A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 36:17-23 The first thing that catches my attention is the contrast between before and after; the bitter and the sweet; the despair verses the hope. Moments earlier, in the gall of bitterness, Alma says: Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God , to be judged of my deeds. ( vs. 15 ) Then as evidence of  this mighty change of heart, he says: Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there . ( vs. 22 ) One moment there is such fear and torment at the thought of being brought into the presence of God. In the next, Alma has a longing to be there singing praises to God. The natural question that follows is: What caused Alma to change internally? (It wasn't seeing an angel.) What about the act of having f...

Alma 5:14 After completing a brief review of the terms of salvation that were extended to the previous generation of Saints, Alma goes on to ask three very direct questions in succession : Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Now the first and the third questions, I can find references to elsewhere in the scriptures to broaden my understanding of what Alma is asking. For example, the first question ("Have ye spiritually been born of God?") sounds very similar to the Savior's conversation with Nicodemus. "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?" ( John 3:4 ) The third question ("Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?") also has meaning elsewhere. King Benjamin's people exclaimed that "because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change...

Alma 5:1-13 There is a lot of good doctrine to cover in this chapter. I recently have been reminded of the need for appreciation (gratitude) in my comings and goings. Alma seems focused similarly in his introduction to the people of Zarahemla. The history of the previous generation of the Church, of their oppressions and deliverance, is the topic of Alma's introduction. Alma first discusses their physical captivity, but then goes on to ask if the people had also remembered that the Lord had delivered their souls from hell. ( vs. 6 ) Then in verses 7-9 , Alma explains how it was that their redemption (deliverance from hell) was made possible: The Lord "changed their hearts"  The Lord did awaken them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God.  "Their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word" The bands of death were broken, and the chains of hell loosed, and their souls did expand to sing songs of redeeming love.  Alma then states that their s...