For many years now, a few friends and I have helped organize get-togethers for missionaries who served French-speaking missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We often refer to these as “reunions,” which they are, of sorts. With the passing years, however, they have become as much about meeting others from other mission periods and even other mission locations than about seeing people with whom we served. Above all, they are about reconnecting with our service, for some that was many years ago, but for some it was more recent.
Last evening (26 March 2025) we were blessed with such an event with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church and Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé. In his talk, Bishop Caussé spoke of Alma from the Book of Mormon and the chance reunion he had with his former missionary companions, the Sons of Mosiah. The idea of describing that as Alma’s reunion with missionary buddies touched me.
In the service mission work in which I am engaged, I use generative AI quite a bit to help me program at a skill level far beyond my current expertise. In that context I was curious about how Grok xAI would describe that occasion. Note how very little context I provided in the prompt, the results of which I find nothing short of amazing.
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“Alma’s Joyful Reunion with Sons of Mosiah.” By Grok from Elon Musk’s xAI |
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Prompt: Tell me about the experience Alma had when he reconnected with his missionary buddies, the Sons of Mosiah.
Alma’s reunion with the Sons of Mosiah is a deeply moving moment recorded in the Book of Mormon, specifically in Alma 17. This encounter took place as Alma was traveling from the land of Gideon southward toward the land of Manti. Unexpectedly, he crossed paths with the Sons of Mosiah—Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni—who were journeying toward Zarahemla. The meeting was a surprise to Alma, and his reaction was one of overwhelming joy.
The context makes this reunion particularly significant. Years earlier, Alma and the Sons of Mosiah had been companions in rebellion, actively working to undermine the church of God. Their dramatic conversion came when an angel appeared to them, calling them to repentance (Mosiah 27). This shared experience forged a bond between them, but their paths diverged afterward. While Alma stayed among the Nephites, serving as a prophet and leader, the Sons of Mosiah chose to embark on a challenging mission to preach to the Lamanites, a people often hostile to the Nephites. They had been gone for 14 years by the time of this reunion, and Alma had no recent knowledge of their fate.
When Alma saw them, his joy stemmed not just from seeing old friends but from discovering that they were “still his brethren in the Lord.” Despite the long separation and the hardships they had faced, the Sons of Mosiah had remained faithful. They had grown strong in their knowledge of the truth, having diligently studied the scriptures and devoted themselves to prayer and fasting. This spiritual growth equipped them with the spirit of prophecy and revelation, enabling them to teach with power and authority. Over their 14-year mission, they had successfully brought many Lamanites to a knowledge of the truth, a remarkable achievement given the difficulties of their task.
The reunion was more than a personal moment; it marked a convergence of their missionary efforts. The Sons of Mosiah were returning with a group of Lamanite converts, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, seeking refuge among the Nephites. Alma, who had been working to strengthen the church in Zarahemla, played a key role in facilitating their acceptance. Later, in Alma 27, when they met again after these events, the joy was even more profound. Ammon, overcome with emotion, collapsed from exhaustion, and Alma and the others rejoiced greatly.
This encounter highlights the strength of their shared faith and the power of their individual journeys. Alma’s astonishment and happiness reflect the unexpected blessing of seeing his former companions not only alive but thriving in their devotion, a testament to their enduring brotherhood and commitment to their divine purpose.
