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).