Alma 32 34: The Zoramites After hearing that the Zoramites, were perverting the ways of the Lord, Alma and his companions headed to the land of Antionum, seizing the opportunity to teach, and with great concern about what was happening among the Zoramites. Amulek and Zeezrom, his convert, went with him. Zeezrom knew how to argue with these kinds of people because he used to be one of them. Aaron, Ammon and Omner, three of the four sons of Mosiah, also went, as did two of his own sons, Shiblon and Corianton. He left Helaman, the oldest of his four sons in Zarahemla, tending the shop. Alma had said that he was infirm (31:30), and it would not be very much longer before Helaman would be given the plates and responsibility for the church. Helaman had a reformation or a rejuvenation of the church when he became the High Priest, so this period, when he was alone, while Alma, Amulek, and many of the leaders of the Nephites were away, may have been an important apprenticeship or final training for him. This must have been some missionary district! Alma and Amulek seemed to have paired off and worked together, though it is not clear that they went two-by-two in those days. We know that Corianton paired off, but with the wrong type! They must have been very, very impressive missionaries. Alma brought the very best, again showing how important the land of Antionum was to them. As the missionaries stood outside the city, they prayed that the Lord would give them success and strengthen their efforts (31:26), and Alma invoked the name of the Lord (Yawēh in Hebrew) in that chapter exactly ten times; O Lord how long? or O Lord wilt thou? Once again, the name of the Lord was invoked ten times. In the Psalm of Nephi (2 Nephi 4:15 35), Nephi also expressed the divine name ten times. In the Book of Mosiah, King Benjamin, in his speech, called upon the name our Lord God ten times. This appears to have been of ritual significance, because during the Day of Atonement, in ancient Israel, the high priest spoke the name of Jehovah ten times as a part of the Day of Atonement liturgy. The Day of Atonement was on the tenth day of the seventh month, and these numbers are not insignificant. How did the words of Alma and Amulek directly confront the erroneous teachings of the Zoramites? Alma and Amulek traveled to Antionum not long after Korihor died (Alma 31:1). Possibly the demise of Korihor affected the success, or the hard-heartedness, of some people who were there? One wonders why we are told so much about Korihor; chapter 30 is a long chapter. Does the story of Korihor set up the background for the arrival of Alma in Antionum? Korihor had just been convicted, and the things he had been preaching, the things he had been trying to do, were not much different from the things that were being said by the leaders of the Zoramites. A divine stigma had been put on Korihor with his speechlessness and with his being trampled. It was clear that the devil was not protecting him; the devil rewards his followers with no good thing (30:60). Amulek repeated that teaching in Antionum, For behold, he [the devil] rewardeth you no good thing (Alma 34:39), and he certainly had a case in point. If anybody doubted what he said, all he had to do was point to Korihor, an impressive illustration. The poor people responded to the teaching, but the rich Zoramites, who had a vested interest in not changing their ways, probably dismissed the whole Korihor episode anyway. At least Alma [1]
and Amulek were able to touch the hearts of the people who were willing to say, I do not want to be like Korihor. Throughout the Book of Mormon, several times, one sees the phrase, and thus we see. In the instance in Alma 30:60, at the end of Korihor s story, and thus we see may precede an editorial comment by Mormon. However, that instance could possibly be a comment by Alma, though Mormon used that same phrase, which may also have been a traditional introduction to comment. Whoever made the comment, the truth of it would have been obvious there in the City of Antionum; it was an excellent teaching point. What scriptural sources from the Plates of Brass or Nephite records did Alma and Amulek draw upon? Alma and Amulek quoted scriptures to the Zoramites; hence, there must have been a tradition among the Zoramites of knowing the scriptures. The missionaries were able to use the scriptures as authority, so presumably the Zoramites accepted the scriptures to some extent. Considering their ancestry, it was right that they should have; Zoram, after all, had been the protector and the keeper of the Brass Plates, and probably had, along with his posterity, a significant interest in them. Alma used the writings of the prophets Zenos and Zenock, which are not in our Bible, yet they knew them from the brass plates. They referred to Moses, citing his raising the serpent so that those were willing to look could be saved. The cross-reference to Enos in the footnotes to Alma 34:26, You must pour out your souls in your closets, is simply a footnote reference to Enos praying in the wilderness, and does not indicate that Amulek used that example. However, the quotation in Alma 34:26 is a reiteration of the same reference to Zenos words that Alma used in Alma 33:4 7. Alma refers Lehi s fruit of the tree (1 Nephi 8:10-12). Alma knew Lehi from the Small Plates of Nephi. He was the high priest, and the main record keeper, especially of the sacred records, and as such, he had access to the Small Plates. Did he have a copy of these in front of him? Probably not! Is it not impressive that he was able to use these references so readily in speaking. He did not have a Preach My Gospel handbook, unfortunately, though it would have been good if he had. When he goes to Antionum, he was astonished at what he saw. One can suppose that he had given some thought to what he would say, but he probably did not pack a copy of these scriptures with him when he left Zarahemla. Alma knew his scriptures by heart. Being able to teach like Alma is another good reason for people to know the scriptures well and to memorize them. One may ask who would have had access to scriptures at that time. Without printing press, almost no one had easy access to scriptures. In the mediaeval cathedrals in Europe, there are biblical stories in stained glass. The priest explained the Bible story to the people using the stained glass as a teaching tool and reminder. However, in ancient Israel, under the Law of Moses to which the Nephites adhered (2 Ne. 25:24), in the Feast of Tabernacles each year, with special emphasis on the seventh year, they would read the law aloud in public, so the people were least are hearing the law repeated. In Jewish worship, the participants read the entire Old Testament week by week throughout the year, rotating through it repeatedly. The Nephites may [2]
also have had a reading cycle; there may have been a liturgical cycle of that nature. They had a very strong oral tradition, and Alma s ability to quote scripture is strong evidence of that. Ancient civilizations learned how to quote precisely; this was the primary learning method. For example, among the Jews, a young boy, in preparing to become a man and go through his bar mitzvah, had to memorize scriptures. The Nephites most likely had an equivalent formality. So, one asks, Who had access? They may not have had access to written copies, but they certainly had access verbally, and were able to repeat and apply the text. Not that there are no written copies. In Alma 33:2, Alma said, You ought to search the scriptures. Obviously, something was available. In verse 14 it says, I would ask if ye have read the scriptures, which implies that there were some texts readily available. Both Alma and Amulek also make a point that the Zoramites had been fully instructed. They had left Zarahemla only recently, so even if they did not have a complete set, or a lot of it readily accessible there, not long ago in their past, they had them. If they did not have the scriptures to search, they ought to have got some and followed Alma s advice. There clearly were some books of scripture available, because they burned some in Ammonihah with the women and children. In early Mesoamerica, people typically wrote on fig bark. However, would have been impossible to get all the scriptures on one of those fig bark books, there was just not enough room, so they probably had selections or portions of different books. The official, complete record was kept most likely in the temple. Few could write and a few more could read, but being able to read and write was a professional skill in most ancient societies. How effective are the many metaphors (such as seed, light, nourish, tree, etc.) used by Alma and Amulek? What strength is added by the figures of speech or literary structures in these chapters? (Find the chiasm in 34:9. See the eight-part parallelism in 34:18-25) There are many figures of speech in this section. Why would Alma have been speaking this way to these Zoramites? He used images such as seed, and light and nourish and the tree, but he did not use this kind of speech in Ammonihah, where he talked about the fall of Adam and Eve and the holy order after the priesthood of God in a more declarative speech. His speech to the Zoramites was much more figurative. Did it work then? Does it work today? Simple, everyday imagery was more likely to be understood by the poor, humble people he was teaching. The poor people of Antionum may not have had the same opportunities for study as the people of Ammonihah or the rich Zoramites. However, despite teaching in metaphors, the very practical element may have appealed to how they were living. He gave them a concrete method to develop faith. He may have been more effective if he had used this approach in Ammonihah, though the people in Ammonihah may already have been a lost cause. He may have shifted his approach a little bit hoping that using the imagery of agriculture may be successful with the Zoramites. The people in Ammonihah had not been to the point of feeling humility at an ordinary, human level. Humility, is related to our word humus (earth). The imagery uses the perception that one must bend near the earth (become humble) to plant a seed in the earth. The humble people were receptive like the earth that receives the seed. Using the concept of humility may have been a very attractive way of speaking to these people. [3]
How hard it is to convey a testimony or to explain to someone the experience of the feeling the spirit; how hard it is to teach basic gospel principles like faith, humility, belief in Christ, testimony, and knowing and experiencing the truth? Christ used parables, a related form of imagery. President Packer compared describing the effect spiritual experiences with describing the taste of salt. Unless someone has tasted salt, it is hard to describe the taste (Ensign July 1983). Similarly, a seminary teacher talked about eating strawberries. Imagine going to a place where no one had ever tasted strawberries. The taste of a strawberry cannot be communicated with words unless it is compared with the taste of something else, such as a raspberry, but if no one has tasted a raspberry, there is no point of reference. Alma could not express what it is like to feel the spirit. However, he could tell them that if they metaphorically planted a seed, it would begin to swell and they would feel the swelling inside them. It is uncommon to refer to the growing of testimony as a swelling feeling, but for Alma who had started as a very wicked man and who had felt the way his soul enlarged and expanded, this is a very genuine way of his describing that feeling. It was very effective teaching method. Although they were teaching the gospel they did not teach the Fall, the Creation, and Atonement; Amulek had said they already knew that, but they were teaching them how to recognize the spirit (Alma 34:1-4) and they were trying to help them repentant and be baptized. In gardening, as in faith, what matters most is caring about, maintaining, and continuing to grow. If one not water, fertilize, and pull the weeds everything will revert. Alma made it clear that developing faith was not a one-step process in which you plant the seed, go away, and then expect a seed to grow into a tree bearing eternal fruit. There is an interesting eight-element chiasm in Alma 34:9. This was Amulek speaking of the atonement: It is expedient that an atonement should be made. For if it were not for the atonement, all would perish, all are hardened, all are fallen and lost, and yea will perish if it were not for the atonement that is expedient that should be made. Why did Amulek use this figure of speech to explain the atonement? A chiasm begins with one thought, goes around through the main point, and returns to the beginning. There is a sense of wholeness and completion. In addition, the word atone means to make at one, so there is a sense of reunion, or unifying. In a literary sense, a chiasm unifies the thought in much the same way that the feeling of atonement gives a sense of reunion with God after transgression or sin, and after being encircled. Being wrapped and encircled in the arms of God s love is another unifying feeling. Alma was a gifted writer and speaker, and was inspired by the Lord in the choice of words, as was Joseph Smith as he translated. The chiasm could be thought of as the Lord s chiasm. Not only the content, but also both the spirit and the manner in which these words were revealed and [4]
communicated contribute to understanding. More content was offered than can be expressed in words alone, and the chiasm, like a metaphor, accomplishes that. In Alma 34:18 25, Amulek said, Yea cry unto him for mercy, yea cry unto him for he is mighty to save, cry unto him in your fields and your flocks, cry to him over your households both morning, mid-day, and evening. Then he continued Yea cry unto him against your enemies, yea cry unto him against the devil who is the enemy of all righteousness, cry unto him in your fields, cry unto him in your flocks. This a good example of parallelism. In Hebrew poetry, when things are written in couplets, there will also often be a parallelistic format, either an antithetical parallelism or a synthetic parallelism. These are synthetic parallelisms or synonymous parallelisms. Instead of just a couplet, or two lines, there are eight lines formed into a pair of pairs of pairs. There are four pairs, but then one group of two pairs couples with another group of two pairs, forming two times two times two. Alma 34:18 25 is a fine example of parallelistic writing, and it has a strong center point, which is that we should cry unto the Lord both morning, mid-day and evening. The Israelite pattern was to pray three times a day. Of course, one of the big issues here for the Zoramites, is when to pray and where to pray. So Amulek emphasized his answer with poetry. It is not clear whether Amulek wrote this poem, but it certainly is wonderful. It may also be a quotation from Zenos, because it is not far different from that quoted in Alma 33. Hearing Mercy (Alma 33:2 11) is a very archaic Hebrew-style poem: Thou art merciful O God, thou has heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness, yea thou wast merciful, when I prayed concerning those who were my enemies, thou didst turn them unto me. Reading the stanzas aloud shows the cadence and rhythm, assisting in appreciation of not only the content, but also how it was said. It was perfect for what Alma needed to say to the people of Antionum. Alma s use of this poem of Zenos, was exactly what was needed. There are ten incidents of the words hear or heard. Thou hast heard my prayer, Thou didst hear me, Thou didst hear me and my prayer, To be heard of thee and not of men, Thou wilt hear them. and so on. The ten-times factor is here again. Perhaps counting to ensure that they had all ten of them in there was a way to assist in memorization. Zenos must have been very great prophet, but he is not mentioned in the Old Testament. He did not have an easy time when he was preaching. He had enemies and he was expelled from the synagogues rather like the poor here in Antionum. If he were treated as an enemy and ejected from the congregation, no matter what other messages he delivered, they may not have wanted his words to survive along with the other texts. We do not know much about the records from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh as opposed to those of Judah. The only northern prophet in the Old Testament is Hosea. All the other prophets retained in the text are southern-kingdom prophets; were probably more northern prophets whose words were not retained, and Zenos may have been one of these. His words may have been very precious to the people of Antionum, because they also could not worship in the synagogue; they could not worship anywhere. He was a prophet that they could identify with. [5]
Focus attention on the following memorable expressions [on the lower half of the question sheet]. In what ways can you personally embrace these words as helpful, enabling, potent, insightful, and credible? Let us turn to the list of phrases, some of which are unique in scripture; they are very powerful, and have a lot to say. Much of what Alma and Amulek were saying pertains to the situation of these people in Antionum, but they are eternal truths that also speak to everybody. Blessed are the lowly in heart (32:8) When he said, Blessed are the lowly in heart, it would have been encouraging to these poor people, especially when he has promised them, You will be blessed even though you are lowly in heart. That applies today. Does lowly in heart just mean humble? A humble person is lowly in heart, but what does it add for us to think of humility as being lowly in heart? How do people get their hearts low? They do not simply crawl on the ground? Lowly in heart, and blessed are the lowly in heart, may refer to people who have become down-hearted somehow. It does not necessarily have to mean financially poor, but it can. When a little baby had a stroke, the mother s heart sank. She felt like very low in heart and down. That is one sense in which one can be lowly, when one is just down and feeling brought down. Lowly in heart must surely be aligned with the beatitude phrase poor in spirit. Jesus did such a beautiful job in saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, that come unto me. People can be socially low, economically low, and that sense of lowliness brings a foundation of blessedness too. Lowliness of heart may also be an absence of the hope that the gospel brings, and that was what Alma was telling them about. There is something better over the horizon that you do not understand. It is necessary that ye should learn wisdom (12) They were promised that they would be blessed, but he said that it was necessary for them to learn wisdom (Alma 32:12). Why was it necessary for them to learn wisdom? Here is another interesting combination; there is progression that needs to be accomplished. Would it be fair to say that it is necessary, if people are going to receive the blessedness, that they learn wisdom? In other words, they must gain perspective and understand beyond the immediate problem. If they can see the eternal picture, then they can be blessed. Someone who is lowly in heart is teachable. In order to gain wisdom, one needs to be receptive to the possibility of knowledge, and one needs to understand the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, and the atonement. It must be firmly placed in the mind and the heart. Wisdom is not something one has, it is something one can learn, and the temple teaches that it is mostly learned by experience. He that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved (13) The word find with the word mercy is striking; this principle may not be found in any other scripture. What does that mean that one has to find mercy? One seeks something from God and gets it, if the heart is in the right place, but one has to look for it. How does one look for mercy? What does it mean to find mercy? Are people surprised when they find it? C. S. Lewis book, Surprised by Joy is a classic example of a person being surprised by an overwhelming feeling of mercy and joy, of feeling low, and suddenly being encompassed by joy. It comes from an unexpected source and suddenly, one finds mercy. It is there. Mercy is there all the time. It is not [6]
just that one receives mercy or that God gives it, but one must find it. It really is there to be found. Jesus used a good metaphor for the same experience: thirst, and the water to take thirst away. Just as a person that is desperately thirsty feels as he comes across a well of water, and what a joyous finding that would be, so one feels on finding mercy. One could write a poem about that! Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble (16) Is anyone humble without being compelled to be humble? How can a person be humble other than being compelled to be humble? The natural man is not humble, yet are there some who can humble themselves? The point may be that when people humble themselves, when they do it for an internal self-motivated reason rather than some external matter it has a greater effect. Some say that if one thinks he is humble, he is not. That does not mean people cannot be humble on their own initiative. If you think you are humble, you are not means that you can never be aware of your humility. Blessed is he who believes without being compelled to know (16) That is interesting. How can one be compelled to know something? Being compelled to know? Again, the idea is that one must be willing to believe, to accept without having absolute proof. Was Paul compelled? Even Alma himself? There was, in both cases, 180-degree turns from where they had been heading. Alma was telling these people that they would be better off if they could believe, unlike he, who had to be compelled to know by the angel. Laman and Lemuel were also compelled to believe, but it did not do them enough good. If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true (21). One may find it worthwhile to peruse the list for personal applications Alma, of course, made his famous statement, If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true (see Alma 32:21), a classic statement of the definition of faith. God desires in the first place, that ye should believe even on his word (22). In the Articles of Faith, it is expressed as the the first principle of the gospel. Not faith in anything random, but faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Alma said, Ye shall have faith even on his word (32:22), he defines a few verses later what the word is. Of course, it is connected to believing in Christ. He imparteth his word... not only to men but women also, and children too (23) Alma made a point of applying his teaching to the women, and to children too (32:23). Why did he make a point of that? There may have been women in the audience. This is a great statement, verifying that women and children are to receive the word too. Elder Holland has used this particular verse several times to speak of the equal access of all people, men, women and children of all stature, all status in society, rich and poor. Alma was talking to the poor people. They felt as though they were not fully enfranchised citizens in this city. They have been kicked out of the synagogue, and he said, Look, God speaks to all people and not just those who happen to be standing on the Rameumptum. It was an opportunity for him to teach the principle that God s universal revelation of the spirit is for all people. [7]
If ye can no more than desire to believe (27) If ye can no more than desire to believe, in verse 27 is a very telling part of the principle of faith. Alma chapter 32, of course, is one of the most insightful, powerful descriptions of how faith grows, how it is nurtured, how it becomes knowledge. How does one gain a testimony? This desire, for some people, has to be the starting point. If one has no more than a desire to believe. How can one help someone to desire to believe if he says, I do not care about it? How can one help people want to desire? In verse 19, one reads, Cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not. Maybe someone would rather not know. How can missionaries counteract that? How can people be convinced that it is better to know even though there are some burdens that come with knowing? The people in Antionum may have been fearful to know. Gaining a testimony and doing what Alma suggested, they would learn that Alma was right and the Rameumptum folks were wrong. Accepting the truth led to a major life-style change that went against the dominant culture. We know how that problem was solved. They left Antionum and went to the City of Jershon, and that led to war. Fear may have been a real factor. Give place for a portion of my words.... If ye give place (27-28) When one listens to general conference or when one reads the scriptures, and an insight or an idea is gained, what does it mean to give that idea place and how does this relate to a seed? What does a seed need to give it place? It needs some room. It needs space to grow. It also needs room for sunshine, or at least light. If other things are crowding it out, if there is no room for it, the light will not get down to the seed. Of course, in terms of spiritual experience, the light is interpreted as the light of Christ or the light of inspiration. One also gives an idea place by paying attention to it. In addition, when something is important, people find a place for it in the house. It is put on a shelf, it is protected, but it has its place, it is valued so it has an important spot. If an idea or a commandment is important one gives it place, one values it and pays attention to it. Missionaries, when they start to teach, follow up and try to get members to follow up in order to help the converts give place for the gospel. As people are learning, the more they can be convinced to give the Gospel room and give it some time, the more successful the experience will be. One may need to get rid of some other things, clear out the clutter so that the idea has space, so it is not crowded out by other problems. Give it some place. What a nice expression. It will begin to swell within your breasts,... it beginneth to enlarge my soul, to enlighten the understanding, and to be delicious to me (28) As it begins to swell, it enlarges the soul. This is how one can identify whether something such as a teaching, or something heard in conference is good or not. It must be given space, given a try, and if it enlarges the soul, it is good. How can one feel that the soul has been enlarged by something, as opposed to the opposite? If it makes the soul shrink, it is not a good thing. This is a kind of litmus test. Let us nourish it with great care (37) [8]
There is a Greek word about enlarging the soul, enthusiasm. It means God is within you. That is a good way of feeling enlarged. Alma said next that it must be nourished, tended, and cared for. It must be acted upon. That it may take root in you (42) Eventually the teaching becomes part of life. It will take root. As the root takes, that point is there as a permanent, or at least a self-sustaining part. It must needs be that this is a good seed (28) Are ye sure this is a good seed? (31) Alma spoke about what is learned when the seed begins to enlarge the soul, an important point. Did he tell them that they would learn that the seed is true? Not at first. What then would they learn? In verse 28, first they learned that it would be delicious, that it would taste good. If it feels good, It must needs be that that seed is a good seed. What difference is there between being good, knowing that something is good, and knowing that something is true? At least it is a growing seed, but eventually one will be able to tell by the fruit that it bears. For example, Hitler knew a lot of truth. He knew how to build rocket ships, how to organize armies, and things like that, but he did not know what was good. There is a difference between knowing what is good and knowing what is true, and one has to know both, because truth without knowledge of what is good can be used for bad though it is still truth. Alma wanted these people to begin by knowing what is good. If one knows what is good, then truth can be applied to obtain that objective. Just like in planting seeds, any seed that will sprout is a good seed, but it could be a weed and unless one recognizes the goodness that is the goal, all of the truth about horticulture, or whatever the image is, may still not be applicable to the final chosen objective. We often bear our testimony that we know the Church is true. One mission president bore his testimony regularly that the Church was good. He wanted people in Germany to know that this was a good way to live. If they believed that it was good, and if they could taste that goodness, the truth would be added so they would know all that they needed to know. The Church is so good, and it is important for us to keep that in mind. It may be helpful to hear more testimonies in our own midst of the goodness of the Church. Some people like to think of a tree that is leafing out and bearing beautiful fruit, and then somebody in did not nourish it and take care of it. It becomes a dead tree; no leaves, just a dead, barren tree that is no good. Zenos also talked about nourishing a tree, with the cutting out of the branches that produced wild fruit. Such an interesting use of tree imagery. It will be a tree springing up in you unto everlasting life (32:41; 33:23) Where does the tree that Alma is talking about grow? It grows within a person. One plants this seed inside, and it grows up to become a tree of eternal life. Pluck the fruit of the tree of life (40) Sweet above all that is sweet, white above all white, pure above all pure (42) As it grows, one can pluck the fruit that is Sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure (Alma 32:42). [9]
There are three different trees in the Book of Mormon. Zenos tree in Jacob chapter 5 represents the House of Israel. Where do Latter-day Saints fit in the allegory of that olive tree? Is each person a leaf, or perhaps an olive? Each person is a very small part of that big tree. The tree in Lehi s dream represents eternal life, a goal. At that tree, each person partakes of the fruit and stands under the tree, and the tree remains external to the partaker, who is a much bigger part of the picture than in Zenos allegory. Alma takes the tree allegory even further; he requires the whole tree of life to be in each person. The person will then become a tree of life planted in God s Garden of Eden, a fruit-bearing tree that will produce eternal fruit. Plant this seed (23), plant the word (34:4 = 33:22) What is this seed that should be planted and that will grow up within to become such a tree? It is the Word. If a turnip is to grow, then a turnip seed must be planted. To know the truth of the principle of tithing, the tithing seed must be planted and nurtured to grow. However, if you want eternal life, the seed of eternal life is what must be planted, and a testimony of that must be grown. That seed is the Word, but what is the Word? The commonest answer is Christ is the Word, but there is actually a little more explanation of what it really is. If you will cast your eyes about and begin to believe in the Son of God, that is the seed to be planted. In verse 23 one reads, I desire that you will plant this word in your hearts. Thus, the whole of verse 22 is the seed, or the word that one must plant. One does not simply plant belief in the Son of God, one must also believe that he will come to redeem his people. The people in Antionum did not believe that, of course. One plants the seed that Christ will suffer and die to atone for sin (33:22). Part of the seed is that Christ will rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection that all men shall stand before him to be judged at the last judgment day according to their works (33:22). That whole expression, which is a summary of what has been called the Nephite Articles of Faith, is the entire seed. If one plants that Word and believes all the elements how the atonement will work, why it will work, what needs to be done to make it work, just what will happen, and how one is held accountable then all of those principles will grow up together within and produce the tree of eternal life. Each one of those elements is necessary. As Alma and Amulek discovered, most of the things that the people in Antionum had come to believe were contrary to the basic elements of Nephite belief. They had turned away from those observances, practices, and beliefs. Thus, Alma was pleading with them, and this was his final word to them, Plant this seed and you will have eternal life. Alma and Amulek deserve enormous praise for their inspiration, for their ability to capture the essence of very profound, spiritual matters in phrases that are quite arresting, that make one stop and think, that indicate the path to arouse the faculties and to experiment with the Word. Over and over, this chapter, this companionship of speeches, is rich with words that are not found anywhere else. It is the best example in all scripture, of how one may gain a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and of the necessity of the infinite atonement, for without that there can be no eternal life. It is the finest illustration of how by not procrastinating the day of repentance, by crying unto the Lord, and by remembering the poor, one can weave [10]
these themes together to build an incomparable testimony and statement of how the gospel works. During this time, these missionaries were not young. Alma was old by this time, and the sons of Mosiah had already been on a mission for fourteen years. They had worked in the ministry following their return for some time before leaving for Antionum. Nothing but a great love for God s children would have made them serve with such fervor of testimony at that time of their lives. They bear a tremendous testimony to those that are old and tired and consider that they have done their share. These missionaries were completely dedicated to what they were doing, were willing to sacrifice, and were motivated by both the truth that they knew and the love that they had. Those who have love in their hearts can do so much even if only with family and neighbors. Alma and Amulek testified that this is a good, good gospel. The Lord will bless his children with all good things. In addition, by bringing forth humility and dedication, one may improve constantly. As Amulek says, following this formula and guidance will set people securely on the path to the eternal blessings that will be most joyous for all that obtain them. The gospel is true! It is good! [11]