I want to share with you one of my favorite verses of scripture I have affectionately named a “call to courage.” In one phrase of one verse is an abundance of lessons about courage. If there was a verse I would love to be written about me, this is certainly one I would choose. I think this verse shows the power one man can have who is willing to stand alone.

 To fully comprehend the verse, you must understand what happened before. Abinadi has been testifying to the priests of King Noah. He has been filled with the Spirit. The priests and the king are all past feeling. These political figures were people who all knew the truth at one time. They had fallen into inactivity and into lives of wickedness. Abinadi prophecies and testifies to them of their evil ways, and instead of humility and contrite hearts, we see hard hearts and stiff necks. Then we read this: “And now it came to pass that when Abinadi had finished these sayings, that the king commanded that the priests should take him and cause that he should be put to death” (Mosiah 17:1). Abinadi must have felt so alone at this point as he knew what was about to happen to him, which makes the next verse so insightful and so powerful to me. Wickedness—it appeared—had temporarily triumphed and Abinadi would be called home without much effect on the people he had been attempting to teach. But, when you stand for God you stand with power and honest hearts are always touched. There was at least one honest heart listening to Abinadi testify before King Noah’s court on that unforgettable day.

We read in Mosiah chapter 17 verse 2: “But there was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the iniquity which Abinadi had testified against them; therefore he began to plead with the king.” Out of many in the king’s court that day, only one spoke up. I don’t know what exactly Alma said, but I know it must have been absolutely powerful. I am aware his words may have initially been spoken with some fear and some trepidation, but that only makes it that much more powerful. Where did Alma get the courage from? It came from the Spirit and from a God who had not forgotten His son Alma. 

I will never forget the phrase “but there was one.” That single phrase oozes with courage, power, and strength. How could one person in that situation have the courage to stand against everyone when he was so outnumbered? It took courage and fortitude beyond the power of man. It took the strength of God.