The words of Alma
which he delivered to the people in Gideon, according to his own record.
Comprising chapter 7.
Chapter 7
Christ will be born of
Mary—He will loose the bands of death and bear the sins of His people—Those who
repent, are baptized, and keep the commandments will have eternal
life—Filthiness cannot inherit the kingdom of God—Humility, faith, hope, and
charity are required. About 83 B.C.
1 Behold my beloved
brethren, seeing that I have been permitted to come unto you, therefore I attempt
to address you in my language; yea, by my own mouth, seeing that it is the
first time that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth, I having been
wholly confined to the judgment-seat, having had much business that I could not
come unto you.
2 And even I could not
have come now at this time were it not that the judgment-seat hath been given
to another, to reign in my stead; and the Lord in much mercy hath granted that
I should come unto you.
3 And behold, I have
come having great hopes and much desire that I should find that ye had humbled
yourselves before God, and that ye had continued in the supplicating of his
grace, that I should find that ye were blameless before him, that I should find
that ye were not in the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla.
4 But blessed be the
name of God, that he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the
exceedingly great joy of knowing that they are established again in the way of
his righteousness.
5 And I trust,
according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over
you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you should come by the cause
of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at
Zarahemla, for behold, my joy cometh over them after wading through much
affliction and sorrow.
6 But behold, I trust
that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust
that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye
have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I
trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and the
living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an
everlasting faith, which is to come.
7 For behold, I say
unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is
of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that
the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.
8 Behold, I do not say
that he will come among us at the time of his dwelling in his mortal
tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit hath not said unto me that this should be
the case. Now as to this thing I do not know; but this much I do know, that the
Lord God hath power to do all things which are according to his word. (Alma
7:1-8).
Alma has arrived in Gideon and begins to preach to the people.
As he begins, he mentions this is the first time he has been able to visit and
speak to the people in Gideon.
“And [Alma retained the office of high priest so] he himself
might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might
preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty,
and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness
and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he
might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them”
(Alma 4:19).
This is because the responsibilities as chief judge
prevented him from addressing people directly. This is the main reason he
resigned as the chief judge.
“And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the first
chief judge, he being also the high priest, his father having conferred the
office upon him, and having given him the charge concerning all the affairs of
the church” (Mosiah 29:42).
He came with the hope they had humbled themselves before
God. He also hoped they “were not in the awful dilemma” he faced in Zarahemla.
“I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear
the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed,
for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of
the earth?
“Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the
Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the
face of the earth—and that he will save you” (Alma 5:16-17).
Alma did not expect to find them with as much unbelief as he
found in Zarahemla. He trusted they were not consumed with pride, have not
sought out the riches and vain things of the world, they did not worship idols.
“Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth
in them” (2 Nephi 9:37).
He had faith they worshiped the “living God.” He also
expected they would desire a forgiveness of their sins, through their faith.
“I [King Darius] make a decree, That in every dominion of my
kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living
God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be even unto the end” (Daniel 6:26).
“And [He] gave unto them commandments that they should love
and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only
being whom they should worship” (D&C 20:19).
There a many things yet to come, Alma explains. But, there
is one thing more important than all those things combined. The time is coming
when Christ will live and come among His people.
“And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his
glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father,
full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering,
quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers” (Alma 9:26).
“As [Alma] expressed his pleasure at the privilege of
teaching and testifying to the people of Gideon, he was forthright, clear, and
direct in his witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was yet to come in His
earthly ministry. He expressed his delight at the general faith and
faithfulness of this group of good people and promised them that they would be
the recipients of ‘many things to come’ (Alma 7:7). In the midst of his
discourse, describing things yet to come, he said, ‘There is one thing which is
of more importance than they all … the time is not far distant that the
Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people’ (Alma 7:7). Alma was speaking in
his time specifically of the events of a few decades hence when the Savior
would be born into mortality.”[1]
Alma told them he was told by the Spirit he would not come among
them during His mortal ministry. He knows God will do all things according to
His word.
Nephi was shown His ministry among his people.
“And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the
face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and
earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the
rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the
plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they
were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that
did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof.
“And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the
vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I
saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments
of the Lord.
“And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending
out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.
“And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell
upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.
“And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve
disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed” (1 Nephi
12:4-8).
Later, Alma would teach the Nephites, “he would appear unto
them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and
gladness” (Alma 16:20).
[1] Perilous
Times, Cecil O. Samuelson Jr., October 2004 General Conference.
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