In reading the Book of Mormon, I've been thoroughly confused by these words of the angel to Alma and the sons of Mosiah:
"If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God."
The story is in Mosiah 27, with a more complete retelling in Alma 36.
For a long time, I thought there might be some grammatical error obscuring the meaning. Or maybe the idea made sense in the original language but suffered losses in translation.
If you want to be destroyed, stop trying to destroy the church? It doesn't make any sense.
Shouldn't the angel have said "If you don't want to be destroyed, stop trying to destroy the church?" Or the inverse, "If you want to be destroyed, go ahead and keep trying to destroy the church?"
Only after pondering the statement many times have I come to understand it.
I interpret it by adding words that round it out in my mind. This helps me expand it away from its succinct sting, to see why it was so powerful in causing Alma to be struck dumb and endure a days-long stupor on the edge of eternity.
In effect, the angel says:
"The path you are now walking leads to your destruction. You are choosing things that will destroy you, by your own wickedness—by your own doing (of thyself). You have the power to destroy your own soul. If you want to go on and destroy yourself, without God's help to do so, stop trying to destroy the church. Going on about your life as you have been, even without seeking to destroy the church, will still destroy you. You are totally wrong about the priorities you've chosen. The things you are seeking in life will destroy you. If this is okay with you, you might as well stop working against God by leading His children astray. You've already done enough to ensure your own destruction.
If instead, you want to be destroyed by Almighty God, and not by your own stupidity, continue trying to destroy His church. In this case, He will destroy you, without your assistance.
Either way, you will be destroyed."
Terrifying, indeed!
Miraculously, Alma learned and accepted the truth that the only way for him to escape was to repent and follow God.
Indeed, you and I are in the same situation as Alma. Our only escape from death, hell, the devil and endless torment is to repent and follow Jesus.
Though you and I might not be among the "vilest of sinners," like Alma, we do have sins that make us unclean and wholly unworthy of dwelling in the presence of God, our Father.
We were hopelessly cut off from eternal happiness by the overwhelming obstacles of death and sin.
We are totally helpless without our Savior. Only by following His commandments—to grow in faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end—can we arrive at the right hand of God to enjoy the full blessings of salvation and exaltation.
Only by Jesus's lifting hand can we rise above the challenges of mortality and overcome the world, as He did.
-----
The two Almas had quite a journey, didn't they? Individually, and together.
Another mighty lesson from their experience can teach us something critical about parenting.
Parents so easily blame themselves when children depart from the faith or otherwise stray into forbidden paths.
Often they wonder, "What did I do wrong?"
Too often they judge themselves as having failed in their divine appointment.
To such parents of waywards, I ask:
Do we call our Heavenly Father a failure because His children go astray?
Do we consider His plan to be imperfect because some of His children choose not to live it?
Do we blame Him for His own children disconnecting, disregarding or disobeying?
---
Take courage. There is help and happiness ahead.
There is hope.
Even if things don't turn out the way you would like, remember to keep your faith centered in God, who sees all things from the end to the beginning.
Keep going. Keep praying. Keep trusting.
His eye is on the sparrow. You, and your child, are worth so many sparrows! (Matthew 10: 29-31)
God will never leave you.
Even if others choose things we would not seek, they will be alright in the end. They will enjoy an eternity of comfortability appropriate to their own choices and the true desires of their hearts.
In God's perfect plan, there is a way to attain complete happiness, even a fullness of joy.
Like the father of the prodigal, He so wants to restore us, in spite of our stupidity.
If thou wilt, thou shalt receive.
