Chapter 31
Alma heads a mission
to reclaim the apostate Zoramites—The Zoramites deny Christ, believe in a false
concept of election, and worship with set prayers—The missionaries are filled
with the Holy Spirit—Their afflictions are swallowed up in the joy of Christ.
About 74 B.C.
1 Now it came to pass
that after the end of Korihor, Alma having received tidings that the Zoramites
were perverting the ways of the Lord, and that Zoram, who was their leader, was
leading the hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols, his heart again
began to sicken because of the iniquity of the people.
2 For it was the cause
of great sorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people; therefore his
heart was exceedingly sorrowful because of the separation of the Zoramites from
the Nephites.
3 Now the Zoramites
had gathered themselves together in a land which they called Antionum, which
was east of the land of Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon the
seashore, which was south of the land of Jershon, which also bordered upon the
wilderness south, which wilderness was full of the Lamanites.
4 Now the Nephites
greatly feared that the Zoramites would enter into a correspondence with the
Lamanites, and that it would be the means of great loss on the part of the
Nephites.
5 And now, as the
preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which
was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than
the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought
it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
6 Therefore he took
Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner; and Himni he did leave in the church in Zarahemla;
but the former three he took with him, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, who were at
Melek; and he also took two of his sons.
7 Now the eldest of
his sons he took not with him, and his name was Helaman; but the names of those
whom he took with him were Shiblon and Corianton; and these are the names of
those who went with him among the Zoramites, to preach unto them the word. (Alma
31:1-7)
After dealing with Korihor, Alma learned the Zoramites were
twisting the ways of the Lord. Their leader, Zoram, was responsible for this,
leading them to bow before dumb idols.
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to [a graven image], nor
serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God [HEB qannah, “possessing sensitive and deep feelings”], visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children [IE insofar
as the children learn and do the sinful things the parents do; but see
v. 6 concerning those who repent and serve the Lord. D&C 98:47
(46–47)] unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus
20:5).
“And again: Thou
shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am
a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto
the third and fourth generations of them that hate me” (Mosiah 13:13).
Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all
devils delighteth in them” (2 Nephi 9:37).
“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear
you up a standing image [OR pillar], neither shall ye set up any image of stone
in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus
26:1).
“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods:
I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:4).
Alma was appalled at their wickedness.
“From the first mention of the Zoramite people, Mormon
indicates that they displayed an adoring regard for tangible objects, possibly
referring to the worship of items that they had created with their own hands.
Mormon never overtly describes the nature of the ‘dumb idols’ purportedly being
worshipped by the Zoramites.” [1]
Hugh Nibley observed, “I think we have also in the Zoramites
a clear example of the contamination of Nephite religion by older cults that
may have been found in the land or transplanted from the Old World. The
Zoramites were dissenters from the Nephites (Alma 31:8). Under a charismatic
leader they went off by themselves and started ‘perverting the ways of the Lord’
(Alma 31:1). These were no minor changes but ‘great errors,’ which effectively
nullified ‘the commandments of God and his statutes according to the Law of
Moses’ (Alma 31:9).”[2]
Alma experienced “great sorrow” because of the wickedness of
his people.
Others in the Book of Mormon felt this sorrow as well. Sorrow
for the wickedness of the Lamanites was responsible for the sons of Mosiah’s
desire to preach to them. “Now they were desirous that salvation should be
declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should
perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment
did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3).
During a prayer with the Nephites, the Savior expressed
sorrow. “And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus
groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the
wickedness of the people of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 17:14).
The Zoramites had settled in the land of Antionum, east of
Zarahemla. They bordered a seashore south of the land of Jershon. It also
bordered on wilderness which was populated by Lamanites.
The Nephites feared the Zoramites would form an alliance
with the Lamanites.
Alma knew the effect of preaching the word.
“So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a
fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of
them” (Jonah 3:5),
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God” (Romans 10:17).
“And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness,
preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and
continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the
judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up
continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short
of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them
from going down speedily to destruction” (Enos 1:23).
“And this he did that 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).
“For the word of God is quick [GR living], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews
4:12).[3]
“For because of the word which he has imparted unto me,
behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have
seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which
I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God” (Alma
36:26).
It tended to lead the people to do what is right. It was
more effective than the sword or anything else which had been tried. Alma felt
they should try preaching them in the hopes they will find success.
“The word of God is the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ and
by His prophets. Alma knew that words of doctrine had great power. They can
open the minds of people to see spiritual things not visible to the natural
eye. And they can open the heart to feelings of the love of God and a love for
truth.”[4]
“It is more apparent to me now than ever that, as Alma of
old declared, the word of the Lord and the preaching of his word has a greater
tendency to lead the people to do that which is just. It has a more powerful
effect than even the sword or anything else. (See Alma 31:5.) This I have seen
in the lives of those choice missionaries that I have had the privilege the
past almost-three years to serve with—additional sons and daughters added to
our family circle, sons and daughters that Sister Cutler and I love with all
our hearts. I have seen that miracle happen over and over again as the word of
the Lord is taught to his children and those of his flock who hear his voice
and have a change of heart and come unto him.”[5]
Alma took Ammon, Aaron, and Omner. Himni was left behind to
watch over the church in Zarahemla. He also took Amulek and Zeezrom.
In addition, he took his younger sons, Shiblon and
Corianton. He left his son, Helaman, behind, “apparently to manage domestic and
ecclesiastic affairs in Alma’s absence.”[6]
[1] The
Zoramites and Costly Apparel: Symbolism and Irony, Parrish Brady and
Shon Hopkin, Journal of the Book of
Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22/1 (2013): 42.
[3]“For the word of God is quick [GR living], and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of body and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (JST Hebrews 4:12).
[4] The
Power of Teaching Doctrine, President Henry B. Eyring, April 1999 General
Conference.
[5] The
Greatest Joy, Elder Clinton L. Cutler, April 1990 General Conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment