3 Nephi 4:33

And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.

Repentance and humility always qualify us for the saving grace of Christ's atonement. Just as the Nephites were delivered from the overwhelming odds of the Gadiantons, Christ will deliver us from the overwhelming odds of mortality and sin. Every story of rescue, protection and deliverance in the scriptures testifies of this truth. Our very lives can testify of it if we repent and humble ourselves.

Helaman 5:42

And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed.

It did not take these Lamanties long to receive forgiveness and deliverance. God is quick to forgive when we repent in sincerity. That does not mean, however, that repentance is cheap or easy. These people had many wrongs to repair and bad habits to overcome. They still had to change their lives in order to retain a remission of their sins. They would have to spend the rest of their lives learning the gospel, keeping the commandments, overcoming the natural man, and taking upon them the name of Christ. But initial forgiveness, pardon, and justification can come quickly through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Alma 39:15

And now, my son, I would say somewhat unto you concerning the coming of Christ. Behold, I say unto you, that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world; yea, he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people.

Alma was certain that Christ would come. He would "surely come." Nothing would stop him or hinder him in his mission to save the world from death and all who would repent from hell. Christ would bring the happiest of news -- that we would not be left to our mortal fate and natural weaknesses without help. He would surely come, without fail, and bring ransom, rescue, deliverance and salvation with him. For those who were discouraged he would bring hope. For those who were in despair he would bring renewal. For those who had failed he would bring another chance. For those who sorrowed and grieved he would bring peace and joy. His coming would be the best news and the gladest tidings of all.

Alma 38:5

And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Blessings are predicated upon obedience. Trust in God is synonymous with faith in him. When we have faith in him, wonderful blessings will come into our lives. Of course, for us to recognize blessings, we must also have opposition. Shiblon is promised a full load of adversity, but the promised deliverance is greater than the trials from which he will be delivered. When we are faced with great trials, if we exercise faith, we can expect miraculous deliverance.

Alma 36:27

And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.

Christ is never done delivering us. He never stops rescuing us. No matter how many trials and afflictions we run into, he will help us through every one of them. He has suffered them all. He knows them all. And he knows how to succor us in them all. He will stay with us to the very end, and then he will still be there beyond the end and into eternity. We can trust him every single time.

Mosiah 29:20

But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.

The result of faith is mercy. The ultimate end of mercy is deliverance, although the immediate result might be more trials. We must always remember in whom we trust and add patience to that trust. Without patience, trust is just a wish.

Mosiah 24:14-15

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

Sometimes God removes our burdens, but more often he strengths us to bear them more capably. He is wise enough to know what we need to keep us humble and ever seeking him without breaking us. When the time is right, we will be free. In the meantime, we will be empowered. When we can stop fighting God's plan and submit cheerfully and patiently, it doesn't really matter whether we are rescued or not, and that is usually when deliverance comes.

Mosiah 22:2

And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.

The Lord uses the wilderness to purge us of the baggage of pride and sin. While the wilderness is always a trial full of afflictions, it is not a curse, but a cleansing. If we endure our wilderness experiences well, they change us and sanctify us and bring us closer to God. They are indispensable legs in our journey through mortality towards eternal life.

Mosiah 21:5

And now the afflictions of the Nephites were great, and there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side.

The burden of our sins is greater than we can bear alone and beyond our personal abilities to overcome and rid ourselves of our guilt. We need the Deliverer. It is just that simple.

Mosiah 11:23

And it shall come to pass that except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God.

The allegory of the deliverance of Limhi's people is driven home in this verse. Only Christ can redeem us from our sins. We can never rescue ourselves.

Mosiah 11:21

And except they repent and turn to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; yea, and they shall be brought into bondage; and they shall be afflicted by the hand of their enemies.

The entire episode of Zeniff, Noah, Limhi, and Alma is not just a recounting of events in the lives of these people, their bondage, and their conversion, but it is also a magnificent extended metaphor for what happens in our individual lives. For example, in this verse we learn that if we do not repent of our sins, the Lord will let us feel the full weight of our sins, and we will find ourselves captives of our appetites and passions and addictions. Yet he does not abandon us. Just as Limhi and Alma were delivered, each in his own way, we can each be delivered from what binds us down and threatens to destroy us if we turn to Christ.

Mosiah 7:33

But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

Repentance results in deliverance from bondage. That is the entire theme of this episode with Limhi's people. The wickedness of a group of people made them vulnerable to their enemies, who enslaved them. They could not muster the strength on their own to free themselves. God, however, had the power to release them from their mortal bondage if they would stop relying on their own strength and start relying on his. The same is true of our individual spiritual bondage. We do not have the capability to rescue ourselves, but Christ has the strength to release us if we rely on him.

Second Nephi 25:11

And now this I speak because of the spirit which is in me. And notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall be restored again to the land of their inheritance.

An example of both a literal prophecy and a spiritual reality: Nephi learned from Isasiah that because of iniquity, the Jews will be held captive by the wicked world, but eventually when they are humbled, they will return to their land. This is an allegory for what happens to us when we sin. We find ourselves cut off from the Spirit, and perhaps even cut off from the church for a while. But when we repent, Christ restores our blessings and will welcome us into his kingdom, which is our eternal promised land.

Second Nephi 8:25

Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

The bands about our necks of our own making. We choose to be bound with bands. We can also choose to be released from them. If we are captives of sin, habits or addictions, it is because we have turned over our agency to the forces of the devil and the natural man. Choosing to be free is not all that is required to throw off our shackles, but it is the first and most powerful step.

Second Nephi 8:14

The captive exile hasteneth, that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.

We tend to rely on our own power and ingenuity in the hopes of saving ourselves. And rightfully so, we are expected to put forth our best efforts. But it is not our efforts that save us. The works we do demonstrate our sincere desires to repent and receive the mercy and grace of the atonement, but it is the redeeming power of Christ’s atonement that truly saves us, looses us from the bands of guilt, lifts us from the pit of despair, and feeds us with the bread of life. As miraculously as God divided the Red Sea to enable the escape of Israel from Egypt, He will part the gulf of sin that bars our way from escaping the bondage of guilt. When we submit to Him, we join the hosts over whom Christ is Lord.

Second Nephi 7:4

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season unto thee, O house of Israel. When ye are weary he waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine ear to hear as the learned.

Jesus will speak and teach as one who has studied the law. He will be able to stand toe to toe with the greatest scholars of his day. He will teach the Jews the truths they need to hear to bring them to salvation, if they will accept him.

Even though we get tired as we struggle through our mortal trials, God does not get tired. He is always available, always listening, always ready to come to our aid when we call upon Him. When we ask Him, He teaches us the truths of His gospel.

Second Nephi 4:28

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

Do not be depressed and discouraged because of sin. For those who seek after righteousness, temptation is the enemy. We lose many battles and carry many scars, but we cannot give up. Christ will lift us up. He will fight our battles with us, and he will heal all our wounds and remove all our scars. Be of good cheer, the Savior commanded, for he has overcome the world for our sakes.

Second Nephi 4:18

I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

"Beset" means to trouble or threaten persistently. Sin is a constant problem for as long as we are mortal. Paul says that sin is in his very flesh. Though his mind wants to obey God, his body rebels constantly. (See Hebrews 12:1, Romans 7:21.) If Paul and Nephi struggle with sin, how can the rest of us expect to escape unscathed? Not unscathed, but redeemed and healed through Christ. Though Nephi seems to be down on himself at the moment, he is about to remind us of the glorious hope of Christ.

Second Nephi 2:3

Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.

We are redeemed by Christ, not by our own efforts. We have to do our best, but only Christ can make it happen. Our righteousness is always insufficient. Christ's infinite righteousness is always required.

Second Nephi 1:7

Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

Even though the general population may become wicked and bring a curse on America, it will always be a land of promise for the righteous. The righteous may suffer from the curse brought about by wickedness, but they will be spared from the worst.