Alma 4:1-10

Chapter 4

Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church's progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry. About 86–83 B.C.

1 NOW it came to pass in the sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no contentions nor wars in the land of Zarahemla;

2 But the people were afflicted, yea, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the loss of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain, which were trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.

3 And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.

4 And they began to establish the church more fully; yea, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the high priest over the people of the church, by the hand of his father Alma.

5 And it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of God and were baptized.  And thus ended the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.

6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.

7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.

8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.

9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.

10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling–block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

Alma 4:1-10

The war had ended and there was peace.  But things were not well.  Not only did they suffer many casualties in the war, they lost flocks, herds, and grain, destroyed by the Lamanites.  “Evidently, the strip of cropland on rich alluvial soil next to the river Sidon, probably but a few miles in length, produced a substantial proportion of the community’s food.” ^[1]

How did the Nephites look upon their afflictions?  It was because of their wickedness.  “It was not a case of right against wrong at all, but of two wrongs teaching a grim lesson of mutual destruction; for what kind of a victory was it for the Nephites?”^[2]  “The moral is that whenever there is a battle, both sides are guilty.”^[3]

The Nephites “were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.”  The apostle Paul counseled the Corinthians, “Be not deceived: evil communications [GR conversations, associations] corrupt good manners.  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33-34).

As the people repented and returned to the righteous life, more people joined the church.  They were around 3,500 people who were baptized by “the hand of Alma.”  Peace continued.

We again see the repeated pattern throughout Nephite history.  The people become righteous and begin to prosper.  As they prosper they start putting value on their possessions.  They worked hard for their belongings and they deserved it. (“Justifying busy acquisition by equating it with righteousness is a great sin…”^[4]).  They became a proud and arrogant people.  Then, they fell prey to the Nephite disease – costly apparel.  [Mormon] believed that economic distress followed when the people became unrighteous and unequal. When such conditions arose, Mormon editorialized pointedly about the suffering and evils that resulted from differences in wealth and class distinctions….^[5]  Of course, those who were rich looked down upon all those who were below their class. “[S]evere structuring of society, with its accompanying abuse of the poor and humble, is evidenced by the wearing of "fine-twined linens" and the like (Alma 4:6).”^[6]

Alma and the leaders he had consecrated were disappointed when the saw what was occurring.  The people’s pride and riches brought on persecution among those in the church; however, they persecuted anyone, member or no, as they desired.  They ignored a law set down by Alma.  “Now there was a strict law among the people of the church, that there should not any man, belonging to the church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the church, and that there should be no persecution among themselves” (Alma 1:21).

The year ended with the church members embracing wickedness.  Those who were not members saw these people and decided they wanted nothing to do with the church.  “[T]hus the church began to fail in its progress.”

Elder Dean L. Larsen sums up the Nephite situation.

This spiritual reawakening among the people had a dramatic effect. Peace returned to the land. The Church prospered in its rapid growth. Not surprisingly, the people soon began again to enjoy an abundant life.

The spiritual blessings granted by the Lord were accompanied by the acquisition of material wealth. Unfortunately the Nephites failed to meet this test. Within three years from the time of their earlier tragedy, Alma describes his people in this way: “The people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes.” (Alma 4:6.)

History repeatedly confirms that the abundance of earthly possessions can be both a blessing and a curse, depending upon the way these things are viewed and used. When we consume them on our own lust, we invoke tragedy.[7]

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[1] The Environment of the Nephites and How They Exploited It, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 29, 2015.

[2] Freemen and King-men in the Book of Mormon, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 29, 2015.

[3]Scriptural Perspectives on How to Survive the Calamities of the Last Days, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 29, 2015.

[4] Ibid.

[5] The Environment of the Nephites and How They Exploited It, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 29, 2015.

[6] "At the Judgment-Seat of Christ" - Larger Perspectives, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 29, 2015.

[7] “Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord,” Elder Dean L. Larsen, April 1991 General Conference, accessed January 29, 2015.