“This Is My Joy”

Brant Gardner

This statement is very similar to Ammon’s statement in his own declaration about the success of the missionary work of the sons of Mosiah. See Alma 26:11. In this verse and in the declaration by Ammon, the word “joy” is used. For both of these men, the work of the Lord leads to joy. See the discussion following 2 Nephi 2:25 in this commentary for a discussion of the meaning of joy in the Book of Mormon.

Brown sees this verse as intimately connected with Alma’s conversion experience. The aspect of joy is a certain touchpoint, but Brown suggests that the concept of missionary work also flows from that original experience:

“Similarly, in his personal recounting Alma told his son Helaman that from the time of his three-day ordeal until that moment, “I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste” (Alma 36:24). He continued by speaking metaphorically of his success in his missionary endeavors as if it were fruit of agricultural labors:

“The Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors; For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen” (vv 25-26; compare Alma 29:13-15).  (S. Kent Brown. “Alma’s Conversion: Reminiscences in His Sermons.” In Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Alma, the Testimony of the Word [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1992], 149 - 150.)

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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