14 And now it came to pass that when Mosiah had made an end of speaking and reading to the people, he desired that Alma should also speak to the people. 15 And Alma did speak unto them, when they were assembled together in large bodies, and he went from one body to another, preaching unto the people repentance and faith on the Lord. 16 And he did exhort the people of Limhi and his brethren, all those that had been delivered out of bondage, that they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them.
Mosiah 25:14 – 16 (Emphasis mine)
The King finished speaking and then turned the time over to Alma(1). The people were assembled in large bodies, so he went from group to group. With one exception, Mormon tells us he preached repentance and faith on the Lord.
The once exception was to the people of Limhi. He wanted them to remember that the Lord delivered them. Were it not for the Lord, they would still be in bondage.
Grant Hardy writes about Alma(1)’s additional words to the people of Limhi.
“… [T]he choices Mormon made are perhaps most revealing when his editing shows him to be a real human being trying to draw uplifting lessons from mean and ugly events. This is manifest in two approaches: (1) a spiritual interpretation of political events and (2) drastic simplification that highlights the distinction between the obedient and disobedient.
“For an example of the first point, consider the single thing Mormon chooses to tell us out of Alma's exhortation (which probably lasted for hours) to the people of Limhi in Zarahemla after their arrival there. He features Alma's statement that they ‘should remember that it was the Lord’ that delivered them (Mosiah 25:16). When we read the account of Limhi's escape in Mosiah 22, we see that freedom came through a cunning scheme by which the people of Limhi got the Lamanite guards drunk. Yet Mormon provides a spiritual interpretation of this escape to emphasize that, despite what may seem to be men's own cleverness, planning, and apparent luck, God is really the one making things happen. Mormon's frequent ‘and thus we see’ comments reveal this view.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
17 And it came to pass that after Alma had taught the people many things, and had made an end of speaking to them, that king Limhi was desirous that he might be baptized; and all his people were desirous that they might be baptized also. 18 Therefore, Alma did go forth into the water and did baptize them; yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did his brethren in the waters of Mormon; yea, and as many as he did baptize did belong to the church of God; and this because of their belief on the words of Alma. 19 And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church.
Mosiah 25:17-19 (Emphasis mine)
After Alma(1) finished preaching to the people of Limhi, they were desirous that they might be baptized. Earlier in Mosiah, the people of Limhi express a desire to be baptized after they have been converted by Ammon(1). Mormon wrote: [t]hey were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter” (Mosiah 21:35). Mormon is now giving us an account that was promised earlier in the Book of Mormon.
Daniel C. Peterson observes:
“At a slightly later time, King Limhi and his people also desired baptism as an expression of their commitment to do the will of God. But ‘they did not at that time form themselves into a church’ because ‘there was none in the land that had authority from God’ (Mosiah 21:34, 33) … (Ammon, the warrior from Zarahemla who had led the expedition to find them, evidently had priesthood authority but felt himself unworthy to exercise it and declined to perform the ordinance of baptism for them.) Later, when the groups led by Alma and Limhi were reunited in Zarahemla, Limhi's people were baptized by Alma. ‘Yea, and as many as he did baptize did belong to the church of God’ (Mosiah 25:18).” [2] (Emphasis mine)
Alma(1) then baptized the people of Limhi in the same manner as he did at the water of Mormon. At the waters of Mormon, Alma(1) “said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world. And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit. And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water. And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon…” (Mosiah 18:13-16).
The King then gave Alma(1) the authority to organize churches throughout the land and to ordain teachers and priests as well.
20 Now this was done because there were so many people that they could not all be governed by one teacher; neither could they all hear the word of God in one assembly; 21 Therefore they did assemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma. 22 And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one church, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God.
Mosiah 25:20-22 (Emphasis mine)
The number of people in the church was so large that it was not possible to preach to them at one time. This is why they were divided into different bodies, called churches. Each church had the priests and teacher. Every priest preached the word as they were delivered to them by Alma(1). Even so, there was only one church. This was how things were setup by Alma(1) after fleeing from King Noah. “And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church” (Mosiah 18:17).
Daniel Peterson explains the concept of the “church:”
“[T]he ‘church,’ that innovation indirectly brought about by King Noah in the land of Nephi, maintained its separate existence in the land of Zarahemla. King Mosiah granted to Alma the right to "establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla" and authorized him "to ordain priests and teachers over every church" (Mosiah 25:19)—a prerogative heretofore pertaining to the kingship. Indeed, Mosiah gave Alma authority over the church (Mosiah 26:8), thus effectively delegating to another man a major portion of the sacral authority that had traditionally been attached to the Nephite throne. (In what follows, we shall see that Mosiah had felt himself overburdened by the responsibilities he bore as king. He was presumably quite happy to divest himself of some of them.) Priests in the church at Zarahemla taught the people what they received from Alma to teach (Mosiah 25:21), he having received it in his turn from God, whom he represented. Thus, the pyramidal hierarchy of heavenly king, earthly king, priests, teachers, and people, so characteristic of earlier Nephite thought and practice, survived under the new order, albeit in somewhat different form.” [3] (Emphasis mine)
23 And now there were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla. And it came to pass that whosoever were desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God; 24 And they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.
Mosiah 25:23-24 (Emphasis mine)
Seven churches were formed in the land of Zarahemla. Hugh Nibley discusses the seven churches.
“This was more than a spiritual segregation—it was a real organization: ‘They did assemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma’ (Mosiah 25:21). There were seven such churches,’ and they were called the people of God’ (Mosiah 25:24). Everything remained strictly under Alma's control, for he ‘was their high priest, he being the founder of their church’ (Mosiah 23:16) who personally consecrated the priests and teachers who ‘did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness’ (Mosiah 23:17—18). Moreover, the people had their own territory, and ‘they called the land Helam’ (Mosiah 23:19), and they built their own city, ‘which they called the city of Helam’ (Mosiah 23:20).” [4] (Emphasis mine)
If anyone desired to take upon them the name of Christ, they joined one of the churches. They were the people of God, and they were blessed and prospered in the land.
[1] Mormon's Agenda, Grant R. Hardy, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 25, 2012.
[2] Authority in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 25, 2012.
[4] Churches in the Wilderness, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 25, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment