Speaking of his own father's (Alma the Elder) conversion story, Alma the Younger said:
Alma 5:12
“And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.”
I think this is how Alma the Elder knew to preach the goodness of God, and not force his son into righteousness (which can't be done anyway, yet some parents try).
Alma knew that He could pray for his son to have opportunities to exercise faith. He himself was rebellious, and he himself was not forced into righteousness. He was convinced that his lifestyle was wrong by a prophet of God. This was his opportunity to exercise faith. And exercise it he did!
Alma removed himself from, and removed from himself all that was evil. He continually hid from harm that would restrict him from his freedom to serve God.
These days, I am to learn from Alma's example by removing myself from anything that would restrict my spirituality, thus causing me danger in unpreparedness when Satan unleashes his mighty winds (Helaman 5:12).
He not only lived right, but encouraged and invited others to do so.
The faith of one man to run from captivity and evil had led to the saving of his life - spiritual and probably temporal; the church that was restored through him; the family he raised; generations down the centuries and millenia that read his story and are inspired by his example.
Alma changed his life from being in the vain, selfish lifestyle living under a selfish King Noah, to a lifestyle of love, faith and spirituality.
His struggles did not end. They just changed. As he mastered one aspect of the gospel, he was tested, tried and grew in another.
He lived the rest of his life in service to God. It is a lifestyle that is the rest pf God in this life – rest, because his heart was at peace, and his soul was secured in eternal bliss forevermore.
So, I guess a moral of the story is, when God gives you an opportunity to exercise faith, take it! Do His will. If you don't feel like doing it, then pray for a change of heart.
In my experience, when I have continually prayed for a change of heart – never giving up on praying for a change of heart – He has always granted it to me. Always. So I guess it's not fully about whether I can accomplish all things. It's whether I trust His ways and His power in me to help me do what I cannot do. It's whether I will continue trusting Him till the end, for me to be able to accomplish all things.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.”
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