Aaron's disappointments and successes - Alma 22 -23

It's not easy to be a missionary.  Any missionary will tell you that for every success he or she has had there were many rejections and disappointments.   While Ammon, the exception to this generalization,  was successfully teaching in the city of Ishmael, his brother Aaron was experiencing the rejections and disappointments that I have been referring to.   Aaron had little or no success during the first part of his mission...  Consider these rejections:
At the city of Jerusalem they contended with the Amalakites and Amulonites, who were of the order of Nehors.  They mocked them, spit upon them and utterly rejected their teachings.   In Ani-Anti, they met up with Muloki, Amman and their companions.  There they contended with the people who rejected their message of gospel truth.  In Middoni they taught but were put into prison where they suffered terrible treatment until Ammon and Lamoni rescued them.  After being released "they went forth again to declare the word, and thus they were delivered for the first time out of prison" (Alma 21:15).  They were persistent and the Lord blessed their efforts: "And they went forth whithersoever they were led by the Spirit of the Lord, preaching the word of God in every synagogue... And it came to pass that the Lord began to bless them, insomuch that they brought many to the knowledge of the truth" (Alma 21:16-17).  I haven't been very persistent in missionary work during my life,  but I hope I can learn from Aaron's example.   I hope each of us will be able to emulate Aaron's dedication.

Aaron and his companions were then "led by the Spirit to the land of Nephi, even to the house of the king which was over all the land save it were the land of Ishmael; and he was the father of Lamoni" (Alma 22:1).  There Aaron used the technique that Ammon had employed to serve the king: He offered to be the king's servants.  The king would not have it : "Arise, for I will grant unto you your lives, and I will not suffer that ye shall be my servants; but I will insist that ye shall administer unto me" (Alma 22:3).

The old king told Aaron that Ammon's words and actions had haunted him.  When Aaron explained that Ammon had been called by the spirit to another way,  the king said  "What is this that ye have said concerning the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth trouble me.  And also, what is this that Ammon said—If ye will repent ye shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at the last day?" (Alma 22:5-6).  In response, Aaron asked the king a basic, yet important, question:  "Believest thou that there is a God?" (Alma 22:7).  This was indeed a fundamental question to ask of the king, for everything that Aaron could teach him depended upon his acceptance of a supreme Being.  This is also true in our lives.  Do we believe with all our hearts in the existence of God, not as a tradition of our parents and ancestors, but a true belief in a literal being?  In order to love Heavenly Father and obey His commandments we must believe in Him.  In order to fully receive His blessings in our lives, we must believe in, love and obey Him.  In order to truly be His faithful sons and daughters, we must believe He exists, loves us and wants us to know Him.  It starts with truly believing in Him.

Aaron, who must have carried the spirit of the Lord with him during this interview, received the kind of answer he had hoped for from the king:  "I know that the Amalekites say that there is a God .... And if now thou sayest there is a God, behold I will believe" (Alma 22:7).

Aaron proceeded to teach the king about God, the creation and the fall of man and need for the atonement.  These truths moved the king greatly, who exclaimed "What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? 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).

Any missionary will tell you that this expression of desire is what they hope for when they begin to teach an investigator - an expression of their desire to come to know God the Father and their willingness to do anything to feel His presence in their lives.  Through Aaron's teachings the king and his whole household became converted to the Lord.  The king sent a proclamation throughout the land that the Lamanite people "...should not lay their hands on [Aaron and his brothers and companions] to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should they ... cast them out of their synagogues ... but that they should have free access to their houses, and also their temples, and their sanctuaries" (Alma 23:2). The result of this unprecedented proclamation was that "Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, establishing churches, and consecrating priests and teachers throughout the land among the Lamanites, to preach and to teach the word of God among them; and thus they began to have great success.  And thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord" (Alma 23:4-5).

Aaron, after rejections, disappointments, sorrows and trouble, finally found a golden teaching moment.  May we each be able to experience a similar moment.  It may come from introducing a friend, a newly moved-in neighbor or a long time acquaintance to the Gospel.  The "golden" moment may spring from teaching a sibling, aunt or uncle.  It may come from meeting a stranger and striking up a conversation.  The spirit moved Aaron to go to the land of Nephi, and that same spirit moves us to speak up when the opportunity arises.  No matter how our golden moment comes, may we each follow Aaron's example and be bold at that moment of opportunity.

Don