From
the grisly death of Abinadi, Mormon’s abridgment quickly turns to Alma, the
priest of Noah who was so inspired by Abinadi’s final call to repentance that
he courageously stood up to his king and his conspiring colleagues, and then
fled from their efforts to capture and kill him.
It’s
as if Mormon is having us focus on the transition from death to rebirth,
because the story of Alma is about a man and those who follow him starting over
from a fallen and corrupt society. The first two verses of this chapter
highlight repentance and redemption, which are possible “through the power, and
sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into
heaven.”
Alma
is not content simply to survive and elude King Noah. He finds a way to
privately teach “as many as would hear his word” (verse 3). To do so, he discovers
an untouched wilderness area where the people can teach, learn and worship
undetected by the king’s henchmen. The place is called Mormon.
Learning
the origins of the word Mormon is a very significant thing. By understanding
that Mormon becomes synonymous with a place where the people of Alma start over
and find refuge and refreshment, we learn why the prophet Mormon received his name
and why calling the entire record of this civilization the Book of Mormon is
meaningful. For the whole point of keeping the record is to show to us in our
day that rebirth and renewal is possible. We can find a place where we are
washed clean of our sins and start over by making a covenant. Thus it is that
Mormon becomes a symbol of a place where we can go—metaphorically as well as
physically—to gain power over the things of the world that try to drag us down.
In that sense, Mormon represents the same thing as Zion—a place for the pure in
heart. And so because our narrator is named Mormon and calls this book by that
name too, he and the Lord want that name to be burned into our consciousness as
something pointing us toward this Zion state of being and mind.
As
the chapter continues, we learn that the place of Mormon also has cleansing
waters, which deepen the significance of the place as symbolizing rebirth.
Knowing this, Alma challenges his people to regard the waters as the focal
point for their spiritual cleansing and new beginning. He calls unto them to
enter into the covenant of baptism. In encouraging this, Alma provides them
with a beautifully inspiring vision of who they can become and what they can do
(in verses 8-9):
- Be called God’s people
- Bear one another’s burdens
- Mourn with those that mourn
- Comfort those that stand in need of comfort
- Stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things
- Be redeemed of God and numbered with those who have eternal life
Alma’s
words have become the standard for all who seek to follow the Lord’s way. When
missionaries, family members or friends want to communicate what it means to
become a disciple of Jesus Christ, they invariably cite the above points, along
with the following passage (verse 10):
Now I say unto you, if this be the
desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the
Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him,
that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his
Spirit more abundantly upon you?
It
is important for us to pause and realize that this scripture is not meant “for
other people.” It is meant for us to apply to ourselves. If we desire the
things mentioned in the bullets above, is there any reason why we should not be
baptized (by someone holding the proper authority from the Lord)? After all,
the blessings of the Spirit are more powerful than we can imagine. If we truly
take the time to ponder this and really weigh it in the balance, there is only
one reasonable response.
Not
surprisingly, Alma’s words have a powerful effect on those who gather to learn
from him. Mormon tells us that Alma baptizes 204 souls in the waters of Mormon,
and they are “filled with the grace of God” (verse 16). Alma then goes about
establishing these willing and obedient ones as the Church of Christ (verse
17). The process of establishing the Church echoes the one we read about in
Mosiah 1-5 with King Benjamin and his people, even though those events take
place about 15-20 years after the
account described in this chapter, and in a different place (Zarahemla).
The
rest of the chapter gives us insight into how Alma (under the Lord’s
inspiration and direction) leads the Church in order for it to help people stay
with the covenants they have made (verses 17-29). Alma uses his authority from
God to ordain other baptized members as priests who can help him teach the
growing Church about the kingdom of God. What do they teach? The words of the
prophets, which include the key principles of repentance and faith on the Lord.
Apparently, they are careful not to insert their own opinions or speculations
into the teaching, but instead emphasize that which they know is accepted
doctrine. This is an important point for us when teaching truths to each other
in our day as well.
Other
core principles of Christ’s true Church come out in these verses. Alma has the
Church members observe the Sabbath day and gather together in worship, express
gratitude in all things, and practice self-reliance while sharing of their
abundance to help the needy.
We
also learn that how the Church
members interact is equally as important as what
they do. Alma commands them “that there should be no contention one with
another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and
one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards
another” (verse 21).
Ultimately,
the group grows to about 450 in number (verse 35). Most apparently still live
in King Noah’s domain, while gathering for purposes of worship and instruction
in the land of Mormon. Somewhere along the way, King Noah detects that
something is going on, and spies on the group. Unable to understand the
people’s pure motives because of his own twisted ones, Noah presumes that their
gatherings are aimed at overthrowing him. He sends his army to destroy them
(verses 32-33). We don’t know how (did one of the Church members find out or
was it a divine messenger?) but the people are apprised of the army’s coming
and depart into the wilderness (verse 34). There is no going back now. They
have made the break from larger society, and are now fully dependent on each
other and the Lord—something that requires great faith.
