Never give up!

Mosiah 28

The sons of Mosiah go out to preach the gospel to the Lamanites. Mosiah translates the Jaradite records and confers the affairs of the kingdom upon Alma the younger.

I stopped to ponder v4. “. . .for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.”

This verse has always troubled me just a little bit. Could not everyone have this experience? They were visited and scolded by an angel from the Lord. They had an amazing conversion. They immediately turned their lives around and wanted to spare others the anguish they had suffered. Why them? Why not others?

I suspect they were young men of privilege. They had been raised with the gospel, therefore there was probably some comforts in their homes as the Lord blesses those who love them. They turned against the teachings of their parents and caused mayhem in the land. Why were they singled out for this miraculous experience? The only conclusion I can come up with is that the Lord knew their potential because they were his children. But aren't we all his children? The very fact we are on this earth says we made righteous choices before we came to this earth.

How can our own wayward children experience a rebirth – a change of heart? The only answer I can come up with is it will be through the prayers and diligent efforts of their parents, family and friends to rescue them. When they choose to turn their lives around, there will definitely be anguish. I think this anguish is brought upon by the disgust of what it is they have done to their lives. They could have been enjoying the blessings of the gospel and chose instead to live lives filled with evil and worldly behavior.

So how do I apply this to me today? Never give up on the love I have for a child who has strayed. All of God's children are worthy of rescue. The Savior has already paid the price for their sins (and mine), and we must all humble ourselves and give place for the Spirit to work in our lives. When this happens, we will experience the same joy and desire to serve that the Sons of Mosiah had. We will become instruments in the Lords hands in rescuing others. That said, we will be on our way to worthiness to enjoy all the blessings of the gospel and eternal life. There is no doubt in my mind that this is available to all of God's children – even mine.