Divide and Conquer

Alma 58 – Helaman, Gid and Teomner take the city of Manti with a small army but with faith in the Lord that He would bless them.

Bless them He did!  It was a simple strategy they used – “divide and conquer”.  In dividing their army into thirds, they were able to lead the Lamanites out of the city and retake the city.  No bloodshed!

Many times in our every-day lives we can become overwhelmed with the tasks at hand.  Most frequently they are in the affairs of raising our families and meeting the needs of each one.  This is one place where “divide and conquer” is used frequently in “intact families”.  We have a father who takes a child to a Back-to-School night while the mother takes another child and the little ones to a lesson or recital.  We see this happen all the time.  We also see it in church callings.  The father will have a load that is tremendous and the wife will pull up the slack and mind the fires at home.  These are the most obvious examples of “divde and conquer” that immediately come to mind.

However, as I am currently serving in a Stake Relief Society presidency, I am impressed at how this same strategy works in our presidency.  Yesterday at our PPI with our stake president, we were given some assignments – or challenges rather – that were daunting to me.  I had faith as we were accepting these challenges that we’d figure out how to do them.  As my presidency visited during our hour without a meeting, my second counselor said, “I think this particular concern goes well with what I’m presenting to our sisters at Leadership Training.  I’ll take it.”  It was a pretty big piece of the challenge.  I was thrilled.  As we visited more and started batting the second concern around, it felt right for me to take it and incorporate into my assignment as well.  I too have great faith that the Lord will show me how to do this.  Do I call this courage?  Maybe.  I know I have a “. . . fixed determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain. . .”  (v12)  As I pour out my soul in prayer for guidance and strength, I have experienced it enough times to know I will be blessed.  I know this is His work I’m doing and he has a vested interest in its outcome.  I need to put myself in the position – as did Teomner and Gid – to be guided by the Spirit. 

And that is why I’m up so early this morning.  My scripture study has been whittled down to a chapter a day and then moving on to the next task.  I know this is not the way to receive inspiration.  It is interesting how this lesson needs to be learned over and over again.  Sometimes I let life get in the way of those things that matter most, and it is then that I develop weakness in my defenses. 

So what are my marching orders today?  I need to be more prayerful “. . . pour out [my] soul in prayer to God. . .”(v10) for my needs.  I also need to listen to the spirit guide my thoughts and search for the means to accomplish what it is I’ve been assigned.