56 And finally, all ye
that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who
shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent.
57 And now I say unto
you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come
ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things;
and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked
shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God
may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled
with the names of my people;
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
5:56-62)
Alma is finishing his sermon.
He makes it clear if they continue to be a wicked people,
and refuse to repent, they “shall be hewn down and cast into the fire” (Alma
5:56).
Alma speaks to those who will follow “the voice of the good
shepherd,” which is Christ.
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of
mine” (John 10:14).
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20).
He tells them to separate themselves from the wicked. This advice
has been given in scripture.
“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,
and not after the tradition which he received of us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).
“Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels
of the Lord…
“Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from
the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon” (D&C 133:5; 14).
“It is on that principle of opposites that Satan’s
participation in our lives is to be explained. If we can be ‘encircled about
eternally in the arms of [God’s] love’ (2 Nephi 1:15), we can also be ‘encircled
about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting
destruction’ (Alma 5:7); and if we can be perfectly united in the at-one-ment,
we can also be ‘cast out’ (Alma 5:25), separated and split off forever – ‘their
names shall be blotted out; . . . the names of the wicked shall not be mingled
with the names of my people’ (Alma 5:57). When Satan claims you as his, there
is indeed a horrible oneness; for he too will embrace you to get power over
you: Do ‘not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the
evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate,
to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom’ (2
Nephi 2:29; cf. 1 Nephi 13:29; 2 Nephi 28:19; Alma 8:9).”[1]
The names of the wicked will be “blotted out.” “The Lord
will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke
against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie
upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven” (Deuteronomy
29:20).
“Some people want to keep one hand on the wall of the temple
while touching the world’s ‘unclean things’ with the other hand. We must put
both hands on the temple and hold on for dear life. One hand is not even almost enough.” (emphasis in original)[2]
The names of the righteous will be written in the book of
life. What is the book of life? “In one sense the book of life is the sum total
of one’s thoughts and actions—the record of his life. However, the scriptures
indicate that a heavenly record is kept of the faithful, whose names are
recorded, as well as an account of their righteous deeds” (Bible Dictionary).
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment [GR clothing]; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of
life, but I will confess [GR acknowledge, praise] his name before my Father,
and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5).
He asks what they have so say against this? It doesn’t
matter if they do. God’s word must be fulfilled.
Shepherds watch over their flocks. “Be thou diligent to know
the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds” (Proverbs 27:23).
If a wolf attacks his flock, he does all he can to drive it
away and, if possible, destroy it.
“[A]lternate voices are pursuing selfish personal interests,
such as property, pride, prominence, or power. Other voices are the bleatings
of lost souls who cannot hear the voice of the Shepherd and trot about trying
to find their way without his guidance. Some of these voices call out guidance
for others—the lost leading the lost.
“Some alternate voices are of those whose avowed or secret
object is to deceive and devour the flock. The Good Shepherd warned, ‘Beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves.’ (Matt. 7:15; see also 3 Ne. 14:15.) In both the Bible and the
Book of Mormon the Savior charged his shepherds to watch over and protect the
flock from such wolves. (See Acts 20:28–29; Alma 5:59.)”[3]
If they listen to the voice of the good shepherd, they will
be brought into the fold because they are His sheep. This will protect them
from a “ravenous wolf” who will attempt to destroy them.
The language Alma uses is the language he was commanded to
use.
To those who belong to the church, Alma speaks these things
as commandments. To those who do not belong to the church, it is an invitation.
“Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the
fruit of the tree of life” (Alma 5:62).
“And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea,
even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which
thy father saw?
“And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God,
which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore,
it is the most desirable above all things.
“And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to
the soul” (1 Nephi 11:21-23).
[1] Approaching
Zion: The Meaning of the Atonement, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute website.
[2] The
Atonement: All for All, Bruce C. Hafen, April 2004 General Conference.
[3] Alternate
Voices, President Dallin H. Oaks, April 1989 General Conference.
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