Mosiah 23 – Loving Our Neighbor When It's Hard

Alma taught his people "that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them" (Mosiah 23:15).

 

Those words hit me like a rock this morning.

 

Last night ended with an unfortunate conversation. After spending the day trying to help an elderly neighbor when no one else was available, another neighbor questioned our decisions and was convinced she would have handled the situation differently. We had simply done the best we knew how to do under the circumstances.

 

Unfortunately, our neighbor didn't have all the facts and was convinced we had handled it poorly. The conversation remained civil, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Walking away, I found myself replaying it in my mind, wishing I could start over.

 

Then I opened Mosiah 23.

 

Isn't that how the Lord teaches us? He allows us to live the lesson before we read it.

 

A few verses later came another reminder I needed:

 

"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith."

 

I wrote in my scriptures, Just because we're trying to do good doesn't mean only good will come our way.

 

We're here to become like Jesus Christ. Patience, humility, charity, and forgiveness aren't learned in peaceful moments. They're developed when someone misunderstands us, criticizes us, or treats us unfairly.

 

It also occurred to me that helping people who are aging brings its own set of challenges. Good intentions don't always produce grateful responses. Sometimes they produce misunderstandings instead. Perhaps those moments are part of the Lord's curriculum too.

 

As I read the rest of the chapter, I noticed something else. Alma's people had escaped King Noah. They found a beautiful land. They worked hard. They prospered. They built a city.

 

Then came verse 21.

 

Their trials weren't over.

 

The Lord hadn't abandoned them; He was preparing them.

 

I think we sometimes believe that if we're doing the right things, life should become easier. Mosiah 23 teaches otherwise. The Lord can lead us to a good place and still allow experiences that stretch our patience and our faith.

 

The real danger wasn't the Lamanites.

 

It was contention.

 

Satan loves contention because it captures our thoughts and if we let it, our very souls. We replay conversations. We rehearse arguments. We build entire wars in our minds. Before long, we're in emotional bondage even when the disagreement itself has long since ended.

 

Perhaps my takeaway from Mosiah 23 is simply this:

 

Do the best you know how to do. Love your neighbor anyway. Learn what you can. Then leave the contention behind.

 

The Lord didn't bring us this far just to leave us where we are. Every difficult encounter is another invitation to become a little more like Him.