For all the great examples of preaching and teaching that we get in the scriptures…
There are a few examples of the opposite that have always stood out to me.
(I’m not talking about bad examples, I promise! I mean a different kind of opposite…)
After Alma and Amulek watched one of the most tragic events imaginable, here’s what happened:
“The judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames?
“And he commanded them to speak;
“but they answered nothing.” (Alma 14:19)
Silence.
They said nothing.
I think of Jesus and the times when He chose not to verbally respond to people.
Speaking up is important.
Defending our beliefs is important.
I can think of countless times in the scriptures and in modern-days when people have been moved to speak up.
In fact, we are often explicitly asked to speak up.
But sometimes the Spirit can move us to just be silent.
Maybe it’s because the Spirit warns us that saying anything wouldn’t help.
Maybe it’s because the Spirit knows we can be a better example through our actions than our words.
Maybe it’s because we need to be quiet and listen to someone else’s perspective.
“Jesus Christ, the only perfect person to ever walk the earth, taught us through quiet example to say nothing or to be silent in stressful times in our lives rather than to spend time and energy bashing for whatever purpose.” – Marvin J. Ashton
Talking and sharing are so important.
But sometimes the best way to share our testimony is through silence.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
