Alma Helps Zeezrom Change His Heart - Book of Alma, Chapter Twelve (Alma 12)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/12?lang=eng. 

The triumph of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it can make a miraculous difference in the life of anyone, even the most cynical and hardened person around. That is the central point of this chapter, as we see the lawyer Zeezrom begin to lay aside his contentious, dishonest and manipulative ways and open his heart to remorse and positive change. 

We can learn at least two important points from Zeezrom’s example. One, never dismiss anyone from having the potential—as a child of God—to grow and give off light, even if they resist or actively oppose your overtures. Two, we can look within to consider if there’s a little of Zeezrom in each one of us that we can push out of our lives in favor of something better. 

Alma does a great job of jumping into the conversation at this point after Amulek has stood his ground and defended the truth against Zeezrom’s attacks. Our narrator Mormon aptly tells us that Alma is accomplishing two things that all teaching companions should do: (1) support and reinforce what his companion (Amulek) has already taught, and (2) explain or unfold the scriptures beyond that (verse 1). After all, Alma does have more experience than Amulek and has the authority of a prophet, so it is right that Alma has the last word and makes it count. 

He starts by directly exposing Zeezrom’s deceptive intent to him and everyone else. Alma says that Zeezrom has been lying to God as well as to men in his efforts to discredit Alma and Amulek and set the crowd against them. Alma doesn’t shrink from denouncing what Zeezrom has done as wrong, but he is careful not to paint Zeezrom as the ultimate enemy. Instead, Alma explains that the devil is the common adversary that everyone needs to work against (verses 2-6). This opens a door for Zeezrom. He is given some space to decide whether he wants to side with the devil and persist in his fight against truth, or to join Alma and Amulek and the good things they share. 

Verses 7 and 8 are the turning point—in fact a complete 180 from the initial questions Zeezrom had posed to entrap Alma and Amulek. First, Mormon writes that Zeezrom is so convinced of the power of God working through Alma and Amulek and seeing through his deceptions that he begins to tremble exceedingly. Then, Mormon writes that “Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God.” Now he’s truly motivated by a desire to know God’s will and plan concerning Him. He recognizes that what Alma and Amulek are teaching might be real, and somewhere from deep within himself he decides that he’d rather get right with the Lord than bash the Lord’s servants and feel guilty about it. This path will involve some pain, but is ultimately the way for Zeezrom to feel cleansing, healing, and—yes—joy. 

The question Zeezrom asks pertains to our accountability before God as we are resurrected from the dead—with our bodies and spirits reuniting (verse 8). Alma explains that those who are willing to invite the word of God into their hearts will be in a much better place than those who harden their hearts to understand these sacred truths about what happens after this life. An open heart is also the key to being ready to face God, because it is only in that state that we will be prepared to repent and seek Christ’s help to save us from sin and allow us to feel comfortable in God’s presence (verses 9-19). 

Facing another question from one of the city’s rulers, Alma makes a clarification about the immortality of the human soul. He helps the people understand that Adam and Eve were sealed off from reentering the Garden of Eden because after they ate of the forbidden fruit, they needed to pass through the great trial of mortal life, die, and then be resurrected. The kind of immortality they had in the garden was an innocent one without accountability. By keeping them from going back into the garden, God ensured that they would be responsible for the consequences of their choices. The immortality that Adam and Eve (and all of us who are their children) receive is a gift from Jesus due to His great redemptive sacrifice (verses 20-27). What kind of immortal existence we have depends on whether we are willing to repent of our sins and follow Jesus. It is more challenging than the Garden of Eden, but ultimately the only way for us to learn how to become truly more like our Heavenly Father and Jesus. 

So as part of God’s plan, when we come to earth, God has messengers who are authorized to teach His truth, including about the importance of our choice to follow Jesus so we can stay close to Him. At times when his authority is not already present on earth, God’s initial messengers are angels sent from His presence (people who either have not yet entered into mortal life or have already ended their mortal journeys). Then the people whom the angels authorize to carry the message forward do so, and find others to help them (verses 28-30). 

The main message to share with everyone on earth is that Jesus Christ saves from sin and brings people who are repentant back to the Father. Divine justice does not allow us to become clean in God’s sight or approach Him if we do not appeal to Christ’s saving and atoning power. But if we make the appeal, divine mercy does not allow us to be denied those blessings of becoming clean and receiving His presence—most commonly during this life by the manifestation of the comforting, peaceful, guiding influence of the Holy Ghost. Alma drives this home in his response to the ruler’s question (verses 31-37). 

Also see the first 2:30 of this clip for an abbreviated video treatment of this chapter.

Amulek Withstands Zeezrom and Teaches Truth with God’s Help - Book of Alma, Chapter Eleven (Alma 11)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/11?lang=eng.

At the beginning of the chapter, Mormon explains that judges in the community receive gain according to how many cases come before them, so it is in their interest to stir up contention among the people because they can profit from that contention (verses 1-20). This is why the lawyers and judges in Ammonihah seek to turn the people against Alma and Amulek. 

Zeezrom (pronounced Zee-ez-rum), who is mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, is a prominent lawyer in Ammonihah, and tells Amulek that he has a few questions for him. Amulek responds that he will answer only according to the Spirit of God (or Holy Ghost) (verses 21-22).

However, instead of asking a question of Amulek, Zeezrom offers a bribe to him! He tells Amulek that he’ll give him some valuable silver if he denies the existence of a Supreme Being (verse 22). This offer totally undermines any claim Zeezrom has to being interested in uncovering the truth. It shows that he is trying to appeal to base motivations of greed and selfishness. 

Amulek, for one, doesn’t take the bait or miss Zeezrom’s hypocrisy. He tells him in front of the whole crowd, “O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?” Amulek also insists that Zeezrom knows there is a God, but deliberately chooses to deny Him because of his attachment to money and material things (verses 23-24). 

Amulek further says to Zeezrom that he knows Zeezrom didn’t really intend to give Amulek anything. He just wanted Amulek to deny God. He tells Zeezrom that he will receive a “reward” for the lie he has told (verse 25). 

Zeezrom does not respond to Amulek’s charges. Instead, faced with the truth of his own foiled effort at deception, he tries to change course. Finally he starts asking the questions he had earlier said he would pose to Amulek. These questions are clearly calculated to entrap Amulek. 

This intent is quite transparent to Amulek. Based on the first few questions and answers, Zeezrom tries to get the people to think that Amulek’s answers are inconsistent because he says that there is only one God but also that He has a Son and that this Son of God will not save people in their sins (verses 26-35). Zeezrom is trying to make it appear as though Amulek does not think God is powerful enough to forgive or heal people, when in actuality Amulek is accurately explaining that people cannot be saved against their will, but only when they repent of sin. 

Amulek sees an opening to teach both Zeezrom and the gathered crowd the real truth. In clarifying that salvation only comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, and that those who are unwilling to give up their sins do not benefit from the healing and cleansing power of Christ’s sacrifice and Atonement, Amulek successfully thwarts Zeezrom’s attempt to confound the people (verses 36-40). 

Amulek goes on to testify powerfully about the Resurrection of all people. He uses eloquent language to establish that our spirits will reunite with our bodies, and we will stand before God with a “bright recollection of all our guilt.” This helps them (and us) understand that the Lord will bring everyone before Him because each soul is supremely valuable, while also recognizing that we need to get rid of any stain we have from sin in order to stay with the Lord. Amulek also explains that once our spirits and bodies reunite in resurrected form, we will never die again (verses 41-45). 

Clearly Amulek’s words have a great impact on the audience, because Mormon writes that the people are astonished, and Zeezrom begins to tremble (verse 46). It’s a dramatic transition into the next chapter. 

Also see this six-minute video clip summarizing this chapter and the previous one.

Amulek Adds His Testimony to Alma's - Book of Alma, Chapter Ten (Alma 10)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/10?lang=eng.  

With the end of the previous chapter, Alma passes the proverbial baton to his new companion Amulek after pleading with the people of Ammonihah to repent and dealing with even more rejection.

One can imagine the enraged crowd being taken aback and more than a little curious. “Why is this local notable (Amulek) getting ready to speak to us as though he is with this troublesome person claiming to be a prophet?”

Amulek starts, as we’d expect from someone descended from Middle Eastern heritage, by describing himself in terms of his family history. Amulek is, like most of the people in Ammonihah, a Nephite. We learn here that Nephi and his family came from the Israelite tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was one of the sons of Joseph of Egypt. Amulek also tells the crowd that one of his ancestors is a person named Aminadi, who is not elsewhere mentioned in present-day scriptures but apparently was held in high regard by Amulek’s contemporaries as someone with a gift of translating mysterious, divine writings (verses 1-3).

Then Amulek reminds the people that he is a prosperous and prominent member of their community—clearly establishing that he has a lot of credibility (verse 4). Right away, he uses that credibility to condemn his own shortsightedness. He tells the people that despite all of his worldly accomplishments and accolades, he has not taken the opportunity to learn more about the ways of the Lord (verses 5-6). Only now, when visited by the angel who told him to help Amulek, has he softened his heart and become open to what the Lord has wanted to teach him for so long—that He cares about the people of the world and sends messengers to bless them. Amulek, by identifying himself with the people of Ammonihah, and then discussing his own closed mind and heart, is trying to wake the people up to their own need to let the Lord into their lives and recognize how much He gives them.

After that, Amulek relates the experience he had with the angel telling him about Alma, and then describes how he found and took care of Alma. His main point is to testify to the people that they should regard Alma as a blessing to them rather than a nuisance or a threat, doing this by declaring how deeply Alma’s presence and teaching in his (Amulek’s) home had blessed his entire family (verses 7-11).

This clearly has a profound effect on the crowd, because they are astonished that another witness has emerged to back up Alma (verse 12). And it seems that they are especially astonished because this testimony comes from one of their own. 

But that doesn’t end the opposition to what Alma and Amulek are teaching. The lawyers of the city, who are skilled at argument and therefore use their powers of persuasion to gain influence and power, profit from contention and strife, because that leads to more legal action and fees. Apparently threatened by the possibility that Alma and Amulek might be getting through to the people, these lawyers try to change the narrative (verses 13-15). For them, unfortunately, control is more important than truth. They are panicking at the possibility that this upstart Amulek—who, even if prominent, is no lawyer—is making a real bid to free the people from the stranglehold of falsehood and worldliness upon which their livelihoods are based. 

Thankfully, while Amulek may be overmatched by the lawyers’ training, God helps him make up the difference. The pure in heart are entitled to help that often allows them to avoid the snares others lay for them. As the lawyers begin to ask questions with the aim of getting Amulek to contradict himself or otherwise lose credibility from his responses, he is able to perceive their thoughts and confidently expose their true intentions (verses 16-18). He reminds the people of King Mosiah’s warning (in Mosiah 29:27) that if they choose what is wicked, they will reap destruction for themselves (verse 19). Then he echoes Alma’s call for them to repent. Like Alma, Amulek also refers to the coming of God among them in the person of Jesus (verses 20-21). It seems that while Alma was recovering physically and emotionally in Amulek’s home, Alma taught and trained Amulek about these vital truths and how to share them with the people. 

After that, Amulek raises a new and very important point. He observes that the people of Ammonihah are hanging on by a very small thread. It is only because of the prayers of a select group of righteous people in the city that the people have been preserved thus far. His unmistakable warning is that the many in Ammonihah who reject God’s ways for the cold, harsh calculations of worldly gain will find themselves with neither worldly nor spiritual protection if they continue to make those trying to live good, decent lives feel unwelcome. He provides very specific caution that they will face famine, disease, and war if they do not make significant changes (verses 22-23). I can’t help but wonder if similar concerns might apply to the people of today’s world. 

The people’s response is predictable: attack the messenger rather than take time to ponder whether his message is worth heeding. Their rejoinder to Amulek is that he is unfairly attacking their law and their lawyers (verses 24 and 27-28). Amulek makes the effort to separate the two (verses 25-26). He explains that the principles of the law (which are based on inspired teachings) are good, but, going back to his point about the need for repentance, the lawyers are not representing the law properly. It is a theme that the prophet Abinadi also used when condemning Noah and his priests for twisting holy teachings to benefit their own agendas (in Mosiah 12). When a group of people have a monopoly to interpret something to society, there is always a danger they will abuse their power. This is what Amulek is exposing. Of course, Jesus did this with the priestly classes of his day too. It is always a tough sell to convince a society of their own shortcomings. 

The chapter ends with one of the foremost lawyers, Zeezrom, preparing to weigh in against Alma and Amulek (verse 31).

Alma Delivers His Message of Repentance - Book of Alma, Chapter Nine (Alma 9)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/9?lang=eng.  

As we finished the previous chapter (Alma 8), Alma and Amulek are going out together to preach to the people of Ammonihah. This chapter begins with Alma making an effort to speak to the people, and the people flatly rejecting him. Just days before, the same people cast Alma out of the city, and now he’s back. They are surely wondering why he’s trying again with them and probably want to be even clearer he is not welcome.

They dismiss the idea that one person can presume authority to share momentous prophecies about them and their future (verses 1-2). They may feel as though an outsider like Alma can’t properly know them well enough to speak to their situation. How would we feel if someone who didn’t know us personally suddenly appeared in our neighborhood and started telling us about the things we were doing wrong?

But their resistance goes beyond their unfamiliarity with Alma. They seem to be daring him, and God, to share ominous warnings so that they can mock those warnings into meaninglessness. To drive the point home, they basically say, “If you warn us that the most disastrous thing imaginable will happen—the destruction of our city in a single day—we still won’t believe you” (verse 4). These residents of Ammonihah may be used to facing down other people, but they don’t understand you can’t trifle with the Lord or intimidate Him away.

Neither can you bully the Lord’s servants. The people get ready to take hold of Alma, either to throw him out again or take him to prison. But Alma, blessed with the Lord’s strength, stands boldly to testify to them of their wickedness (verse 7). Somehow he is able to avoid being silenced—the only thing we read is that the people did not lay hold of him.

Alma’s main concern for the people is that they have forgotten God and His commandments (verse 8). So Alma stirs them up to remembrance. He reminds them that God guided Lehi and his family to the promised land they now inhabit. He recounts the many times God delivered Lehi’s family members from those who would destroy them, including the members of their own family (a clear reference to Lehi’s son Nephi eluding the dark designs of his other sons Laman and Lemuel) (verses 9-10). Alma then sums up by saying it is only through the Lord’s power and mercy that any of them can hope for salvation (verse 11).

This point—which hints at salvation through Jesus Christ—leads directly to the next one, which is that the people need desperately to repent. If they don’t, Alma shares with the people what the angel shared with him (in Alma 8:16)—that utter destruction will come upon them (verse 12). It’s a vivid reminder to us that when we fail to repent of sin, it wreaks havoc in our lives. Maybe it’s not as outwardly destructive as what the people of Ammonihah are being warned of, but it goes to work on us like a virus. And the only cure comes from the Lord.

Again, Alma mentions Lehi, the founder of their civilization. He reminds them that the Lord told Lehi that their people would be cut off from the Lord if they did not keep the Lord’s commandments (verse 13). And Alma shares the example of the Lamanites, who rebelled early and often, and as a result, lost the guidance of the Lord (verse 14).

He goes on to warn the people of Ammonihah that they, as descendants of Nephi, are expected to live to a higher standard than the Lamanites of their generation because the Lamanites have not been raised to believe. In contrast, the people of Ammonihah have had “so much light and knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God,” and have been so richly blessed and miraculously delivered from their enemies time and again. By failing to live in line with the truth they have been taught, the Lord will hold them accountable, while the Lamanites will be entitled to greater mercy because of their relative ignorance (verses 15-17).

But there’s more—a lot more. In addition to there being hope for many of the Lamanites to be corrected and find happiness in God’s way, Nephi says that the Lamanites will be the instrument God uses to destroy the people of Ammonihah if they refuse to humble themselves and change (verse 18). He then tells them that this is why the Lord is so focused on warning them. He wants them to know of their perilous state and that the way out of it is to repent and follow the gospel of Christ, which leads to covenants made through baptism and the salvation this brings (verses 19-30).

Alma has now done everything in his power to make the people aware of their predicament, and the way they can choose to escape it and find salvation. The people are livid at him because they see him as an outsider who presumes to judge them—so their pride is injured and they want to punish him (verse 31). They are probably also feeling some sense of uneasiness at the guilt that attends their rebellious natures.

We have a curious passage here that is similar to some about Jesus during his mortal life. The people seek to take hold of Alma and throw him in jail, but the Lord doesn’t allow this to happen (verses 32-33). How God protects Alma from the mob is unclear, just as in some of the cases where people tried to harm or imprison Jesus and the gospel narrators tell us that the Lord did not suffer them to do it. Instead, Amulek steps forth, and we get ready to hear what this newly minted companion of Alma has to say (verse 34).

Check out a video clip covering this chapter here.

Alma Is Rejected, but Then Returns and Finds a Companion - Book of Alma, Chapter Eight (Alma 8)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/8?lang=eng.

After having a very successful and heartening teaching experience in the land of Gideon, Alma takes a rest and then finds additional success in the land of Melek—an area further removed from his home in the Nephite capital of Zarahemla. We hear of baptisms “throughout all the land” (verses 3-5). If past patterns provide any hint, Alma may have put priests and teachers in place to watch after the newly baptized.

He then travels to a city called Ammonihah. From the specific mention of “city” in the record it sounds like Ammonihah was a thriving center of Nephite life (verse 6).

Alma begins to preach here too, as he had done successfully in Zarahemla, Gideon and Melek. But the people here are in a very different spiritual place. Our narrator Mormon says that “Satan had gotten great hold” upon their hearts (verses 8-9).

We can imagine that this may be a shock to Alma’s system. Most people can relate to the experience of sharing deeply-held views with someone they expect would have some reason for sympathy or connection and getting not only disagreement, but heated disagreement in response.

Yet, Alma is no stranger to opposition. From his own experience of rebellion, he knows that people with the closest possible access to the loving truth of God’s gospel can be those who—in a sad irony—most boldly reject it. Sometimes rejection can be a way we deal with something we know to be true deep down but don’t want to face for one reason or another. We try to get as far away from it as possible, in the naïvely mistaken hope that we can outrun our own conscience.

So Alma deals with this widespread rejection using the best means available to him—fervent prayer and redoubled effort. Mormon writes that Alma wrestles “with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people” and lead them to repent and be baptized (verse 10). The image of wrestling with God in prayer helps us recognize that stretching past our comfort zones is a natural part of the Lord’s plan for us. Sometimes we’ll need to really reach out to Him to help us deal with a tough situation. It is an interesting thing because at some level we need to accept that we may not be able to solve every problem the way we’d like to, but at the same time, the Lord is inviting us to expand our vision of what is possible beyond what we comprehend as our limits. 

Wrestling in prayer is often the prelude to renewed effort and even struggle to see if we can accomplish something that we may shrink from at first. It is healthy for us to remember that the Lord can be a partner and ultimately the difference-maker, but that success is more linked to how we grow in the process rather than whether the people we’re trying to influence accept our efforts. 

And in this case, the people of Ammonihah certainly don’t accept Alma’s efforts. Instead, they harden their hearts (maybe the most tragic phrase found in the scriptures) and taunt Alma, essentially saying “You’re not the chief judge anymore, so you have no authority over us. We don’t have to listen to a word you say! So what if you’re the high priest? We’re not a part of your foolish church!” To make sure Alma has no confusion about their disdain, they spit on him and cast him out of the city (verses 11-13). 

No matter who you are, when other people—especially a big group—are so rabidly negative toward you, it’s hard to stay focused on the bigger picture of God’s truth and eternal perspective. As faithful as he is, Alma is weighed down with sorrow, much tribulation and “anguish of soul” due to the people’s wickedness (verse 14). 

For the second time in our scriptural account of Alma’s life, we read that an angel appears to him. It’s the same angel who rebuked him and his friends and helped save him from his earlier rebellion against truth. Now the angel has a different purpose to his visit: to lift Alma from his sorrows. The angel insists that Alma has every reason to rejoice instead of sulk. Because he has faithfully followed the Lord’s direction, he is being blessed—with the angel’s visit a sure sign of that (verses 14-15). 

With that blessing comes both expanded perspective and greater resolution to keep going. The angel helps Alma understand two things to motivate him to go back to the very people of Ammonihah who have so violently abused him. First, they are in great peril of spiritual and physical destruction because of their disobedience to the Lord’s commandments. They need to be warned, and the Lord is counting on Alma to do that. Second, the people of Ammonihah are plotting to destroy the liberty of all the Nephites. So just leaving them alone won’t work, because the negative consequences of their wickedness will have much broader effects on all the people (verses 16-17). 

This is a powerful lesson to each one of us who is tempted to simply ignore wickedness in our midst or give up after an initial try with a situation. Each situation is different, so the right response can depend on a number of factors, but sometimes we need to keep trying to remind people of the way of goodness and light. How do you teach peace in peace? It probably starts with remembering that every person has light in them already because they are a child of God. And then seeking guidance to understand as best as you can how to appeal to that inner light, even if it’s hidden away very deeply. 

Inspired by the angel’s reappearance to him—after all, the angel has been such a powerful agent of positive change in his life thus far—Alma returns to Ammonihah. And he doesn’t just trudge back hesitantly. He speedily returns (verse 18). 

And then the story REALLY gets interesting. Alma enters the city by a way he hasn’t used before. Not surprisingly, he is famished because he has been traveling, and before that the people treated him inhospitably. He asks a man he encounters for some food (verses 18-19). That man, whose name is Amulek, turns out to be exactly who the Lord has prepared for this moment. 

Amulek not only agrees to take Alma to his own home and give Alma much-needed nourishment, he declares that Alma is a prophet of God. Why? Because Amulek shares that an angel appeared to him (Amulek) and told him to receive Alma (verses 20-21). While the chapter doesn’t tell us specifically, it seems logical that the angel who appeared to Amulek is the same one who appeared twice to Alma. 

Once Alma is refreshed, he thanks God and blesses Amulek and his house. He then explains to Amulek who he is (high priest of the church) and his divine mandate to preach the gospel and cry repentance. He tells Amulek about his initial rejection by the people of Ammonihah, and the command for him to return and testify against the people’s iniquities. He stays with Amulek for several days, presumably to regain his strength and prepare spiritually for the daunting task ahead of facing a hostile crowd who has already tried to get rid of him once (verses 22-27). 

This time though, Alma won’t be preaching alone. He receives revelation from the Lord to direct Amulek to declare repentance alongside him. As the chapter ends, our narrator Mormon assures us that Alma and Amulek will be filled with the Holy Ghost and will be given power from the Lord to escape death and imprisonment, which gives us hints at what is to come (verses 29-32). 

Here and here are two short video clips summarizing this chapter. 

Alma Teaches the Core of the Gospel: Christ Takes away Pain and Death - Book of Alma, Chapter Seven (Alma 7)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/7?lang=eng.   

Alma anticipates that the people of Gideon will be more prepared to listen to his teachings than the people of Zarahemla, though he rejoices in the turning of Zarahemla back to righteousness (verses 3-6). Perhaps because the people of Gideon are more open, Alma is able to share details about the mortal life of the coming Christ.

He shares that Jesus is the Son of God and will be born of the Virgin Mary in the “land of Jerusalem” (verses 7-10) Bethlehem, being a short distance south from Jerusalem, can easily be said to be part of the land or vicinity of Jerusalem. 

More importantly, Alma teaches that Jesus will suffer “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.” And He won’t do it for show or for its own sake, but in an effort to understand and ease the suffering of “his people,” which means all of us. Alma indirectly alludes to Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 53:3-5) that the Messiah will somehow take upon Him the pains and sicknesses of his people (verses 11-13). Isaiah’s poetic words: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” As one of the priests of the wicked King Noah, Alma’s father (Alma the Elder) heard these same lines from the great Abinadi (in Mosiah 14) as Abinadi courageously stood for truth in front of King Noah and his priests. Indeed, this was the crucial moment in Alma the Elder’s life, as he chose then and there to defend Abinadi in King Noah’s presence and risk his own death in doing so.

Lest we gloss over what this truth means to us, it can help to pause and really consider what it says. We have someone who knows and cares about us enough that he wants us to be able to cast out any feeling of pain or anguish—physical, mental, emotional—and he is willing and able to take it upon Himself. How grateful are we for someone who gives a dollar to the cashier when we discover we are just short? How grateful are we for someone who helps carry a box or a suitcase that we realize is more burdensome than we expected? Without downplaying the gratitude we should feel in these situations, do we appreciate the degree to which what Jesus does for us goes beyond these other instances? “Wow” is a word that comes to mind, but it doesn’t really even begin to get at the scope of what His willing acceptance of our difficulties means. 

Alma shares some important, specific points about what Jesus’ efforts entail and how He accomplishes them. First, He lifts death from us (verse 12). It’s hard to imagine. Through His own suffering and death, He gained power from His and our Father in Heaven to become immortal through Resurrection. While the Resurrection demonstrated His power, it was not just intended as an awesome miracle to astonish those of Roman Jerusalem. It accomplished the purpose of God’s plan to give all people a chance to reunite with their bodies after their spirits leave mortality—and importantly, once reunited in this way with a body that is perfect in form and function, we are never to experience death again. 

Then Alma explains that Jesus takes our infirmities, or weaknesses and sufferings, upon Him for two specific reasons. First, that He may be filled with mercy, or a desire to make our suffering go away. Next, that through his experience with these infirmities of ours, He may learn how to “succor his people” (verse 12). The word “succor” certainly means to bring relief, but one of our Church’s apostles, Jeffrey R. Holland, explains that in its word origins “succor” quite literally means “to run to.” I love the image in my mind of Jesus my Savior running to me to help take away whatever it is that is causing me pain! At the same time, I recognize that He wants me to think about whose pain I might be able to help lift. If I honestly search myself and my desire and willingness to give so that others might find relief, I recognize I have a very long way to go, but I am also inspired to keep trying and learning about how I can help. 

Finally, Alma tells us (along with the people of Gideon) that the Son of God (Jesus) suffers in the flesh in order to take our sins upon Him and blot out our transgressions (verse 13). He has this unique power to erase our wrongdoing so that its effects no longer separate us from union with God or prevent us from feeling peace and joy. To have access to this cleansing, Alma reminds us that we must be born again through faith in the Lamb of God, repentance (or true change), and baptism by someone with authority from God. By taking these actions, we “enter into a covenant with [God] to keep his commandments” (verses 14-15). 

What Alma describes helps us understand the different ways that Jesus saves us. As mentioned, our spirits and bodies reunite because of His Resurrection. This is a free gift to everyone. We all will have an immortal existence with a spirit and a perfected body, regardless of our actions. What kind of immortal existence we have, however, is a different question. The fullest way in which Jesus saves or redeems us is that He has suffered for our sins. If we embrace Him by following the pathway He outlines for us, His suffering takes ours away. It’s as simple as that. If we exercise faith by acting consistent with Jesus’ teachings, we can spend our eternal existence in the company of God, because if we are cleansed and sanctified we are like Him. Conversely, as the Bible teaches, God cannot dwell with us if we are “unholy temples.” 

Alma points out a very important connection between keeping the Lord’s commandments and remembering His promises of eternal life. Our remembrance is strengthened as we follow God’s teachings. And vice versa, as we remember better, our desire and capacity to keep those commandments expands (verse 16). 

Alma has some special discernment from the Holy Ghost that allows him to perceive how the people of Gideon are receiving his message. On the whole, he senses that they believe him and are on the path leading to the kingdom of God (verses 17-20). He then provides some of the best advice in recorded scripture to the people on how to stay on the right path: 

“And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works” (verses 23-24). 

Finally, Alma leaves a generous blessing on the people of Gideon (verses 25-27). It is important to have a chapter like this, where we can witness that the prophets are called not only to turn the wayward back to the path of righteousness, but also to encourage those who are already on that path to continue. It’s also clear that this experience is essential in strengthening Alma in between his other interactions with more troubled peoples. We grow and learn by having to explain our deepest beliefs when they are questioned and challenged, but there is also an important need for those beliefs to be validated and reinforced occasionally by others who share them—especially when they are also open to revelation from the right source—God. How to strike the right balance between standing for truth and having it reinforced probably depends on each person’s situation. 

Here is a short, four-minute clip dramatizing this chapter.

Finding Others to Watch Over the Church - Book of Alma, Chapter Six (Alma 6)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/6?lang=eng.   

One person cannot do everything for everyone. That may be the signal lesson from this chapter. Alma is undoubtedly a very important leader and prophet, and he has bravely followed his spiritual convictions to leave his high worldly office and concentrate on re-teaching the people about their urgent need for repentance and salvation through Christ. We sense that, whatever Alma has achieved in the past as a spiritual leader, he is taking things to a new level of powerful insight and directness. But he is still just one man.

As Alma gets ready to move on from the Nephite capital of Zarahemla to share his message with others throughout the land, he recognizes a need to do something that can keep the importance of his teachings in front of the people, and allow people to make covenants and receive saving ordinances even in his absence. That is where the Church and priesthood organization comes into play. Alma ordains “priests and elders, by laying on his hands according to the order of God, to preside and watch over the church” (verse 1). 

These other people are able to carry on in the Lord’s name. They establish order. At first mention, this may sound like a trivial thing. Organizing our closets, drawers and cabinets can establish order. What’s the difference here? The difference is that followers of Christ need to know who has the proper authority from Christ to teach them and help them know which of their peers is also able to act as a servant and minister of the gospel. In short, “Whom can I trust to share true principles with me that, if I follow them, will lead me to eternal life and joy?” 

Setting things in order sometimes requires correction for those who are not in line with Christ’s teachings. At times this affects the blessings they can receive under the covenants they have made until they repent. But our narrator Mormon tells us that even in these cases, no one is denied the opportunity to hear the word of God. In fact, God and His servants dedicate themselves to fasting and prayer on behalf of souls who are—for whatever reason—not united with them (verses 3-6).

Having set leaders in place for the people of Zarahemla, Alma departs for the city of Gideon—named after the faithful servant who saved the Nephites time and again and died righteously standing up to Nehor—to meet and assess the needs of its people, and to testify of truth by virtue of his authority to speak for the Lord (verses 7-8).

Alma Beckons the People of Zarahemla to Follow the Good Shepherd - Book of Alma, Chapter Five (Alma 5)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/5?lang=eng.   

One can imagine that Alma has to rely deeply on his faith in God and his love for his people as he considers how to preach to them. It can be a real challenge to find the right tone when you feel compelled to share truth as it has been revealed to you, but also want to make sure your audience knows that you care about them and want them to benefit from what you’re sharing, even if it may sting. And in the case of the people in the Nephite capital of Zarahemla, many have gone astray from God’s teachings. Alma certainly recognizes the importance of his first effort to encourage the people to repent, right in his backyard. Maybe Alma’s familiarity with the people of Zarahemla (and they with him) can complicate his efforts, but those efforts represent an important precedent for what he will share to others throughout the Nephite lands. 

As a good leader often does, Alma starts his teaching by helping his people remember how the Lord has helped them and their fathers and mothers in the not-so-distant past. He first mentions how God delivered the believers who joined his father Alma’s church from the clutches of the wicked King Noah, and then from the captivity placed upon them by the Lamanites who found them in the wilderness (verses 3-5). In neither case were the people’s predecessors exempted from trials and turmoil. But the message is that the Lord did not forget them. He instead helped them find their way back to Zarahemla, where they could live and worship free from bondage, allowing the church to expand and touch the lives of so many more. 

When drawing the main lesson from this flashback, Alma asks whether the people have “sufficiently retained in remembrance” both their trials and their deliverance from them by the Lord. And it becomes clear that the deliverance Alma wants the people to focus on is less about how their ancestors escaped the physical bondage of King Noah and the Lamanites, and more about the change that occurred in their hearts. For death and hell are the ultimate adversaries, and regardless of our physical condition, it is only when our hearts embrace the light of God’s teachings that we become aware of the hope of salvation—that the Lord will bring about our resurrection and (if we repent) our redemption from sin (verses 6-9).

Alma traces this change of heart from the teachings of the imprisoned prophet Abinadi, whose courageous testimony despite facing a martyr’s death changed the heart of Alma the Elder. Then the younger Alma recounts how his father preached what Abinadi taught and changed others’ hearts as they “humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God” (verses 11-13). 

And then Alma pivots from the past to the present, and invites his audience to reflect upon the meaning of these lessons for them in a very searching, personal way. “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” (verse 14) He goes on, in his characteristic way, with question after question, helping the people understand how critical it is for them to examine themselves in the light of the truth they have received both as a legacy from their ancestors and directly in their own lives from teachers and the voice of the Lord speaking to them.

Finally, Alma pivots to the future, and beckons the people to imagine what kind of experience they want to have when it comes time for them to face God. Will they feel as though the condition of their heart and conscience will be able to withstand His goodness and His all-knowing gaze? Alma doesn’t mince words in saying that no one can find salvation except their garments are “cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins,” and continues with his searching, question-based examination that may pierce our souls but is meant for our ultimate benefit (verses 15-27). 

Alma shares with his people that the good shepherd (Christ) is calling for them to join his fold. They can do this by humbling themselves and repenting. He explains that the best way for them to do this is to bring forth the good fruit of righteousness in their works, and to strip themselves of all pride and envy. He also warns that if they don’t listen to Christ, their shepherd will be the devil, and they’ll receive their just reward based on whose voice they follow (verses 28-42).

Alma then explains to his audience that he is not just sharing these truths, but has a personal knowledge of them. This personal knowledge came through revelation from the Holy Spirit after Alma prayed and fasted—presumably for guidance about what to share with the people. We cannot help but feel the depth of Alma’s sincerity and how much he wants to convey his own convictions on the importance for his people (and indeed we all) to follow Christ and repent in order to gain a remission of sins (verses 43-48). 

There is a sense of urgency that Alma desperately wants the people of Zarahemla to feel and act upon. So urgent, in fact, that he frames his call for them to follow Christ as a commandment, just as the Lord’s call for Alma to preach to them was a commandment. In essence, Alma asks the people whether they’ll just continue sleepwalking through life, focusing on the “vain things of the world” and keeping up with the Joneses, when Christ is calling to them to focus on coming out from the wicked, and assisting the poor and needy (verses 49-62). Let us ponder here who is poor and needy. While clearly it refers to people who lack for the basic needs of temporal life, it may encompass a much larger group of people who are in need of truth and the encouragement to recognize and follow it in order to move toward Christ and joy and away from misery. In line with that interpretation, Alma’s final invitation of the chapter is to those who have not yet joined the church. He beckons them to be “baptized unto repentance,” that they “also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life” that is the pure love of God found in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ (verse 62).

A great five-minute video clip here provides an idea of what it might have been like to hear Alma’s oration in person

Alma Gives Up Worldly Power to Strengthen the Church - Book of Alma, Chapter Four (Alma 4)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/4?lang=eng

The next two years after the events described in Alma 2-3 are thankfully free of bloodletting (verse 1). During this time of reflection, the Nephite people as a whole make an effort to consider how they can live their lives in line with God’s will so they can stay connected with Him, maximize blessings, and minimize needless suffering. They won’t be able to avoid opposition or other trials of mortality that we all face, but they want to do everything they can to prevent hardships that stem from rebellion or rationalization. In verse 3, Mormon expresses that the people “were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.”

It is a time where more are making sacred covenants with the Lord. Alma records 3,500 souls uniting themselves to the church of God through baptism. Continual peace is the result (verses 4-5).

But not for very long. As is borne out in so many scriptural and historical examples, within a year the prosperity that comes from humility, societal unity, and diligent hard work lays a snare because the people start focusing on the material benefits rather than the virtues that produced the benefits (verse 6). For some reason, we mortals face serious challenges in reminding ourselves that material well-being doesn’t make us better than others. If we don’t prepare ourselves for how to be stewards and sharers of our bounties, selfishness and pride are the natural consequences.

Alma and the other people he has felt inspired to ordain to responsible positions in the church are “sorely grieved” at the wickedness they see. Beyond whatever inconvenience it may cause them, this anguish comes from genuine sadness that dear friends and fellows in the effort to follow the Lord are choosing to turn away from His teachings and bring contention among them (verses 7-8).

Indeed, the contention and malice is so severe that the people in the church become more prideful than those outside it. Understandably, as a result any inclination that those outside of the church have for joining it disappear quickly. Instead, the example of the church goads them to indulge all their most destructive and hateful tendencies in their relationships with one another. Lack of compassion for those in need becomes the norm as this general hardening of hearts plays out (verses 9-11)

But as in most cases where a society generally loses its way, there remain dedicated, loving Saints who are a total inspiration. These humble people suffer “all manner of afflictions” and yet are “filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death” (verses 13-14). They recognize that Christ’s Resurrection is very meaningful for themselves personally because He provides the means for their immortality and eternal life. If we are mindful of this eternal perspective, we are going to feel joy regularly because Christ really has done the hardest work for us. We just give our hearts to Him and our Heavenly Father, and we’re in good shape!

As Alma surveys the situation of his people, he comes to a realization that if he tries to remain both chief judge (political leader) and high priest (spiritual leader) of the people, he won’t be able to address the urgent spiritual crisis that his people are facing. So he has to identify the number one priority and give up the effort to play those multiple roles. This is instructive for us in terms of sometimes needing to drop a responsibility or two in order to make sure we can concentrate on what is centrally important. And it’s additionally instructive that in figuring out the proper balance, Alma ultimately relies on the Holy Ghost: “nevertheless, the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him” (verse 15).

It is important to note that the spiritual responsibility is the priority for Alma. If any of us are in a similar situation, it is probably best to err on the side of choosing what is spiritual as our priority over what is temporal. That said, Alma doesn’t ignore the need to provide for the worldly administration of his people. He is careful to find a wise man—Nephihah—who also is a faithful priesthood leader in the church to take the role of chief judge. Mormon writes that Alma gave Nephihah power according to the voice of the people. I don’t know whether that means people actually voted on Nephihah’s appointment, or Alma somehow otherwise took the people’s expressed views into account (verses 16-18).

Freed from the weighty obligations of overseeing the everyday affairs and general law and order among the Nephites, Alma is able to concentrate solely on his holy calling as high priest of the church. He feels a great need to go to his people where they are and remind them of what is true and important, and what they have committed to for their own sake and that of their families. Mormon phrases it so well, it is almost musical in its power, though filled with the gravity of the moment. He says that in stirring the people up in remembrance of their duty, Alma seeks to “pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them” (verse 19). Alma knows that through pure testimony, he can invite the Holy Ghost to pierce the people’s hearts, allowing each person then to choose whether to heed or to disregard that reminder of the truth that saves, heals, enlightens and warms all at the same time.

There is a great two-minute video clip that encapsulates Alma’s decision here.

To Distance or Not to Distance Oneself from God - Book of Alma, Chapter Three (Alma 3)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/3?lang=eng.  

If people could see the aftermath of the war they fight before it begins, it could really change their motivation. No one is exempt. Even though the Nephites had no choice because they were facing an attack from the rebel Amlicites, the picture of destruction is very distressing. Lives, possessions, lands—all forever changed by loss and violation. A powerful testament against rebellion and the broad damage it causes.

A broad principle that comes into this chapter is that those who depart from the Lord’s way somehow designate themselves as separate from those who are following His way. The Amlicites, for example, mark “themselves with red in their foreheads,” apparently to mimic something that the Lamanites do (verse 4). It causes me to reflect. Is there something I’m doing to signal my own attachment to the ways of the world that diverges from how the Lord would have me define my priorities?

Alma recalls a revelation (in verse 14) that the Lord gave to Nephi 500 years before (in 2 Nephi 5:21-23). The essence of the revelation is that the Lord set a mark on the Lamanites as a means to protect the faithful Nephites from intermarrying with them (verses 6-9). The broader principle for Alma’s time is that the Lord finds ways to help his people distinguish between those who follow Him and those who don’t, sometimes in a manner that can be physically discerned. He also may provide a way to make those distinctions go away when those in rebellion turn away from sin and stop persecuting those who are trying to follow the right path.

The Amlicites, according to Mormon’s historical narration, apparently do not know that the words of a 500-year-old revelation apply to their act of separating themselves from the Nephites by marking their foreheads (verse 18). Did they or their families neglect to study the record of their people’s dealings with God, or did they just forget? Their open rebellion against God has brought about condemnation and misery, as it does in any case.

As if the Nephites haven’t already endured enough, a Lamanite army comes upon them again (verse 20). Maybe the Lamanites believe that the Nephites will be vulnerable because they have so recently been beset by a bruising civil war. They have not only suffered death, injury, and destruction, but they have had many of their brothers and sisters abandon them.

With the Lord’s strength, the Nephites are able to repulse this Lamanite offensive at the cost of more casualties, buying themselves some precious time to recover (verses 22-24).

The last two verses (26 and 27) are an amazing testament to Mormon’s eternal perspective. As he abridges the record Alma has left, Mormon pauses to reflect—maybe in much the same way as Alma and his people are reflecting in this moment—on what has happened during a very eventful year. Many of God’s children have contended with one another, and tens of thousands have made an important transition in their eternal journey from mortal life to the spirit world. Mormon’s absolute conviction that death is no end is very evident. He focuses on the consequences that come to us eternally depending on whether we followed a good spiritual path or a bad one. Mormon’s prophetic teachings echo those of King Benjamin (in Mosiah 2:32-33).

These references to spiritual paths are not just metaphorical, but truly descriptive. There are good and evil spirits vying for our attention. How sensitive we are to their promptings, and which ones we decide to heed, has enormous bearing on our eternal future. The comforting truth is that the Lord’s power can overcome some poor choices on our part. But He won’t force us to seek His help if we start down the wrong path and become insensitive to the efforts of the Lord and His servants to remind us of the right way. As the chapter ends, Mormon leaves us to soberly ponder how so many Nephites, Amlicites and Lamanites have now made abrupt transitions out of this state of existence into the next after being thrust into violent situations that required deep discipline and virtue to avoid succumbing to anger and despair.

Alma's Next Crisis: Amlici's Drive for Power - Book of Alma, Chapter Three (Alma 3)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/2?lang=eng.   

History never forgets. If a practice or behavior emerges at one point in time, someone else will take note and look for ways to emulate or refine it for their advantage.

Even though Nehor was unable to overthrow society’s order and the church, his example was not forgotten. Others studied what worked and what didn’t, and instead of learning the real lesson, which is that evil destroys those who play with it, they tinkered to see if they could do it more subtly, more skillfully, in such a way where they could get away with what Nehor couldn’t. We see it with criminals, terrorists and even ambitious businesspeople or politicians.

Amlici is Nehor 2.0. Mormon doesn’t give us a lot of detail about how he operates, but says that his cunning draws many to follow him, giving him considerable power and influence. Whether he does any of his teaching or recruitment in the open, it seems as though he is careful about how he does it. At some point, the Nephites become aware that he has significant influence—to the delight of some and terror of others (verses 1-3). 

Amlici’s first plan is to see if he can take over using legal means. The law says that whoever gains the voice of the people can lead them as chief judge. Of course, the judge is supposed to uphold the laws already handed down to the Nephites by the Lord through King Mosiah, but it is pretty clear that Amlici intends to use any authority he gets to deprive church members of their rights of worship and expression (verse 4). There’s a lot at stake, and the people appear to be in great suspense as they hold their collective breath and wait to see what the majority will say.

They separate into groups and engage in some kind of process of discussion and debate that Mormon describes as “wonderful contentions one with another.” It is not clear how the vote is taken, but their voices are “laid before the judges” and the result is that Amlici’s bid for power is rejected (verses 5-7). 

But instead of accepting the outcome, Amlici maintains the hold he has over his supporters and turns them against those who oppose him. He has them call him their king and take up arms to enforce their claims (verses 8-10). 

The first great battle is a tragedy simply because it happens (verse 15). Fellow citizens unwilling to submit to the law to resolve disputes. Resorting instead to the shedding of blood. And the primal emotions such fighting produces makes it difficult to ever reclaim that societal harmony. 

That said, the Nephites are justified in defending themselves and their liberties. With Alma personally leading them, the Lord strengthens them so that they are able to prevail in the battle and force the Amlicites to flee. Not without thousands of deaths on both sides (verses 16-19). 

As the Nephites take a momentary rest and consider the relief they feel from the initial repulsion of the threat from Amlici, spies who have followed the retreating Amlicite forces share a big surprise: The Amlicites have joined with the Lamanites and are already invading parts of Nephite territory near the capital of Zarahemla (verses 20-25).

This is where character and faith come into play. The Nephites have no time to reflect—they must simply act. They briskly march to intercept those who would take away their community, shared strength, and freedom to worship God. And, after praying mightily for deliverance, they thrust themselves into the battle despite the terrible risk to life and limb (verses 26-28). Alma personally leads out, facing both Amlici and the Lamanite king after praying for the Lord to spare him that he might be an instrument in the Lord’s hands to preserve the Nephites. Alma kills Amlici in combat, and battles the Lamanite king, who then retreats with his hosts and flees to a wilderness area with the remaining Amlicites, where many are attacked by wild animals and perish (verses 29-38).

Alma's Judgment of Nehor: Upholding True Christian Service and Rule of Law - Book of Alma, Chapter One (Alma 1)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/1?lang=eng.  

Satan probes. He looks for weakness. As Mormon begins his abridgment of the record of Alma the Younger, the legacy of King Mosiah is at stake. Mormon reminds us that Mosiah did not leave another king to reign in his place. Instead, he left laws for the people, and they were “obliged to abide” by those laws (verse 1).

The first big challenge to make sure that the laws would hold comes in the form of a big, imposing person. In Alma’s first year as chief judge, this strong man is brought before him. In addition to being physically intimidating, the force of the man’s personality is a threat to the order that Mosiah and Alma have worked hard to establish for the good of the people. 

As long as people have a mortal nature, there will be charismatic figures who appeal to their pride and their earthly desires to be flattered, comforted, and told that they need not do anything hard or self-sacrificing to bring meaning, power, peace, enlightenment and salvation into their lives. These figures will lie in a bold, magnetic way that many want to embrace.

That is precisely what this imposing person, named Nehor, does. He not only plays by his own rules, but he openly challenges the system for everyone else. He teaches that priests and church leaders should be supported by the people, which is dangerous because then their ability to tell the people hard truths about God’s will becomes compromised (verse 3). Such a system would be to Nehor’s advantage because of his gifts of persuasion and strength. I try to imagine the force of his personality. Most of us have had people in our lives who have been strong influences one way or another. If those strong influences have been good, there is great cause for rejoicing. But if they have gone the other way, we know how hard it can be to escape that vortex.

Nehor preaches a gospel with no accountability to God or anyone else. He begins receiving money from others, and establishes his own church (verses 4-6). Claiming to represent God without authority, instead relying on yourself and your gifts, is called priestcraft (verse 12). It is priestcraft regardless of whether you believe you are doing it for the right reasons. Even if you start with good intentions, it is almost inevitable that pride will take over when you hold yourself out as having sway over people. If you don’t receive authority from God through Him or His authorized servants, you don’t have authority. Period.

The violence that Nehor is doing to God’s will then breaks out into the open in the form of physical violence. While Nehor is seeking to expand his influence, he is confronted by Gideon. This is the same Gideon who confronted the wicked King Noah and who provided the inspiration to King Limhi to help the people escape from Lamanite captivity. Now in older age, Gideon is one who has authority to act from God as a teacher. Gideon’s willingness to call out Nehor’s wrongdoing enrages Nehor, and he kills the older Gideon (verses 7-9). By going against the Lord’s way and church, Nehor has fallen captive to the intemperate impulses that the devil tries to plant in all of us, and in so doing he becomes another tragic story of a capable, gifted person who gives in to pride. 

Now comes Alma’s test. He is in a position where he needs to be willing to enforce the law as it has come through the Lord by way of King Mosiah. Without the law, the reign of the judges will be compromised. But because of Nehor’s popularity, there’s always a risk that many of the people might protest and even rebel against the government. Alma faithfully follows the law, presumably determining that he will go with what is right and let the Lord take care of the consequences. The law calls for those who shed innocent blood to pay with their life (verses 13-14). Just before Nehor’s execution, he acknowledges the falsity of his teaching (verse 15), which may mitigate the potential for unrest. 

But the precedent of Nehor’s priestcraft has a toxic effect on the Nephites, because others lifted up in the pride of their hearts see their own way to worldly recognition and gain. Learning from Nehor’s mistake of killing Gideon, these others are cunning and clever by avoiding clear violations of the law while still undermining and persecuting the church and its loyal members. They take particular advantage of the members’ humility (verses 16-20).

Facing these challenges, some people within the church move away from humility and toward pride. It is not totally clear from Mormon’s writing, but it is possible that these church members get into confrontations both with their persecutors from outside the church and with other members within the church. Even if their original intention may be to defend the truth and their way of worship, by resorting to contentious means and distancing themselves from the Spirit of the Lord, they end up on the wrong side of things. Stoking anger with the rationalization that it’s for a good cause is one of Satan’s favorite strategies. It costs many their association with the true church of God (verses 21-24).

We take comfort and hope in seeing that many remain “steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God” and bear persecution with patience (verse 25). It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Mormon again outlines for us what Kings Benjamin and Mosiah had shown from their examples—that those with true authority to act for God (holders of His priesthood) do not seek worldly gain or recognition for their service (verse 26). They impart freely of their substance to better those around them, and in doing so radiate light and increase peace in their community (verses 27-28). Inevitably these virtues among a people lead to prosperity, which can continue so long as people’s hearts do not get attached to their riches (verses 29-31).

In contrast, those who are not receptive to the Lord’s commandments are disposed to various types of bad behavior (verse 32), but the law as it is enforced is able to constrain that behavior to keep the general peace for the first five years of Alma’s time as chief judge (verse 33).

Mosiah to Alma: From the Rule of Kings to the Reign of Judges - Book of Mosiah, Chapter Twenty-Nine (Mosiah 29)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/29?lang=eng.   

We come to the end of King Mosiah’s portion of the Nephite record. He has made sure that the record is in Alma the Younger’s trustworthy and capable hands, and now he needs to turn to the thorny question of leadership and succession. 

Without a clear successor among his sons, Mosiah initially is not looking to make any radical changes to how the Nephites rule themselves. Since the time of Nephi nearly 500 years before, they have had kings. Because his sons are out of the picture on their mission to the Lamanite lands, Mosiah does something we haven’t seen before in the Book of Mormon. He asks the people whom they would have to be their king (verse 1). 

When they come back with the request to have his son Aaron lead them, Mosiah has to think creatively. He knows that Aaron is not an option because his sons have all said they would not accept the kingship. However, now that it’s known among the people that they want Aaron, if someone else serves as king, there’s a lingering danger that if Aaron ever changes his mind or goes back to his wicked ways, there could be a succession conflict (verses 2-9). 

With this in mind, Mosiah goes back to the people with a new proposal. To protect Aaron, anyone who might serve as a leader in his stead, and the people as a whole from contention over power, Mosiah says “we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God” (verses 10-11).

In explaining his plan, we learn that the experience of the Nephites who left under Zeniff and were greatly abused and put into a terrible position by King Noah has great influence on Mosiah’s thinking. He recognizes that if even one king in the future is like Noah, or does not have the virtues of himself or his father King Benjamin, the people are in grave danger: “For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!” (verses 12-17)

The judges will be obligated to interpret the laws that the people received from God, as handed down by previous prophets and kings. In this way, Mosiah reasons, the people will be ruled more by God than by man (verses 25-29). The focus on laws of divine origin and the ability of the people to appeal decisions from one judge to another are designed to make one person’s error or wickedness less capable of harming the society. Considering the covenant that the Lord has made with the people throughout the Book of Mormon for the Americas to be a land of liberty, this way of governance seems to foreshadow more modern systems of checks and balances that the English colonists brought with them and developed in the 17^th and 18^th Centuries, eventually leading to the establishment of the United States and other republics on the American continent. The land has retained its special status as a land of liberty, as designated by the covenant the Lord makes with those who come here (see 2 Nephi 10:10-15 and this previous blog post).

In addition to protecting the people from tyrannical rule, Mosiah explains that having judges appointed by the voice of the people ensures that the burden of governing doesn’t fall too heavily on one person. He knows about the burden of governing from his own 33 years as king. It seems Mosiah is also saying that it is healthy for society that “every man might bear his part” (verses 33-34). If each person knows he or she has some responsibility for the direction of their people, it follows that they will seek to be more informed and engaged in their community’s life.

Presumably because of the considerable trust Mosiah had built with his people—they recognize his desires to keep them free, and they esteem him “beyond measure”—they accept his reasoning, relinquish their desires for a king, and assemble themselves to elect judges (verses 37-41). 

Just as King Mosiah has entrusted Alma the Younger with the Nephite record, the people entrust Alma with the responsibility of being their first chief judge. We learn that Alma’s father (aka the Elder), presumably acting under divine inspiration, has also ordained Alma the Younger to be high priest of the church. So temporal and spiritual authority are combined in him (verse 42). Past kings have also served as prophets, so having one leader play both an earthly and a spiritual leadership role is not new among the Nephites. What is new is that Alma’s temporal authority is very clearly limited by the law and by the other judges who have power to review his judgments. Mormon informs us that Alma acts with great righteousness and wisdom, getting the reign of the judges in the land of Zarahemla off to a very good and peaceful start (verses 43-44).

Not long after, both King Mosiah and Alma the Elder pass away (verses 45-47), closing the book on a tempestuous era for the Nephites and opening the book on a new one that in some ways will be even more challenging.