Alma 16:3-8 Go Into the Wilderness in Search of Our Brethren

[MaidservantX]

You can read the account here of a battle experience the Nephite nation was faced with (concentrating on verses 3 through 8):

Alma 16

I found in these passages an interesting metaphor. Verse 5: " . . . go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive . ."

Are our brothers and sisters held captive in the wilderness? Yes. We know many children of God in our own lives and in our society in general that are held bound by the chains of the adversary. The feeling in our heart is to be one of fervently desiring to rescue and release them, and act upon it hastily and decisively. Who is captive?

The favorite and familiar scripture comes to mind: Matthew 25:35-40

"For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me . . . And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

One great captivity that our nation and our world is carried away in is the epidemic of addiction. I hear the lamentation of addiction and its fruits in Isaiah 1:5-7 "Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate . . ." (Later in that chapter, the healing is presented.)

Our Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth to bring life, not condemnation. (John 3:16-17). As his servants, our opportunity is the same: to meet our captive brethren and sisters with life and not condemnation.

The metaphor in Alma 16 also offers some insights as to how we might begin this work. You can determine what these things mean to you.

v5 "knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren who had been taken captive"

v6 "Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the matter"

v6 "there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive"

v7 "Zoram and his sons crossed over the river . . . with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders"

v8 "[captors] were scattered and driven into the wilderness"

v8 "there was not one soul of them had been lost that were taken captive"

v8 "they were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands"

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[Guest tomk]

I love your insights, and I agree.

As entertaining as they are to read about, the battles in the Book of Mormon are about more than the strategems employed by those armies! I think you are alluding to this. They are descriptions of the battles we face inside ourselves -- and they are about the method of deliverance.

One of my favorites is when Alma (who was converted through Abinadi's words) and the people of his fledgling church, were taken captive by the Lamanites.

Mosiah 24: 13, 16-17, 21

13 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.

• • •

16 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.

17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage.

• • •

21 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.

Now, I take this and personalize it, liken it unto myself, taking a little bit of liberty with the wording, notice what is being described:

Mosiah 24: 13, 16-17, 21

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to [ME] in [MY] afflictions, saying: Lift up your head and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which [YOU] have made unto me; and I will covenant with [YOU] and deliver [YOU] out of bondage.

• • •

16 And it came to pass that so great was [MY] faith and [MY] patience that the voice of the Lord came unto [ME] again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

17 And he said unto [ME]: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with [YOU] and deliver [YOU] out of bondage.

• • •

21 Yea, and [WHEN I FOUND MYSELF DELIVERED FROM MY ADDICTION] poured out [MY] thanks to God because he has been merciful unto [ME], and eased [MY] burdens, and had delivered [ME] out of bondage; for [ I ] [WAS] in bondage, and none could deliver [ME] except it was the Lord [MY] God.

[Hemidakota]

You can read the account here of a battle experience the Nephite nation was faced with (concentrating on verses 3 through 8):

Alma 16

I found in these passages an interesting metaphor. Verse 5: " . . . go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive . ."

Are our brothers and sisters held captive in the wilderness? Yes. We know many children of God in our own lives and in our society in general that are held bound by the chains of the adversary. The feeling in our heart is to be one of fervently desiring to rescue and release them, and act upon it hastily and decisively. Who is captive?

The favorite and familiar scripture comes to mind: Matthew 25:35-40

"For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me . . . And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

One great captivity that our nation and our world is carried away in is the epidemic of addiction. I hear the lamentation of addiction and its fruits in Isaiah 1:5-7 "Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate . . ." (Later in that chapter, the healing is presented.)

Our Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth to bring life, not condemnation. (John 3:16-17). As his servants, our opportunity is the same: to meet our captive brethren and sisters with life and not condemnation.

The metaphor in Alma 16 also offers some insights as to how we might begin this work. You can determine what these things mean to you.

v5 "knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren who had been taken captive"

v6 "Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the matter"

v6 "there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive"

v7 "Zoram and his sons crossed over the river . . . with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders"

v8 "[captors] were scattered and driven into the wilderness"

v8 "there was not one soul of them had been lost that were taken captive"

v8 "they were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands"

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

tell me your thoughts with JST Matthew 24:27?

[MaidservantX]

tell me your thoughts with JST Matthew 24:27?

Do you mean the idea of gathering the elect from the four quarters of the earth? That is a cool tie-in.

Which is even cooler when you go on to read further in Alma 16. So basically there is a story in the beginning of chapter 16 about going and rescuing others from a physical battle. Then the rest of the chapter describes the great gathering, missionary, and rescuing work that Alma and his colleagues are doing continually.

Even in verse 21 we end with a battle image: "having got the victory over the devil".

[Hemidakota]

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be agathered• together.

Who are the Eagles that the Savior is referring too?