Alma heals and baptizes Zeezrom. What a wonderful story of redemption! But I was even more moved by the friendship
of Alma and Amulek. Amulek had lost everything
and everyone. Even his father had
rejected him! Perhaps his wife and
children were burned to death with the other martyrs. When they left Ammonihah and then Sidon, Alma
takes Amulek home to Zarahemla. There we
can assume he was cared for and ministered to by Alma, his wife, and his children.
I thought of my dear friend Joel. He has been my closest friend since we began
our association back in Tucson in 1990.
He was my associate as we went to graduate school there. He was my colleague as we taught seminary at
adjacent high schools. He was my friend
as we grew closer in the same ward there.
We were neighbors and walking buddies.
When we moved to Laramie and the Richards moved to Louisiana, we stayed
in touch.
Then, when we moved to American Fork, we found ourselves in
the same neighborhood and stake as Joel’s parents. They welcomed us here. Later that summer Joel and his family moved
close by as they returned to be near their parents. Joel invited me and the Lord called me to
serve in a bishopric with Joel as bishop and me as first counselor.
When I got the news of prostate cancer, Joel was my
anchor. He talked me through some very
low times. He took me for drives in his
car when I was recuperating from the surgery.
He bought me shakes and cheered me up.
He is the essence of what true brotherly love can be.
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