Abish (my next novel)

Reading:   Alma 13-21

I love historical fiction and discovering the back stories of characters in history.  Now there is definitely some author license used to fill in the blanks, still, books like Killer Angels and other war novels (Michael and Jeff Shaara), the Century Trilogy (Ken Follett) and all of the Richard Sharp series (Bernard Cornwell) are fascinating and entertaining.  I even find over-the-top historical fiction like, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer and Unholy Night (both by Seth Grahame-Smith) fun when they incorporate real events and characters to tell a fictional tale.  So, that in mind, I would love to write a novel about Abish.  Who is Abish?  Her name is mentioned only once in all the scriptures but her tale is fascinating and leads to a fantastic outcome!

Okay, lead up, Ammon (one of the sons of Mosiah that ran around with Alma being a punk until they were all converted by an angel) is on a mission to the Lamanites and has taught king Lamoni (king over the land of Ishmael) about God and their ancestors and the coming of Jesus...Lamoni eventually falls to the ground seemingly dead.  After a few days he wakes and is preached to some more and again falls down seemingly dead.  Lamoni's wife, the queen, also falls down, dead-like, having believed the words of Ammon as well.  All the servants fall, likewise in the spirit, dead-like, to the ground and even Ammon, exceedingly overcome with the power of God in his own preaching, falls prostrate to the Earth. Only one person in the whole place does not find herself overcome and dead-like on the ground, Abish.

ALMA 19:16-17

16    And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father- 

17    Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people. 

So multitudes of people show up and began arguing about why it was this great calamity had happened and who was to blame and blah blah blah.  Abish is obviously distraught because this was not the affect she was hoping to impose upon the people...

ALMA 19:28-29

28    And thus the contention began to be exceedingly sharp among them. And while they were thus contending, the woman servant who had caused the multitude to be gathered together came, and when she saw the contention which was among the multitude she was exceedingly sorrowful, even unto tears. 

29    And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people! 

So everyone wakes up and testifies about the glory of God and the kingdom within the land of Ishmael is converted, awesome!  So who is Abish?  This next part is taken from a conference talk...

In the Book of Mormon, Abish was converted by her father's sharing with her his remarkable vision. For many years thereafter, she kept her testimony in her heart and lived righteously in a very wicked society. Then the time came when she could no longer be still, and she ran from house to house to share her testimony and the miracles she had witnessed in the king's court. The power of Abish's conversion and testimony was instrumental in changing an entire society. The people who heard her testify became a people who "were converted unto the Lord, [and] never did fall away," and their sons became the stripling warriors! (Elaine S. Dalton, Young Women General President, 2011 October General Conference).

Wouldn't a story about this remarkable woman be great?  She keeps quiet, never passing on to anyone her great testimony of God and the words spoken to her from her father (and who was he? Another great tale we are missing), and then, on a day when everyone around her falls to the earth in a deathlike trance, she runs from door to door shouting her testimony and baring her soul to all...WOW...and a society changes - changes forever.  I've got to write this story!  Everyone cross your fingers that I become miraculously wealthy soon, real soon, and can do that which I most desire in all the world....to write for a living!

Someday Abish will become a reality - believe it!

Oh, by-the-way, I finally caught up with my reading and am officially on day 40 of 90...

~Kipling