When Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah were out
trying to destroy the church that then existed among the Nephites, an angel
appeared to them and told them to stop. After that experience, they all changed
their lives and chose to be disciples of Christ. The prophet Mormon made these
comments about how their formerly sinful lives and experience with an angel
changed them:
3) Now they were desirous that
salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that
any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should
endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.
4) And thus did the Spirit of
the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord
saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them… (Mosiah 28:3-4)
They had experienced some portion of “endless torment”.
The Lord worked on them through his spirit, giving them thoughts of how others
might also suffer such torment. They could not stand those thoughts and were
thus motivated to teach people the gospel and help them convert to the Lord so
that they would not have to suffer. I believe that this is a type of Christ’s
suffering. He suffered endless torment and came away from that experience not
wanting anyone else to have to suffer like he did. He ministers to us in
various ways so that we may avoid such suffering. Christ seems quite adamant
about us avoiding the same endless torment that he experienced by repenting and
living the gospel:
15) Therefore I command you to
repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by
my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you
know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
16) For behold, I, God, have
suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
17) But if they would not repent
they must suffer even as I; (D&C 19:15-17)
In Alma the Younger’s case, he experienced not only the
bitterest of suffering, but also the sweetest of joy. For him, the thought of
others receiving joy was at least as motivating for him to preach salvation as
the thought of helping others avoid suffering:
21) Yea, I say unto you, my son,
that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea,
and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing
so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
24) Yea, and from that time even
until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto
repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I
did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. (Alma 36:21, 24)
In a revelation to Joseph Smith, Christ explained that he
is motivated not only by helping people avoid suffering but also to bring them
joy:
10) Remember the worth of souls
is great in the sight of God;
11) For, behold, the Lord your
Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men,
that all men might repent and come unto him.
12) And he hath risen again from
the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.
13) And how great is his joy in
the soul that repenteth! (D&C 18:10-13)
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