"Give away all"

The conversion of King Lamoni and his father in Alma 17 to 22 is a lesson in growing commitment.

Lamoni, upon learning of Ammon's strength, witnessing his selfless service, but before hearing his testimony, asks Ammon, "if thou wilt tell me concerning these things."  Further, Lamoni promises, "Whatever thou desirest I will give thee (17:21)."



That is true conversion.  To be able to say to the Lord, "Whatever thou desirest I will give thee."  And the Lord will only ever ask for one thing, and that is our agency.  Our willingness to do His will.

Lamoni's father, taught by Aaron, follows the same pattern.  It is Ammon's strength, love, and service to his son that piques his interest and causes him to invite the missionaries over (20:24).  When he was afraid, this King was willing to bribe his way out of trouble by offering Ammon, "half the kingdom."  After witnessing charity and service, motivated by love he was willing to offer much more.

Aaron, Ammon's brother, teaches the King in Chapter 22.  Upon learning of the creation, the fall, and the Atonement, the possibility of Eternal Life, the King asks, "What shall I do that I may...be filled with joy? Behold...I will give up all that I possess, yea I will forsake my kingdom that may receive this great joy (v 15)."  Aaron answers him that to receive such joy requires repentance and faith.

And here, the King gives one of the simplest and purest prayers recorded in scripture: "O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day" (v 18).

I've constantly struggled to be able to make that same promise.  The struggle comes from knowing that I've been so far unable to "give away all my sins."  They stick around (curse my weakness).  I doubt that Lamoni's father, the King, lived perfectly after making such a promise, though he obviously experienced that mighty change of heart described in Alma 5.

The stake presidency taught this "give away all" lesson in Sunday School on Sunday.  There wasn't much time for questions, though this struggle was on my mind.  As I have thought, prayed, and reread this story from Alma, I've reached the following conclusion.

Giving away one's sins doesn't mean never sinning again.  Rather, it means a willingness to believe in the Savior's Atonement, and that through the Atonement, give away all our sins to Him, as he's already suffered and paid for them.  In short, I think that "giving away all" is akin to repentance.  If I am willing to, rather than hold on to my sins, give them away to Jesus, give my agency to Him through service and my best efforts to live as He would have me, and when those sins inevitably come again, give those away to Him also, that will fill me with that Joy that Lamoni's father was willing to give away all he possessed.

I've felt that Joy, and it's worth all that I possess.