My husband recently gave the closing prayer at an Empty Nester’s Family Home Evening. He said a phrase which really struck me: “Strengthen our week.” In context, I knew he referred to “week.” But my mind switched it to “weak.”
In the days prior, I’d heard struggling life stories, so “strengthen our weak” seemed especially appropriate. My mind flashed to scripture stories where the Lord strengthened weakness.
In a Gospel of peace and turning the other cheek, what does God prescribe when fighting for your physical, emotional, and spiritual life from onslaught of others around you?
Based on a specific covenant they made, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies refused to weaponize to defend themselves. On the flipside, during the same extreme war time conditions, Moroni rounded up everyone who refused to defend their country’s freedom and gave them the option to fight or die. The key difference, of course, was attitude towards liberty.
So what about personal conflicts or attacks?
Alma Fought for Life and Liberty
Yesterday during my scripture study, I encountered Amlici again. He decided he wanted to be king of Nephites. The Nephites voted to keep their system of judges or to install Amlici as king. The majority rejected Amlici. Offended, he riled up his followers. They made him king.
Amlici’s first order of business apparently was to go to war against the Nephites. The Nephites defeated him again. Amlici and his army retreated, fortuitously joining an advancing Lamanite army on their way to battle the Nephites.
During this battle, Alma, chief judge and prophet of the Nephites, faced-off with Amlici and the king of the Lamanites. As I internalize this encounter this time, I flashed back to “strengthen our weak.”
Alma and his chosen cause were under attack by Amlici and his chosen cause. It doesn’t seem like one of them was particularly more adept in battle than the other. The difference came when Alma turned to God.
And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.
Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword.
And he also contended with the king of the Lamanites; but the king of the Lamanites fled back from before Alma and sent his guards to contend with Alma.
But Alma, with his guards, contended with the guards of the king of the Lamanites until he slew and drove them back.
Alma received strength in the conflict by turning to God and asking for strength. Significantly to my current thought process, during the conflict, an adversary wounded Alma so badly that Alma missed the next battle while recovering from the injury. He sent another army who successfully contended with the Lamanites while he recovered.
And then they returned again and began to establish peace in the land, being troubled no more for a time with their enemies.
Alma acknowledged his adversary and his right to choose his ideologies, even when those ideologies attempted to submit Alma to his manipulating will. Alma pursued peaceful outcomes (all the people voted whether to accept or reject Amlici as king) and only battled with his adversary in defending himself and his people. During that time of conflict, Alma sought strength from the Lord.
In normal course of life, this means, to me, seeking the Lord’s will and means to stop the conflict with an adversary. The Lord strengthened Alma’s weakness to overcome his particular adversary.
Alma left the conflict wounded and needed to heal. He took time to heal and then got on with his life, unparalyzed by fear and doubt about the battle that wounded him.
Nephi Endured Perpetual Physical and Verbal Abuse
Nephi’s courage during what seems like perpetual abusive onslaughts amazes me. He didn’t endure the family mistreatment alone, Sam endured beatings with Nephi and even their younger brothers were tormented. On his deathbed, father Lehi commented to younger brother Jacob,
And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.
Many of Nephi’s amazing stories of faithful victory occurred during his times of brotherly violence.
And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.
But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.
And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again.
Always lovingly aware of the family relationship, Nephi hoped to help his older brothers return to God. However, Laman and Lemuel felt Nephi tried to usurp their older brother power and authority. They persisted in an untrue, limited view exacerbated by their attempted death threat fantasies.
The family lived together in this contentious, hostile environment until the Lord commanded Nephi to leave. Nephi did not delay. He and half the family fled, creating a new, separate home for themselves.
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.
They did not completely escape their older brothers who found them and warred against them. But by commandment of the Lord, they removed themselves from perpetual persecution and found true happiness and peace and strength to defend themselves as necessary.
David Defeated the Bully Who Terrified an Army
The Israelites and Philistines habitually clashed. During one conflict, the Philistine army revealed their secret weapon—a giant named Goliath. Instead of fighting army versus army, Goliath proposed an alternative to the Israelites. He’d fight their best warrior. Whoever won their battle would win the war for their army. No Israelite accepted the challenge.
Charged with taking food to his elder brothers, David went to the front lines and found his brothers. As they visited, David happened to hear Goliath’s daily verbal barrage. Immediately incensed that Goliath defied the armies of the living God, and the living God Himself, David asked who intended to fight the giant.
As most people do when faced with courage in the midst of their own fear, David’s brother got mad at him and called him prideful and naughty.
Undeterred, David found King Saul and said he would fight the giant. Saul tried to armor David up, but David rejected the trappings of war taking only his sling and five smooth stones to face the Goliath.
Goliath immediately mocked David to intimidate and manipulate the youngster.
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
A stone flew true and hit Goliath in the head. David decapitated Goliath with the giant’s own gigantic sword.
This example shows David’s ongoing relationship with God. The Lord delivered David from a bear and a lion and David knew the Lord would deliver him from the giant.
This is the ultimate strength to me. Repeated encounters with God’s strengthening hand gave David confidence. He knew and trusted in God’s capacity.
Strengthening Our “Weak”
So how do we strengthen our own “weak?”
According to these stories, during times of conflict,
- we identify our cause/where we stand
- we identify our adversary
- we identify what we need
- we ask God to strengthen our weakness to accomplish what we need
- we allow the strengthening to come however God sees fit
Another point to consider is what happened before the time of conflict! Each of these heroes established faith in God, in His power, in His capacity to deliver. Each of them trusted in God’s divine intervention. Each of them prayed to God, creating a relationship strong enough to endure adversaries. Each of them separated attacks from adversaries from their relationship with God, meaning they did not blame God for adversaries’ persecutions because their relationships with God brought clarity to their life.
Also, while the Lord strengthened these men in these particular trials, the victories did not mean they didn’t face adversaries again, sometimes even the same adversaries. But because of their experience with God’s hand, they continued to face adversaries with faith and purpose. And God continued to strengthen their “weak.”
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