BOM Alma 26

Today’s reading, Alma 26, raises an important issue for those who seek to serve God:

There is no question that sincere, hardworking disciples of Christ have accomplished a great deal, in and out of the Restored Church.  They’ve translated the scriptures, preached the Good News, built churches, founded hospitals, established orphanages, distributed food and clothing, served the sick and poor, and done innumerable good things all around the world.

But they remain instruments in his hands, and imperfect ones, too.

 20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

 21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.  (Mosiah 2)

There is a fine line between deriving satisfaction from what one has been able to accomplish and being proud.  Aaron thought (in 26:10) that Ammon might have crossed that line, and it’s easy to see (in 26:9) where his concern came from.  Over all, though, the tenor of Ammon’s remarks is clearly one of rejoicing in the work, and not in himself.

We need to be very careful that we ourselves stay on the right side of the line.