AlmaChapter26

And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?

These are the words of Ammon to his brothers: My brothers and my fellow members, I say to you, how great a reason we have to rejoice! For could we have thought, when we set out from the land of Zarahemla, that God would grant us such great blessings?

And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?

Now I ask, what great blessings has he given us? Can you tell?

Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

I will answer for you. Our brothers, the Lamanites, were in darkness — in the darkest abyss; but look how many of them have been brought to see the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing that has been given to us: that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God.

Thousands of them rejoice and have been brought into the fold of God.

Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted.

The field was ripe, and blessed are you, for you thrust in the sickle and reaped with your might; yes, all the day long, you labored. And look at the number of your sheaves! They shall be gathered into the granaries, so that they are not wasted.

Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.

Yes, they will not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yes, neither will they be torn up by the whirlwinds. But when the storm comes, they will be gathered together in their place, so that the storm cannot reach them; yes, neither will they be driven by fierce winds wherever the enemy wants to carry them.

But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.

But they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.

Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

Blessed be the name of our God! Let us sing his praise; yes, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he works righteousness forever.

For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us, yea, and they would also have been strangers to God.

For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these dearly beloved brothers of ours, who have loved us so dearly, would still be racked with hatred against us; yes, and they would also have been strangers to God.

And it came to pass that when Ammon had said these words, his brother Aaron rebuked him, saying: Ammon, I fear that thy joy doth carry thee away unto boasting.

When Ammon said this, his brother Aaron rebuked him: "Ammon, I'm afraid your joy is carrying you away into boasting."

But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

But Ammon said to him: I do not boast in my own strength or in my own wisdom, but my joy is full; yes, my heart is brimming with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Yes, I know that I am nothing. As to my strength, I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things. Yes, we have worked many mighty miracles in this land, and for them we will praise his name forever.

Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?

How many thousands of our brothers has he freed from the pains of hell! And they have been brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word that is in us. So do we not have great reason to rejoice?

Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.

Yes, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God and has freed our brothers from the chains of hell.

Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

Yes, they were surrounded by everlasting darkness and destruction; but he has brought them into his everlasting light — into everlasting salvation; and they are surrounded by the matchless bounty of his love. Yes, and we have been instruments in his hands in doing this great and marvelous work.

Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

Therefore let us glory; we will glory in the Lord; we will rejoice, for our joy is full; we will praise our God forever. Who can glory too much in the Lord? Who can say too much of his great power, his mercy, and his patience toward humankind? I say to you, I cannot express the smallest part of what I feel.

Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?

Who could have thought that our God would be so merciful as to snatch us out of our awful, sinful, and polluted state?

Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church.

We went out even in wrath, with mighty threats to destroy his church.

Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair?

Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction? Yes, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall on us and doom us to eternal despair?

Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls.

Oh, my soul almost flees at the thought. He did not exercise his justice on us; instead, in his great mercy he has brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, to the salvation of our souls.

And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.

And now, my brothers, what natural man is there who knows these things? I say to you, there is no one who knows these things except the penitent.

Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.

Yes, whoever repents, exercises faith, brings forth good works, and prays continually: to such a person it is given to know the mysteries of God; to such a person it will be given to reveal things that have never been revealed; to such a person it will be given to bring thousands of souls to repentance, just as it has been given to us to bring these our brothers to repentance.

Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn?

Now do you remember, my brothers, that we told our brothers in the land of Zarahemla, "We are going up to the land of Nephi to preach to our brothers, the Lamanites," and they laughed at us?

For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? Now my brethren, ye remember that this was their language.

For they said to us: "Do you think you can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do you think you can convince the Lamanites that the traditions of their fathers are wrong, as stiff-necked a people as they are, whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood, whose days have been spent in the grossest wickedness, whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning?" Now, my brothers, you remember that this was how they talked.

And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us.

And they also said: "Let us take up arms against them, so that we destroy them and their wickedness out of the land, or they will overrun us and destroy us."

But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.

But, my beloved brothers, we came into the wilderness not intending to destroy our brothers, but hoping that we might save at least a few of their souls.

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, the Lord comforted us and said, "Go among your brothers, the Lamanites, and bear your afflictions with patience, and I will give you success."

And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

And now we have come and have been among them. We have been patient in our sufferings; we have suffered every privation. Yes, we have traveled from house to house, relying on the mercies of the world — not on the mercies of the world alone, but on the mercies of God.

And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

And we have gone into their houses and taught them; we have taught them in their streets; yes, we have taught them on their hills; and we have also gone into their temples and synagogues and taught them. We have been driven out, mocked, spit on, and struck on our cheeks; we have been stoned, seized, bound with strong cords, and thrown into prison. And through the power and wisdom of God, we have been delivered again.

And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

And we have suffered all kinds of afflictions, and all of this so that we might perhaps be the means of saving some soul; and we thought that our joy would be full if we could be the means of saving even a few.

Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.

Now we can look out and see the fruits of our labors. And are they few? I say to you, No, they are many; yes, and we can testify of their sincerity because of their love toward their brothers and also toward us.

For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren.

For they would rather sacrifice their lives than take the life of an enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth because of their love toward their brothers.

And now behold I say unto you, has there been so great love in all the land? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, there has not, even among the Nephites.

And now I say to you, has there been such great love in all the land? I say to you, No, there has not, not even among the Nephites.

For behold, they would take up arms against their brethren; they would not suffer themselves to be slain. But behold how many of these have laid down their lives; and we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred to sin.

For they would take up arms against their brothers; they would not let themselves be killed. But how many of these have laid down their lives! And we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and their hatred of sin.

Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

Now do we not have reason to rejoice? I say to you, no one has ever had so great a reason to rejoice as we have, since the world began. Yes, and my joy carries me away, even to boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding. He comprehends all things, and he is a merciful Being, merciful even to the salvation of those who will repent and believe on his name.

Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

Now if this is boasting, then so I will boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting misery. Yes, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel that has been lost from its body in a strange land. Yes, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

Now, my brothers, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatever land they may be in. He numbers his people, and his tender mercies are over all the earth. Now this is my joy and my great thanksgiving, and I will give thanks to my God forever. Amen.