After seeing thousands of Lamanites converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, Ammon shares with his brothers the joy and gratitude he feels from being able to serve as an instrument in the Lord’s hands. He testifies that everyone who repents and exercises faith in God will receive similar opportunities and blessings.
Chapter Outline
- Summary of blessings: “How great reason have we to rejoice?” (v. 1-9)
- It’s good to be grateful: “Who can glory too much in the Lord?” (v. 10-16)
- We were saved too: “Who could have supposed that our God would…[snatch] us from our awful…state?” (v. 17-22)
- We overcame obstacles: “They laughed us to scorn.” (v. 23-30)
- The Lamanites’ remarkable conversion: “Has there ever been so great love?” (v. 31-37)
My Takeaways
- Find joy in your experiences and allow yourself to feel it.
- Watch and pray for opportunities to do God’s work in His way, to be an instrument in His hands.
- Our success in sharing the gospel begins with our individual conversion and repentance.
- When you are tempted to give up, listen to the voice of encouragement from family, friends or the Spirit of the Lord.
Featured Blog Posts
Ammon Teaches His Brothers – Alma 26
Setting After serving for approximately fourteen years as missionaries among the Lamanites, Ammon and his brothers reflected on the success they had experienced. Purpose Ammon’s purpose in teaching his brothers was to express his gratitude for the blessings they had received from the Lord during their mission. Outline Could we have guessed at the beginning…
❖ Ammon summarizes their blessings – Alma 26:1-9
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…
Instruments in His Hands – Alma 26:3, 15
3. …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…
❖ Ammon glories in the Lord – Alma 26:10-16
Many Mighty Miracles – Alma 26:11-12
11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I…
In His Strength I Can Do All Things – Alma 26:12
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his…
❖ Ammon remembers how God saved him – Alma 26:17-22
“He That Repenteth…” – Alma 26:22
As he reviews their missionary service, Ammon reminds his brothers that their success began with their individual conversion and that the blessings they have received are not unique to them: Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries…
❖ Ammon and his brothers overcame obstacles – Alma 26:23-30
They Laughed Us to Scorn – Alma 26:23-26
23 Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn? 24 For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to…
“Bear With Patience Thine Afflictions” – Alma 26:27
27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. (Alma 26:27) What causes you to become depressed or discouraged? For me, it is when…
❖ The Lamanites’ remarkable conversion – Alma 26:31-37
The Fruits of our Labors
Joy comes from meaningful accomplishments. We can feel joy even as we recognize that we couldn’t have done it without God. We can feel joy in the accomplishments of others and in our relationships. We can also feel joy in future, hoped-for accomplishments
Have We Not Reason to Rejoice? – Alma 26:35
35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth…
“All Power, All Wisdom, and All Understanding” – Alma 26:35
As Ammon reviewed with his brothers their fourteen-year mission among the Lamanites, he enumerated the blessings they had received from God. Fearing that Ammon was letting their success go to his head, his brother Aaron cautioned him not to boast (Alma 26:10). But Ammon replied that he was praising God, not himself. If rejoicing in…
Old Testament Foundations
Accepting Feedback from Family
When Mordecai asked Esther to plead with the king on behalf of their people, her first response was simple: I can’t do that. It’s not possible. No one can approach the king without being invited, not even me, and I haven’t been invited in over a month. (See Esther 4:11.) Mordecai’s response was stern: Think…
Another Spirit
A shoe manufacturer sends two employees to a remote region to evaluate prospects for expanding its business. The first employee writes, “Situation hopeless. No one wears shoes.” The second employee writes, “Glorious business opportunity! They have no shoes!” (Adapted from The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, Harvard Business School Press,…
The Song of the Sea: Gratitude Builds Faith
Many times in the Book of Mormon, people offer thanks and praise to God after receiving a blessing. For example: The family of Lehi “did rejoice exceedingly” and offered sacrifice to God when the sons returned safely from Jerusalem with the brass plates (1 Nephi 5:9-10). They did the same after the sons returned with…
Responding to Difficult Callings
Callings can be intimidating. We may question our ability to fulfill the responsibilities. We may worry that others won’t respond favorably to us. Moses expressed both of those concerns when God called him to deliver Israel from captivity. “Who am I,” he asked, “that I should go unto Pharaoah, and that I should bring the…
Lahai-Roi
When Sarah mistreated Hagar, she ran away. An angel found her by a well and told her to go back and submit herself to her mistress. The angel promised great blessings, including numerous descendants. After that experience, Hagar called the Lord “El-Roi,” which means “the God who sees me.” The well became known as Beer-Lahai-Roi…
He Laughs
Is it good to laugh? According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter relieves stress by releasing endorphins, stimulating blood circulation, and aiding muscle relaxation. (See “Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke” on mayoclinic.org.) And laughing with other people is correlated with strong relationships and good feelings toward one another. (See Laura E. Kurtz and Sarah…
New Testament Parallels
How to Love a Samaritan
We tend to develop rivalries with people similar to us. The Jews and the Samaritans, like the Nephites and the Lamanites, had much more in common than the things which divided them. Here are some ways to build bridges with our “Samaritans.”
Magnificat
The first chapter of Luke contains two psalms of praise, one offered by Mary (Luke 1:46-55) and the other by Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79). Mary’s psalm is commonly known as the Magnificat, which is the first word in the Latin version of the text. Mary opens her psalm by proclaiming that her soul “magnifies” the Lord.…
Church History Connections
Let Your Hearts Rejoice
As Ammon and his brothers ended their fourteen-year mission to the Lamanites, Ammon expressed the joy he felt with such spontaneity and passion that his brother Aaron corrected him. Wasn’t he boasting, and wasn’t that wrong? In response, Ammon listed many of the blessings they had received and said: Let us glory, yea, we will glory in the…
Sheaves
After preaching among the Lamanites for fourteen years, Ammon met with his fellow missionaries to review their experiences and the outcomes. Thousands of people had been converted to the gospel and were now united by their love of God and their commitment to live righteously. Ammon compares the results of their labors to a field…
The Work, the Sword, the Sickle, and the Prayer
In the first half of 1829, Joseph Smith received a number of revelations on behalf of other people. Four of those revelations begin almost identically, with a set of four biblical concepts, all of which also appear in the Book of Mormon. Why did those four concepts warrant such frequent repetition, and why did the…
“Your Joy With Him”
Jesus suffered so that we can all repent. As we help other people grow closer to Jesus Christ and repent, He experiences joy and so do we. That joy is communal in nature. We experience joy not “for” those we serve, but “with” them.
All Posts Referencing Alma 26
- Don’t Pollute Your Inheritance (9/17/2025)
- “My Strange Act” (9/3/2025)
- A More Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory (6/15/2025)
- “The Laborer Is Worthy of His Hire” (4/10/2025)
- Preface to Four Revelations, April-May 1829 (2/19/2025)
- A Job Description for Servants of God (1/31/2025)
- Exquisite (8/2/2024)
- The Fruits of our Labors (7/14/2024)
- Uninhibited Joy (7/13/2024)
- A Call from Arms (7/10/2024)
- “Every Creature”, “Any Human Soul” (6/2/2024)
- Mercy (3/26/2024)
- Faith Halls of Fame (11/11/2023)
- Wisdom and Foolishness (8/22/2023)
- How to Love a Samaritan (4/23/2023)
- Magnificat (1/3/2023)
- Accepting Feedback from Family (7/31/2022)
- Another Spirit (5/15/2022)
- The Song of the Sea: Gratitude Builds Faith (4/9/2022)
- Responding to Difficult Callings (3/27/2022)
- Lahai-Roi (2/26/2022)
- He Laughs (2/18/2022)
- “Slow of Speech” (1/19/2022)
- Glory (12/28/2021)
- With Thanksgiving (11/25/2021)
- Let Your Hearts Rejoice (11/7/2021)
- Pandemic Lessons (10/1/2021)
- Knowledge and Power (7/15/2021)
- “Fools Mock” (5/2/2021)
- Sheaves (4/9/2021)
- The Work, the Sword, the Sickle, and the Prayer (1/28/2021)
- “He That Repenteth…” – Alma 26:22 (7/5/2020)
- “All Power, All Wisdom, and All Understanding” – Alma 26:35 (6/30/2020)
- “Assuredly It Was Great” – Alma 17:14 (6/25/2020)
- What Are the Mysteries of God? (1/19/2020)
- How Can I Be a Better Missionary? (12/19/2019)
- What Can I Do to Feel More Joy? (12/15/2019)
- What Is Wisdom? (12/13/2019)
- What Do We Know About God’s Love for Us? (12/2/2019)
- What Should I Be Thankful For? (11/28/2019)
- How Can I Be More Patient? (8/26/2019)
- How Can I Be More Patient with Myself? (6/26/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Sadness? (5/7/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Racism? (4/29/2019)
- How Should We Respond When Others Threaten or Attack Us? (4/28/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Holy Ghost? (4/17/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Patience? (4/11/2019)
- They Laughed Us to Scorn – Alma 26:23-26 (1/15/2018)
- Instruments in His Hands – Alma 26:3, 15 (11/27/2017)
- How Great Reason Have We to Rejoice – Alma 26:1-3 (11/12/2016)
- Many Mighty Miracles – Alma 26:11-12 (10/23/2016)
- Bear with Patience Thine Afflictions – Alma 26:27 (3/16/2016)
- In His Strength I Can Do All Things – Alma 26:12 (3/4/2016)
- “Bear With Patience Thine Afflictions” – Alma 26:27 (7/5/2015)
- Have We Not Reason to Rejoice? – Alma 26:35 (7/4/2015)