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"The Light of the Glory of God," Alma 19:1-11

Alma 19:1-11

In this group of  verses, King Lamoni has been overpowered  by the influence of the Holy Spirit and has laid prostrate for 2 days. The queen summons Ammon to inquire of him the state her husband's well-being so that she could know what to do.

The queen explains to Ammon that the servants of her husband regarded him as "a prophet of a holy God" and that he had "power to do many might works in his name." On this premise, on the testimony of the servants of her husband, the queen asks Ammon for guidance.

Verse 6 reads as such:
Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God—
Though faith is not mentioned in this verse, it is at the very heart of what is being described here. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,"(Hebrews 11:1).  President Monson has said: "Fear not... the future is as bright as your faith." So we can say here that it is the substance of faith in the message of Christ that Ammon had presented to King Lamoni that had caused this "light of the Glory of God" to rest upon him. Such faith, as Elder Neil L. Andersen recently stated, "in the Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air... Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible."

Having this testimony of the truth, Ammon subsequently counsels the queen to wait, because her husband was sleeping in God and on the morrow he would rise again. (see vs. 8) The queen believes his statement and he acknowledges her faith: "Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites." (vs. 10)

The queen then waits all the remainder of that day, all through the night, and is still found by the side of the king the following morning.

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