit My People in Their Afflictions
The Lord, in His infinite love, provides means for divine protection and assistance spiritually and physically. Yet, His succor extends much further, offering emotional succor to His children. This aid is available to all who bear emotional burdens that they feel they can no longer carry. This love is extended to all who, in quiet desperation, cry to their God for relief from the agonies and heartbreak of this life. His assistance is available to all who mourn, to the brokenhearted, to those who feel they cannot go on. Consider these beautiful words of the people of Alma, who had done no wrong, yet were in bondage to the extent that none could deliver them, save their God:
‘And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water...[and Alma did] teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them.
‘And it came to pass that none received authority to preach or to teach except it were by him from God. Therefore he consecrated all their priests and all their teachers; and none were consecrated except they were just men. Therefore they did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.
‘And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam...[and] it came to pass that while they were in the land of Helam, yea, in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about, behold an army of the Lamanites was in the borders of the land. And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.
‘But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren. And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam...
‘And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children...[and] he exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them.
‘And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.
‘And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.
‘And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
‘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.
‘And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
‘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.
‘And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness.
‘Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God’ (Mosiah 23-24).
After this experience, the people of Alma joined with another people, and Alma was set up as the leader over the entire church. This experience certainly helped shape Him into the spiritual leader that He was meant to be. In the following chapter, Alma received this beautiful revelation due to his great faithfulness during his times of affliction: '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' (Mosiah 26:20).
In this story, The Lord demonstrates two means through which He will offer his divine assistance in times of emotional need. The first, as taught by Alma the younger is that 'whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions' (Alma 36:3). For this people, while the Lord saw it fit for them to remain in bondage, they were given the assistance 'that [their] burdens may be light, through the joy of His Son' (Alma 33:23). As discussed in chapter 1, The Lord allows us to be chastened that we can more fully come to Him. Though this chastening may come as a direct consequence of mistakes made by His children, there are times when the very righteous are chastened because of His love and desires for His children.
In these times of chastening, when hope seems distant and we weighed down in grief, those who come to The Lord have the promise that The Lord will 'visit them with His Spirit, and [will say] unto them: Be comforted' (Alma 17:10). To his son Moroni, who witnessed the death of an entire nation, Mormon wrote, 'My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may His sufferings and death, and the showing His body unto our fathers, and His mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of His glory, and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever (Moroni 9:25)
Those that use these experiences to draw nearer to their Father will find, as this people did, that 'I, The Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions' (Mosiah 24:14). During these times of trials and difficulty, may we cry out to our God, as Alma, 'O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that I may bear with patience mine infirmities' (Alma 31:30), that we may be strengthened through these experiences. For those who suffer under the burden of sin, or who feel the weight of sorrow, who do not feel they can continue on, remember the story of this people, who cried to their God, and they were strengthened that they could bear the weight of their burdens.
The second, and perhaps even more comforting promise, as demonstrated by this account, is that The Lord, in His own time, will deliver His righteous children from their burdens. Those who have been weighed down by intense emotional afflictions know the truth, as these people, that 'none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and He surely did deliver them in their afflictions' (Alma 36:2). No matter the burden, be it despair, addiction, pain, loss, or any other to which relief does not seem in our reach, know that God will offer His power of deliverance from these experiences, in His time, through the mercy of Christ, who succors His people.
In looking back on those times of affliction, when we have turned to The Lord and received His love and divine aid, we will be able to say, with Nephi, that 'my God hath been my support; He hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and He hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with His love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold, He hath heard my cry by day, and He hath given me knowledge by visions in the nighttime' (2 Ne 4:20-23).
The righteous who come to God in their afflictions will find themselves gathered 'as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if [they] will repent and return unto [Him] with full purpose of heart' (3 Ne 10:6). Those who feel so totally alone in their afflictions, if they will come to their God, have the assurance that they will be 'clasped in the arms of Jesus' (Mormon 5:11) and will be able to overcome all things which weigh them down.
Extending the Arm of Mercy towards Them that Put Their Trust in Him
Christ has felt all that we will feel, He has endured all that we can possibly endure, and His soul is filled with mercy for mankind, desiring to run to them in their times of need. The Book of Mormon is replete with examples of His loving aid to His children. Yet, because these experiences are meant to draw us closer to God, often the help will not come until we have the faith and humility to pray for His divine assistance. Consider these words regarding the people of Limhi, who were also brought into bondage the same time as the people of Alma, though by a different people: 'behold, [God] did deliver them because they did humble themselves before Him; and because they cried mightily unto Him He did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord did work with His power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in Him' (Mosiah 29:20). In times of affliction, may we have the humility and faith to call upon God, as Nephi did, and say: 'O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!...Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way--but that thou wouldst clear my way before me' (2 Ne 4:33). For those who seek relief, we have the promise that 'the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which have been put up unto Him for them' (Mormon 5:21), and He will offer His divine aid to us.
Christ personally offers us relief from emotional, physical, and spiritual affliction for those who come to Him. How important it is, when we have received these bounteous blessings from our Father, that we 'remember how great things The Lord [has] done for [us]' (Alma 62:50).
May we follow the example of the people of Nephi, who were protected from the wickedness and secret combinations of the Gadianton robbers. For, when He had protected them, delivering them from the armies which sought to destroy them, their hearts were filled with thanks to their God. 'Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of The Lord God Almighty, the Most High God. And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies' (3 Ne 4:29-33).