Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ammon

Mosiah 21:33
"...And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant."

Really? Ammon considered himself unworthy to do baptize king Limhi? Ammon is a staple of righteousness for us to follow, but this shows documentation that even he had struggles in his life that prevented him from being able to excercise his priesthood at times. However he still had the moral fortitude to not dishonor his authority and his priesthood. King Limhi was SO desirous to be baptized, it would have been so easy for Ammon to lie to himself and to God and perform the ordinance that he had the authority to be able to do. However he lacked the worthiness to do so, and therefore humbled himself before king Limhi and did not baptize him. 

How painful an experience that must have been for both parties:
1) The sorrow that I'm sure king Limhi felt, that finally there was a man of God that had come to liberate them from their predicament, and who had also brought the message of the gospel with him! But that same man could not give him the one thing he truly desired at that moment in time: baptism into the true church. Which baptism would have entitled king Limhi to the gift of the Holy Ghost as well as all of the other blessings which follow with it, which most likely would have made ruling his people under the guidance of the Lord a bit easier as well. 

2) I'm sure that Ammon's soul was tormented with sorrow and regret for whatever sin it was that he committed which caused him to be unworthy to perform an ordinance that would have meant so much to not only king Limhi, but all of Limhi's followers that also yearned for baptism. But what an example he was despite his period of tribulation. To be able to look king Limhi in the face and apologize that he could not baptize him. How many of us make the decision to take the sacrament unworthily, simply because our friends might be watching and we wouldn't want them to think less of us. Ammon stared an entire nation in the face and told them he was unworthy to do for them the thing that had become the most important thing on their agenda, every single person's agenda!

The Lord truly looks on the heart, and Ammon remembered that. Even if we have struggles in our lives with worthiness, or whatever our struggle may be, the Lord will always judge us based on our intentions and our desire to do what is right. Not what may seem popular, or will make the most amount of people happy (whether it be a temporary happiness or a longer-lasting one), but that which will make the Lord happy. We must strive to keep that close to our heart.

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