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CHAPTER 31Alma heads a mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites—The Zoramites deny Christ, believe in a false concept of election, and worship with set prayers—The missionaries are filled with the Holy Spirit—Their afflictions are swallowed up in the joy of Christ. [About 74 B.C.] |
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1 NOW it came to pass that after the end of
Korihor, Alma having received tidings that the Zoramites were perverting the
ways of the Lord, and that Zoram, who was their leader, was leading the
hearts of the people to abow down to dumb
bidolsa, his heart
again began to csicken because of the iniquity of the
people.
2 For it was the cause of great asorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people; therefore his heart was exceedingly bsorrowful because of the separation of the Zoramites from the Nephites.
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1a the hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols Now these 'dumb idols' were the riches of the world. And they are explained in verse 28. And this is not unlike many of those who do live in this time and day who do place their riches of the world above their exercise in the way of God. |
1a
Ex. 20:5;
Mosiah 13:13 b 2 Ne. 9:37; TG Idolatry c Alma 35:15 2a 1 Ne. 7:8; Mosiah 28:3; 3 Ne. 17:14; Moses 7:41 b Isa. 22:4
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3 Now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land which
they called aAntionum, which was east of the land of
Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon the seashore, which was south of
the land of bJershon, which also bordered upon the
wilderness south, which wilderness was full of the Lamanites.
4 Now the Nephites greatly feared that the Zoramites would enter into a acorrespondence with the Lamanites, and that it would be the means of great loss on the part of the Nephites.
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3a
Alma 43:5, 15, 22 b Alma 27:22 4a TG Conspiracy
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5 And now, as the apreaching of the
bword had a great tendency to clead the
people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect
upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had
happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they
should try the virtue of the word of God.
6 Therefore he took Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner; and Himni he did leave in the church in Zarahemla; but the former three he took with him, and also aAmulek and Zeezrom, who were at bMelek; and he also took two of his sons. 7 Now the eldest of his sons he took not with him, and his name was Helaman; but the names of those whom he took with him were aShiblon and bCorianton; and these are the names of those who went with him among the cZoramites, to preach unto them the word.
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5a
Ex. 24:7;
Jonah 3:5;
Rom. 10:17; Enos 1:23; Alma 4:19; TG Preaching b 2 Kings 22:11; Heb. 4:12; Jacob 2:8; Alma 36:26 c Jarom 1:12; Alma 45:21; Hel. 5:51 (50-52); D&C 11:2; TG Gospel 6a Hel. 5:41 b Alma 8:3; Alma 35:13; Alma 45:18 7a Alma 31:32; Alma 35:14 b Alma 39:1 c Alma 30:59; Alma 38:3
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8 Now the Zoramites were adissenters from the
Nephites; therefore they had had the word of God preached unto them.
9 But they had afallen into great errors, for they would not observe to keep the commandments of God, and his statutes, according to the law of Moses. 10 Neither would they observe the aperformances of the church, to continue in prayer and supplication to God daily, that they might not enter into temptation. 11 Yea, in fine, they did pervert the ways of the Lord in very many instances; therefore, for this cause, Alma and his brethren went into the land to preach the word unto them.
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8a
Alma 24:30;
Alma 53:8;
Hel. 1:15; D&C 93:19 9a TG Apostasy of Individuals 10a TG Ordinance
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12 Now, when they had come into the land, behold, to their
astonishment they found that the Zoramites had built synagogues, and that
they did gather themselves together on one day of the week, which day they
did call the day of the Lord; and they did aworship after a
manner which Alma and his brethren had never beheld;
13 For they had a place built up in the center of their synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head, and the top thereof would only admit one person. 14 Therefore, whosoever desired to aworship must go forth and stand upon the top thereof, and stretch forth his hands towards heaven, and cry with a loud voice, saying:
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12a
TG
Worship 14a Matt. 6:5 (1-7)
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Creed of the ZoramitesLike unto the Nicene Creed of the apostasy, the Zoramites have defined God by there standard and contrivance. Like unto the Nicene Creed they have defined God to be an eternal spirit and nothing more. And though they in the Nicene Creed do profess a belief in Christ, they too have denied the power of God's plan of eternal progression by denying man that he might become one with God and even as God truly is, and exalted being of flesh and bone which doth house his spirit being an eternal unity of the celestial soul forever. And this is the intent of Satan who does stand in opposition unto God, for it is he who does work to bring about man's failure of not becoming EVEN AS GOD IS. |
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15 Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that
thou art holy, and that thou wast a aspirit, and that
thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit
forevera.
16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast aelected us to be thy bholy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that cthere shall be dno Christ. 17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast aelected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bbind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. 18 And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen.
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15a thou wast a spirit, and that thou art
a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever This perception
of God does deny both God the Father of Spirits, who is a Celestial Being of
Glorified flesh, bone and spirit, and also Jesus Christ and his eternal
progression if it indeed is applied unto him as the God of the Old Testament,
Jehovah. It is not a true description of Christ, though as Jehovah of the Old
Testament he was still but a spirit being. Who it does describe is Satan
for it is Satan who will be a spirit forever having not kept his first estate
and having rebelled against God the Eternal Father and His Son Jehovah who is
the same as Jesus Christ. The Zoramites have thus thwarted the plan of
redemption in their belief and if they would persist in it, they themselves
would forever be damned for they would never come unto Christ and be healed
of this fallen temporal estate of sin and woe.
Whereas Korihor did deny Christ, the Zoramites have taken it to the next level of worshipping a being that is more like unto Lucifer and what Lucifer's 'designn'would have been than God and God's true plan for man is. This is also the parallel corruption into which many Christian faith have fallen into since that inovation of the Trinity which was prescribe by that 'morther whore' of the apostaste church of Christ. A number of them too do consider salvation to be but a matter of God electing who will be saved without any recognition of the agency of man as the Zoramites so prescribe, aka Jehovah's Witnesses. |
15a
Alma 18:4-5 16a Luke 18:11; Alma 38:14 (13-14) b Isa. 65:5 (1-5) c Alma 34:5 d Jacob 7:2, 9; Alma 30:12, 22 17a TG Conceit; TG Pride b TG False Doctrine
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19 Now it came to pass that after Alma and his brethren and his
sons had heard these prayers, they were astonished beyond all
measure.
20 For behold, every man did go forth and offer up these same aprayers. 21 Now the place was called by them Rameumptom, which, being interpreted, is the holy stand.
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20a
Matt. 6:7
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22 Now, from this stand they did offer up, every man, the
selfsame prayer unto God, thanking their God that they were
chosen of him, and that he did not lead them away after the
tradition of their brethren, and that their hearts were not
stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing
about.
23 Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they returned to their homes, anever speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner.
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23a
James 1:22 (21-25)
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24 Now when Alma saw this his heart was agrieved;
for he saw that they were a wicked and a perverse people; yea, he saw that
their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of fine
goods.
25 Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were alifted up unto great boasting, in their pride. 26 And he lifted up his voice to heaven, and acried, saying: O, how long, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that thy servants shall dwell here below in the flesh, to behold such gross wickedness among the children of men?
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24a
Gen. 6:6;
1 Ne. 2:18 25a 2 Kings 14:10; Jacob 2:13; Alma 1:32 26a Moses 7:44 (41-58)
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27 Behold, O God, they acry unto thee, and yet
their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. Behold, O God, they cry unto
thee with their mouths, while they are bpuffed up, even to
greatness, with the vain things of the cworld.
28 Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their abracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon thema, and yet they cry unto thee and say—We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish. 29 Yea, and they say that thou hast made it known unto them that there shall be no Christ.
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28a their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon them Now though the Zoramites did cry unto God once a week. They did not worship God and live according to the mind and will of God for they did 'worship' and desire the things of the world, which they did count or more worth than their belief in God. This was their dumb idols of their idolatry and this is not unlike many of those who do live today, for they seek after the things of the world and have made them their gods, making them more important to the desires of their hearts than is their exercised belief in God. |
27a
Isa. 29:13;
TG
Hypocrisy b TG Pride; TG Selfishness c TG Worldliness 28a Isa. 3:19 (16-24)
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30 O Lord God, how long wilt thou suffer that such wickedness and
infidelity shall be among this people? O Lord, wilt thou give me strength,
that I may abear with mine infirmities. For I am infirm,
and such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul.
31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul ain Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these bafflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people. 32 O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also aAmulek and Zeezrom and also my btwo sons—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.
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30a
Num. 11:14 31a John 16:33; TG Comfort; TG Peace of God b TG Affliction 32a Alma 8:21; Alma 34:1 b Alma 31:7
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33 Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they
may abear their afflictions which shall come upon them
because of the iniquities of this people.
34 O Lord, wilt thou grant aunto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. 35 Behold, O Lord, their asouls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.
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33a
Rom. 15:1 34a 2 Ne. 26:33 35a TG Worth of Souls
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36 Now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he
aclapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And
behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy
Spirit.
37 And after that they did separate themselves one from another, ataking no thought for themselves what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on. 38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of aafflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in bfaith.
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36a
3 Ne. 18:37 b TG Hands, Laying on of 37a Matt. 6:25-34; 3 Ne. 13:25-34 38a Matt. 5:10-12; Mosiah 24:15 (13-15); Alma 33:23 b TG Faith
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