Ministering

Alma 35:7

“And it came to pass that Alma and his brethren did minister unto them.”

This is referring to the poor people of the Zoramites who had been forced to leave their homes and their city because they believed in Jesus Christ. These poor Zoramites were welcomed to the city of Jershon by the Ammonites, a recently converted group of Lamanites. I’ve written about the corruption of the Zoramites before.

The Zoramites were so mad at these poor members of their society that they had already banished that they told the Ammonites in Jershon to not allow these poor individuals to live in their city. The people of Ammon, being decent human beings, ignored the demand from the wealthy Zoramites to cast out these poor people again.

This is where the verse quoted, verse 7, comes in.

Alma and his brethren ministered to these poor Zoramites. It was Alma and his brethren who preached to the poor Zoramites which ultimately led to them being cast from their homes. The people of Ammon also ministered to these people.

Doesn’t this seem like an obvious thing? To take care of an innocent group of already poor people who were forced to leave their homes?

If there was any question whether the teachings of the rich Zoramites were corrupt and had their roots in an evil nature, this behavior seems to confirm this fact. By their fruits you shall know them.

And what’s up with the rich Zoramites that made them leave? It wasn’t enough that they forced these people out, making them pack up and go with what little they had to another town? They had to follow these people and try to get another town to not allow them to be there? How petty is this? This makes me think of some who leave the Church. Isn’t it enough to just leave? Do you have to follow the Church around bashing it, hating it, trying to destroy it?

It is said that adherence of the sabbath day is what separated the Jews from the rest of the world and today respecting and keeping holy the sabbath day should be a mark of Christians, though that has unfortunately changed. That was the sign in ancient sign. What is the sign today?

What sets apart Christ’s true church? It should be ministering to the one. Christ’s church should have a clear focus on ministering to one another, and to others.

Christ’s church is not vindictive, it is loving. Christ’s church is not exclusive, it is inclusive. Christ’s church should be a community of saints supporting each other in every physical, emotional, and spiritual way possible. Christ’s church should be like Christ’s ministry. It should be a church of ministering to the one and to the all.

The Ammonites are an extraordinary example of ministering. “And [they] did minister unto them.” Even with the threat of war, they still ministered. Even with the threat of murder, they ministered.

What is our excuse as members of the Church of Jesus Christ if we aren’t ministering to each other? The Church of Jesus Christ has an organized, cohesive, important program of ministering. If we aren’t doing our part to minister to one another then we aren’t doing our part in separating ourselves from the world.

I’m grateful that Christ’s church has an organized emphasis on ministering. I’m grateful I get to be a part of it. I’m grateful that Jesus Christ was the example of a perfect minister.