We are not of your faith

So I'm reading Alma 43 today. I've gotta say this is a lot more fun than reading the Book of Mormon used to be when I was a teenager. Then, I did it because my Seminary teacher required it as homework. As a missionary, I did it knowing that I should. Doing those things helped me, but this time it's purely voluntary, and I'm doing it with a goal - searching for hidden treasure - and it becomes dessert to me. Reading scripture this way has never happened before in my life, and I'm gaining something very new to me.

So these are the war chapters. As a teenager I found them more interesting because they got away from the spiritual a bit and were more of a novel. That's what I thought. But the reality I see now is different - hidden in the words of these war stories are the usual set of buried treasure. As always, one must be searching for them before they pop up.

So the story is this: hordes of lamanites attack the Nephites. The nephites are vastly outnumbered, and by any general's calculations, should be easily defeated. But the Nephites, as these scriptures point out, are fighting for the lands, their liberty and their families. They are the good guys, and the Lord is on their side. The hordes? They just hate the good guys, and they're lead as always by people who were former good guys, who are now hating and hateful. But we've been down that road in previous posts.

So. The Lord and some good generals prepare the Nephites for war. Breast plates, arm protectors, helmets, etc. Inner and outer strength. Preparation. Intelligence. War wisdom. All of these things are gifts they received from God, and realities they created based on their faith in Him. They were open to guidance, they received it, they welcomed it and were grateful for it, and most importantly they acted on it. These are of course not just recipes for war success, but for life success.

And in verse 43, the battle is won. Bad guys surrounded. Bad guys in a river, both banks taken by the Nephites. Moroni, the Nephite general calls for peace in the name of the God who gave victory to the Nephites. Good guys give the victory to their ultimate general - the Ultimate general. Bad guys simply see a battle lost.

And when peace is sued for by the good guys in the name of their god, bad guys say "43 ...We are not of your faith, we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cussing that has preserved your from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you".

In a roundabout way, that may be partly true. Their shields and plates did make a huge difference. But those were there because they listened to the guidance they received from the Lord. That's the difference - and in this case that may be how the Lord saved his people. He did it with greater intelligence.

It reminds me of the story about the drowning man who pleads with the Lord for a rescue. To make the story short, a boat and a helicopter come by and offer to save him. He denies the request, saying the Lord will save him. The man drowns and gets to the other side. He yells at the Lord for not saving him, and the Lord replies "Hey, I sent you a boat and a helicopter - what did you want?"

It reminds me also of a guy in the LA airport shuttle. He was late for his plane and freaking out. Everyone on the shuttle knew very clearly what his worries and concerns were, when his plane left, and when he had to be to the gate. Finally he said "well, I guess if God wants me to be late, then I guess I'll be late".

I thought about that for one second and decided that God likely didn't make him sleep in. God didn't make him decide to not allow for slow traffic. So it's a two-way street. We need to do what we can do, and be open to guidance from the Lord. The Lord didn't make breastplates in heaven and dump them on the Nephites in a rain storm, but he did tell them that they needed them, and how to make them.

May we spend more time making and using breast plates and shields, and less time sleeping in, and then relying on God to get us there on time. The life that he wants us to have is right there to take, but we must reach out and accept it.