What changed? Why did Amulek obey the angel? Alma 10:7

What changed? Why did Amulek obey the angel? Alma 10:7


Amulek is telling his conversion story. He was a wealthy, proud man who denied his spiritual promptings. Then, one day he was going on a journey to visit "a very near kindred" and an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

The angel says, "Amulek, return to your house, for you are going to feed a prophet of the Lord. He is a holy man, chosen of God, and he has fasted many days for the sins of your people. He's hungry, and it's your job to feed him. He will be a blessing to you and your entire household, and God will continue to bless you and your household for doing this."


Amulek obeys the angel.




It would have been completely stupid not to do so!




What changed?




In my opinion, Amulek omits some of the most important details, leaving us only hints about his conversion. He tells us the bare facts of what happened, but he doesn't tell us the innermost parts of his heart. I think that we can maybe tease some of those things out by observing the context, though. For example, I think that it's no coincidence that Amulek was doing what he was doing when the angel came to see him. Visiting a very near kindred sure sounds like Amulek was in the right place at the right time, trying his best to do what he thought was right. Maybe he was reconciling himself with a family member. Maybe there was someone in his family who was seriously ill. Maybe Amulek was on his way to forgive someone or amend a grudge he had held his entire life.




Maybe the very near kindred was his own wife. Maybe he was trying to mend some terrible relationship problem. The story never describes exactly what happened here, but I am certain that it had to do with Amulek's relationship to that person. The fact that he was journeying to do something implies action and initiative. The fact it's mentioned at all implies that there was something out of the ordinary - some reason for mentioning what he was doing.




Maybe the fact that the angel came to visit him while he was in the middle of this relationship issue was itself a sign to Amulek that he had made the right choice, trying to resolve, affect change, or simply be with whoever it was he was going to visit. Maybe it was a sign to Amulek that his desire to do x was enough, and that he doesn't have to actually go through with it. Maybe it was a relief to Amulek that he was asked to turn back and be put on another much stranger mission, to help Alma.




I like to think of Amulek's story this way because it is so relatable to my own experience. There are lots of things I don't especially love doing, but which I know are right. If I align my will with God's, and submit my pride to him, I am often given many greater opportunities to do things that I actually want to do. It is weird. It's like meditating. It seems to take forever, but then actually doing it results in more productive time later because I'm not so tense and anxious.




Answer:

The real question might not be about the change of heart that took place within Amulek when he saw the angel, but rather the change of heart that caused him to go visit his very near kindred. Amulek had decided to do something that he thought was right. He had started a path of action. I don't know why he started to act, but he did. God's response to his action was to give him more direction and guidance. That is an excellent parable for our own lives.