Alma 15

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 6/20 Green 4/21 orange 7/22 Brown 8/23.)

Chapter 15

Alma and Amulek go to Sidom and establish a church—Alma heals Zeezrom, who joins the Church—Many are baptized, and the Church prospers—Alma and Amulek go to Zarahemla. About 81 B.C.

  1 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek were commanded to depart No more preaching to try to convert. Kind of an extreme "shaking off the dust of the feet" testimony against that city! The prison falling was their last witness Seems like there was another prison falling story where those who witnessed it were converted. I wonder if these people would have been given the same chance if they had repented and not run. probably. out of that city; and they departed, and came out even into the land of Sidom; and behold, there they found all the people who had departed out of the land of ^aAmmonihah, who had been ^bcast out and stoned, because they believed in the words of Alma. Sometimes you are forced to leave. Not always a bad thing.
  2 And they related unto them all that had happened unto their ^awives and children, So the people who had been cast out were all men then? I'm assuming it's Alma and Amulek speaking here. Who's wives and children are they talking about? The wives and children of Amulek's family? Of the people who had been cast out after their wives and children had been burned in the fire? But they would know about that... and also concerning themselves, and of their ^bpower of deliverance. This phrase makes it sound like they aren't talking about Amulek's family. Hmm....
  3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his ^awickedness, This is a great witness that our thoughts can make us sick! for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat. Fascinating how the mind and body work!
  4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.
  5 And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; such compassion for someone that has caused so much suffering and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and they found him upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was ^aexceedingly sore because of his iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him. That's three times we are told that he was sick because of the the weight of his sins! 
  6 And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: ^aBelievest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?
  7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.
  8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be ^ahealed.
  9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.
 10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have ^amercy on this man, and ^bheal him according to his faith which is in Christ. Is this required language for faith healings? Is this a teaching that we are healed only according to our faith in Christ? Does this mean those that are blessed to be healed in our day that aren't don't have sufficient faith in Christ? How can one know if they have sufficient faith? I know I embarked on a deep dive into faith back in 2000 and knew that what we are taught about it was only the tip of the iceberg. I totally believe that we don't really have the quality or quantity of faith to bring healing through our blessings...or it would happen more - even every time, as it did for Christ.
 11 And when Alma had said these words, ^aZeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom. He wasn't blessed and then asked to go the doctor...just sayin'...
 12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people. Was Alma seeing a replay of his own story? Was this part of his compassion for Zeezrom? It seems that once you have been Born Again/Redeemed that your desire is to share the joy of that redemption with others!
 13 And Alma established a church in the land of Sidom, and consecrated ^apriests and ^bteachers in the land, to baptize unto the Lord whosoever were desirous to be baptized.
 14 And it came to pass that they were many; for they did flock in from all the region round about Sidom, and were baptized. Word had traveled about the prison falling on the chief judge and the others?
 15 But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ^aascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the profession of ^bNehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins. So ironic that they ascribe Alma's power to the devil when the devil was the one that was the head of their secret combination. Doesn't even make sense? Also, they believe in the power of the devil to do great things but not in repentance, which brings salvation through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
 16 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having ^aforsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being ^brejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred; Alma 10:11 For behold, he hath ^ablessed mine house, he hath blessed me, and my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk; yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake. Earlier, Amulek says that his father and kinsfold had been blessed by Alma. Does that mean he just said a prayer of blessing on them or they believed and then rejected afterwards? There is a false teaching arising from some in the church that LOVE of your fellow man is the highest principle there is. This story shows us that it is love of GOD that is the highest teaching. Sometimes that love for GOD means that by following what God tells you to do and say that your fellow man/family rejects you. Their teaching would say that you should stop doing/saying what you are saying because it's making your fellowman not feel loved anymore so you are not loving or being Christ like. But how others feel about what you are doing or saying is not the ultimate test as to whether you are loving or not. Only God can judge that. Parents lovingly discipline and correct their children, who, in the moment of correct would be quick to say they don't feel "loved" and yet we can know, as parents ourselves, that they are doing it out of love and are loving. 
 17 Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great ^acheck, yea, seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to ^bhumble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their ^csanctuaries to ^dworship God before the ^ealtar, ^fwatching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from ^gdeath, and from destruction—The footnote to 'check' says they got victory of the devil. So they gave up pride for humility; gathered to worship; were on watch constantly and prayerfully that they would be delivered from Satan and death and destruction (afterlife?). We need this "great check" in the church today. 
 18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his ^aown house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and ^bstrengthened him in the Lord. Maybe all this had taken a toll on Amulek. He lost much; had seen much persecution and murder; and must have been weighed down by the wickedness of his town. Amulek had taken Alma in to his own home for some time when Alma was in need. Now it was Alma's turn to minister to Amulek. How exactly did he "strengthen him in the Lord"?
 19 And thus ended the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.