How Great Reason Have We to Rejoice – Alma 26:1-3

1 And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?
2 And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?
3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

I appreciate Ammon’s tribute to the joys of missionary work in Alma chapter 26. He reminds his brothers of the uncertainty they faced at the beginning of their mission, the sacrifices they made because of their hope for a positive outcome, and the great blessings they received in seeing so many of the Lamanites accept their message.
Missionary work is a topic that can inspire a range of emotions, from guilt to discouragement to fear. I’m grateful for Ammon’s reminder that the best reason to participate in missionary work is because of the joy that we feel as we share the gospel with other people. As Neil L. Anderson counseled us:

I suggest that you stop feeling guilty about any insufficiency you think you have in sharing the gospel. Rather, pray, like Alma taught, for opportunities “to stand as [a witness] of God at all times and in all things, and in all places … that [others] may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, [and] have eternal life.” This is a much stronger motivation than guilt (“A Witness of God,” General Conference, October 2016).

And, as Dallin H. Oaks taught:

Sharing the gospel is not a burden but a joy. What we call “member missionary work” is not a program but an attitude of love and outreach to help those around us. It is also an opportunity to witness how we feel about the restored gospel of our Savior (“Sharing the Restored Gospel,” General Conference, October 2016).

Today, I will remember that the joy of seeing others accept the gospel and of acting as an instrument in the hands of God is worth the risks and the disappointments we encounter along the way. I will pray for opportunities to share the gospel so that I can experience that joy.

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