First Post!!!!! :D!!!

Okay, so, I was reading Alma chapter 17 in the Book of Mormon today. It's one of my favorite chapters, it tells the story of Ammon. (one of my favorite Book of Mormon heros)

Ammon goes to preach the word to the Lamanites, he is bound upon arrival and taken to the king of the Lamanites, Lamoni. Lamoni inquires whether Ammon plans to stay in the city with his people. Ammon replies that that was what he wanted to do. Lamoni wishes Ammon to marry one of his daughters, Ammon kindly refuses and requests to be a servant instead.

The King consents, and Ammon is sent to watch his flocks with several other servants of the king, and they drove them to a place to be watered. 

Other Lamanites come scatter the king's flocks. The other servants weep for they believe that the king will slay them for losing the king's flock. Ammon says, 

"My brethren, be of good cheer and let us go in search of the flocks, and we will gather them together and bring them back  unto the place of water; and thus we will preserve the flocks unto the king and he will not slay us."

So, they gathered the flocks together and take them back to the place of water, when the Lamanites again try to scatter the flocks. Ammon doesn't just stand by and watch this time. The Lamanites are of a large number. He stands against them, but the spirit of The Lord is with him and he slays six of them with a sling and stones. Now the other's are angry for the death of their brethren so they rush upon Ammon to beat him with clubs, but Ammon smites off the arms of any who raise an arm against him. The Lamanites flee from before him. Ammon and the servants of Lamoni water the flock. 

Later they bring the arms of the Lamanites to the king as a testimony of what Ammon had done.

Now, how can we relate this story to our lives? Well, hopefully we don't go around hacking of other people's limbs, so there must be a spiritual aspect to it. 

First and foremost would be at the beginning of the chapter, Faith. Ammon first had faith that he would be able to be a missionary to the Lamanites without being killed. Second, he had faith that the Lord would give him the strength that he needed to defeat the Lamanites, and save the king's flocks. 

Now we may not have to fight agains Lamanites trying to scatter our flocks, but let us liken our flocks to our testimony. Like sheep, testimonies are fragile and easily lost if disturbed, but otherwise stay nearby us. Satan and his hosts are the Lamanites, they try to scatter our testimony. We must stay strong and slay the spirit of the adversary who opposes us. If we follow the Prophet's council and stay in places where our spirits will be uplifted, our testimonies strengthened and our minds pure, we find peace and joy. 

So put on your spiritual armor and be ready to face what you come in contact with and survive the spiritual Lamanites that would otherwise scatter your testimony.