A Study Guide Companion for The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
ALMA CHAPTERS
36 - 42
CHAPTER 36
The next few chapters (36—42), are messages that Alma gave his sons, Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton. He bore his testimony to them, admonished them, and told them how he loved them. This gives us insight to the loving and caring nature of this great prophet.
We can profit from Alma’s wisdom. Alma’s words are universal truths. We may read them as though they were spoken directly to us—because they were! God preserved these truths as scriptures.
First Alma spoke to his son, Helaman, and reminded him that God will prosper him if he keeps God’s commandments.
Note:
God prospers people in many ways. Some are given Earthly riches, some are given enlightening intelligence, some are given outstanding talents, some are given great experiences, some are given challenging opportunities; those who seek them are given gifts bestowed directly by the Holy Ghost and are expected to use these gifts to bless others as well as themselves; we are prospered in diverse manners.
Alma spoke to Helaman of the great blessing God gave “our fathers” by releasing them from captivity (Through the centuries, many groups of “fathers”—and “mothers”—were delivered.). Without God’s deliverance, they surely would have been killed or would have lived in slavery.
Alma earnestly beseeched his son to heed the message he was about to give him as he, Alma, confessed his own past sins. As Alma put it, he wanted Helaman to “learn of me.” We would generally say today, “learn from my mistakes.” We can learn from mistakes of others. We do not need to make them all ourselves!
Alma had learned as a young man that God will support those who trust in Him in their trials, their troubles, and their afflictions. These people will eventually be “lifted up at the Last Day,” judged at that last Judgment Day to be worthy to live with God (verse 3).
Because Jesus Christ—who was Jehovah in the pre-Earth life —had always been perfect and had already attained Godhood in that pre-mortal world—infinitely loved and honored His Father—and us—He offered Himself as a Sacrifice so that all of us would be resurrected and, if we tried diligently to follow His example of righteousness, obeying His commandments (which are stepping stones to Eternal Life) we could return to Heavenly Father and progress to Eternal Life and Exaltation. By committing to our Heavenly Father’s will and joining Christ’s fold, and then keeping our commitments, we will become daughters and sons of Jesus Christ as well as being spirit children of Heavenly Father.
When Alma was truly converted to the Gospel, he absolutely committed himself to spend the rest of his life following Jesus Christ; he became a “son” of Jesus Christ.
Alma’s conversion process was astounding. In beautiful Chiasmic literary form Alma told his son about his conversion from his own point of view. An angel stopped Alma in his tracks as he went about with the sons of Mosiah, trying to destroy God’s Church. In humility, Alma gave all of the credit of his conversion where it belonged—to God. He frankly admitted his own sins and his subsequent conversion to the truth.
Alma related that he was so terrified with the realization of what he had been doing, that he fell to the Earth and could not move or talk for three days and three nights.
Alma later found out from the sons of Mosiah that the angel had said more things to him, but he was so terrified that his soul would be destroyed, he was racked with torment and did not take in what else the angel said.
Then Alma went on to describe the horrible torment he went through as he remembered all his sins. He told Helaman of the pained torture of the damned that he experienced personally during the three days.
As Alma the younger was suffering his hellish torment, the priests of the Church fasted and prayed for him.
Alma was blessed with the Light of Christ as he was born into the world as are all people; this Light enlightens our eyes and quickens our understandings. Because of his wicked behavior, Alma’s Light was nearly extinguished. As he suffered the pain of the devil, a glimmer of Christ’s Light helped young Alma remember Alma the Elder’s prophecy of Jesus Christ (verse 17).
Alma desperately needed faith in the Atonement of the Savior. He called out to the Savior. This was the turning point of the whole experience.
Since that wonderful time when God “snatched him from the jaws of hell” and showed him the wonderful joy of living in the Light and being “born of God”—becoming a son of Jesus Christ—Alma devoted his life to helping others come to that same joyful state.
Alma continued to feel joy, much of it coming from success in his missionary labors, the “fruit of his labors.” The Lord blessed him with an ability to share the Gospel, God’s holy word, and help bring others into God’s holy fold.
Alma used beautiful figurative language, such as “tasted as I have tasted,” and imagery, sensory images, to describe some sacred feelings we can experience when we “spiritually feast on the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3). And then, when recounting to Helaman that others “have seen eye to eye,” he meant that many converts he subsequently taught now lived with “an eye single to the glory of God”.
Alma told Helaman of many trials, troubles, and afflictions in which the Lord “supported” him—and stated his trust that God would continue to deliver him from these problems.
More important than being given temporal assistance, Alma bore testimony that he would be brought into God’s Eternal glory at that Last Day.
When Alma had his first vision of angels, he saw and heard them in Light and love, praising the Lord, and he longed to be with them. He now stated that he knew that someday he would be among those who praised the great and powerful God who delivered the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and had protected his family, in the past and present—including saving Lehi’s family from captivity, protecting the Nephites even down to the present.
Repeating his original premise, Alma again told Helaman that as he kept the commandments of God, he would prosper in the land. But he also added that if he did not keep God’s commandments, he would be cut off from God’s Presence.
CHAPTER 37
The Brass Plates, the Large and Small Plates of Nephi, and the twenty-four Plates of Gold found by king Limhi’s expedition during king Mosiah’s time, were all in Alma’s possession. Although he gave up the position of Chief Judge, Alma retained the spiritual position of High Priest over all the Promised Land. As such, these sacred originals of the scriptures were entrusted to him. Alma turned this consecrated trust now over to Helaman. This indicates Helaman was Alma’s spiritual successor.
Alma not only possessed the records, as High Priest and prophet, he continued to write Nephite history and doctrine on them throughout his ministry. He commanded Helaman to assume this responsibility—along with keeping the Plates safe and sacred. Alma knew, as Nephi had known, that the Lord had a great purpose for these scriptures.
The Brass Plates, sacred scriptures, had survived for hundreds of years, since Lehi’s sons turned them over to him in the wilderness by the Red Sea, then also as Nephi took them with him when he fled with his followers after Lehi died.
Often we do not recognize “little miracles” that happen on a daily basis. Sometimes, because a certain happening is not dramatic, we do not recognize it as a miracle. But Alma told his son that by “small and simple things are great things brought to pass”. A miracle of which Alma spoke was that the Plates containing the holy word of God would not become tarnished with time. They would retain their “brightness”.
It should not be surprising that God—who created the world and brought all elements together—can preserve the Plates with their original “brightness.” Alma admitted to Helaman that people may think he was foolish for thinking they would not become tarnished or that God would bother with such a small thing, but God, who even knows each sparrow that falls, does not overlook details.
Helaman had worked closely with the converted Lamanites, who were called the people of Ammon. His father reminded him that witnessing to truth of the scriptures, along with the testimony of the missionaries, was what brought so many thousands into the Gospel. [The Spirit bore witness to the open hearts of the good Lamanites of the truthfulness of the scriptures and the words of the missionaries.]
The Nephite nation was experiencing another of many spiritual crises. Alma
aid not to underestimate the Power the scriptures had to bring many more Lamanites, and also many erring Nephites, to the knowledge of Christ.
The Lord promised earlier Book of Mormon writers He would show forth His Power in “future generations.” This promise was partly fulfilled in Alma’s time as thousands of Lamanites accepted the Gospel. Alma said further generations would see this same holy Power. [Alma’s prophetic message included missions in the latter-days; thousands of Lehi’s descendants are accepting the Gospel each year.]
The Lord promised writers and prophets that the scriptures would be protected and saved.
Alma exhorted Helaman to be faithful to Alma’s words, and to be faithful in keeping the written commandments of God.
Alma said Nephites’ focus should be on Christs Light rather than the devil’s darkness.
Alma then discussed the Liahona. The Liahona, found by Lehi outside of his tent and used to guide his family through the wilderness and at last to the Promised Land, was also a symbol (1 Nephi, Chapter 16, verses 10, and 26-30).
Alma described the appearance and unique workmanship of the Liahona, and its astounding use to Lehi’s people.
When Lehi and his company showed faith and obeyed the Lord’s commandments, the Liahona pointed the way for them to travel through the wilderness.
As they traveled, “little miracles” often occurred for their benefit. Sometimes, however, because they did not recognize these constant blessings, they complained, not exercising their faith—not appreciating or obeying the clear way the Lord pointed for them to go. When they were “slothful” in their faith, their progress through the wilderness was slowed.
Without comprehensive faith in the Lord, they could not travel a direct course and they suffered many afflictions.
When Lehi’s company did not follow the Lord’s compass, they did not prosper temporally; the Liahona represented God’s compass for spiritual direction toward Eternal progression.
The Liahona represented the word of Christ that we can all follow when reading the scriptures. With faith in the word of the Lord, and exercising this faith by keeping His commandments, we will progress; when we do not exercise our faith, we will not.
The Promised Land itself is a symbol of the Eternal Promised Land, or Eternal Life with God.
Again Alma stressed for Helaman the great shortcut of learning from the mistakes of others. Because the way the Lord prepares for us is simple to follow, many of us do not appreciate its great miracle.
Once more Alma stressed the sacredness of the many scriptures of which Helaman would now have charge. Alma counseled Helaman to take his responsibilities “soberly,” or seriously, and to go and declare God’s holy word to the people.
CHAPTER 38
Alma’s second son, Shiblon, had been with Alma on the mission to the Zoramites. Although he was young, he had conducted himself well. Alma told Shiblon that it was absolutely essential to keep God’s commandments to someday return to His holy Presence.
Alma began by giving Shiblon the same contrasting promise and warning that he had earlier given to Helaman.
Alma recognized and appreciated that Shiblon was steady and faithful. But this wise father knew that was just the beginning. He wanted Shiblon to continue to keep God's commandments
Alma gave Shiblon full credit for how he performed in his difficult mission to the Zoramites. The wicked Zoramites had abused Shiblon by stoning him and putting him in bonds, yet he remained patient, showing trust that God would deliver him. In addition to his steadiness and faithfulness, Alma commended Shiblon for his diligence, patience, and long-suffering.
Alma admonished Shiblon to continue in his faith, trusting God to support him in his trials, troubles, and afflictions. Then he would be “lifted up”—or be able to live with Christ and Heavenly Father—at the Last Day.
Alma testified with absolute authority because he was blessed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. He received his information from the Spirit of God and from an angel, who also spoke with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Alma wanted his sons to know that God, in His mercy, had snatched him from the jaws of hell. Then perhaps his sons would never put themselves in that same awful position, and perhaps they would be more compassionate toward the people they taught.
Alma knew how horrible the pain of the damned was, especially knowing it was his own fault that he was in agony. Only when he cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ, did he feel peace in his soul, knowing then that he could repent and be saved).
The encounter with anguish was so vivid and terrible in Alma’s memory that he absolutely did not want his son to live through the same misery. He admonished Shiblon—as he had Helaman—to learn wisdom from his father’s mistakes. Shiblon could certainly experience joy in Jesus Christ without personally experiencing the agony of the damned.
The word of God never reaches the heart of the listener through debate and contention, but by testimony of the Holy Ghost. Becoming angry and intemperate while attempting to teach the Gospel is counter-productive. While not always easy to be temperate, it is a necessary characteristic to develop. Alma cautioned Shiblon continue to be diligent, to work seriously and consistently in all good things, and to be temperate (verse 10).
There is a major difference between glorying in our Lord Jesus Christ and the success He offers us contrasted with losing our humility and thinking success comes from ourselves. Alma wanted to be sure his son discerned the difference between boasting of his own wisdom and boasting of God’s strength.
Alma counseled Shiblon to be bold in proclaiming the Gospel, but to keep his carnal passions in check. If we cater to the spirit within us rather than to the body, we are more likely to be filled with love, which comes with Christ’s holy Light.
Reminding Shiblon that the Zoramites prayed to show off and to extol their own supposed virtues to all who listened (not particularly recognizing—or caring for—God as a listener), Alma reminded Shiblon to be humble in prayers, and to pray for others as well as for himself.
As a father, it was Alma’s dearest wish to have his sons with him in the Celestial Kingdom someday, living with the Savior, Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. He blessed Shiblon with righteousness and with an understanding that his mission was to save souls for Christ.
CHAPTER 39
Alma’s conversation with his third son, Corianton, was so much more difficult than his discussions with his two older sons. Corianton, who was also called as a missionary to the Zoramites, had broken the trust of the ministry; he committed serious sins, of both omission and commission.
Mormon wrote an extensive summary of Alma’s admonitions to his youngest son, likely because the teachings given to Corianton are also important for latter-day readers of The Book of Mormon.
Sins of Omission
Alma told Corianton he was not steady in his faithfulness and diligence in keeping God’s commandments, particularly in his mission to the Zoramites.
Sins of Commission
Corianton did more than omit important virtues. He committed two serious sins, boasting and immorality.
The sin of boasting can lead to more serious sins, because it includes lack of humility, or unrighteous pride.
We can choose to acknowledge God, leading a Christ-centered life, following His commandments and His examples. This guides us on the path to Eternal Life; Heavenly Father established the correct map, and Christ not only tells us how to live, but also shows us the way.
If we recognize only our own strength and wisdom, and establish our own maps, we are leading self-centered lives. Satan glories in this decision because he knows our own maps are flawed and that when we follow them instead of God’s map, we will get lost; we will stray into the devil’s evil clutches.
Alma next seriously chastened Corianton for indulging in one of the three most serious sins in life…immorality…as he went into the land of Siron after the harlot Isabel. Not only did he damage his own soul through this sin, he became a means of leading others astray and weakening their faith.
Alma did not excuse the moral lax in the behavior of Corianton just because “others did it.” Corianton had been ordained as a missionary and was blessed with the Light of Christ; he was expected to do the work of God.
Alma said that the lack of chastity is the third most serious of all sins. The most serious sin is denying the Holy Ghost, the next most serious is shedding innocent blood, and the third is the combination of sexual sins.
In telling his son the severity of this sin he committed, Alma talks briefly about two other sins—sins that were not committed by Corianton. Mentioning these was a warning not only to Corianton, but also to any reader of Alma’s words.
The second most serious sin, just up from gravity of unchastity, is murder.
Denying the Holy Ghost is the Unpardonable Sin.
In the beginning, God separated the Light of Christ, ultimate goodness, from darkness—evil. He called the Light good. The Light, emanating from Christ, fills the universe.
In our pre-mortal life, Lucifer, now called Satan, looked upon the Light and denied it, fought against it, and taught and persuaded others to fight against it.
Lucifer and those who followed him, warred against Light with the full knowledge that the Light existed and that it was good. They purposely—deliberately—set out to replace the holy Light of Christ with evil and darkness. They did this to aggrandize themselves and to gain power over God’s other spirit children, stripping us of our agency and enslaving us in chains of that evil and darkness.
Satan and his angels are yet actively and aggressively engaged in this abominable cause. They try harder than ever because they chose to forfeit the wonderful opportunity to receive mortal bodies and progress. Eternally, and they are miserable because of this evil choice. Their aim now is to frustrate Heavenly Father’s holy Plan, to capture as many of us as they can, and to make the rest of us as miserable as they are.
Some mortals have obtained a perfect knowledge of Christ and His righteousness. They are given this knowledge as a blessing through the Power of the Holy Ghost.
If absolutely knowing the truth, they lie, deliberately—denying the Holy Ghost while looking into the Light—fighting against Christ, putting Him to open shame, they choose to let themselves become Satan’s followers like his spirit followers. Using their God-given agency, they choose darkness and evil, saying Light is darkness and darkness is Light, thereby purposely and calculatingly joining with the “liar from the beginning”. They condone all evil and deny Christ—their God and ours—and His ultimate goodness. They do this in spite of the clear undisputed witness—which they know is true—of the Holy Ghost. Further, their design is to deceptively draw others into their web of miserable darkness through despicable deliberate lies. This sin is unpardonable.
In great love, Alma told him he must repent or his sins would testify against him at the Last Day. This is hypostatization—comparingsins to a person who could testify. This symbolic language is an appropriate comparison. Alma also said that God was very aware of his sins.
Alma did not only counsel his son to repent, he laid out certain steps he must take. Most pertinent was to stop committing the sins.
Corianton was not without help. Alma told him to talk with his older brothers, be nourished by them, and take their advice.
Alma warned his son not to be led by the devil into “vain and foolish things.”
There is a law of cause and effect, actions and consequences. Alma said that because of the two serious sins Corianton committed, boasting and immorality, he broke the trust of the ministry; he caused Zoramites who saw him breaking the commandments ignore Alma’s preaching of God’s word.
Corianton was an obstacle in the missionary effort, so the Holy Ghost told Alma to command his own children to do good so they would not hinder the Salvation of those they were trying to bring unto Christ.
Not only was Corianton to refrain from evil. He was to embrace the work of the Lord with his whole heart, beginning by confessing his sins to the people he was leading astray.
Alma reminded Corianton that the good that he did on Earth—not riches or “vain things of the world”—would go with him Eternally.
Part of Corianton’s problem was not having a firm grasp on the basic doctrine of the Gospel. Alma began by teaching him of the love of Christ for people of all ages. Alma testified that God loves people of all eras; He could send an angel or messenger to them at any time, before or after His coming.
CHAPTER 40
Alma taught Corianton important aspects of the Resurrection of the dead and many doctrinal points of the Resurrection. (Both mortal and corruption refer to, “our Earthly bodies that are subject to death. “Both immortality and incorruption refer to, “our resurrected bodies.”)
Christ brought the Resurrection to pass.
We need to keep in mind that Alma was speaking to Corianton over 70 years before Christ was born.
There was no Resurrection until Christ Himself bought it about.
Alma did not claim to know all of God’s mysteries, but with much study and prayer, he learned some of them. He shared with Corianton some of the knowledge he had received from God.
All people will be resurrected.
Men measure time differently than God. All is one day with God.
Alma said that it did not matter how many times are appointed for people to come forth from the dead. The important thing was that all would come forth at one time or another.
Alma gave clear insights into what will happen following death. Latter-day prophets have added to this.
After people die, their spirits are taken home to that God who gave them life.
There is a space between death and one’s Resurrection.
An angel told Alma that in that space of time, both the good and the evil people go to God. There are two major areas, or degrees, within the world of spirits—namely Paradise and the spirit prison.
Those who welcome the Light of Christ, given to all people, are assigned to Paradise after they die. Those open to the spirit of the devil are assigned to “darkness.” These places are places of waiting until the Resurrection.
Because there are many places to which various spirits initially return as spirits after dying, some regard this as a resurrection. Alma said that it may be “termed” a resurrection of a sort because the spirit rises from its Earthly body to go to an assigned place, but it isn’t the actual Resurrection which joins the body and spirit permanently.
Death itself is an initial day of judgment for all persons,
both the righteous and the wicked.
When the spirit leaves the body at death,
is taken home to that God who gave it life, meaning that it returns to live
in the realm of spiritual existence.
At that time the spirit undergoes a partial judgment
and is assigned an inheritance in Paradise or in hell
to await the day of the first or second Resurrection.
After Christ’s Atonement and death, He opened the opportunity for the spirits in hell to receive the message of Salvation—still coming through repentance. One responsibility of the righteous spirits is to be missionaries to those dwelling in the hell of the spirit world.
Now that the righteous spirits in Paradise have been commissioned to carry the message of Salvation to the wicked spirits in hell, there is a certain amount of mingling together of the good and bad spirits. Repentance opens the prison doors to the spirits in hell; it enables those bound with the chains of hell
to free themselves from darkness, unbelief, ignorance, and sin.
As rapidly as they can overcome these obstacles—gain light, believe truth, acquire intelligence, cast off sin, and break the chains of hell—
they can leave the hell that imprisons them and dwell with the righteous
in the peace of Paradise.
Nevertheless, there are still divisions, depending of the choices of the spirits to whom the message of the Gospel is taught. They have their agency—and are “possessed by the same spirit which possessed them in their Earthly life.” That is one reason it is so important to repent in this life—while we may still use both our bodies and our spirits to overcome sin.
Regarding divisions in the spirit world, Daniel Ludlow (Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 224) quotes Apostle Parley P. Pratt, an associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith and writer of books and pamphlets clarifying doctrine. Apostle Pratt explained there are many sub-divisions, or degrees, within the two major spheres in the spirit world.
The world of resurrected beings, and the world of spirits, are two distinct spheres, as much so as our own sphere is distinct from that of the spirit world.
Where then does the spirit go, on its departure from its Earthly tabernacle?
It passes to the next sphere of human existence, called the world of spirits,
a vail [sic] being drawn between us in the flesh, and that world of spirits.
There are many places and degrees in that world, as in this.
Jesus Christ, the God of this world, reigns in this world of spirits. It is not the Celestial Kingdom—yet. But someday this world will be Celestialized, the world of spirits is now on Earth within the “Celestial system.” It is a place of waiting and working. Spirits in this Paradisiacal realm often work for God’s glory, which is to bring others to the Savior. They do their work through the Power of the Holy Ghost and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—for God’s children on both sides of the veil.
Alma gave as his opinion that it was the souls of the righteous who would be resurrected when Christ was resurrected.
The Resurrection itself will be a type of judgment.
We will be resurrected into bodies according to the glory we have earned.
The righteous will “shine forth.”
The wicked will receive punishment for their sins—since they chose not to accept the punishment that Jesus Christ already suffered for them in His atoning Sacrifice.
CHAPTER 41
Alma expanded the meaning of “the Restoration of all things.
Alma understood Corianton, and told his son that he realized that his mind was worried. Teaching the Gospel, when we do so in Christ’s holy Light with the Power of the Holy Ghost, we can often perceive the learners’ vantage points or concerns. That helps us help them. Alma simply told Corianton that he would help him understand the concept of the Restoration—and then he explained it to him. Alma, as a prophet and servant of God, was in position to do this.
The Resurrection is requisite and just.
Jesus Christ, the “first fruits” of the Resurrection was the first to be resurrected. He had the Power of life within Him, given to Him from our Heavenly Father. He came to Earth with all the Power of God (“the fullness of the Godhead bodily”).
He was entrusted with the great, sacred, and infinite and Eternal difficult mission to atone for our sins and absolutely experience all of our pains—then give up His perfect life, and take it up again in His holy Resurrection—to ensure Resurrection for us all.
When Christ voluntarily gave up His life, and then He took it up again, instituting the Resurrection, it was not taken from Him against His will—although that was the intent of wicked men. He had within Himself the Power of Light and Life.
The Savior gave up His mortal life for us and with His Power of perfect faith, having fulfilled the Father’s will, He was able to take it up again.
Because of Christ’s perfection and obedience, we will also all be resurrected.
God’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of order. Jesus Christ performed the final and perfect Sacrifice. It is requisite, in justice of this infinitely loving act, that all [permanent] death would end—everything should be restored to their proper order.
7. Christ, being One with the Father, possesses the Power of faith in Himself, an independent faith.
Christ, being One with the Father, possesses the Power of faith in Himself, an independent faith...
God is the only supreme Governor and Independent Being in whom all fullness and perfection dwell; who is omnipotent, omnipresent
and omniscient; without beginning of days or end of life;
and that in Him every good gift and every good principle dwell;
and that He is the Father of Lights; in Him the principle of faith
dwells independently, and He is the object in whom the faith
of all other rational and accountable beings center for Life and Salvation.
(Joseph Smith, “Lectures on Faith”—Lecture #2)
Christ creates worlds and fills the universe with His Light by His perfect faith.
By this perfect faith Christ completed the infinite Eternal Atonement.
By this perfect faith Christ was resurrected.
By Christ’s perfect faith we will all be resurrected.
Christ’s acts of faith, performed with infinite love and with mercy, satisfied the great law of justice, demanding that the grave give up all of its dead, bringing forth for us assured immortality and the opportunities of Salvation and Exaltation.
Alma made clear that Christ always has His Arm outstretched, welcoming those who truly repent and come unto Him.
Emphasizing the law of personal agency, Alma clearly stated that it is our choice whether to stand or fall—or rather to choose good or evil.
We choose our own judgment by choosing our own actions. God’s laws are Eternal; they do not change. We can always count on God and His decrees being the same. Through the Way, the Plan of Salvation, the covenant path, we can always choose righteousness and be saved.
After explaining Eternal consequences of choice to Corianton, Alma admonished his son not to risk the consequences he would bring on himself by continuing in sin. Alma emphasized that a life of sin would not equal an afterlife of happiness—“wickedness never was happiness.”
The nature of God is the nature of goodness and happiness. Alma used several phrases to contrasthow opposite to this happy state is to the state of people who choose to live without God in the world.
CHAPTER 42
The doctrines Alma taught Corianton are Eternal and just. Yet Alma perceived, by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, that his son was still uncertain in his mind regarding the justice of the sinner being in a state of misery because of his sins. So Alma explained the Eternal laws of justice and mercy.
Adam and Eve were not allowed to go back into the Garden of Eden
to eat from the Tree of Life. To explain the simple, yet Eternal, basis for this doctrine, Alma reminded Corianton circumstances surrounding Adam and Eve being sent forth from the Garden of Eden. After they had been sent from the Garden, angels were left to guard the entrance so they could not get back.
After Adam and Eve had changed their physical and spiritual state so they were no longer like innocent children, the Lord protected them and any of their posterity from eating from the Tree of Life [for Adam and Eve’s own protection and for the preservation of all humankind.
It is important to realize that when Adam and Eve “became as God,” knowing good and evil, that was a beginning aspect in which they could become as gods. It would take an enormous amount of time, learning, and repentance—and, most important, our Savior to pay for their transgressions, sins, and mistakes—before they were truly on the way to become as Gods. This also applies to us and all humankind.
Although the transgression was necessary for Adam and Eve’s progression, and for the opportunity for the rest of us to progress, there was a consequence attached to the eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That consequence was temporal and spiritual separation from God. Adam and Eve’s bodies were subject to temporal death and they also were not perfect—and no unclean thing can return to live in God’s presence.
The law of justice works in relationship to the other laws of God in the moral realm.
All commandments the Lord gives us, and all of His expectations of us,
are for our own Eternal good.
All commandments the Lord gives us and all things He asks us to do are for our eternal good. Commandments and expectations come from His infinite love for us. They are steps on the pathway to Eternal Life.
The change that Adam and Eve’s bodies experienced after they ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil made them subject to appetites of the flesh. Then they had to struggle—as do all mortals—to not allow these bodies of flesh, houses for their eternal spirits, power to subdue those spirits. Overcoming and controlling the natural tendencies of mortal appetites was a necessary lesson for them to learn.
Justice is an eternal and irrevocable law.
No matter how hard Adam and Eve and we, their posterity, try—we cannot erase the stains that come from sins we commit. Justice demands that we suffer punishment for them. This awful punishment is separation from God and joining with evil. If mortals died without a Savior, they would be then subjected to Satan, not being allowed to come back into God’s presence in their imperfections.
Alma interjected that the law of justice is necessary; without the law of justice, God would cease to be God—as sin would be tolerated. Therefore, because we all sin to one degree or another, all mankind (if not for the Plan of Redemption) would be in the grasp of this strict law and would never be able to return to God. Repentance would not be possible because it would take us out of the grasp of the Eternal law of justice, which says—if we sin there must be the ultimate punishment, or separation from God.
Alma foreshadowed that it would take repentance for the Plan of Redemption, the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Happiness, to work. This is because a just and pure God cannot tolerate sin—no matter how much He loves the sinner..
Alma then continued explaining the state of humankind after the fall, saying how things would have been without the Plan of Redemption—which had already been put in place.
By grand design, before Adam and Eve were ever placed in the Garden, the principle of mercy, which is only possible with repentance, was integral to the Plan of Redemption, also called the Plan of Salvation andthe Plan of Happiness. Repentance could only be allowed through Atonement by a Savior—the infinite and great and Eternal Atonement central to the Plan.
Mercy is an Eternal law that is only made possible
through Christ’s infinite Atonement.
The only One qualified to make a needed great and infinite and Eternal Atonement was already a God—the firstborn Son of God the Father—namely, Jehovah. Jehovah, Jesus Christ, was and is perfect.
He was perfect in the Spirit World before the worlds were made;
He was perfect in His Earthly life, totally without sin, fulfilling all righteousness—explicitly obeying all of God the Father’s commandments.
He had and has perfect and infinite love for all of us.
He is perfect and glorified.
God the Father, and God the Son are just and merciful. Christ’s Atonement for us makes repentance possible.
Without the opportunity to repent and be cleansed of sins, none of us could return to God. Without a great and infinite Atonement, we could not have an opportunity to repent. A great and infinite Atonement allows the law of mercy to take effect.
The Lord leads us to Eternal Life by giving us eternal laws.
Alma explained logically to Corianton that sinning is breaking the laws God has given us. He gave us the laws so, by obeying them, we can return to Him and someday progress to become like Him. The nature of law suggests punishment for breaking it and a reward for keeping it. If we had no law we could not break it. Repentance requires a consequence for sin.
Unfortunately, most of humankind needs the added incentive—of knowing of a punishment for evil! Alma gave examples, explaining that if there was no punishment for sin, too many would sin, causing Earthly as well as Eternal chaos! It would be better if everyone did the right thing because it was right—but Alma obviously did not think most people would adhere to this principle. “If there was no law given against sin, men would not be afraid to sin.
Without the eternal laws there would be no justice and no mercy.
Our Lord gives us Eternal Godly laws. Obedience to God’s laws will bring us closer to perfection. They encompass justice, and because of Christ’s Atonement, they encompass mercy. Justice is necessary because sin cannot be tolerated. Mercy is also necessary because it allowed our God to take our sins on Himself and suffer the punishment for these sins—making repentance possible for us. Without justice and mercy, we could make no Eternal progress (verse 21).
The Eternal Law is given. If we choose repentance through Christ’s Eternal and Infinite Atonement we choose mercy and Eternal Life; If we choose to not accept the opportunity to repent, we choose justice and Eternal punishment.
A perfect, just, and merciful God will not allow evil, but He will provide for His children to overcome evil and come back to Him (verses 22 & 23).
Christ’s great and infinite Atonement:
Makes mercy possible,
Brings to pass the Resurrection of the dead,
Which restores us to the Presence of God,
To be judged according to our works,
According to the law and justice.
Possibly to make sure there was no misunderstanding, Mormon recorded Alma’s summarized points:
Christ calls all of us to come partake of His Atonement—to use the beautiful principle of repentance, partaking of His Light and Love. Each person has his or her own agency, but there is a consequence, depending on his or her
Therefore, O my son, whosoever will [so chooses]
may come and partake of the waters of life freely [the Atonement of Christ through repentance];
and whosoever will not [chooses not to partake of the Atonement]
is not compelled to come;
but in the Last Day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.
(verse 27)
Alma reached out to his son, a son he loved, and implored him to not let God’s purposes trouble him, but instead let his sins trouble him—because then he would be brought to repentance.
Alma admonished Corianton to recognize that God’s justice is not only fair, but it is necessary—and not excuse himself by saying that it was not fair (verse 30).
Then he pleaded for Corianton to be humble and teachable and repent, and then let not only the justice of God, but God’s mercy, work in his life. He also included the hope for Corianton to accept the long-suffering of Christ.
After calling Corianton to repentance, and then expounding many doctrines that had been troubling the young man, and also by bearing testimony of their truth, Alma reminded his son of his calling. He then admonished him to go forth, teaching these great doctrines to others so they too would repent and accept the Great Plan of Redemption.
