Chapter 18
Alma preaches in private—He sets forth the covenant of baptism and baptizes at the waters of Mormon—He organizes the Church of Christ and ordains priests—They support themselves and teach the people—Alma and his people flee from King Noah into the wilderness. About 147–145 B.C.
1 AND now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi—
2 Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.
3 And as many as would hear his word he did teach. And he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of the king. And many did believe his words.
1 AND now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi—
2 Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.
3 And as many as would hear his word he did teach. And he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of the king. And many did believe his words.
Mosiah 18:1-3 (Emphasis mine)
Abinadi has died. He taught the word of the Lord to the people, ignoring the consequences. Mormon records that Abinadi failed at bringing the people to repentance and following the proper gospel. There is only one recorded convert - Alma(1), the former priest of King Noah; but, oh what a convert he was. As we will learn, through Alma(1)'s faithfulness, many people are brought to the truth. The seed was planted and grew. Alma would continue to plant seeds and they would grow; his converts would continue planting seeds and they would grow; and so.
Who was Alma(1)? What do we know of him? L. Gary Lambert wrote about Alma.
"Alma(1) (c. 174—92 B.C.) was the first of two Almas in the Book of Mormon. He was a descendant of Nephi(1), son of Lehi, and was the young priest in the court of king Noah who attempted a peaceful release of the prophet Abinadi. For that action, Alma incurred royal vengeance, banishment, and threats upon his life. He had been impressed by Abinadi's accusations of immorality and abuses within the government and society and by his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mosiah 17:2). Subsequently forced underground, Alma wrote out Abinadi's teachings, then shared them with others, attracting sufficient adherents—450—to organize a society of believers, or a church." (Emphasis mine)
Now what happened? Alma fled from the servants of King Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and then went about privately among the people and began to teach ... And this is what he taught—the absolute basics of the gospel. These are the big questions, these are the essentials. Without them you have no gospel; with them, you have everything. The first is resurrection of the dead. Is there any more [after this life] (sic)? That's a terrible question, you see. Is this all there is? The answer is no, as we saw the last time. There's much more, and it's the resurrection of the dead. The second is that you're not only resurrected to make life possible but to make it endurable and enjoyable. I don't want to live forever, if I've got to suffer forever. No that's not it, but to make life desirable for eternal life—to make it possible and then to make it desirable. And that's the same thing. Redemption of the people. That is atonement, bringing them back to the presence of God, and that happens through power. Things are done through power. It's a physical, real thing that happens. The suffering and death of Christ and his resurrection and ascension—now that's the atonement. What he's preaching here is resurrection, redemption, atonement, buying back again, bringing together again where you were. Notice all these words that begin with re. That means again. A re-surrection means 'a rising up again.' That means you were in the flesh before. Of course we're here now, and then we will rise up again. But then after, it is the redemption. You are bought back again. You came down here, you suffered the Fall, you committed all these sins, etc. Then you're freed. Emptio is 'to buy something,' and redemption is 'to buy somebody back again who was with you before.' See, you were in the presence of the Lord before; now he's buying you back into his service again after you've been out of it for a while. You've been serving the devil. That's what he [Alma] (sic) preached." (Emphasis mine)
Lecture 36: Mosiah 16-18, Hugh W. Nibley,
As he secretly taught the words of Abinadi, his church began to grow.
4 And it came to pass that as many as did believe him did go forth to a place which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king, being in the borders of the land having been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts.
5 Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king.
6 And it came to pass that as many as believed him went thither to hear his words.
5 Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king.
6 And it came to pass that as many as believed him went thither to hear his words.
Mosiah 18:4-6 (Emphasis mine)
Alma hid at a place that will be known as the Waters of Mormon. It is hear the his followers come to hear his preaching.
Hugh Nibley
"Alma's hideout at the waters of Mormon was in open country, as we have seen: 'a fountain of pure water, . . . a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime, and where he baptized 'in the forest that was near the waters' (Mosiah 18:5, 30). Streams in arid countries, as we all know, are usually bordered by extensive 'thickets of small trees,' like willows or mesquite, that provide excellent concealment." (Emphasis mine)
Gordon Thomasson discussed the etymology of the word Mormon.
"Names can have multiple meanings and functions. The Greek "pre-historic" word Mormo (which is to say it is a loan word into Greek, probably from some other Mediterranean culture) refers to the sound made by wild animals, a growl or a murmur, and is an example of onomatopoeia. If the place name Mormon has the same root as Mormo, it is quite appropriately used, based upon this etymology, to refer to the wilderness area where Alma's young Church began, a place characterized by the text as being 'infested, by times, or at seasons, by wild beasts' (Mosiah 18:4). The word Mormon almost immediately took on other associations, however, linked with the covenants entered into by the members of the new Church. It may also have good Egyptian meanings, including associations with wild animals and even with the concept of 'more good.' "(Emphasis mine)
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