Alma 31:26-38

26  And he lifted up his voice to heaven, and cried, saying:

      O, how long, O Lord,

      wilt thou suffer that thy servants shall dwell here below in the flesh,

      to behold such gross wickedness among the children of men?

27  Behold, O God, they cry unto thee,

          and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. 

      Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths,

       while they are puffed up,

       even to greatness,

           with the vain things of the world.

28  Behold, O my God, their costly apparel,

          and their ringlets,

          and their bracelets,

          and their ornaments of gold,

          and all their precious things which they are ornamented with;

      and behold,

         their hearts are set upon them,  

      and yet they cry unto thee and say—

           We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee,

                 while others shall perish.

29  Yea, and they say

      that thou hast made it known

          unto them

          that there shall be no Christ.

Alma 31:26-29 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) offers a powerful prayer about what they see.  They are swallowed up in pride.  They prayer with their mouths but are caught up in the riches and vain things of the world.  Alma(2) gives examples – ringlets, bracelets, ornaments of gold, other ornaments.

Their hearts are set upon the things of the world.  And, to top it off, they claim God has made known to them there would be no Christ.

30 O Lord God,

         how long wilt thou suffer

         that such wickedness and infidelity

         shall be among this people? 

    O Lord,

        wilt thou give me strength,

    that I may bear

        with mine infirmities. 

     For I am infirm,

        and such wickedness

            among this people

            doth pain my soul.

31  O Lord,

      my heart is exceedingly sorrowful;

           wilt thou comfort

           my soul in Christ. 

      O Lord,

      wilt thou grant unto me

      that I may have strength,

          that I may suffer with patience

              these afflictions

              which shall come upon me,

      because of the iniquity of this people.

32  O Lord,

      wilt thou comfort my soul,

          and give unto me success,

          and also my fellow laborers

          who are with me—

              yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner,

              and also Amulek and Zeezrom

              and also my two sons—

                  yea, even all these

                  wilt thou comfort,

                  O Lord. 

      Yea, wilt thou comfort

          their souls in Christ.

33  Wilt thou grant

      unto them

          that they may have strength,

          that they may bear their afflictions

              which shall come upon them

              because of the iniquities of this people.

Alma  31:30-33 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(2) knows the going will be tough.  He prays for strength as he deals with them.  He prays that he, and his fellow laborers will have the strength to bear the afflictions that they will face.  He also prays that they their souls will be comforted in Christ.

Hugh Nibley observes:

“The brethren were horribly depressed by what they found; they could hardly stand it (Alma 31:30–33). The Zoramites had only been off by themselves for a short time, yet what they were doing was all new to Alma. At first sight it looked like pure idolatry (Alma 31:1).” ^[1] (Emphasis mine)

34  O Lord,

      wilt thou grant unto us

      that we may have success

          in bringing them again

          unto thee in Christ.

35  Behold, O Lord,

          their souls are precious,

          and many of them are our brethren;

      therefore, give unto us, O Lord,

      power and wisdom

          that we may bring these,

              our brethren,

          again unto thee.

Alma 31:34-35 (Emphasis mine)

Even though he knows they are facing a tough challenge, he asks for success in bringing them again unto the Lord.  From this we can infer that many of the Zoramites had believed in Christ, but had fallen away.  Alma(2) asks that they may be able to bring their brethren “again unto thee.”  (verse 35)

Hugh Nibley comments on Alma(2)’s prayer.

“Isn't he being rather judgmental here? No, he is not at all. Why is he so concerned? Well, in the first place they were so blatantly, so overtly [wicked], and Alma had wider experience than anybody else. He knew about people and characters, etc. He had seen more wickedness than anybody else, he being Alma the Younger. So he was able to judge them on that basis, and also because they were blatant. They put on quite a show.  But the main thing is in verse 35. He loves them, and his heart is concerned about them. ‘Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren.’ So that's why he feels right to be saying that he is suffering terribly. He's not a hypocrite who is overwhelmed by other people's wickedness when it should be his own sins that concern him. It's that he's on a mission here, and he wants to do what he can." [2] (Emphasis mine)

36  Now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them who were with him.  And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

37  And after that they did separate themselves one from another, taking no thought for themselves what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on.

38  And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ.  Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

Alma 31:36-38 (Emphasis mine)

The prayer has ended.  The time to begin the work has arrived.  Alma(2) clapped his hands on each member of his group.  When he did this, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  They were ready to go and face the challenge.

When they went their separate ways, They had no idea how they would survive.  They departed full of the Holy Spirit and faith. 

Mormon tells us that the Lord provided for them.  They were taken care of.  This was because of Alma(2)’s prayer of faith.

25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they?

27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28  And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?  or, What shall we drink?  or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:25-34 (Emphasis mine)

10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:10-12 (Emphasis mine)

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[1] The Book of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 26, 2011.

[2] Lecture 54: Alma 30-31, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 26, 2011.

Alma 31:12-19

12  Now, when they had come into the land, behold, to their astonishment they found that the Zoramites had built synagogues, and that they did gather themselves together on one day of the week, which day they did call the day of the Lord; and they did worship after a manner which Alma and his brethren had never beheld;

13  For they had a place built up in the center of their synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head; and the top thereof would only admit one person.

Alma 31:12-13 (Emphasis mine)

Know we know a little about the Zoramites, Mormon now tells us about their form of worship.  We begin to see how they perverted the ways of the Lord.

They had built synagogues for their weekly worship.  One day of the work, the day of the Lord, the people would meet.  In the center of the synagogue was a place where one person would stand.  It was a high stand, higher than a person was. 

It is what happened at that stand that let Alma(2) know just how perverted their worship was.

14  Therefore, whosoever desired to worship must go forth and stand upon the top thereof, and stretch forth his hands towards heaven, and cry with a loud voice, saying:

15  Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever.

16  Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ.

17  But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God.

18  And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people.  Amen.

Alma 31:14-18 (Emphasis mine)

This was quite a rote prayer offered by the people.  Let’s break this down and look more closely at the prayer.

• They are praying to their “holy, holy God” who is “holy.”
• God is a spirit, was a spirit, and will always be a spirit.
• God separated them from their brethren.
• They don’t believe in the foolish traditions of the Nephites.
• They were elected to be holy children.
• He had made it known there would be no Christ.
• God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
• They have been elected to be saved.
• All others were elected will be cast down to hell.
• They thank God for his holiness in saving them and sending everyone else to hell.

It’s no wonder that Alma(2) and his group were amazed.  They realized they had a challenging ministry ahead.

5  ¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:5–7 (Emphasis mine)

11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Luke 18:11-14 (Emphasis mine)

Not only does their prayer rationalize their beliefs, it is an attempt to make these beliefs holy and sacred. 

“In the need to rationalize their ways, it is not enough for the guilty to justify their position; it must be sanctified. There is a wonderful account in the Book of Mormon that shows how that is done. It is Alma's report on the Zoramites, which tells us how the vilest people he had ever known managed to project an image of extreme righteousness, loudly proclaiming themselves as ‘a holy people’ (Alma 31:18), while their thoughts ‘were on their riches’ (Alma 31:24—28).” [1]     (Emphasis mine)

Their religion helped the dissenters move even further from the Nephties.  Sherrie Mills Johnson explains:

“Such points of differentiation within the religion were a way for the Zoramites to distance themselves from the prevailing Nephite religion and culture. This distancing is typical of groups who become disaffected because of marginalization. This being the case, we would expect to find detaching mechanisms evident in many aspects of their culture besides religion. And in fact the Zoramite practice of gathering ‘themselves together on one day of the week, which day they did call the day of the Lord’ (Alma 31:12), is one such detaching mechanism: the restructuring of time. Mormon's wording indicates they had purposely chosen a day for their Sabbath that was different from the Nephite Sabbath (see Alma 31:12).” [2] (Emphasis mine)

19  Now it came to pass that after Alma and his brethren and his sons had heard these prayers, they were astonished beyond all measure.

Alma 31:19 (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 23, 2011.

[2] The Zoramite Separation: A Sociological Perspective, Sherrie Mills Johnson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 23, 2011