How Can Humility Affect Our Reaction to Adversity?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Alma 53-63 in a lesson titled “Preserved by His Marvelous Power.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

When compared with the Lamanite armies, Helaman’s “little army” (Alma 56:33) of young men shouldn’t have stood a chance. Besides being few in number, Helaman’s soldiers “were all … very young,” and “they never had fought” (Alma 56:46-47). In some ways, their situation might seem familiar to those of us who sometimes feel outnumbered and overwhelmed in our latter-day battle against Satan and the forces of evil in the world.

But the army of Helaman had some advantages over the Lamanites that had nothing to do with numbers or military skill. They chose Helaman, a prophet, to lead them (see Alma 53:19); “they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them” (Alma 56:47); and they had “exceeding faith in that which they had been taught.” As a result, they were protected by “the miraculous power of God” (Alma 57:26). So when facing life’s battles, we can take courage. Helaman’s army teaches us that “there [is] a just God, and whosoever [does] not doubt, [will] be preserved by his marvelous power” (Alma 57:26).

This lesson contained a powerful story about how Helaman’s young soldiers who had great faith in God. (See Alma 53:10–22; 56:43–49, 55–56; 57:20–27; 58:39–40.) Their faith in God gave them great courage, and they fought in such a way that the Lamanites feared them. All of the young men received wounds, but none of the 2060 warriors died from their wounds. The story tells us that having faith in God helps us to overcome fear. We can learn from their story to help us to win our spiritual battles with the power of Jesus Christ.

Another powerful story told in this lesson is how followers of Jesus Christ are not easily offended. (See Alma 58:1-12, 31-37; 61.) Helaman and Pahoran had good reasons to be offended. Helaman was not receiving support for his armies, and Pahoran was falsely accused by Moroni of withholding that support. Elder David A. Bednar pointed to Pahoran as an example of meekness and taught that “the most majestic and meaningful examples of meekness are found in the life of the Savior Himself” (“Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 32).

A third principle taught in this lesson is that each of us has a responsibility to lift the people around us. (See Alma 60:7-14.) Moroni wrote that God would hold Pahoran responsible if he knowingly neglected the needs of the Nephite armies. The scripture block teaches us how to be more aware of and meet the needs of other people.

The principle that I hope to emphasize is found in Alma 62:39-51 “If I am humble, life’s challenges can turn my heart to God.” Life is interesting in that two people who share identical experiences – such as soldiers in war – can come out of those experiences in diverse ways. For example, we can put a raw egg and a potato in a pot of water and boil them. The potato will get softer, while the egg becomes firmer.

After the wars were over, the prophet Helaman went back to teaching the gospel and organized the church again. For some of the people, the war had softened their hearts, while the hearts of other people were hardened. The difference comes from individual choices. If we choose to stay humble during adversities, we can keep our hearts soft and in tune with God.