Sabbath Devotional :: Alma and Amulek — Joining Together to Make a Difference

Mormon Women for Ethical Government — Back, left to right: Catherine Eslinger, Megan Seawright, Tay Gudmundson, Rachel Glenn, Jody England Hansen, Carolina Allen, Lisa Halverson, Maren Mecham. Bottom, left to right: Linda Kimball, Aileen Clyde, Sharlee Mullins Glenn, Donna Dalton.

After serving as the chief law-giver and judge of the people for nine years, Alma the Younger became increasingly distraught with what he observed among his people. People were growing prouder and vainer, focusing more on “riches and upon the vain things of the world,” becoming “scornful, one towards another,” and persecuting those who believed differently.

There were “great contentions among the people” as well as “envyings, and strife, and malice” — and this division, this conflict, this hate existed not only outside of the church but inside it as well, festering like a cancer among people who had outwardly professed to have adopted the doctrine of Christ.

The “wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.” Alma saw that his people had become wicked and were bent on self-destruction as a society — “he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy.”

But he also saw that some were “succoring those who stood in need of their succor” and were “imparting their substance to the poor and needy.” But those “humble followers of God” were suffering “afflictions” and “persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of the people.”

In sorrow for his society, Alma gave up his secular job and went out into the world, devoting himself to changing hearts and minds, reminding people of their duties to God and to each other, pulling down “all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people” — basically, by advocating for all that was good, moral, and righteous (Alma 4).

Alma preached. He preached of the atonement, of faith, of the plan of salvation, of repentance, of humility, of decency and respect. He explained that Christ inspires good works and that we can each obtain hope and testimony if we seek His guidance. Alma specifically exhorted his people to follow “the voice of the good shepherd” by ceasing their persecution of others and focusing on caring for the poor. He prayed that everyone could develop “faith, hope, and charity” and “always abound in good works” (Alma 5 and 7).

Alma deeply cared about his people, but when he got to the city of Ammonihah, he became discouraged. In that city, he was mocked, spat upon, and threatened with physical violence because of his beliefs. He finally left the city, “weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people.”

It was at this juncture that an angel appeared to Alma — the same angel that had called him to repentance as a young man. The angel breathed hope into Alma and then instructed him to return to Ammonihah in order to preach to the people there. So, in the depths of despair over the state of the people, Alma turned back purposefully, resolving to do what he could to save the people from their self-destructive, wicked ways.

Alma “fasted many days” on his way back into the city. I’m sure Alma had no idea how he — a single individual — could make a difference in the vast and wicked society that was Ammonihah. But as he entered the city — with faith and hope that he could do something — he met Amulek, a man he’d never before known but who was destined to be his partner, his support, and the additional resource required for Alma to do the good works he needed to do. What Alma could not even begin to do alone, he was able to accomplish with the aid of this person whose acquaintance he never could have predicted and never would have made without the help of God.

In short, Alma needed Amulek in order to have any effect on a fallen, wicked people. When he felt alone and unsupported, mocked and threatened for his efforts, he was given a companion and helper, someone whose abilities and faith would complement his own. Together, they could accomplish great things, help touch hearts, and help change minds.

The women of Mormon Women for Ethical Government have been my Amulek. In November 2016, as I turned, disgusted and despairing from the wickedness of our society, I was inspired to turn back again, and what I found was a community of faithful, good-hearted women, coming together to support one another in our mutual efforts and advocate for all that is good, moral, and righteous.

Just knowing that other people were also dedicated to speaking up against injustice was faith-restoring and empowering. Even beyond that, we were able to be far more powerful together than we ever could be alone. We taught each other things; we learned about substantive issues we were previously unaware of. We learned to open our minds and hearts. We received mutual inspiration and support about how to heal breaches and contentions among our people — both inside and out of the church. We each brought different strengths and insights to this group effort.

Together, we have been attempting to address the same evils in our society that Alma and Amulek faced in theirs. We have called out pride, greed, and corruption, particularly among our leaders. We’ve tried to change scorn and anger into productive discourse, in order to start to heal the “great contentions” among our people. We have called attention to the plight of the needy and have attempted to mobilize to succor those who stood in need of succor. Through inspiring posts, memes, calls to action, public statements, and private discourse, members of this group have worked hard to better develop “faith, hope, and charity,” and “always abound in good works.”

Many of us did not know each other before 2017, and many of us have still never met in person. But we have become each other’s Alma and Amulek — partnering together through mutual need and, I believe, through the hand of God in order to do good works. I am deeply grateful for the faith-promoting and good-works-enabling role MWEG has had. And I am thankful for and humbled by each of you and what you bring to our mutual efforts to improve ourselves, our communities, our country, and our world.