Alma 5:58-62

58 For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand.  And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this?  I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled.

59 For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock?  And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out?  Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

60 And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

61 And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.

62 I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

Alma 5:58-62

Alma is finishing his sermon to the people of Zarahemla. 

The righteous will find their names written in the book of life.  The Savior told the Nephites, “And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged” (3 Nephi 27:26).  The Lord has also said, “Verily thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you: Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the ^balms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth [the hosts of Heaven], and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world” (D&C 88:1-2).

“The Book of Mormon emphasizes the need to have and keep sacred records (such as the plates of brass) and to preserve them … A ‘book of remembrance’ is mentioned in the Book of Mormon (see 3 Nephi 24:16), as well as a ‘book of life’ that records the names of the righteous (see Alma 5:58; compare 2 Nephi 29:11; 3 Nephi 27:26).”^[1] 

These people will find themselves on Christ’s right hand.  Then Alma asks a critical question, “[W]hat have ye to say against this … the word of God must be fulfilled.”

Alma turns to a very common metaphor in the scriptures, the shepherd and his sheep.  The shepherd watches over his flock, making sure to protect them.  Should a wolf enter the flock, the shepherd will chase him off.  This is the same with the church.  We must be constantly aware.  We need to watchful and recognize when evil enters our “fold.”  Should evil enter, we must do all we can to rid ourselves of the evil presence.  “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds” (Proverbs 27:23)

The Shepherd calls for His sheep.  If we listen, we will be brought into His fold.  Again, we must always be wary about the wolf.  If we aren’t we will be destroyed.

Alma made clear that his words were from the Lord.  The words were a commandment from the Lord for the church members.  He restated his previous words, “For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come” (Alma 5:44).

To those who were not, he spoke “by way of invitation.”  Come, repent and be baptized and partake “of the fruit of the tree of life.”

Alma later used the tree of life motif in his sermons, inviting the people to "be baptized unto repentance, that [they] also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life." (Alma 5:62; see also 32:40.) Although the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden tree of life in the Garden of Eden was well known among the Book of Mormon writers, the New World prophets, like those in the Old World, looked to another tree of life with fruit they could eat. (See 2 Ne. 2:15.)^[2]

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[1] “To Remember and Keep”: On the Book of Mormon as an Ancient Book, Louis Midgley, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 23, 2015.

[2] The Tree of Life in Ancient Cultures, C. Wilfred Griggs, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 23, 2015.