When Alma was talking to his son Shiblon, he recounted his own experience. What can we learn from Alma?
First, let's look at Alma. He was one of the vilest of sinners in his youth. He was wicked and corrupt. His time and energy was spent convincing people why they should abandon their testimonies of the gospel and leave the church. He tried to convince people to do every manner of wickedness. Until one day an angel of the Lord appeared to him and commanded him to stop or he would be destroyed.
Alma is reflecting on his past and his experience when he tells Shiblon in Alma 38:8, "I was three days and three night in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Chris for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul."
Let's look at this verse carefully and see how it might apply to us. He said, "I was three days and three night in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul; and never, UNTIL I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy,..." He was in bitter pain and anguish for three days. Think about an experience in your life, when you felt alone or like you had lost the Spirit.
How often do we linger in our own vices? Maybe it's depression, addiction, quickness to anger, self-defeating mindset, pride, a habit that keeps the Spirit away, or a lack of faith.
Alma suffered for days and nothing changed UNTIL he did cry out to the Lord. He wallowed in anguish and pain, UNTIL that moment when he cried for mercy.
After he cried unto the Lord, he received a remission of his sins and he found peace to his soul. As he talked with Shiblon and probably countless other times when he looked back at his youth, he probably cringed at the things he did. Yet, he found peace in the Lord. He knew pain and misery, but he also knew peace and mercy.
I love the Book of Mormon. It is a source of so many incredible teachings and examples if we will apply them to our own lives.
