I’m feeling grateful and hopeful today for the opportunity to join with millions of people across the earth to fast and pray to our Father in Heaven to heal our hearts, our bodies, our families, our lands, and our governments, and to help us learn from experiencing this global crisis. I’ve felt strengthened by messages from our dear Prophet, Russell M. Nelson, and other apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, reminding us there’s hope in Christ, and as we hear Him, we are blessed with peace and comfort. I have never looked forward more to General Conference, coming up next Saturday and Sunday, April 4th and 5th, and hearing the words of the Lord, for us right now, spoken through His Prophets and Apostles. 

In my scripture study this week, in The Book of Mormon, Mosiah chapters 23-24, I read about the people of Alma. So many of the words in these chapters spoke directly to me and the situation we find ourselves in.  These people, who’d converted and made covenants with God, though they were faithful and trying to keep the commandments, faced difficult trials. After escaping the king, who was trying to kill them for their faith, the Lord brought them to a good land where they prospered, but then had further struggles.

“Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

“Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

“For behold, I will show you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God…

“And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.” Mosiah 23: 21-24

 When the people were afraid of their enemies, their leader, Alma, “exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them.” The people of Alma relied on the Lord, and were spared from destruction, but were brought into bondage and persecuted by their task-masters. The people cried to God for relief, but even that wasn’t allowed, so they poured out their hearts to him silently, and “he did know the thoughts of their hearts.”

The interesting part, to me, is that they were not immediately rescued from their situation. Instead, God said he would “ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs…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.”  

These covenant people were strengthened “that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” I’m always struck with that description: cheerfully and with patience. That’s not easy! I try to understand what the Lord wants me to learn, what He wants me to do in witnessing how He rescues me and lifts my burdens, however, my patience and cheerfulness have definite peaks and valleys!

Eventually, the faith and patience of the people of Alma were so great, they were miraculously delivered from bondage. Even that took enormous faith, as they gathered all their flocks and grain to escape, while the Lord caused a “deep sleep” to come upon their enemies.  I imagine that would have been pretty stressful to simply believe God would keep their enemies asleep while all these people packed up, with their animals, and headed out into the wilderness—another scary thought right there. I can also imagine their humble gratitude as “they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.”

As a covenant daughter of God, I see the parallels in this story with my own life, over and over. Right now, I continually remind myself not to be afraid because the Lord is our Deliverer. I work on having faith as I continually pour out my heart to our Father, who hears and answers in the way that will best bless me, and who visits me in my afflictions. Though I don’t understand and worry about those I love, I try to be patient and cheerful, and I feel Him easing my burdens. I know I’m not alone. I greatly rejoice at the many miracles I’ve seen in my life, and the lives of those I love.  

As I gratefully join millions in fasting and lifting our voices in prayer and thanksgiving today, I stand as a witness that our loving Father in Heaven is calmly in charge, knows what is happening, and will use all our experiences for our good—to teach us, refine us, and bring us back home to Him.