Alma 26:17

Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful

as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?

Alma 26:18

Behold, we went forth even in wrath,

with mighty threatenings to destroy his church.

Alma 26:19

Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction,

yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us,

and doom us to eternal despair?

Alma 26:20

Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought.

Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us,

but in his great mercy hath brought us

over that everlasting gulf of death and misery,

even to the salvation of our souls.

Alma 26:21

And now behold, my brethren,

what natural man is there that knoweth these things?

I say unto you,

there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.

Alma 26:22

Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith,

and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing —

unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God;

yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed;

yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance,

even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.

Alma 26:23

Now do ye remember, my brethren,

that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla,

we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites,

and they laughed us to scorn?

Alma 26:24

For they said unto us:

Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth?

Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites

of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers,

as stiffnecked a people as they are;

whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood;

whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity;

whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning?

Now my brethren, ye remember that this was their language.

Alma 26:25

And moreover they did say:

Let us take up arms against them,

that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land,

lest they overrun us and destroy us.

Alma 26:26

But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness

not with the intent to destroy our brethren,

but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.

Alma 26:27

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back,

behold, the Lord comforted us, and said:

Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites,

and bear with patience thine afflictions,

and I will give unto you success.

Alma 26:28

And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them;

and we have been patient in our sufferings,

and we have suffered every privation;

yea, we have traveled from house to house,

relying upon the mercies of the world —

not upon the mercies of the world alone

but upon the mercies of God.

Alma 26:29

And we have entered into their houses and taught them,

and we have taught them in their streets;

yea, and we have taught them upon their hills;

and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them;

and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks;

and we have been stoned,

and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison;

and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

Alma 26:30

And we have suffered all manner of afflictions,

and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul;

and we supposed that our joy would be full

if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

Alma 26:31

Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors;

and are they few?

I say unto you,

Nay, they are many;

yea, and we can witness of their sincerity,

because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.

Alma 26:32

For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives

than even to take the life of their enemy;

and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth,

because of their love towards their brethren.

Alma 26:33

And now behold I say unto you,

has there been so great love in all the land?

Behold, I say unto you, Nay,

there has not, even among the Nephites.

Alma 26:34

For behold, they would take up arms against their brethren;

they would not suffer themselves to be slain.

But behold how many of these have laid down their lives;

and we know that they have gone to their God,

because of their love and of their hatred to sin.

Alma 26:35

Now have we not reason to rejoice?

Yea, I say unto you,

there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we,

since the world began;

yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God;

for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding;

he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being,

even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

Alma 26:36

Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast;

for this is my life and my light,

my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo.

Yea, blessed is the name of my God,

who has been mindful of this people,

who are a branch of the tree of Israel,

and has been lost from its body in a strange land;

yea, I say,

blessed be the name of my God,

who has been mindful of us,

wanderers in a strange land.

Alma 26:37

Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people,

whatsoever land they may be in;

yea, he numbereth his people,

and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.

Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving;

yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever.

Amen.