Alma 56

I just wanted to comment this morning that even though the Lord allows agency and thereby wickedness, He still provides small miracles or tender acts of mercy through trials and afflictions. Because that evil and wickedness is and will continue to persist, good people will be the victims of such allowed agency. But we must remember -

"...For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Old Testament | Isaiah 55:9)

This past week we witnessed a horrific event in Denver with a so called "movie massacre". Though everything that surround this event was terrible and painful, I still noticed a small tender mercy. The murderer gun jambed which appears to have limited the carnage and death. The Lord may allow such events but there may be a limiting divine hand to the depth of it.

I noticed that this morning as the Nephites were defending their liberty, as the "sons of Helaman" joined the forces of Antipus -

"...that when the Lamanites saw that Antipus had received a greater strength to his army, they were compelled by the orders of Ammoron to not come against the city of Judea, or against us, to battle.
19 And thus were we favored of the Lord; for had they come upon us in this our weakness they might have perhaps destroyed our little army; but thus were we preserved." (Book of Mormon | Alma 56:18 - 19)

Even in all this affliction and war that Helaman was able to recognize a tender mercy of the LOrd and testify -

"...thus were we favored of the Lord..." (Book of Mormon | Alma 56:19)

Even in death, in great faith, Helaman comments that the Lamanaites had -

"...slain a vast number of our men, for which cause we have to mourn.
11 Nevertheless, we may console ourselves in this point, that they have died in the cause of their country and of their God, yea, and they are happy." (Book of Mormon | Alma 56:10 - 11)

This is an attitude of "higher ways" than how we generally perceive things.