Today’s Reading: Alma 17: 10-39, 18: 1-18
17: 29 Now they wept because of the fear of being slain. Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.
17: 36 But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power…
18: 16 And it came to pass that Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, therefore he perceived the thoughts of the king…
18: 17 I say unto you, what is it, that thy marvelings are so great? Behold, I am a man, and am thy servant; therefore, whatsoever thou desirest which is right, that will I do.
Whenever I read about Ammon, my thoughts immediately turn to missionary work. What a valiant example of a missionary who put all of his trust and faith in God! As I was preparing to write this post, I kept thinking about my own children and how I yearn for them to look to examples such as Ammon, especially if they choose to serve a mission. My son is 17 and has planned on serving a mission probably since birth. I like to say that he is an old soul. His spirit is definitely older and more mature than mine and my one hope and prayer has always been, “I just hope I don’t mess him up too badly.” Now having said that, he is still a teenage boy and has a lot of learning and growing to do. But I have always seen in him a special light. His testimony has always been there and I have tried to do my best as his mother to nurture that testimony and teach him how he can strengthen it through the Lord.
As I pondered on this large block of scriptures, I kept feeling like I wanted to write a letter to my son, a future missionary, to give him encouragement and help him look to Ammon as an example of how to be a faithful missionary. Then I thought about my girls and how they too could look to Ammon as an example in their lives whether or not they choose to serve full-time missions. And finally, my thoughts turned to all of us, for we are all missionaries even if we never wear that familiar black missionary tag. The Lord needs us all and He has sent strong and courageous examples, such as Ammon, so that we can know how to use the power of God to serve those around us and share the sweet message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dear Elder Ogden-
I hope this letter finds you well. A mission is hard, but so very rewarding and I want to share with you a few thoughts about a missionary from another time who trusted in the power of God. My hope is that you may be able to learn from his example and find the strength and courage that you need to continue assisting the Lord in this most important work.
Ammon was a man who knew where his power came from. He rejoiced when he was blessed with opportunities to use that power to bring people to God. He knew that he was an instrument in the Lord’s hands.
Ammon also knew that service was the key. He went to King Lamoni’s land with the intent to serve wherever he was needed. He knew that by serving and loving those people, he would be blessed with chances to teach them about the Savior.
The same is true in our day. When you find yourself a little lost and frustrated, find someone to serve. Reach out in love. In the words of President Hinckley’s wise father, “Forget yourself and go to work.”
You can do this. You can rely on the power of God to help you find his lost sheep. You can reach out to others in service and love. You can be strong, valiant, and faithful like Ammon. Trust in the Lord. Trust in the power of God and you will see miracles happen in your own life and in the lives around you.
Love-
Mom
I grew up the oldest of 5 children in the blazing heat of Southern Utah. After high school and some college experience I met and married Mark Ogden and we are the parents of four children. I have owned and operated my own home-based preschool for more than a dozen years, and I consider myself an accidental author as well. When I am not in my minivan transporting children from one activity to the next, I enjoy playing the piano, blogging, speaking about my life’s experiences, and feeding my insatiable crafting disease.