20 Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.
21 And now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words unto them, he stretched forth his hand unto them and cried with a mighty voice, saying: Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth nigh;
22 Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations; yea, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people, yea, even to them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth; wherefore they have come unto us.
23 And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard.
Alma 13:20–23 (Emphasis mine)
Alma(2) reminded them that they had the scriptures. If they ignore them, if they twist their meanings, this will lead to their destruction.
“It can be done, just as it can be done with the Constitution or anything else—you can wrest them. How can you avoid that natural tendency to wrest them in your own interest? Of course, take them in their full context and with prayer. Prayer doesn't give me a franchise to give my personal interpretation and impose it on anybody else.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
He called them to repent. The Lord, through the mouth of angels, has declared his words for the people to have great joy. He spreads this joy to all people, including “them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth.” (verse 22). This is how they know the word of God.
“Five hundred years after Jacob, Alma could write that his people were both blessed and sorrowful in their wandering state. Because of their isolation, he says, God gives them special revelation, and glad tidings ‘are made known to us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored’ (Alma 13:23).” [2] (Emphasis mine)
The Lord speaks in plain language so that we can understand His words. This is so we can fully live his teachings and be found worthy later.
24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.
25 And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.
26 And it shall be made known unto just and holy men, by the mouth of angels, at the time of his coming, that the words of our fathers may be fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
Alma 13:24-26 (Emphasis mine)
Angels are preparing the hearts of men to receive the word of Christ when He comes in his glory. They are being prepared to hear the word of Christ preached directly to them when he comes to visit the Nephites. These words are based on the spirit of prophecy.
7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7 (Emphasis mine)
“[Alma(2)] and others were preparing the hearts of the people of their land to receive Christ's word when he came among them, just as Nephi promised they would need to do. Christ would come among them, Alma says, ‘that the words of our fathers may be fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.’ “ [3] (Emphasis mine)
27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;
28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;
29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.
30 And may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death.
31 And Alma spake many more words unto the people, which are not written in this book.
Alma 13:27-31 (Emphasis mine)
Alma(2) closes his words with an appeal to them to listen to and accept his words. Don’t procrastinate the day of your repentance he tells them. Cast off their sins, humble themselves before the Lord, watch and pray continually that they will not suffer greater temptations than they can bear, be lead by the Spirit to become humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love, and long-suffering.
M. Catherine Thomas comments on the traits Alma(2) emphasizes.
“It is interesting that Alma mentions humility, patience, and love as the spiritual tools of resistance to Satan.
“How important it is for us to know that the spirits who followed Satan in the great rebellion in Heaven got here before even Adam and Eve and are still here. What are they doing? They are influencing you and me. They dwell in the hearts of the children of men (see Mosiah 3:6). We are their victims until we learn to discern what is of God from what is not of God. There are only two options and only two voices…” [4] (Emphasis mine)
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (Emphasis mine)
May they repent and receive eternal life and the rest of God; may they not be bound by the chains of hell and suffer the second death, the spiritual death, being cut off from God.
“The antidote for pride is humility, ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit’ (3 Ne. 9:20, 12:19). Men can choose to do those things that will foster the growth of humility: they can choose to confess and forsake their sins, forgive others, receive counsel and chastisement, esteem others as themselves, render service, love God, and submit to his will (Benson, 1989, p. 7). By yielding ‘to the enticing of the Holy Spirit,’ the prideful individual can become ‘a saint through the atonement of Christ’ and become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble’ (Mosiah 3:19; cf. Alma 13:28).” [5] (Emphasis mine)
Mormon concludes by telling us that, while Alma(2) said more, this is all he included in his record.
[1] Lecture 49: Alma 12-14, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 3, 2011.
[2] The Flight into the Wilderness, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 3, 2011.
[3] A More Perfect Priority? Matthew Roper, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 3, 2011.
[4] Alma the Younger, Part 2, M. Catherine Thomas, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 3, 2011.
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