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.

The Sons of Mosiah Go to Redeem the Lamanites - Book of Mosiah, Chapter Twenty-Eight (Mosiah 28)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/28?lang=eng.  

You’ve probably heard many stories about children whose parents have painstakingly prepared for them to take over the family business, only to have the children opt for something else. The whole process of family tradition and legacy is bound up with emotional meaning, as is recognizing the need to allow each person to seek his or her own course with the Lord’s help and guidance.

In the case of Mosiah, the family business is an intimidating one—being king of the Nephites. But his sons are not avoiding responsibility. The path they are following is arguably even more difficult and laden with responsibility. After gathering some potential companions, they approach King Mosiah and seek his permission to share the word of God with the Lamanites from whom many of their people had suffered captivity less than a generation ago (verse 1). Given what we know about the Lamanites, Mosiah’s sons have set some pretty high expectations for their missionary efforts, as described in verse 2 (italics added):

“That perhaps they might bring them [the Lamanites] to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.”

They are probably asking for Mosiah’s permission for three reasons. First, out of love and respect for him as their father. This represents a complete 180 for Mosiah’s sons. Previously, they sought to turn the Nephites from the true gospel most were already following. Then, the last person they were asking for permission was Mosiah. Now, however, they want to bring truth and light to a hardened people, and whatever his reservations might be, Mosiah cannot deny the nobility of his sons’ idea. But they are showing deference and humility by giving their father some say in whether they embark on the journey.

Second, Mosiah’s sons know that any contact they have with the Lamanites could provoke dangerous consequences for them as well as their entire nation of Nephites. It therefore makes sense for them to give the king notice of their plans in case he needs to warn them against doing so for the good of the kingdom.

Third, they know that this is likely to be a long, hard effort, if they are not immediately run out of Lamanite territory or killed. And that means they have chosen a path that is different from inheriting kingly responsibility from their father. By approaching Mosiah, they are giving him a chance to consider what the future of his people might look like without a clear succession plan. Even though Mormon tells us that none of Mosiah’s sons would accept the kingdom (verse 10), it doesn’t appear that Mosiah made a sustained effort to convince them to do so. If he had, perhaps they would have responded to the call of duty.

Mosiah seems to recognize that his sons are responding to inspired guidance from the Lord. What else could account for the passionate pleas they make to him over many days to let them preach to the Lamanites in such a challenging setting (verse 5)? By inquiring of the Lord for guidance, Mosiah shows true greatness. After all this time as the leader of the Nephites, he remains humbly devoted to God’s will, ensuring that the right path for his sons will reveal itself (verses 6-8). He probably recognizes that if successful, his sons’ mission may actually be more of a service than assuming royal responsibility, because it could reduce or eliminate contention between the Nephites and Lamanites and make the entire area a safer place for everyone to live and worship. Perhaps it is the mark of true princes to proactively seek such a calling. It certainly appears to be in the tradition of Nephi’s grandson Enos, who prayed with intensity in the forest more than 300 years before (and whose account is available to Mosiah and his sons) for the Lord’s mercy to be upon the Lamanites because they are also His children—and still the brothers and sisters of the Nephites, no matter what has passed between them for so many generations.

The request from Mosiah’s sons also stems from something rooted in the painful but also cleansing and sanctifying experience of repenting that they shared with Alma the Younger, as described in the previous chapter. They now recognize the peril and the anguish that comes from sin and from willful separation of oneself from God and His path. They have lived it and had to overcome their own rebellion to receive the Lord’s “infinite mercy.” Now, they feel compelled to warn others—especially the Lamanites—to give them a chance to act urgently rather than be faced with an even more difficult task of rejecting evil later in life or when they face final judgment (verses 3-4).

With his sons leaving the land of Zarahemla indefinitely and the question of succession up in the air (verses 9-10), King Mosiah’s attention turns to another important responsibility—preserving the sacred records and history of the people and ensuring they can be preserved for future generations (verse 11).

First, Mosiah completes the translation of the gold plates he received from Limhi when Limhi’s people arrived in Zarahemla about 28 years before. Mormon tells us that the Nephites desire “beyond measure to know concerning those people who had been destroyed” (verse 12). The plates contain the account of the people of Jared from the time of the Tower of Babel and the scattering of the people along the lines of language, to the time of the Jaredites’ destruction after their travels from the Middle East and many generations of civilization in the Americas (this account is preserved in the Book of Ether). The plates also contain an account of the people from the time of Adam to the time of the Tower of Babel (this part of the translation is not included in the Book of Mormon, presumably because other scriptures already cover the same time period). Mosiah uses two stones to help him with the translation, apparently using them to “see” the translation rather than try to learn the language used on the plates by more conventional scholarly means. Mormon tells us that the Nephites are filled with sorrow to learn of the destruction of the Jaredite civilization from the translated account, but also rejoice because of the knowledge it gave them (verses 13-19).

Next, Mosiah makes sure that the records he has kept for the Nephites are passed down to someone who will preserve them properly, and presumably carry on the work of record-keeping. To show how important this is, he arranges for the records’ safekeeping before he arranges for succession in government. The person he entrusts with the records and the seer stones is none other than Alma the Younger (verse 20). Gone from the most destructive person in the society to the most constructive, Alma doesn’t follow the same path as his good friends Mosiah’s sons do. His responsibility is instead to stay with his people and continue to nurture their spiritual and temporal progress, very much in line with the “family business” his own father started.

Paul Before Paul: Alma the Younger and His Rebellion, Rebuke and Repentance - Book of Mosiah, Chapter Twenty-Seven (Mosiah 27)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/27?lang=eng.

This is one of the most significant chapters of the Book of Mormon because it displays the gospel of Jesus Christ in action in very powerful ways that can define individual lives, with larger ripple effects on families and even entire civilizations. 

The chapter reads like a three-act play. First, we introduce the characters and the conflict. Alma’s son, who is named after him, is sadly one of the people who has turned away from the truth, and is actively working against it by using his way with words to negatively influence others. Four sons of King Mosiah are his companions in this tragic endeavor (verses 8-10).

Second, Alma and his companions are confronted by an angel who leaves them with no doubt about the reality of God and His plan for us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. With nowhere to run or hide, Alma must look inside himself and come to terms with his selfish, harmful, and blatant defiance of the Lord’s commandments, and the ruinous effect it has had on him (verses 11-19).

Third, after a mighty struggle in accepting the truth about his many destructive sins, Alma finds healing, peace, and joy in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, and apparently has a personal encounter with Jesus (verse 25). By choosing to be born again of God and swearing off pride, Alma is able to confront his wicked past, and do everything he can to make restitution by sharing his story and those things he knows to be important and true for everyone in terms of how to invite God’s presence into their lives and become like Him (verses 23-37). 

There are some really important principles at play here too:

• The Lord protects His covenant people (verses 1-7, 16). He can protect them through the laws of the land, as we see with King Mosiah’s proclamation against persecution. If that is not enough, protection will come through heavenly means. It doesn’t mean that Church members are protected from every physical or spiritual danger at all times. But there is general protection that allows those who are striving to repent and keep their covenants to discern the right path forward, and frustrates the designs of the Church’s active opponents—even if they are clever and strong in the ways of the world.

• The Lord responds to the prayers of the faithful (verses 14, 20-23). And when they fast, their prayers acquire added power. The angel tells Alma that he appeared because Alma the Elder has prayed that his son will be brought to a knowledge of the truth. He also says that the Lord has heard the prayers of his people more broadly. Later, after Alma’s companions bring the catatonic Alma to his father, Alma the Elder realizes that the power of God has brought it about. Then he has the priests assemble together to fast and pray for Alma the Younger to receive his strength and speak again. Yes, he wants his son to return to consciousness, but it’s also important for him to be able to share his divine experience with the multitudes so that they might better know of the “goodness and glory of God.”

• The Lord remembers us, that we may remember Him (verse 16). The first thing that the angel commands Alma to do is to remember that God did great things in delivering his father and others out of captivity. When the Lord gives us a chance to remember Him, we need to realize that by reminding us of the important act of remembering, He is leading by example. It is His remembering of us that prompts us to remember His presence and influence in our lives, and consequently our identity as His children who are lifted up and ennobled because of our relationship with Him. It is only after the command to remember that the angel charges Alma to “seek to destroy the church no more.” It makes sense—once Alma is able to remember, it will be easier to convince him not to work against the church. The mercy and persistence involved for Jesus to keep coming back to us and giving us more chances, even though our own weakness has added to His suffering, is incredible.

• People can change (verses 23-31). Alma’s dramatic transformation from the Church’s worst enemy to its greatest defender is unusual in its depth and its suddenness, but in its attention-grabbing nature, it relates the principle that total change is possible for everyone. We can strip sin out of our natures if we partner closely with God to make it happen. The process for most people is usually much more gradual than with Alma or his great Biblical counterpart, the Apostle Paul (see Acts 8-9). Yet, the same steps are required for everyone. (1) Repent. (2) Be born again of God in the spirit. (3) Change in nature from a “carnal and fallen” state to a state of righteousness. (4) Recognize that God is God, and his justice and mercy are what we need: “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him.”

The great sign of Alma’s full repentance and conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ is that he and the sons of Mosiah make every effort to undo their past wrongs and go beyond that by bringing the healing and empowering effect of the good news into the lives of their neighbors (verses 32-37). Like Paul, they willingly move from the giving to the receiving side of persecution, which is no easy feat. Mormon fittingly sums up their progress at the end of this “three-act play” chapter by saying, “And how blessed are they!” (verse 37)

I would highly recommend this compelling video recently made about this chapter (there’s also a good one here about Paul’s conversion).