Alma continues speaking to Corianton.
He tells him he wishes he had not committed such a grievous
sin. He is not mentioning this to devastate
him were it not for his own good. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet offend [GR stumble, err] in one point,
he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).
He cannot hide his sins from God. Scriptures make this clear. “[H]e knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalms
44:21). “The eyes of the LORD are in
every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). If he does not
repent, his sins will serve as a testimony against him in the last day.
Alma calls on Corianton to repent and turn away from his
sins. Stop being led by his lusts. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). He
needed to develop self-control. “Cease
from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil” (Psalms
37:8). “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy
word” (Psalms 119:101). “He that hath
no rule over his own spirit is like a
city that is broken down, and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).
He commanded him to counsel with his older brothers, this
time including Helaman. Earlier, Alma
had only held Shiblon up as the example he should follow (“…have ye not
observed the steadiness of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his diligence in
keeping the commandments of God? Behold,
has he not set a good example for thee?” [Alma 39:1]).
Don’t allow yourself to be led away by the devil after the harlots.
Alma reminded him the effect of his sin on the mission. In the Old Testament, Eli had problem sons. “Now
Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they
lay with the women that assembled at
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do
ye such things? for I hear of your evil
dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD's people to transgress.
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin
against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the
voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them” (1 Samuel 2:22-25).
His actions seriously affected the missionary work among the
Zoramites. When they saw his conduct,
they refused to believe Alma’s teachings.
The scriptures are full of warning those who serve the Lord the
consequences of their sin on the people.
“Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not
thyself? thou that preachest a man
should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery,
dost thou commit adultery? thou that
abhorrest idols, dost thou commit [GR rob shrines, temples] sacrilege? Thou
that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou
God” (Romans 2:21 - 23).
“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge
this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way” (Romans 14:13).
“Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel
should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).
“And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year,
Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the example of the
church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity
to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people” (Alma 4:11).
“Corianton’s actions aggravated the ill feelings that the
Zoramites had for the Nephites and made the work much more difficult for the
missionaries (see Alma 39:11), but despite all this they taught without formal
restrictions or prohibitions.”[1]
The Lord has commanded Alma to command his children to do well. If they don’t, they will lead many to eternal
destruction. Alma told Corianton to
cease his sin.
Alma told him to repent and return to the Zoramites to
confess his sin and the wrongs he had done.
Corianton’s father had done the same thing. “And they traveled throughout all the land of
Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously
striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing
all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and
explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them” (Mosiah
27:35).
Remember, Alma told him, don’t chase after riches and the vain
things of the world. He can’t take it with him.
“But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of
God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye
seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to ado good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry,
and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the
afflicted” (Jacob 2:18-19).
“Now, as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep my
commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion; Seek not
for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded
unto you, and then shall you be made rich.
Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich” (D&C 6:6-7).
“Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants
of Zion, for there are idlers among them; and their children are also growing
up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but
their eyes are full of greediness. These things ought not to be, and must be
done away from among them; wherefore, let my servant Oliver Cowdery carry these
sayings unto the land of Zion” (D&C 68:31-32).
“A careful reading of Alma 39:12–15 suggests that Corianton
was not fully committed to the idea of Christ’s coming and the redemptive
doctrines associated with it. More to the point, he questioned the relevance of
an event that would occur so far in the future. Alma subtly shifted the focus
from the coming of Christ, as important as it is, to the plan of redemption,
which would have been just as relevant to Corianton’s contemporaries as it
would be to the souls of those living at the time of Christ’s coming (see Alma
39:17–18).”[2]
He explained he had been called to teach the people and
declare the coming of Christ and His bringing salvation. He was to tell them to prepare to hear His
words when He came.
It apparently concerned Corianton that it was known so far
in advance of Christ’s coming. Alma asks, rhetorically, if a soul living at
this time is as precious to God as a soul at the time of His coming. Is it not necessary for all to know about the
plan of redemption, the people as well as their children?
“For, for this intent have we written these things, that
they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many
hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his
glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they
believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship
the Father in his name. And for this
intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this
cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto
Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering
up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. Wherefore,
we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy;
and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh
unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very
trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea” (Jacob 4:4-6).
He closes asking Corianton, wouldn’t the Lord send an angle
to declare this to all before His coming?
“And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto
me by an angel from God. And he said
unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me. And he said unto
me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to
declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy” (Mosiah 3:2-3).
[1] The
Zoramite Separation: A Sociological Perspective, Sherrie Mills Johnson, Journal
of Book of Mormon Studies 14/1 (2005): 83.
[2] Painting
Out the Messiah: The Theologies of Dissidents, John L. Clark, Journal of
Book of Mormon Studies 11/1 (2002): 24.
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