How much of your kingdom are you willing to give up? Which of your possessions would you cling to at the peril of your life, and what are you willing to let go?
When Queen Esther approached King Ahasuerus in his throne room, he knew something serious was happening. The law forbade people from entering that room uninvited, on penalty of death. Only if the king held out his golden scepter would their lives be spared.
The king did hold out his golden scepter to Esther. Then, he said, “What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom” (Esther 5:3). Rather than make her request immediately, Esther invited the king to a banquet, and then to another one. On both occasions, the king repeated his offer in nearly identical terms: “What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.” (Esther 5:6; see also Esther 7:2).
In the end, Esther didn’t ask for any portion of the kingdom. She only wanted the king to reverse a decree which would have resulted in the destruction of her people. The king was furious that such a decree had been issued in his name, and he punished his chief minister, Haman, who was responsible for it (Esther 7:3-10).
In the Book of Mormon, a king made the same offer. As the Nephite missionary Ammon traveled with King Lamoni to rescue his imprisoned brothers, they met Lamoni’s father, who was king over all of the Lamanites. The father became angry with Ammon and fought with him. When Ammon overpowered him, the king made a desperate plea:
If thou wilt spare me I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the kingdom.
Alma 20:23
Like Esther, Ammon requested none of the kingdom, only clemency for Lamoni and freedom for his brothers. Lamoni’s father was astonished at Ammon’s request. He granted more than Ammon asked: independence for Lamoni, and an invitation for Ammon’s brothers to visit him and teach him (Alma 20:26-27).
Ahasuerus was motivated by wrath (Esther 7:7, 10). Lamoni’s father, on the other hand, was impressed by something else: he saw the great love which Ammon had for Lamoni. That was what inspired him to give more than Ammon requested.
Lamoni’s father became even more motivated when Ammon’s brother, Aaron, visited and taught him. “What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken?” he asked. “Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy” (Alma 22:15). Aaron instructed him to give away not his kingdom but his sins. In response, Lamoni’s father offered a prayer in which he said, “I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day” (Alma 22:18). That prayer led to his conversion. He didn’t give any of his kingdom to Ammon and his brothers. But he did thereafter use his authority to provide them with protection, clearing the way for extraordinary success in their missionary labors (Alma 23:1-4).
Howard Jones sang, “And if we threw it all away, things can only get better” (“Things Can Only Get Better,” on howardjones.com). An exhilarating sentiment for a young person just getting started in life, and a terrifying one for someone further along who has much more to lose! But it raises a valuable question: how much of your kingdom are you willing to give up? Like Ahasuerus, are you willing to give half, when you see someone close to you acting with courage and conviction? Like Lamoni’s father, does your willingness grow as your perspective increases? Would you abandon your kingdom in exchange for eternal life? Or even more challenging, would you abandon your sins?
Today I will loosen my grip on my material things. I will remember that there are more important things in life than my possessions, and I will recommit to sacrifice all that God commands.
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