I had never before known the Lord
Though I had seen his tender mercies
I continued blind unaware of his care
Or more truthfully I blinded myself
Because I did not want to see
But always within I carried a longing
To come to know him someday
And then an answer came
To the secret desire of my soul
An angel, an invitation, and a promise
Of blessings to myself and my family
If I would feed a hungry prophet
How could I resist?
Though I gave him bread, he fed me with the bread of life
Though I gave him a place to rest, he helped me find rest to my soul
For he led me to my savior
How could I express my gratitude?
My riches were wholly inadequate
I could only give God my will and my voice
So when the call came to preach
I did not equivocate
I stood before my friends and neighbors
Called them to repent and come to Christ
They mocked me and tried to trip me up
But I had been in their shoes
I knew the wickedness in their hearts
And I bore witness from the bottom of mine.
One man offered me great wealth
If I would renounce my God
He didn’t understand
That I had found a pearl of great price
And that I would not trade it for tarnished silver
My heart leapt when some believed
But that joy was fleeting
We were bound and forced to watch
As the believers were driven out
And worse
As many were gathered up and burned to death
I cried out at the agony of friends and family
As those whom I had promised blessings instead suffered martyrdom
And as I was bound and thrown into prison
I had to wonder
What happened to those promised blessings
But from deep within
I knew that it was all true
And the promise of eternal life
Lit up the dark dungeon bright
I cried out for deliverance
And the prison walls fell
As tears of gratitude filled my eyes
I came to know my savior well
Yet I could not help but mourn
As I counted the cost of what I’d lost
Fortune, friends, and family all gone
I was overcome with agony
But as my faith began to falter
My friend and brother reached out
And led me from the deep abyss
And though I’ve paid a terrible cost
I still declare with the same firm voice
That the Lord blessed me and family
When he led Alma to my door that day
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