Two dramatic Book of Mormon stories about deliverance from captivity happened at approximately the same time to people who knew each other. Here is a comparison of the major events in the captivity and deliverance of the people of Limhi and the people of Alma:
| Theme | Limhi | Alma |
|---|---|---|
| Captive to the Lamanites | A Lamanite army attacks. King Noah (Limhi’s father) and many of the men abandon their people. Those who remain agree to pay a tribute to the Lamanite king in exchange for peace (Mosiah 19:6-15, 25-27). | A Lamanite army approaches the land of Helam. Alma and his people pray, then deliver themselves into the hands of their enemies (Mosiah 23:24-29). |
| Further injured by King Noah’s priests | The Lamanites attack the people of Limhi after a group of Lamanite young women are abducted. King Limhi convinces the king to withdraw, because the abductors are most likely the priests of his father, King Noah (Mosiah 20). | The priests of King Noah become allies with the Lamanites. One of them, Amulon, is named king over the people of Alma (Mosiah 23:30-39, Mosiah 24:1-7). |
| Praying in humility | Limhi’s people try and fail three times to free themselves, suffering heavy losses. Finally, they humble themselves, “subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage,” and pray for deliverance. (Mosiah 21:1-14) | Alma and his people “cry mightily unto God.” Amulon commands them not to pray, on penalty of death, so they stop praying out loud and continue to pray in their hearts. (Mosiah 23:10-12) |
| God eases their burdens | God softens the hearts of their captors, “that they began to ease their burdens.” The people begin to “prosper by degrees” (Mosiah 21:15-16). | God strengthens Alma’s people so that they can “bear up their burdens with ease” (Mosiah 23:13-15). |
| Miraculously delivered | A search party arrives from Zarahemla. With their assistance, they escape by tricking the guards into becoming intoxicated and fleeing at night while the guards are asleep (Mosiah 21:23-36, Mosiah 22:1-13). | God tells Alma and his people to prepare to leave. The following morning, the guards are all miraculously in a “deep sleep.” Alma and his people give thanks, and then journey to the land of Zarahemla (Mosiah 24:16-25). |
It’s easy to find differences between the stories, but today, I’m thinking about what the two stories have in common:
- In both cases the people fell captive to their enemies, and their suffering was exacerbated by the actions of their former friends, the priests of King Noah.
- Both groups of people humbled themselves and prayed for deliverance.
- In both cases, their prayers were not fully answered immediately, but God did begin to ease their burdens.
- Both groups were eventually able to escape as their captors slept.
Today, I will remember the captivity and deliverance of Limhi’s and Alma’s people. I will remember the importance of humbling myself and praying for help. I will remember that God will not always eliminate my burdens immediately; He may simply ease them as I continue to carry them for a time. I will look forward to the miraculous deliverance God will provide when the time is right.
I really appreciated the way you showed the similarities between the two stories. Even before I read your accounts, I gleaned 3 principles from my reading and pondering: (1) God reveals to us what our weaknesses are and where we need to shore up the areas to become what we need to become for Him and for our future problems. (2) God hears all our prayers. Those spoken outloud and those silent prayers of the heart. (3) Prayer is more powerful than we think. We have to be patient because “… my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord.”
(Isa 55:8). I enjoy reading your comments. Many times I have returned to re-read some of the principles you have explained.
Thank you for sharing the principles you learned from those stories. All three are evident in these stories of captivity and deliverance, and all three are relevant in our daily lives. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog!