Alma 36

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 Green 5/21  8/22 Brown 9/2023.)

The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman.

Comprising chapters 36 and 37.

CHAPTER 36

Alma testifies to Helaman of his conversion after seeing an angel this could be saying that he was converted "some time" after seeing and angel, not that he was converted only because he saw an angel or while he saw the angel. The latter would support the teaching that "Miracles do not produce faith, but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith." (Bible Dictionary) Alma had no faith at the time he had the visit from the angel. It seems more likely that the "miracle" was to confirm his father's faith and those who had been praying for him. Alma will tell us he came to know the truth of the gospel after much prayer and fasting. 

(Alma 5:45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? 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?

46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. not an angel 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 hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.) It wasn't just given to him at the time he saw the angel. The angelic visit just came to show him the error of his ways and the consequences if he didn't take a different path. His "new" faith in Jesus Christ moved him to repent—He suffered the pains of a damned soul; he called upon the name of Jesus, and was then born of God—Sweet joy filled his soul—He saw concourses of angels praising God—Many converts have tasted and seen as he has tasted and seen. How literal is this? About 74 B.C.

  1 My son, give ear to my words; He could have added, "I know I didn't listen to my own father, so I understand if you don't listen to me, but I really want you to listen to me and learn from my mistakes." for I swear unto you, if this is "oath" type language that was never questioned in their day, then Alma is telling his son in the strongest language possible that the statement that follows is the absolute truth! that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land. How many times is this repeated in the Book of Mormon over how many years? It surely would be one of the top 3 take-away's or themes as an invitation and a warning to us in the latter days. So if we are experiencing drought, inflation, recession, war, disease, oppression of any kind the answer is - we're not keeping the commandments. We need to repent as a people and the Lord promises we will prosper. He doesn't say, "no matter how well you keep the commandments, you will have war and disease and inflation and droughts and famine, because I just need you to have these tests and trials. No, he promises that we will prosper. As proof, we have a time in the Book of Mormon where it says "and there was never a happier people". Men are that they might have joy. I don't believe it is God's will that we suffer these afflictions. However, because we so easily sin, He sent our Savior Jesus Christ to atone for those sins, that on the condition of repentance (which is turning away from those sins and keeping the commandments again) we can be forgiven and move in to prosperity again. And He promises that if we truly love Him that even our afflictions can work together for our good. That part IS His will. Just this morning as we ate breakfast we noticed every commercial segment had one or two pharmaceutical commercials. The world's answer to every ailment today seems to be a drug made by man - not God or repentance. No trying to treat the underlying cause of the illness, just masking the symptoms so we don't have to experience the consequences of our choices. But every ad ends with a list of possible side effects that seem worse the the ailment being treated. Even Satan cannot promise complete healing. He can only fake healing while he masks the real sin and exposes us to even further damage. I'm feeling like I might share this testimony in church tomorrow. We'll see...I haven't borne my testimony for almost 3 years! Maybe it's time... I didn't do it. I did finally bear by testimony awhile ago, but didn't say these things.
  2 I would that ye should do as I have done, or as you have seen me do all your life (not when I was your age...) in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in ^abondage, and none could ^bdeliver them except it was the ^cGod of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.  Alma equates his past sinful era to bondage. We are truly in a day when we are in bondage to this pandemic and truly none can deliver us but God. oh wait...I guess man delivered us with a miraculous vaccine...not.
  3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall 
put their trust in God 
shall be supported in their trials,
footnote: Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. By God's definition 'trials' are really just experiences that ultimately are for our good. The source of the trial isn't the main thing. It's the outcome. Notice it is conditioned on our loving God. 
and their
troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be 
lifted up 
footnote: Mosiah 23:21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. 22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people. The Lord's chastening takes the form of trials, troubles, and afflictions. The purpose? To test our patience and our faith. Can we stay the course? Do we give in to doubt and stop trusting? This life is the test. The goal is to be "lifted up" at the last day. 
at the last day. There are examples of testing our faith even when we are righteous. The Nephites were still attacked by the Lamanites after the Lamanites repented and refused to take up arms and the Nephites took them in, gave them lands and agreed to fight to protect them. They had a war and many lives were lost, even though they won the battle. But the promise upon the inhabitants of the "land" is that if they keep the commandments they will prosper. If only some keep them, then the "land" is not protected completely. Part of the wisdom in this is that it keeps the righteous always caring about the hearts of the wicked and wanting to convert them. We all suffer together sometimes when we are not collectively righteous. We are seeing that today! The expression of "last day" should give us hope that "this too shall come to pass"; that there is a "last day" to the trials and troubles and afflictions. It also gives an added meaning to being a "Latter Day Saint". We are here to prepare all who will hear and follow the Savior for and through the "last day". Ponder what "last day" really means...This verse needs to be emblazoned upon my mind and heart. Trust God and in the end it will all work out. 
  4 And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God. We reason out truth the best we can, but real knowledge comes from God.
  5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; Is this saying you can't 'know' unless you've been born of God? If being born of God is a process, then can we not know anything really until the 'end' of that process?  Or is it just that his being born of God led him to knowing afterward?  I don't believe it's a process, but an event that happens sometimes after a process of preparing for it. But we are collectively mostly in a state of unbelief about this teaching so we are not actively seeking it but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself; Is he talking about his first visitation? or later ones? I think that is part of the "broken heart" offering that is required before being Born of God. You have to realize that you don't "earn" it by being "good enough". You just realize that you are broken and will never be 'worthy' of it based on your own works...
  6 For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way.
  7 And behold, he spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet; and we all fell to the earth, for the fear of the Lord came upon us.
  8 But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.
  9 And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God. The semantics seem off here. Shouldn't it be "Thou wilt of thyself your choice be destroyed if you continue to seek to destroy the church of God." The way it is phrased it sounds like he's saying, "if you want to be destroyed then stop destroying the church..."
 10 And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs. Here's the physical weakness thing again. Any modern accounts of this? Clearly he's fasting during this experience...any tie to fasting and what's happening?
 11 And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; If his brothers heard, perhaps they filled him in later... for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more. When people are doing evil, they don't seem to care how much destruction they create for and in others, but when it comes to their own destruction? well... they seem to care about that! 
 12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
 13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments. I wonder how this was shown to him... Seems to be tying this back to his early statement that if you keep the commandments you will prosper. All sin is just the act of rebelling against what we know is right. If you do something you don't know is wrong, then it's not a sin. When we repent of "all" our sins, we repent of just one thing - rebelling against what we know is right. That is the "one thing" we need to repent of and stop doing. 
 14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
 15 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. This is an understanding that I have to take on faith, according to Alma's testimony. I don't know that it's possible, in my mortal condition, to know of myself how lost I really am because of my sins without the Savior.
 16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul. Like Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights...
 17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. This one statement (along with Enos's testimony) should give every parent the courage to speak the truth to their children, even if they rebel against it.
 18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. Clearly he is calling out to (praying?) Jesus here. Always remember to call upon Jesus when in despair.
 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, It only took a "thought' and an action, in faith to call upon Jesus to shift him I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. This reminds me of the verse that says when you repent, "immediately" is the plan of redemption made active for you... “if ye repent and harden not your hearts, IMMEDIATELY shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.” (Alma 34:31).  20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! This should give hope to those who have experienced great pain and loss in their lives. They may be given to know joy to the same degree that they knew pain. If true, it doesn't, however, seem to bode so well for those who had relatively easy lives...
 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
 22 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.
 23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God. With the strength seems to come the charge to testify.
 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. I don't know if he's saying he wants everyone to go through what he did, but in principle, we all have to repent fully and see our "awful situation" as he did and cry out for Jesus to have mercy on us, and we too, can be born of God and be filled with the Holy Ghost. How do you know if you have been Born of God? I think he's saying you "taste of the exceeding joy of which he did taste". That doesn't sound like a "process" to me. It sounds like an "event". 
 25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
 26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, I think he's saying that he has preached "the word" as it has been given to him by God, so it was powerful! behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God. Because of the word...is this not reason enough to search the word of God? to feast on the word of God? It is the means whereby we can taste, and see, and know and be born of God. Where is the teacher who can teach with this kind of power? We have them here in the Book of Mormon.
 27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me. How does this stand alongside the teaching that "if you keep the commandments you will prosper"? Certainly Alma is keeping the commandments, but we would not say prison, trials, troubles, afflictions are prospering. This kicks me back to the collective promise for the land. If that isn't happening then we lean on the promise that the righteous will be delivered and supported in all the afflictions. 
 28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, There's the "last day" phrase again... to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.
 29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity. Why is this history so important? The phrase, "he who forgets history is doomed/condemned to repeat it" comes to mind... Note that the "fathers" they retained in remembrance lived hundreds of years before and they still thought of them. We can remember them too even though we are so far removed from our own people being in captivity. We need to connect with them.
 30 But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. It's important to understand the consequences of being cut off from the Lord. I'm thinking that during this pandemic we have in a sense, been "cut off from the Lord" - we don't gather in church; we can't go to the temple; we aren't praying and serving together in His name - does this mean that we have not been keeping His commandments? We certainly are not prospering!  Now this is according to his word. He begins and ends this sermon with the promise that if you keep the commandments you will prosper and if you don't you will be cut off. Do you need more motivation than that?