Not Resting in the Service of our Lord

A few nights ago, I was reading scriptures to my children before bed and came upon this scripture which is precious to me.

Ether 12:2-3
2 And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be restrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him.
3 For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled– https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/12?lang=eng

Ether “could not be restrained.” Absolutely amazing! Ether reminds me of Alma the younger.

Alma 43:1
1 And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/43?lang=eng

Alma did not look at all the many many years of dedicated service to God and his country that he had given. He didn’t feel that he had earned or deserved a rest or that he had done his share and now it was time for others to do their part. No, this great man wouldn’t allow himself to be complacent in the slightest, and he did not rest in the service of His God, and we must not rest either.

What absolute conviction these two great men had. We are not specifically told the motivation behind Alma’s desire not to rest, but I would suggest that it was similar to Ether’s motivation. They were both great prophets and knew personally the value of saving even just one soul and the reward or rather joy and glory given to those who were instruments in the Lord’s hands in bringing them unto and into the arms of their Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. This is evident because in Ether we are told that, “he could not be restrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him.” The Spirit of the Lord himself was not just with him, but rather “in him.” There is great significance in the phrase “in him.”

Doctrine and Covenants 50:43
43 And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50?lang=eng

Matthew 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

This is such a great time to be alive where things that have been prophesied since Adam are taking place before or eyes. Of all times, these times are ones where we can not rest in the slightest. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get busy in the work of salvation.

Craig