Alma(2) (hereafter referred to as Alma) and the sons of Mosiah have been confronted by an angel. He spoke to them with a voice of thunder, but they could not understand him.
Think about this for a moment. These five have been going around destroying the church. They’re obviously charismatic men and are successful in their efforts. They don’t believe in the nonsense their fathers taught them.
Suddenly, their world has fallen apart. They are confronted with this “nonsense,” an angel of the Lord. Is it any wonder they fell to the earth “in their astonishment?”
13 Nevertheless he cried again, saying: 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. 14 And again, the angel said: 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 And now it came to pass that these were the last words which the angel spake unto Alma, and he departed.
Mosiah 27:13-17 (Emphasis mine)
The angel commanded Alma to arise. Immediately he challenged him. Why are you persecuting the church? This is the Lord’s church. Nothing will “overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.” Alma is told that, no matter how successful he believes he is, he would ultimately fail. He could not, and the Lord would not let him, destroy the church from the outside. Only the members can do that.
Hugh Nibley observed:
“When Alma's own son went around the country with King Mosiah's sons preaching publicly against everything their fathers stood for, those two powerful men took no action against them (Mosiah 27:8–10). It took an angel to stop the young smart-alecks, and even he made it perfectly clear that God would not revoke the agency of those who opposed his purposes: ‘This is my church ... and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people’ (Mosiah 27:13). God guarantees the integrity of his church against all external enemies, but he will not deny the members the right to transgress and destroy it.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
This is a powerful concept. Only we, as members of His church, can ultimately bring it to destruction.
We saw this in the early history of the Christian Church. The members suffered severe persecution and opposition. The forces of society were united again the church, but they failed. Nothing they could do could bring down the church. It wasn’t until a few centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection that the church began to be influenced more by the philosophies of man then the guidance of the Spirit. The full truths and authority were eventually lost and had to be restored.
The angel told Alma that he was there in answer to prayers of the people and the prayers of his father. They asked the Lord to help him to find the truth. That’s why I’m here, the angel tells him. Coming with the power and authority of the Lord, he was there for that purpose through the faith of his servants.
He was challenged “can ye dispute the power of God … doth not my voice shake the earth … can ye not also behold me?” (verse 15). He testified to Alma he was sent from God.
Once again, we see the importance of remembering when the Lord freed his father and his people from bondage. It was the Lord who delivered his father. It was the Lord that delivered Lehi and his party from bondage and brought them here to the new world.
Cease your efforts to destroy the church, the angel told him. Remember, the prayers on his behalf were answered. If he is cast off, it will be his choice.
These words would remain with Alma. We read his words to Korihor a few years later. He tells him that “it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words; therefore if thou shalt deny again, behold God shall smite thee, that thou shalt become dumb, that thou shalt never open thy mouth any more, that thou shalt not deceive this people any more” (Alma 30:47).
John Tvedtnes shares another example.
“As he thought about their former association and how they found the truth of the gospel together, Alma reflected on the angel who had descended out of heaven and ‘spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood’ (Mosiah 27:11; cf. Mosiah 27:15, 18). In astonishment, they had fallen to the earth as the angel called them to repentance (see Mosiah 27:12, 18). The memories of this event came flooding back as Alma exclaimed:
“O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
“Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. (Alma 29:1–2)” [2] (Emphasis mine)
After telling Alma the choice of salvation or being cut off from the presence of the Lord was his, he departed, leaving Alma in a weakened state.
[1] Freemen and King-men in the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 3, 2012.
[2] The Voice of an Angel, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 3, 2012.
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