Bondage

Mosiah 22 - The people are in bondage and they recognize it.  They counsel.  We counsel as parents:  "What to do for a child in bondage?"  Maybe this post is just a bit too personal to really complete and I'll go to my musings of the next day.

Mosiah 23 and 24 - These are phrases that caught my attention:

• Alma has been made an instrument to bring the people out of bondage (v10)
• Have been oppressed
• People were in bonds of iniquity
• Stand fast in liberty
• Trust only men of God who walk in his ways.  (Everybody has an opinion.)
• Lord chastens his people; tries their patience and their faith
• None could deliver but the Lord
• Remember
• Hushed their fears and began to pray

I could go on and on, but the real theme to me is the power of God to free us from bondage.  How can this happen?  I think Chapter 24:10 is a key to what will happen first: ". . . so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God."  This is true of my own bondage.  There seemed no other way.  I did not have the strength on my own and the afflictions were great - painful and made me miserable.  I had to turn to my Heavenly Father.  When I did, it was instantaneous.  I felt his angels help me.  I started to remember and I moved forward.  Was it easy?  No! Was it fixed immediately?  Absolutely not.  There were many trials and setbacks ahead.  But I learned something very valuable through this experience.  Heavenly Father is there.  He loves us.  He forgives us and is eager to bless us.  But he also expects us to love him and remember the covenants we have made with him (v13).  As we do, the burdens become more bearable; we're made stronger (v14) and the day comes when we submit cheerfully and with patience to our trials, recognizing that it is the will of the Lord that allowed us these trials to make us stronger.  Our faith increases (v16), and we are comforted in this knowledge.  Bit by bit, we are delivered from bondage.