Alma 23

6 . . . as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.

What results in conversion so strong that one never falls away? The word conversion comes from a Latin word that means "to turn around." If we find the narrow way, we have to turn around and leave the path we're on. The depth of our conversion then determines whether we stay on that new path or eventually stray. I pray that my conversion is deep enough that I can endure to the end in following Christ.

I noticed a statement in this chapter that intrigued me. Moroni tells of the great success these missionaries had among the Lamanites. He says that "thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe." But then he says this about the Amalekites, who were Nephite dissenters living among the Lamanites.

14 And the Amalekites were not converted, save only one; neither were any of the Amulonites; but they did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt, yea, and all their villages and all their cities.

What I wonder about is that one Amalekite who was converted. Even in the most hardened people there is one that will soften his heart and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It would have been miserable for him as the one convert among those who were hard-hearted and opposed to the truth, but that one person had the courage to accept the truth in spite of all kinds of opposition from family and friends.