Alma 19

(September 29, 2015)

                What isn’t said in the scriptures is often, to me, almost as fascinating as what is said.  For example, what was Ammon doing during the two days between when King Lamoni fainted and when the queen summoned him?  Was he just doing his daily chores?  Did he take the flock to be watered again? How would the other servants have dealt with him?

                I is fascinating to remember that these people in the scriptures were normal people with normal lives (albeit with a few extraordinary experiences thrown into the mix).  From the scriptures, we read about Ammon’s life containing perhaps a few miracles – the angel’s appearance, the fainting, the Waters of Sebus are three that come to mind.  Am I missing any?  Not much, I would imagine.

                So here we have the record in the scriptures of the life of one of the greatest missionaries ever, and we see basically three miracles written about them (only one of which fully defies a naturalistic explanation).  This, in my review of the scriptures, is pretty consistent with the bulk of those who are not called to initiate a Dispensation – a few (perhaps one) miracles defying any naturalistic explanation and a few more miracles that could perhaps be explained away by the determined.

                What’s interesting about that is that this is consistent with my experiences in life – and in the lives of many others.  I was talking with an atheist recently would shared his experiences with me, and they were much the same as those we hear from Ammon – one miraculous, unexplainable  experience and a few miraculous, explainable experiences. 

                While the lives of prophets are, in some ways, exceptions to the rule the prophets with frequent miraculous experiences are almost exceptions to the exceptions.  When we lose track of this truth, I think we lose sight of some other important truths as well.  Most importantly, we lose perspective and think either that we are not as blessed with miracles in our lives as the prophets are and our pride allows us to deceive ourselves into believing that if only we had those experiences we would be more righteous than we are.

                This, frankly, is a bit frustrating to write though because I don’t know that I am being clear at all with what I am trying to convey.