Alma 45:1-11

In the Weekend section of today’s Desert Morning News you find Chris Hick’s weekly column.  The headline caught my attention – Don’t Become Complacent With the Sleaze.   He told about an inappropriate video having been shown in a classroom at Roosevelt High.  He explained “the teacher is in trouble not because he chose the video or encouraged the video but because he passively allowed the video to be shown and did nothing to stop it … Let’s face it – standards in general have dropped … dramatically.” 

This caught my attention because of Alma(2)’s words and teachings, especially in chapters 5 & 7.  Mr. Hicks rightly wrote, “the world is being desensitized on YouTube video at a time.”  The wicked in Alma(2)’s day become “desensitized” to the wickedness around them.  The change from righteous to wicked was a gradual but steady change. 

He praises the young women who spoke up.  “But the good news is that in this case, at least one person in the class was offended.  And she was brave enough to speak up.”  Alma(2) would have recognized this kind of courage.  This is what he expected of followers of Christ.  They were to live the gospel in spite of the challenges around them.

Mr. Hicks closes with “if this incident serves as a reminder to the rest of us that we should not become complacent about all the sleazy garbage we are exposed to day in and day out in the name of ‘entertainment,’ then at least some good will have come of it.”

I can’t help but think Alma(2)’s looking down from heaven, delighting in the fact that there are still those who are more concerned about their values and principles than in the praise of the world.

Thanks to Chris Hicks for sharing this story.

I have been reviewing a portion of the Book of Mormon I skipped the first time I went through the end of Mosiah and the first part of Alma.  Having studied those chapters, I would like to move forward and pick up where I left off earlier.

The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars and dissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman, which he kept in his days.

Comprising chapters 45 to 62 inclusive.

Chapter 45

Helaman believes the words of Alma—Alma prophesies the destruction of the Nephites—He blesses and curses the land—Alma is taken up by the Spirit, even as Moses—Dissension grows in the Church. About 73 B.C.

¹ BEHOLD, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy.  ² And it came to pass in the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma came unto his son Helaman and said unto him: Believest thou the words which I spake unto thee concerning those records which have been kept?  ³ And Helaman said unto him: Yea, I believe.

⁴ And Alma said again: Believest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?  ⁵ And he said: Yea, I believe all the words which thou hast spoken.

⁶ And Alma said unto him again: Will ye keep my commandments?   ⁷ And he said: Yea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.

⁸ Then Alma said unto him: Blessed art thou; and the Lord shall prosper thee in this land.

Alma 45:1-8 (Emphasis mine)

The people rejoice in their deliverance from their enemies.  “They celebrated their victories not by getting drunk but with fasting and prayer (Alma 45:1).”[1] 

Alma(2)’s record had ended.  A change is occurring.  Alma(2) is turning the records over to his son Helaman(1).  He questions him, asking him about his faith.  Does he believe in Christ?  Will he keep the commandments?  He assures his father he has faith in Christ and will keep all the commandments.  His declaration of faith resembles Nephi(1)’s words to the angel when asked if he believed in his father’s words.  “And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father” (1 Nephi 11:5).

⁹ But behold, I have somewhat to prophesy unto thee; but what I prophesy unto thee ye shall not make known; yea, what I prophesy unto thee shall not be made known, even until the prophecy is fulfilled; therefore write the words which I shall say.  ¹⁰ And these are the words: Behold, I perceive that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of revelation which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief.  ¹¹ Yea, and then shall they see wars and pestilences, yea, famines and bloodshed, even until the people of Nephi shall become extinct—

Alma 45:9-11 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) shares a prophecy with Helaman(1); these words “shall not be made known, even until the prophecy is fulfilled.”  Four hundred years after the coming of Christ, they Nephi people will be destroyed and “become extinct.”  “Alma's entire nation, if not repentant, would become extinct (see Alma 45:11, 14). This was a prophecy so horrific that he commanded Helaman not to repeat it at the time (see Alma 45:9).”[2]

The destruction of the Nephites was known by Nephi(1). Nephi(1) “saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness.  And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.  And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren.  And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle … I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.  And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land” ” (1 Nephi 12:12-15, 19-20). 

Samuel the Lamanite would warn the Nephites that, after the coming of Christ, “four hundred years shall not pass away before I will cause that they shall be smitten; yea, I will visit them with the sword and with famine and with pestilence” (Helaman 13:9).

The time periods that are used in the Book of Mormon are complimentary to the Mayan numeration system.

“An intriguing possibility arises in connection with the prophecy of Samuel. He prophesied that ‘four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people,’ the Nephites (Helaman 13:5, 9). (He here echoes Alma(2) in Alma 45:10: The Nephites, ’in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief.’) Now, in certain areas of Mesoamerica, we know of prophecies being made for several calendrical periods—one year, the 20-year (7200-day) katun, the 52-year cycle, and the 256-year period. Another major cycle in the Maya numeration system was 400 years. The 400-year prophecies by Alma(2) and Samuel would be on a potentially correct calendrical target even though so far we lack documentation from secular sources for occurrence of prophecies for a like period.”[3] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed March 23, 2012.

[2] Alma's Enemies: The Case of the Lamanites, Amlicites, and Mysterious Amalekites, J. Christopher Conkling, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed March 23, 2012.

[3] The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed March 23, 2012.