6 Now, my son, I would
not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the
Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me; for if I
had not been born of God I should not have known these things.
7 But behold, the Lord
in his great mercy sent his angel to declare unto me that I must stop the work
of destruction among his people; yea, and I have seen an angel face to face,
and he spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and it shook the whole earth.
8 And it came to pass
that I was three days and three nights in the most bitter pain and anguish of
soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did
I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find
peace to my soul.
9 And now, my son, I
have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there
is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.
Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of
truth and righteousness. (Alma 38:6-15)
Alma continues speaking to Shiblon.
He told Shiblon not to think he knows these things of
himself. The Spirit of God testified to him the truthfulness of his words. Had
he not been born of God, he would not know these things.
“But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and
I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of
God…
“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
36:23, 26).
“And behold, whosoever believeth on my words, them will I
visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even
of water and of the Spirit” (D&C 5:16).
“Alma’s life changed when an angel of the Lord appeared to
him and spoke with a voice of thunder. For three days and three nights, Alma ‘was
racked with eternal torment, … even with the pains of a damned soul.’
“When Alma emerged from this experience, he was a changed
man. From that moment on, he devoted his life to undoing the damage he had
caused. He is a powerful example of repentance, forgiveness, and enduring
faithfulness.”[1]
The Lord, in His great mercy, sent him an angel. “[The
angel] cried … saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou
the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will
establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of
my people” (Mosiah 27:13).
He was commanded to stop trying to destroy the church and
the people. His voice was like thunder and it shook the whole earth.
For three days and nights, Alma suffered “the most bitter
pain and anguish of soul” (Alma 38:8).
“[I]f that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an
enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a
lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence
of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which
is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever”
(Mosiah 2:38).
“And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my
heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my
words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your
repentance” (Alma 13:27).
“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked” (Psalm 32:10).
“[B]y sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Proverbs
15:13).
He cried out to the Lord for mercy, and he received
forgiveness for his sins “[A]s ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of
God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have
received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in
your souls” (Mosiah 4:11).
“Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his
heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a
remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest”
(Alma 12:34).
Even so, he continued to cry to the Lord until he found
peace.
“Of all the necessary steps to repentance, I testify that
the most critically important is for you to have a conviction that forgiveness
comes because of the Redeemer. It is essential to know that only on His terms
can you be forgiven. Witness Alma’s declaration: ‘I was … in the most bitter
pain and anguish of soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus
Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But … I did cry unto
him and I did find peace to my soul.’ You will be helped as you exercise faith
in Jesus Christ. That means you trust Him and you trust His teachings.
Satan would have you believe that serious transgression cannot be entirely
overcome. The Savior gave His life so that the effects of all transgression can
be put behind us, save the shedding of innocent blood and the denial of the
Holy Ghost.”[2]
(emphasis in original)
Alma told Shiblon these things that he may learn it is only
through Christ whereby we can find salvation. “Now Aaron began to open the
scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the
resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind
save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of
his blood” (Alma 21:9).
Christ is the light and life of the world. “The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1).
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John
1:4).
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of
the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life” (John 8:12).
“I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to
the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give
eternal life” (3 Nephi 15:9).
“[H]e is the word of truth and righteousness” (Alma 38:9).
“And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me;
for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all
good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he
that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I
am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world” (Ether
4:12).
“Light symbolism masterfully presents the gospel as
essential in the process of leading toward eternal life. Grateful for gospel
light, Joseph Smith declared: ‘Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to Almighty God, that
rays of light begin to burst forth upon us even now.’ The first principle of
the gospel, faith, is portrayed in the opening sections of the Book of Mormon
as going through mists of darkness (temptations) to reach the tree of life
whose fruit is ‘white above all that is white’ (Alma 32:42). Partaking of the
fruit is described by Alma as tasting light (Alma 32:35). Tasting the light is
not sufficient, though. Alma teaches that this tree of life, or tree of light,
must be nourished until it becomes ‘a tree springing up unto everlasting life’
(Alma 32:41).”[3]
[3] Light: A Masterful Symbol, Richard Dilworth Rust, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20/1
(2011):59-60.
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