Alma, interestingly, in just two chapters of his book, uses five different names for God’s plan.  He calls it “the plan of restoration” in Alma 41:2; “the great plan of salvation” in 42:5; “the great plan of happiness” in 42:8; “the plan of redemption” in 42:13; and “the great plan of mercy” in 42:31.  It is all of these and more.

Nephi additionally called it “the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.”  (2 Nephi 11:5).  It is this title that I would like to discuss.

Elder L. Tom Perry perceptively noticed that the entire Book of Mormon is one story of deliverance after another.  He said:

“Many of the stories in the Book of Mormon are stories of deliverance.  Lehi’s departure into the wilderness with his family was about deliverance from the destruction of Jerusalem.  The story of the Jaredites is a story of deliverance, as is the story of the Mulekites.  Alma the Younger was delivered from sin.  Helaman’s stripling warriors were delivered in battle.  Nephi and Lehi were delivered from prison.  The theme of deliverance is evident throughout the entire Book of Mormon.”  (Ensign, May 2012, 94).

I can readily think of a dozen more examples of deliverance in the Book of Mormon.  It would be interesting to keep a tally as I read the book.  The examples might be nearly uncountable.

One story of deliverance in the Book of Mormon that I can relate to is that of king Lamoni’s deliverance from darkness of mind.  The king was stricken, and became unconscious.  The queen had Ammon look at the king to determine whether or not the king was dead.

Ammon “knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God.”  (Alma 19:6).

I can relate to this story because of my own deliverance from darkness of mind.  When I first picked up the Book of Mormon and began reading, I had the sensation of light coming into my head.  It entered at the front of my mind and pushed the darkness that was there to the back.  I had that sensation every time I was reading the book.  Because of that, reading the Book of Mormon was all that I wanted to do.  I had that experience over and over again.  I hadn’t known that my head was filled with darkness, but as I kept reading, the darkness was dispelled, just as in Lamoni’s experience.  And that light infused joy into my soul, just as in Lamoni’s story.

That is my story of deliverance.  This great plan of deliverance has delivered me from many troubles and on many occasions, and will eventually deliver me from death and from hell and from the power of the adversary; but always and forever I will be grateful for my deliverance from darkness because that deliverance was real.  The darkness in my mind was real.  Equally real is the light and the joy that has filled my mind and heart ever since.