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THE BOOK OF ALMA
THE soN OF ALMA
The words which Alma, the High Priest according to the holy order of God, delivered to the people in their cities and villages throughout the land. Comprising chapter 5.
CHAPTER 5

To gain salvation, men must repent and keep the commandments, be born again, cleanse their garments through the blood of Christ, be humble and strip themselves from pride and envy, and do the works of righteousness—The Good Shepherd calleth his people—Those who do evil works are children of the devil—Alma testifies of the truth of his doctrine and commands men to repent—Names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life. [About 83 B.C.]

[ This chapter was preceeded with Alma leaving his position as chief judge in order to minister and preach the gospel fulltime. This chapter is followed by those who do not repent and their excommunication. So you can see that Alma took these matters very seriously. As chapter 4 deals with pride, hereis the follow up as Alma addresses them to repent. A comparison of Alma 5 with in Mosiah 26. There, the younger generation did not witness king Benjamin's speech, which was the major converting event for that society, so they were less inclined to be religious. The result then caused a great deal of external persecution on the church members by nonmembers. Here, it is the members of the church it's self. They have become prosperous as a result the church becomes its own worst enemy. The people deliberately forget about the past. The pride and contention is within the church and outsiders are put off by their behavior. In Mosiah 27:13 the Lord says "nothing shall overthrow [my church], save it is the transgression of my people". And that is what is happening in the events of the present chapter.. ]

1 NOW it came to pass that *Alma began to deliver the word of God unto the people, first in the land of Zarahemla, and from thence throughout all the land.
2 And these are the words which he spake to the people in the church which was established in the city of Zarahemla, according to his own record, saying: [ Mormon goes from abridging the record to quoting the words of Alma verbatim for the rest of the chapter. ]
3 I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, [ Alma's authority statement - more here in vs 43-52. ] Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon.
4 And behold, I say unto you, they [ Alma - the older and those that followed him into the wilderness. ] were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God. [ This event was some 40 years earlier. Alma the younger comprehends more fully that what the angel told him to back in Mosiah 27:16. It is the very purpose of the book of Mormon is to show what great things the Lord hath done for them as demonstrated What does bondage do to us?, call on the Lord for deliverance! Again he is trying to show them that it was the Lord that delivered them, He had presented this to them before back in Mosiah 25:5-7 and they were struck with wonder and awe. So here he is trying to go back to what began the belief process the last time. Very similar to the commands given the Israelites which are found in Deuteronomy - where they were told some 14 times to remember both the bondage and covenants of their fathers ; and were warned 8 times not to forget them. See Deut 8; Deut 32:7. In conjunction with remembering the captivity there is a parallel theme the one of remembering the Lord, and that it is he who has done this for them. see also Deut 11:28; Deut 13. ]
5 And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also.
6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, [ 1 delivery from physical bondage. ] have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? [ Interesting to note that the Hebrew word for remember is zkhr, it is more than saying do you recall, but imply's a sense of obedience. FOr example as a child my mother would say Do you remember what I asked you to do? she was not saying to me can you tell me what I said, no she was implying that she asked me to do something so please do it. Alma will ask some 40 questions in this chapter as a way to ask those that belong to the church. Alma is giving them in a way a spiritual EKG. Exercise to see how you are doing. Put numbers 1 - 10 on the left axis, and the question number from Alam on the bottom axis. Respond to each of the questions that Alma asks witha score from 1 -10. There you have it. Remember Alma counseled them that they must remember the bondage of their people and how the Lord showed them mercy in both Mosiah 25:16; Mosiah 27:16. These rhetorical questions form the accusations from Alma that the members have forgotten and abandoned those beliefs that they once held dear. some of the members would have been present when his father Alma (Sr) set up the church originally in Mosiah 23:6-19 and then later again in Mosiah 25:19-24. These questions directly address those things which the members were commanded to do - remember the captivity of their fathers at that time. ] Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, [ 2 delivery from spiritual bondage through the atonement. ] have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell? [ These two components make for a complete deliverance as both the body and the spirit are supplicated. ]
7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, [ It is important to remember that paradoxical opposites exist. If we can be “encircled about eternally in the arms of [God’s] love” (⁠2 Ne. 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). Choose wisely. ] and the chains of hell, [ Those bound by the power of Satan because they have hardened their hearts, they are given a lesser part of the word, which causes them to harden their hearts even more - receiving even less... see Alma 12: 11 How could Joseph Smith have known? When English shows a possessive or descriptive relationship between two nouns, it usually puts the possessive or descriptive noun first: the king's house or wood house. Hebrew, however, uses the opposite order: house the king (which would usually be translated house of the king) or house wood (house of wood). If the Hebrew word order is kept in the English translation, the word of must be added, even though it does not exist in the Hebrew. One of a large number of what appear to be translations from the Hebrew preserving the Hebrew word order: "chains of hell" instead of hell's chains (The Maxwell Institute - Hebrew Background of the Book Of Mormon - http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=72&chapid=862)]] and an everlasting destruction did await them.
8 And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.
9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell [ Those bound by the power of Satan because they have hardened their hearts, they are given a lesser part of the word, which causes them to harden their hearts even more - receiving even less... see Alma 12: 11 ]which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.
10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? [ The answer lies in the next verse - because they believed in the words of Abinadi. ] What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?
11 Behold, I can tell you [ Alma provides us with the answer to his previous question. ] —did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?
12 And according to his faith [ He Alma only heard the words of Abinadi - and then followed and did as Abinadi had instructed - there was no support system in place for him it was just between him and God ] there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
13 And behold, he [ My father Alma. ] preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, [ What did their mighty change look like? Mosiah 25:16-24; See also Mosiah 5:2-7; Mosiah 4:2-3; Moses 6:64-65; ] and [1]they humbled themselves and [2]put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, [3]they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved. [ What is the implication here by Alma? That they are not enduring to the end and fulfilling their commandments and therefore their salvation is in jeopardy.]
14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? [ Compare 1 Peter 1:22-23 where having a purified soul and heart is equated with being born again. ] Have ye received his image in your countenances? [ How does one receive his image in their countenance? Well if you are trying to emulate someone with all of their mannerisms then you begin to look like them so to speak. Such that if you saw them in the distance and could not see their face but could only see their mannerisms then you could not tell them apart. According to the sociological principle, our increased interactions with the Lord will lead to increased feelings for him—which will lead us to want more interactions with him. And, according to the biological principle of structural coupling, our increased interactions with the Savior will lead to our increasingly becoming like him. And because he never changes, the changes that would occur through our interaction with the Savior would all be in us. ] Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?[ The mighty change of Alma Sr. was that when he heard the words of Abinadi he quickly went and did - followed the words of Abinadi, he believed and exercised that belief and never looked back. After hearing the words of Abinadi he went and wrote them all down(most likely being lead by the spirit to remember them). Because of that unwavering belief he was able to receive a special covenant with God for eternal life (calling and election was made sure).Mosiah 26:15 Alma is trying to make the point that they have not had that permanent change in their hearts as their fathers did, he even accuses them of being stray sheep in vers 37-42. Alma is teaching us and making sure that we understand that there are really two baptisms. The baptism of the water and the baptism that creates this might change - the baptism of the spirit. ]
15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? [ so why then is faith in God so important? We have to belief that he really is the creator of all things, that he has indeed worked out the atonement for us - if we have that faith then we will try to do our best to receive the promised blessing that come from the gospel. However if we do not believe that it is true, possible if we lack faith then there is no hope to try as all is lost anyway. ] Do you look forward with an eye of faith, [ What is their perspective eternal or temporal? What glasses are they using? Near sighted or far sighted- temporal or eternal? What is their reference point Short term (now - temporal) or long term (eternal) Are you optimistic Can and do you exercise the faith necessary to put it in the Lord's hands? Can and do you submit to his will? See Alma 13:29 for how to do it. The carnal man will limit his view to to the temporal perspective while the spiritual man looks forward through the eyes of God - they view things in an eternal perspective. Since those things spiritual are not seen with the naked eye they become harder to hold onto; as a result if we are not using our spiritual eyes we will let go of the unseen in favor of the temporal or what we can see and hold (wealth, power...which are temporal). When people slouch into apostasy their goals and views become short term. Spiritual and eternal things become unreal and intangible as they loose sight of them in favor of things they can hold in their hand. Once they start doing this it becomes more difficult to let go of what is in your hand, and the Law of Consecration is no longer applied.] and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?
16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, [ Suggesting that they are currently not in such a position as It begins with can you imagine; so he is not saying do you remember when you heard the voice of the Lord or his spirit. So they are in a state of him saying can you imagine how it would feel to you if you were living in such a manner that you could hear the voice of the Lord? How will you answer? ] saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness [ How could Joseph Smith have known? When English shows a possessive or descriptive relationship between two nouns, it usually puts the possessive or descriptive noun first: the king's house or wood house. Hebrew, however, uses the opposite order: house the king (which would usually be translated house of the king) or house wood (house of wood). If the Hebrew word order is kept in the English translation, the word of must be added, even though it does not exist in the Hebrew.One of a large number of what appear to be translations from the Hebrew preserving the Hebrew word order: "works of righteousness" instead of righteous works (The Maxwell Institute - Hebrew Background of the Book Of Mormon - http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=72&chapid=862)] upon the face of the earth?
17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves [ What a powerful way to teach. He try's to paint a picture for them and to get them to be able to place themselves in the picture, envisioning for themselves being there, accomplishing that task. He uses this phrase 3 times in the verses 16, 17, 18. ] that ye can lie [ Do you think you can Deceive God , make the judgements go away through Denial, or Rationalization? ] 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? [ In other words just because you have rationalized your sinful actions to yourself does not mean that God has accepted them, or that the Lord does not see right through them, and that you are justified. They are not and Alma points out that if you think that is true that God can judge one by one set of rules and another by another set of rules then you are also calling God a liar "when he said that no unclean thing can live with him" that id the rule that he has imposed, and to allow the unclean to live with him would constitute God lying. So your rationalization does not work says Alma. ]
18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God? [ A person in denial will not admit to themselves that they are lying, rather than that they project the contradiction onto God. They may never explicitly say it. So just because you deny it today do you think that will hold true at the bar of God - you better think again when you will be before God your logic will not work. Think again! You are not the one who is setting the rules for eternity it is God who does that. The idea that you can just argue your case with God until you win is not how it is going to work. See verse 20, 25 you are only denying the ability for the Lord to save you and have become subject to the devil having been lead away by him until you will eventually go to live with him. ]
19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? ["[en]graving" or "graven" references found in the KJV OT include the following Hebrew terms: "pittuwach" is the one most commonly translated to "[en]graving" or "graven" and is only used in a strictly literal sense, cf. Exod. 28:11, Exod. 39:30, Zech. 3:9. ;The Hebrew term "chakak" can mean "engrave" and bears a legal context, as indicated by Strong's: lawgiver 6, governor 2, decree 2, to grave 2, portray 2, law 1, printed 1, set 1, or note 1- This term is translated "note" as in "note it in a book" in the KJV on Isa. 30:8 and "graven" in the KJV on Isa. 49:16. For the legal connotation see "lawgiver" in Gen. 49:10, Deut. 33:21, as one who inscribes the laws. Whenever a figurative engraving or marking is referred to the much more ambiguous Hebrew term "suwm" is employed. 07760 suwm {soom} or siym {seem} 5.5a primitive root; TWOT - 2243; v AV - put 155, make 123, set 119, lay 64, appoint 19, give 11, set up 10, consider 8, turn 5, brought 4, ordain 3, place 3, take 3, shew 2, regard 2, mark 2, disposed 2, care While being used in many other contexts, this term is used in the case of the mark set on Cain (cf. Gen. 4:15) and in the case of the spiritual description of the phylactery (cf. "Therefore shall ye lay up" in the KJV of Deut. 11:18 is translated "Therefore shall ye impress" in most modern translations, cp. Deut. 6:4-9 for the more blatantly physical description of a phylactery). so, the Hebrew term "suwm" is sufficiently ambiguous to mean something like "engrave" when used in a figurative context. Thus, the concept of having a God's mark placed upon you, and even the concept of an engraving with legalistic connotations as is the case with v. 14-19, is one that is eminently Semitic. For the significance of one's face or countenance bearing God's mark or image, cp. Exod. 33:11, 2 Chron. 7:14, Ps. 27:8, Hosea 5:15. Also, if we assume Alma had access to the Psalms as we know them, which isn't necessarily the case, he might be alluding to Ps. 10 (esp. cp. Ps. 10:4). If he is, then this is particularly biting insinuation as he is saying they don't have God's image in their countenance because they are prideful in their countenance like the man described in Ps. 10. Even if he didn't have access to this particular Psalm, it still clearly illustrates the Semitic concept of having your face either inclined towards or away from the Lord. ]
20 I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil?
21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; [ Why? Because the ETERNAL LAW says that no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God. What is implied here? There is an action that is needed, something must be done - the garments must be washed otherwise they are not clean. All are with sin and without specific action they will remain in a state of sin. ] yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, [ Is a simple washing usually enough to take out a stain? Which required multiple washings in some cases to full clean them as per Lev 13:58. The physical washing is also applied to the requirements for spiritual cleansing. see Isa. 1:16-18, Jer. 2:22 ] through the blood of him [ Jesus Christ, he is THE ONLY WAY! ] of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. [ From their sins, no in their sins. There is a distinct difference here. What is it? It is that we have to change our character such that those sins or things that we once did(and we need atonement for) we no longer do(because the Savior stepped in and provides the mercy or the time that we needed in order to change our character). Such that the only way that we can come again to live with God is that there is a Savior, and intercessor that will make it all possible. (Alma 11:40-41) ]
22 And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, [ Think about it how will you feel if you have been taught the principles of repentance and the atonement and have not fully applied them for yourself? Who can you blame at that point - So how will you feel? In this statement Alma try's to get them to project themselves forward to that day of judgement, and how they will feel before the bar of God. ] if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you? [ The things that you could have repented of and did not will testify against you. They will be stains on your garments if you do not repent. This final judgement will not be like any other judgement ever before. Usually in judgement there are parties that make the judgement that were not there; so they try to sort out the fact after the fact. This allows for a-lot of twisting and turning the story around to make things appears as they were not. In this judgement there will not be room for someone to plead their case; to twist the facts - it will all be before them the intent; the events everything in plan view. Judgement will be easy. Note that there are two kinds of blood-stained garments here —the one with the blood and sins of this world as a part of your culture(vs 23), the other are those personal sins which you could have repented of but did not. The blood that washes garments clean is not the blood that defiles them, just as the serpent that healed the people in the wilderness was not the serpent that killed. (See Num. 21:9⁠.) ]
23 Behold will they not testify that ye are murderers, yea, and also that ye are guilty of all manner of wickedness?
24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one [ Who is the "an one" that is being referred to here? Those who have not had their garment washed clean of the "blood and sins of this generation", those who are the murderers and guilty of all wickedness. ] can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white? [ Being guilty of the blood and sins of your generation, you may not “have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white.” This is nothing less than the "yeshivah",literally “sitting down” in the presence of God. Or sanctification, purification , TG Cleanliness, TG God, Priviledge of seeing, sight. (Josh 3:5; 1 Sam 16:6)⁠ Or how do you suppose that you will look when you stand before God with those forefathers who have made the sacrifice to cleanse their garments? How much does one who is dressed in dirty clothing stand out when placed next to one who is wearing clean clothes - the answer is obvious. Jacob was given counsel to be clean and change his garments and built an altar, put away any other Gods and worship the one true God in Gen. 35:1-3. ]
25 I say unto you, Nay; except ye make our Creator a liar from the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar from the beginning, ye cannot suppose that such can have place in the kingdom of heaven; but they shall be cast out for they are the children of the kingdom of the devil.
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, [ What is that song? It has reference to the song that the Children of Israel sang after the chariots of the Egyptian army were destroyed as found in Exodus 15. ] , I would ask, can ye feel so now? [ Do you still feel it? If not why not, what are you doing that does not allow the feeling right now. So do you feel it now is a good question for us to continue to ask ourselves? now the comparison between singing here for those that enjoy that redemption, and the wailing in verse 36. ]
27 Have ye walked, [ Who have you chosen to walk with God or Satan? Who do you look to in your walk? Who are you talking to and listening to in your daily walk of life? See more in Alma 7:22 I suppose that they have not done this or he would not be asking. ] keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.
29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.
30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!
32 Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] hath spoken it!
33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, [ The invitation which he send to all men id to live with him eternally; we are the one's that have to RSVP and how do we RSVP? the last part of the verse says that comes through repenting and living right. ] for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.
34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely; [ The emblems of the sacrament. ]
35 Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—
36 For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn. [ Direct contrast to those who have done good works as they are singing. See verse 26. There are only two options with nothing realyl in between.]
37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up [when one is puffed up - who is doing the puffing? They are - So this is a condition based on their own standards applied to themselves; they become the God who decides what is good and bad; then promote themselves with all of the good qualities that they deem they have. But just as a puff of smoke, the puffing that fills a ballon - it only takes one prick from the sharp end of a pin (the truth) to pop they puff so to speak.] in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, [ Have you really been spiritually reborn, have ye experienced that mighty change or are you just acting the part - the holier than holy - casting judgement on others to make yourself look righteous. It is one thing to profess religion, to sudy religion and another thing to practice it. All of the professing and studying in the world will get you no where unless you LIVE IT!] as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] unto his voice!
38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd [ Note there are only two shephard's the good one and the devil vs 39. So if you are not following the good one then the answer is obvious who you are following. ] doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; [ The shephard asks simply for the son's and daughters of Christ to come follow me! some sheep will follow other's will not. ] and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". In other words; you have been taught what is right; the path - to follow; and just because you talk a religious talk, and do not walk a religious walk then you are not following the good shephard, and if you are not following the good shephard then who is your shephard? see verse 39. ]
39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearkenenth which means they "listened to" and "obeyed". ] unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.
42 And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.
43 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plainly that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God. [ Alma declares why they need to listen.First, it is the teaching of their fathers (v. 43-44). Second, it is his own testimony, which is a result of his experience from acting in his priestly calling (v. 45-49). And finally, it is what the Spirit of God says (v. 50-52). He will try to use those 3 compelling reasons to get them to repent. ]
44 For I am called to speak after this manner, [ Based on his calling; it is his priesthood assignment. he is to preach the words of God using the Holy Ghost, to testify of Christ, to call to repentance - is this not the definition of an apostle. ] according to the holy order of God, [ Which holy order has called him as a teacher under the direction of his calling in the priesthood - to which he was foreordained . His calling is to preach through the spirit of God vs 46-47; Testify of Christ vs 48; call the people to repentance vs 50-52; see Alma 13. ] which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.
45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? [ Do you think that I have a personal testimony of these things? If so how do you think that I got it? ] Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? [ How do you think or by what power did I learn these things? ]
46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. [ It is by the power of the Holy Ghost that we learn the truth of all things. Moses 6:61; Moroni 10:5 ] Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.
48 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. [ The creedists shout against Joseph Smith. Whoa buddy - "That's a New Testament phrase. That's an anachronism!" So then it appears here that Joseph is making another mistake by quoting John from the New Testament: "The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) The creedist apologist Luke Wayne says it's "pretty clear that the author of Alma knew the New Testament text." (Wayne, Luke 2018 Alma 5 and the Plagiarism of the New Testament; Christian Apologetics Ministry. ) when he states: If the Book of Mormon were true, it would be impossible for Alma to be quoting from a collection of books that had not yet been written. Thus, the allusions to the New Testament by Book of Mormon prophets like Alma demonstrate that the book is a later forgery and not a real collection of ancient, pre-New Testament Israelite documents. (Wayne, Luke 2018 Alma 5 and the Plagiarism of the New Testament; Christian Apologetics Ministry. ) Well let's take a different look at the issue. Alma has been put in time out, and the jig for Joseph Smith is up. But anti-Mormon pastor-for-hire Mr. Wayne is assuming Alma is the originator of this idiom, "full of grace and truth," when it clearly appears earlier in the Book of Mormon text. Lehi also uses this precise description in 2 Nephi 2, which, as we have seen, is a sermon heavily dependent upon the brass plates. The phrase "full of grace and mercy and truth” appears to be inspired from the brass plates. If those plates contained Enochian materials, Lehi might have been quoting Joseph's book of Enoch: ”…mine only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ…” (Moses 6:52) Or something like the Old Slavonic Book of Enoch: "The Lord said: There is no oath in me, nor injustice, but truth."(2 Enoch 49:2) Or perhaps something like the Hebrew Book of Enoch, which calls the Messiah the "Holy One," just like Lehi, and then describes Him: At the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, is sitting on the Throne, of Judgement, (then) Justice is standing on His right and Mercy on His left and Truth before His face. (3 Enoch 31:1) The Hebrew Book of Enoch describes the "Holy One" as spreading "a curtain of splendor and brilliant appearance, of beauty, grace, and mercy."(3 Enoch 10:1) In Enoch's day, the search for truth was especially urgent. Though the records are fragmented and difficult to piece together, it seems that a faction of angels had perverted the true Gospel. The antediluvians that Enoch was trying to save were being fed false Gospels by a "voice of falsehood."(Henning, W.B. (1943) The Book Of Giants Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London Vol XI Part 1 Pg 68) The very mysterious Book of the Giants hints that this is what Enoch was dealing with: And as for you, sinful misbegotten sons of the Wrathful Self, confounders of the true words of that Holy One, disturbers of the actions of Good Deed, aggressors upon Piety ...(Henning, W.B. (1943) The Book Of Giants Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London Vol XI Part 1 Pg 68) Lehi and Alma and Joseph's Enoch are all using the phrase to describe the "Only Begotten," or as Lehi puts it, the "Holy One." Coincidentally, the Hebrew Enoch uses similar language in describing the Messiah: Then forthwith will the Holy One, blessed be He, remember His own tice, favour, mercy and grace: and He will deliver His great Arm by himself, and His righteousness will support Him. (3 Enoch 47:6) While the word "grace" appears in the Old Testament (albeit rarely), it is almost alvays used in the context of "finding grace" and was never used to describe someone "full of grace." That type of thinking simply never appears in the Old Testament. The Egyptian Life of Adam and Eve says Adam and Eve "were filled with grace of a bright nature" (Egyptian Life Of Adam and Eve 2:4) So now we have another testament of the use of these phrases before John ever spoke them. And maybe, just maybe Alma got them from the plates of brass as he said he did, as did John. ] And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
49 And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.
50 Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the son of God [He is not the son of Joseph. He is not the son of a man. This title the son Of God means that his Father is literally God our Father in Heaven. ] cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.
51 And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.
52 And again I say unto you, the Spirit saith: Behold, the ax is laid at the root of the tree; [ With the ax at the base the only thing left to do is begin the chopping process, and the ax man is awaiting the word. ] therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, yea, a fire which cannot be consumed, even an unquenchable fire. Behold, and remember, the Holy One hath spoken it.
53 And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; [ Wrapping up his final plea to them to avoid pride, materialism (v. 53), persecution of their brethren (v. 54), and quit being selfish (v. 55) if not then the stern warning to them that they will be cast off to a spiritual death unless they repent (v. 56). ] yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?
54 Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—
55 Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?
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, [ i.e., the faithful in the church are to separate themselves from the wicked and hypocritical within the church. The application of this becomes more clear as in the next chapter the unrepentant are excommunicated (cf. 6:3). ] 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; [ This is a quote from the Lord and it ends "...willI grant an inheritance at my right hand." We have no reference of the Lord saying this so it is possible that it was said and was not part of the abridgment of Mormon of Mosiah 26, were Alma senior had a conversation with the Lord. ]
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. [ This appears to be a quote as it begins which saith - So where did it come from as there is not other text that matches this. Did the text possibly come from from the conversation Alma senior had with the Lord in Mosiah 26 which wasn't included in Mormon's abridgment. The right hand being the favored hand. ] And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this? [ So what do you think? ] I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled. [ He finishes with an authority statement that it really does not matter what they think. The word of God is the word of God. ]
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 [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] 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, [ Ending with an authority statement just as he began - he has been called of God to teach this. ] 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 you might come unto repentance(character change). ] that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.
* Verse 1  [About 83 B.C.].