Victorious but not unharmed 

What did the Lord do in battle for these Nephites?!

“Nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites, that they slew the Amlicites with great slaughter, that they began to flee before them.” (Alma 2:18)

The Lord can strengthen us during tough times in our lives.

As the Amlicites came to battle against the Nephites, the Lord gave the Nephites that extra strength to be able to prevail.

But do you want to know what heartbreaking information is revealed in the very next verse as the battle nears its end?

“. . .There were slain of the Nephites six thousand five hundred sixty and two souls.” (Alma 2:19)

Wait, so the Nephites were strengthened to conquer their enemies…

But over 6,000 righteous individuals were still killed?

I’ve learned that living in a mortal world means that we can’t endure tough times completely unscathed.

Good people endure tragedies and live with lasting trauma.

Brutal chronic and mental illnesses stick around.

Hearts that have been healed still have tender spots.

But I’ve also learned that it is always better to go through tough times with Jesus instead of without.

In fact, the Amlicites lost dramatically more people than the Nephites did when you look at the ending tally.

Life with Jesus means we will still experience blows, heartache, and pain.

We aren’t always shielded from all harm.

But the Nephites were still victorious in battle.

And I know we can also still rely on His strength to carry us through as the ultimate victor.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black