Alma 42:1-4

(Note - Alma(2)'s son Corianton is concerned about his eternal welfare because he consorted with a Lamanite harlot.  Alma(2) responds to his son's concerns in Alma 39-42.)

1  AND now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand—which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery.
2  Now behold, my son, I will explain this thing unto thee.  For behold, after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were taken—yea, he drew out the man, and he placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life—
3  Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—
4  And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.

Repentance is the key to our "probationary time" on Earth.

I like to look at the etymology of words.  I looked up "repent" and found the following information...

late 13c., "to feel regret for sins or crimes," from O.Fr. repentir (11c.), from re-, intensive prefix, + V.L. *penitire "to regret," from L. poenitire "make sorry,"  Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed 1/31/2011

This shows that the root words  for repentance mean "to regret" or "make sorry." That sounds like a wonderful description of repentance.

As a Gospel concept, there are numerous references to the principal of repentance throughout the scriptures.  Here are a few examples.

17  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mark 2:17

12  And they [the 12] went out, and preached that men should repent.

Mark 6:12 

10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Luke 15:10 

The next two scriptures are a part of Christ's sermon to his apostles after his resurrection.

46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:46 - 47

37 ¶ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:37 - 38 

Again, we have Peter's words... 

19  ¶ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

 Acts 3:10  

 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2 Corinthians 7:10 

9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

So we see that from the scriptures the importance of our repentance.  If we don't repent, we will not be able to dwell with God.  Paul makes this clear...

9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1 Corinthians 6:9

If we repent, we have a great promise.  Isaiah wrote...

18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

As you will see as I continue this discussion, God promises much and all He asks of us is "to repent and serve [Him]."  God asks little of us.  As we will see, in return for our efforts, He promises us great things. 

Alma 42 - Background

This is probably my favorite chapter of scripture in the Book of Mormon.  I feel that it is one of the best (if not the best) set of scriptures explaining the importance of Christ's atonement.  It is my intention to discuss this chapter in the next few posts.  Today, I want to give some background.

Alma(2) and his sons were preaching to the Zoramites.  Alma(2)'s son, Corianton, caused many problems for their work.  His actions damaged their work.  Alma(2) wrote that  "... thou [Corianton] didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom. And this is not all, my son.  Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.  Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. (Alma 39:2-4)

As you read Alma 39-42, you realize that Corianton realizes that he has done wrong, and is now concerned about the justice of God.  Alma(2)'s words address his concerns.

It's interesting that Alma(2) had a rebellious son, considering his past.  

Alma(2) (also known as Alma, the younger) was the son of Alma(1).  Shortly after Alma(1) and his followers arrived in the city of Zarahemela, King Mosiah gave Alma(1) the "authority over the church."  (Mosiah 26:8)  While Alma(1) was building the church, his son, Alma(2) and the four sons of Mosiah were "numbered among the unbelievers." (Mosiah 27:8)  Alma(2) was considered "a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities. And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them."  (Mosiah 27:8-10)  Alma(2), along with the sons of Mosiah went about secretly "[destroying] the church of God ... and to lead astray the people of the Lord ..." (Mosiah 27:10)  Mormon would later describe the five as "... the very vilest of sinners ..." (Mosiah 28:4) 

One day, while they were going about destroying the church, and angel of the Lord appeared to them.  The angel spoke to Alma(2), proclaiming...

"Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God?  For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people ... Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.  And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God?  For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth?  And can ye not also behold me before you?  And I am sent from God.Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them.  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." (Mosiah 27:13-16)

It is then recorded that "... Alma and those that were with him fell again to the earth, for great was their astonishment; for with their own eyes they had beheld an angel of the Lord .. And now the astonishment of Alma was so great that he became dumb, that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father."  (Mosiah 18-29)

Alma(1) rejoiced when he saw what happened to his son.  "And he caused that a multitude should be gathered together that they might witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him.  And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength—that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.  And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up ..." (Mosiah 27:21-23)

Alma(2) expressed his joy because he had "... repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit."  (Mosiah 27:24)  He continued to praise the Lord and renounce his sinful past; he began preaching to the people.  (For the full account of his words, see Mosiah 27:24-31.) 

Alma and the sons of Mosiah would go on to be some of the greatest missionaries in the Book of Mormon. The records of their ministry make some of the most faith promoting readings in the Book of Mormon.  (See Alma 6-26.  These are amazing stories of faith and service to the Lord.)

With this background, I'll being discussing the content of Alma 42 in the next post.

Mosiah 18:8-10

8  And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light;
9  Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10  Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

Mosiah 18:8-10

What does it take to be a true follower of Christ?  Mosiah 18:8-10 is one of the best lists of what it takes.

First, a little background.  Alma(1) is our speaker.  Alma(1) was a priest for the wicked King Noah.  I have no doubt he was living the so-called "good" life;  however, the preaching of Abinadai touched his heart and changed him.  Because of his conversion, Alma(1) fled with a group of followers (he had been privately preaching).

They came to a place called the Waters of Mormon.  Here, the people were "...desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people.. (verse 8)"  Alma(1)'s response was this list.  I want to look at each item listed by Alma(1).

• Be "willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light (verse 8)."  We can no longer be concerned only about self.  We are required to go beyond self and help those around us.  Others are important to the point we must be "willing" to help  them as best we can.  It is easier to face life's challenges when our "burdens" are "light."
• Be "willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort (verse 9)..."  My father-in-law recently died.  He was 92 and had lived a long, good life.  I loved and admired him.  His death was not a surprise, but it was still very painful.  We called our Bishop and he offered any help we needed.  At first, my wife and I thought we could handle things alone.  (My wife's an only-child.) That afternoon, we realized we needed help and called him back.  I will always be moved by the love and support we received from those around us.  We received comfort from the support and help  we received.  The best way I know of to show my full appreciation and gratitude is to be willing to be there when others need it.  
• "(T)o stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places... (verse 10)" I am convinced that this is the key to Alma(1)'s sermon.  It's one thing to say "I believe."  It doesn't take much effort and commitment.  The true follower is willing to always  "stand as witness...at all times and in all things, and in all places..."  That is our true challenge.  It's not always an easy and comfortable thing to do; nevertheless, this is what is expected of us.  No one ever said it would be easy.  No one ever said you'd be comfortable.  No ever said it would be popular.  But those considerations don't matter.  When you covenant "to come into the fold of God," you agree to "witness" regardless of the situation.
• Like everything else we receive from the Lord, there is a great promise attached.  If you do these things, you "ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—"  The promises don't get better than this.  It takes faith and belief; commitment and courage.  The Lord understands this and gives you this great promise.  The Lord has to be the best "employer" I know of.  He "pays" us better than we deserve.  He just expects you to keep your part of the covenant. 

After this, Alma(1) asks "what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord"?  Good question!  And I am convinced that there can only be one possible response:   "And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.(verse 11).

2 Nephi 9:18

2 Nephi 9:18

"But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever."

This scripture caught my attention a couple of years ago.  The setting is part of a sermon given to the Nephites by Nephi's brother Jacob. 

I like this scripture because it points out what the disciples of Christ will endure for their faith and belief.  The line that really caught my attention was "...they who have endured the crosses of the world..."  It will not be easy to be a disciple of Christ.  You will be "despised" for your beliefs.  You will face constant challenges in your life (note the plural "crosses").  Discipleship will be full of demands and challenges. 

But, there are two great promises if you stay as a faithful follower...

1. "...they shall inherit the kingdom of God..."
2. "...their joy shall be full forever."

Wow!  Those are powerful and great promises that await the disciples of Christ.  While it will be tough for a time, the day will come when Christ will welcome you into the Kingdom of God.  A great promise in return for true faith and commitment to Christ.

I love this scripture.

Book Recommendation - By The Hand of Mormon

I'd like to recommend a great book about the Book of Mormon.  This book is By The Hand of Mormon by Dr. Terryl L. Givens. 

Dr. Givens has written an outstanding book that gives you and overview of the Book of Mormon.  Chapters include...

• A discussion about Joseph Smith and how he obtained the golden plates, translated the Book of Mormon, and published the Book  of Mormon.
• The Book of Mormon as Ancient History
• Cultural Product or Sacred Fiction?
• The Book of Mormon as New Theology
• The Book of Mormon as Cultural Touchstone.

Dr. Givens spends time reviewing modern day LDS scholarship about the Book of Mormon.  (Dr. Givens is a member of the LDS Church.)  He discusses the work of John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon.  Dr. Sorenson spent many years studying the Book of Mormon, recording locations, geographical descriptions, settings, etc.  Based on his years of work, he proposes that the Book of Mormon land is located in southern Mexico near the Yucatan peninsula.  

He goes into detail about where possible locations for places like Zarahemla would fit in based on Book of Mormon descriptions.  He proposed a river that could be the River Sidon mentioned in the Book of Mormon.  Based on the description, he proposes that the Sidon is the Grijalva River.  You can see the Grijalva in the map above.  It is near the "O" in Mexico and empties into the Gulf of Mexico.  (A side note - Lawrence Poulsen did a 3-D study of rivers in the Americas.  The Grijalva was the only river that met the requirements as outlined in the Book of Mormon.  For more information, click here.)  Sorenson's work provides a very realistic and possible setting for the Book of Mormon.

He also pays tribute to Hugh Nibley and his work on the Book of Mormon.  In many ways, Dr. Nibley was the first true scholar of the Book of Mormon.  One of the best books I've read about the Book of Mormon is Nibley's An Approach to the Book of Mormon.  One observation Nibley made in the book has stayed with me.  He said that when people ask if the Book of Mormon could have been a product of the 19th Century, he replied, "Absolutely!"  But he went on to say that that was the wrong question.  The question that should be asked is "Is it possible that the Book of Mormon is what we claim it is - an ancient record of Jews who left Jerusalem circa 600 B.C.?" (Note - wordings are paraphrased by me.)  He goes on to establish that it most certainly is possible that the Book of Mormon could have been written by Jews circa 600 B.C.

Givens spends time discussing a current debate about the Book of Mormon - Is the Book of Mormon what Joseph Smith claims (a translation of a set of plates written by an ancient civilization in the Americas & the plates were revealed to him by the angel Moroni) or is it "divine" fiction, i.e., written by Joseph Smith under the inspiration of G-d.  I feel he does a good job presenting both sides of the argument.  He eventually points out that if the Book of Mormon is "divine" fiction, then the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been shaken.  You can't have it both ways - a "divine" fiction and a restored Gospel.

It's a great book.  I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the Book of Mormon, what it is, and what it contains.