Alma 5:26-33

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God?  Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?  That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride?  I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God.  Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy?  I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?

31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!

32 Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!

33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

Alma 5:26-36

Having laid out what it is to be a follower of Christ, he asks an essential question all Christians must ask themselves, “have [ye] experienced a change of heart…”  Then he asks if they have “[sang] the song of redeeming love … can ye feel so now.” 

John Gee discusses this.

[Robert] Millet has rightly drawn our attention to what it means to sing the song of redeeming love, a subject that deserves attention … "To sing the song of redeeming love is to joy in the matchless majesty of God's goodness, to know the wonder of God's love. It is to sense and know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Lord is intimately involved with his children and that he cares, really cares, about their well-being; it is to relish and cherish that fruit which is most joyous to the soul" (pp. 106-7), he is describing not the song of redeeming love, but what it is to "have felt to sing the song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26).^[1]

Ammon, when rejoicing over the success he and his brothers have had bringing so many Lamanites to the true gospel, said, “Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice” (Alma 26:13).

“As a result of the mighty change wrought in their hearts (see Mosiah 5:2), they received Christ's image in their countenances; they could ‘sing the song of redeeming love,’ their hearts having been ‘stripped of pride’ and enmity.”^[2]

“The spiritual life that begins with being born of God must be sustained, or it can be lost. This possibility of loss is implicit in Alma's question: ‘If ye have experienced a change of heart and ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now’ (Alma 5:26). Those who are born of God must continually strive to develop humility and walk blameless before God.”^[3]

Do the people keep themselves blameless before God?  In 1 John we read,

“And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.  And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:19-24).

If they died today, are they humble?  Have their garments be cleansed by the Blood of Christ?  “Importantly … the person's garments symbolize the person himself or herself, and the Lamb's blood refers directly to Jesus Christ's atonement and his power to cleanse those who demonstrate faith in Jesus, repent, and remain faithful…”^[4] 

Do they remember Christ died for their sins?  “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Alma then asks a number of questions.  Are they stripped of pride?  If not, they better become so or they will not be prepared to meet God. 

Are they stripped of envy?  If not, they are not prepared to meet God.  We don’t know when the time will come when we stand before God and be judged by Him.  If we have pride and envy, we will not be found guiltless.

He next asks if they mock and persecute their brother?  If so, you must repent or you cannot be saved.

If they repent, they will be received by the Lord.

We see an expression used frequently in the Book of Mormon.  This is extending the of the Lord’s arms to those who repent.  “The image of the atonement is of being encircled in or by something—for example, being encircled in the arms of the Lord. Many Book of Mormon passages speak of being embraced or encircled in the arms of the Lord, of this great image of at-one-ment.”^[5]

Some examples:

“But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15).

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you.  And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts” (Jacob 6:5).

“Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.  Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me” (3 Nephi 9:14).

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[1] By Grace Are We Saved, reviewed by John Gee, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 9, 2015.

[2] King Benjamin's Speech Made Simple – Benjamin and the Mysteries of God, M. Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 9, 2015.

[3] The Way of Life and the Way of Death in the Book of Mormon, Mack C. Stirling, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 9, 2015.

[4] Service and Temple in King Benjamin's Speech, Donald W. Parry, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 9, 2015.

[5] Zion and the Spirit of At-One-Ment, Catherine Thomas, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 9, 2015.`