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THE SON OF ALMA The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman. [Comprising chapters 36 and 37.] |
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CHAPTER 36Alma testifies to Helaman of his conversion by an angel—He suffered the pains of a damned soul; he called upon the name of Jesus, and was then born of God—Sweet joy filled his soul—He saw concourses of angels praising God—His converts have tasted and seen as he did. [About 73 B.C.] |
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1 MY ason, give ear to my
words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments
of God ye shall prosper in the land.
2 I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in abondage, and none could bdeliver them except it was the cGod of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.
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1a
Hel. 5:13 (1-13);
Moses 6:58 2a Mosiah 23:23; Mosiah 24:17-21; TG Israel, Bondage of, in Egypt b Deut. 26:8 c Ex. 3:6; Alma 29:11
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3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and
therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me;
for I do know that whosoever shall put their atrust in God
shall be supported in their btrials, and their troubles,
and their afflictions, and shall be clifted up at the last
day.
4 And I would not that ye think that I aknow of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the ccarnal mind but of God. 5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been aborn of God I should bnot have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy cangel, made these things known unto me, not of any dworthiness of myself.
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3a
TG
Trust in God b Rom. 8:28 c Mosiah 23:22 (21-22) 4a 1 Cor. 2:11; Alma 5:45-46; TG Knowledge b TG Carnal Mind 5a TG Man, New, Spiritually Reborn b Alma 26:21-22 c Mosiah 27:11-18 d TG Worthiness
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6 For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to
adestroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy
angel to stop us by the way.
7 And behold, he spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did atremble beneath our feet; and we all fell to the earth, for the bfear of the Lord came upon us. 
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6a
Mosiah 27:10;
Mosiah 28:4 (3-4) 7a Isa. 6:4; Mosiah 27:18 b Prov. 2:5; TG Fear of God
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9 And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed,
seek no more to destroy the church of
Goda.
10 And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of athree days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs. 11 And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did anot hear them; for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.
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9a "If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destory the church of God" In the retelling of events often a paraphrasing of what was said and the intent and meaning is preserved in a manner in which it did affect the particular person envolved. Thus Alma here does paraphrase the message of the angel in that manner in which it did affect and was applied unto himself. The actual words of the angel were preserved in the book of Mosiah chapter 27 which state: " ... And now I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off." Basically Alma was told to 'go his way' and 'seek to destroy the church no more'. The angel implied that even if he would be 'cast off' or destoryed of his own self, that he was to obey the command to no longer pursecute the church. Now Alma's paraphrase can be stated with that same meaning, that is: 'If thou wilt of thyself be destory.' That is one statement. The next statement would be a separate statement of command, 'Seek no more to destroy the church of God.' Put together and perhaps how Alma did apply it to himself, he presumed that if he did not repent he would be lost and cast off. And perhaps that which was also implied, since it was a direct commandment from God to cease his persecution of the church, Alma saw in it that if he did continue, then he would be destroyed. In the first instance Alma was left to his free agency to not necessarily repent, but he was to cease pursecuting the church. As applied to himself, Alma readily saw the absolute need of repentance, which he did. And though the angel said a number of other things, the message had its effect in what it meant to Alma as conveyed to him by the Holy Spirit to his own spirit. And that message was as Alma does here in verse 9 and in his retelling it to his other son Shiblon in Alma 38:7-8 the 'joint' perspective is somewhat restored of the separate commandment to cease his pursecution and then his repentance latter according to his exercise of his free agency. |
10a
Mosiah 27:23 (19-23);
Alma 38:8 11a Dan. 10:7; Acts 9:7 (3-7)
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12 But I was racked with aeternal
btorment, for my soul was charrowed up to
the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was atormented with the bpains of hell; yea, I saw that I had crebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandmentsa. 14 Yea, and I had amurdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
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13a I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments Now Alma's sin was great unto the destruction of the Church of God and Alma's repentance was great unto the Lord. And he did kept the commandments of God and was raise to a great work in the Lord. But we in our little ways are also like unto Alma and his sins. For in such little things, which we know that we ought not do, we do continue in. Yea, like Nephi who kept the commandments, we to must come to the realization that 'O, we are but wretched men of sin before our God'. And that even in the smaller things which in some instances are the more important things in living the Gospel properly, we to do rebell against God. And that we are not perfect in keeping his commandments as we ought to do. And we do must apply the doctrine of Christ in our lives continually, continuing to turn away from that which we ought not to do, and turn unto that which we ought to be about in Christ. |
12a
D&C 19:11-15 b TG Despair c TG Poor in Spirit; TG Repentance; TG Sorrow 13a TG Guilt b Moses 1:20 c TG Disobedience 14a Matt. 10:28
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15 Oh, thought I, that I acould be banished and
become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in
the presence of my God, to be judged of my bdeeds.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the apains of a bdamned soul.
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15a
Rev. 6:16 (15-17);
Alma 12:14 b Isa. 59:18; Alma 41:3 (2-5); Alma 42:27; D&C 1:10 (9-10) 16a TG Pain b TG Damnation;
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17 And it came to pass that as I was thus aracked
with torment, while I was bharrowed up by the
cmemory of my many sins, behold, I
dremembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the
people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for
the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, ahave mercy on me, who am bin the cgall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting dchains of edeath. 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my apains bno more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
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17a
Ps. 119:67 b 2 Cor. 7:10 (8-11) c Alma 11:43; D&C 18:44 d 1 Ne. 10:17-19; Enos 1:3 18a Matt. 15:22 b IE in extreme remorse c Jonah 2:2; Acts 8:23 d Prov. 5:22; 2 Ne. 9:45; 2 Ne. 28:22; Alma 12:11 (10-11); Moses 7:26 e TG Death, Spiritual, First 19a TG Peace of God b Jer. 31:34; D&C 19:16
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20 And oh, what ajoy, and what marvelous light I
did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy. 22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father aLehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and bpraising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.
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20a
Moses 5:11;
TG
Forgiveness;
TG
Joy 22a 1 Ne. 1:8; TG God, Manifestations of b Isa. 6:3 (1-4)
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23 But behold, my limbs did receive their astrength
again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had
been bborn of God.
24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto arepentance; that I might bring them to btaste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be cborn of God, and be dfilled with the Holy Ghost.
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23a
Moses 1:10 b Alma 22:15; Alma 38:6; TG Conversion 24a Alma 19:29 b Ps. 34:8; 1 Ne. 8:13; Mosiah 4:11 c TG Holy Ghost, Baptism of d 2 Ne. 32:2, 5; 3 Ne. 9:20; TG Holy Ghost, Mission of;
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25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth
agive me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my
blabors;
26 For because of the aword which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have btasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God. 27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has adelivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still bdeliver me.
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25a
TG
Reward b TG Work, Value of 26a Prov. 10:11; Jacob 2:8; Alma 31:5; D&C 108:7 b 1 Pet. 2:3 (1-3) 27a Alma 14:28 (26-29) b Ps. 34:17
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28 And I know that he will araise me up at the last
day, to dwell with him in bglory; yea, and I will
cpraise him forever, for he has dbrought
our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the
eEgyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power
into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and
captivity from time to time.
29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of abondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity. 30 But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that ainasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall bprosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.
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28a
Alma 26:7;
3 Ne. 15:1 b TG Exaltation c Ezra 3:11-13; 2 Ne. 9:49 d Mosiah 12:34; D&C 103:16 e Ex. 14:27 (26-27) 29a Mosiah 24:17; Mosiah 25:10; Mosiah 27:16; Alma 5:5-6; Alma 29:12 (11-12) 30a 2 Ne. 1:20 b Mosiah 1:7; Alma 37:13; Alma 50:20
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