Book of Mormon Lesson
# 28 Alma 32–35
The Word Is in Christ unto Salvation
Introduction
Last week we saw the rise and fall of Korihor, the archetypical
Anti-Christ. His fall was effected by the Zoramites, but interestingly, it was
not a legal judgment. He had not broken any laws, but his judgment was
ecclesiastical—that of being struck dumb, divinely. The Zoramites killed him as
one casually kills a mosquito perhaps (although mosquitos represent a hazard);
they swatted away a nuisance. And the Book of Alma segues neatly into Alma’s
mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites. But this time he doesn’t go alone—he
has some of the sons of Mosiah, his erstwhile companions Amulek and now
Zeezrom, and two of his own sons. Their preaching in Antionum sees the polarization
of the population—the apostate Zoramites with their famous Rameumpton, and the
“poor of the Zoramites” who are outcasts in their own city—not allowed in the
synagogues. Alma and Amulek’s teachings convert these humble citizens, but
incense the apostates to the extent that they exile Alma’s converts who join
the people of Ammon in Jershon. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “A religion
that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to
produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first
existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation
never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was
through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should
enjoy eternal life.”[1] Although
one might characterize this week’s lesson as being about faith in general, the
subtext to look for is that it is really all about faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ and His Atonement.
1. Alma teaches the humble Zoramites to exercise faith and give place in
their hearts for the word of God. Alma 32:1–27.
The Institute manual led me to this amazing
quote by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Faith exists when absolute confidence in
that which we cannot see combines with action that is in absolute conformity to
the will of our Heavenly Father. Without all three—first, absolute confidence;
second, action; and third, absolute conformity—without these three, all we have
is a counterfeit, a weak and watered-down faith” (Ensign, Nov. 2002, 83). Have we got so used to having a
watered-down faith that the real thing is too strong for us? How do we remedy
that? There are so many wonderful, though-provoking quotes on faith, but here
is a recent and compelling one from Elder Neil L. Andersen, “Faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does
not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. It is, as the scriptures
say, “substance …, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith emits a spiritual
light, and that light is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from
heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it.
Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. Faith is a principle
of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond
the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His
name. The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice. . . . Although
your beginning fire of faith may be small, righteous choices bring greater
confidence in God, and your faith grows. The difficulties of mortality blow
against you, and evil forces lurk in the darkness, hoping to extinguish your
faith. But as you continue to make good choices, trust in God, and follow His
Son, the Lord sends increased light and knowledge, and your faith becomes
settled and unwavering.”[2]
Elder Scott gives us four tools to help us
make the exercise of our faith our first priority: Prayer, Scripture Study,
Family Home Evening, Temple Attendance. “These four tools are fundamental
habits for securing your life in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Remember our Savior is the Prince of Peace. Peace in this mortal life comes
from His atoning sacrifice. When we are consistently praying morning and night,
studying our scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending
the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to ‘come
unto Him.’ The more we develop these habits, the more anxious is Satan to harm
us but the less is his ability to do so. Through the use of these tools, we
exercise our agency to accept the full gifts of His atoning sacrifice. I am not
suggesting that all of life’s struggles will disappear as you do these things.
We came to mortal life precisely to grow from trials and testing. Challenges
help us become more like our Father in Heaven, and the Atonement of Jesus
Christ makes it possible to endure those challenges. I testify that as we
actively come unto Him, we can endure every temptation, every heartache, every
challenge we face, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”[3]
As you read Alma 32 what reactions of the
humble Zoramites can you relate to? The Sermon on the Mount was taught outside
the synagogues, and Alma’s discourse was taught also on a hill, equally to
people willing to give place in their hearts to the truth. Look at the formula
in vs. 13.
So now we come to the famous metaphor of the
seed. Elder Bednar instructs us, “A testimony is personal knowledge of
spiritual truth obtained by revelation. A testimony is a gift from God and is
available to all of His children. Any honest seeker of truth can obtain a
testimony by exercising the necessary “particle of faith” in Jesus Christ to
“experiment upon” (Alma 32:27) and “try the virtue of the word” (Alma 31:5), to
yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” (Mosiah 3:19), and to awaken unto
God (see Alma 5:7). Testimony brings increased personal accountability and is a
source of purpose, assurance, and joy.”[4]
Pres. Uchtdorf also likened this metaphor unto
us: “My dear friends, here is a fairly straightforward experiment, with a
guarantee from God, found in a book of ancient scripture available to every
man, woman, and child willing to put it to the test: First, you must
search the word of God. That means reading the scriptures and studying the
words of the ancient as well as modern prophets regarding the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ—not with an intent to doubt or criticize but with a sincere
desire to discover truth. Ponder upon the things you will feel, and prepare
your minds to receive the truth. “Even if ye can no more than desire to
believe, let this desire work in you … that ye can give place for [the word of
God].”
Second, you must consider, ponder, fearlessly strive to believe, and be grateful
for how merciful the Lord has been to His children from the time of Adam to our
day by providing prophets, seers, and revelators to lead His Church and help us
find the way back to Him. Third, you must ask your Heavenly Father, in
the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints unto you. Ask with a sincere heart and with real
intent, having faith in Christ. There is also a fourth step, given to us
by the Savior: “If any man will do [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” In other words, when you
are trying to verify the truth of gospel principles, you must first live them.
Put gospel doctrine and Church teachings to the test in your own life. Do it
with real intent and enduring faith in God. If you will do these things, you
have a promise from God—who is bound by His word—that He will manifest the
truth to you by the power of the Holy Ghost. He will grant you greater light
that will allow you to look through the darkness and witness unimaginably
glorious vistas incomprehensible to mortal sight. Some may say that the steps
are too hard or that they are not worth the effort. But I suggest that this
personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you
can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life,
but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity.”[5]
Elder Holland: “In [the] brilliant discourse [of Alma 32], Alma moves the
reader from a general commentary on faith in the seedlike word of God to a
focused discourse on faith in Christ as the Word of God, grown to a
fruit-bearing tree, a tree whose fruit is exactly that of Lehi’s earlier
perception of Christ’s love. … Christ is the bread of life, the living water,
the true vine. Christ is the seed, the tree, and the fruit of eternal life. But
the profound and central Tree of Life imagery in this discourse is lost, or at
least greatly diminished, if the reader does not follow it on into the next two
chapters of the Book of Mormon” (Christ
and the New Covenant [1997], 169).
3. Alma cites prophets’ testimonies of Jesus Christ and exhorts the
people to plant the word of God in their hearts. Alma 33.
Alma 33 talks about the need for
constant prayer: “When God has commanded us to pray, He has used words like
‘pray unceasingly’ and ‘pray always’ and ‘mighty prayer.’ Those commands do not
require using many words. In fact, the Savior has told us that we need not
multiply words when we pray. The diligence in prayer which God requires does
not take flowery speech nor long hours of solitude. … Our hearts can be
drawn out to God only when they are filled with love for Him and trust in His
goodness” (Henry B. Eyring, Ensign,
Nov. 2001, 16). Have you noticed that whenever we talk in Sunday School
about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, almost always a reference to prayer
accompanies it? Alma 33 also gives us some lost scriptures in quoting and
citing Zenos and Zenock. Prophets who were obviously familiar even to the
humble Zoramites. If Alma’s teaching about light and creation might hint at
Genesis, referring to Moses and the brass serpent in vs. 19 roots his teachings
firmly in the brass plates. Here is Elder Carl B. Cook: “Why is it a challenge
to consistently look up in our lives? Perhaps we lack the faith that such a
simple act can solve our problems. For example, when the children of Israel
were bitten by poisonous serpents, Moses was commanded to raise up a brass
serpent on a pole. The brass serpent represented Christ. Those who looked up at
the serpent, as admonished by the prophet, were healed. But many others failed
to look up, and they perished. Alma agreed that the reason the Israelites did
not look to the serpent was that they did not believe doing so would heal them.
Alma’s words are relevant to us today [quotes Alma 33:21–22]. President Monson’s encouragement to look up
is a metaphor for remembering Christ. As we remember Him and trust in His
power, we receive strength through His Atonement. It is the means whereby we
can be relieved of our anxieties, our burdens, and our suffering. It is the
means whereby we can be forgiven and healed from the pain of our sins. It is
the means whereby we can receive the faith and strength to endure all things.”[6]
4. Amulek testifies of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. He commands the people to pray and exercise faith
unto repentance. Alma 34.
Finally for this week’s lesson we
have Amulek’s discourse on the need for an infinite Atonement, and an
admonition that runs as a theme through all these scriptures we have been
studying for prayer and faith unto repentance. In a talk entitled “Are you a
Saint,” Elder Quentin R. Cook teaches us: “Separation from the evils of the
world needs to be accompanied by holiness. A Saint loves the Savior and follows
Him in holiness and devotion. Evidence of this kind of holiness and devotion is
exemplified by consecration and sacrifice. President Hinckley has taught, ‘Without
sacrifice there is no true worship of God.’ Sacrifice is the crowning test of
the gospel. It means consecrating time, talents, energy, and earthly
possessions to further the work of God. [D&C 97:8] concludes, ‘All … who …
are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which
I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.’ Saints who respond to the
Savior’s message will not be led astray by distracting and destructive pursuits
and will be prepared to make appropriate sacrifices. The importance of
sacrifice to those who want to be Saints is exemplified by the atoning
sacrifice of the Savior, which is at the center of the gospel. Coming back to
the original question that my acquaintance in Atlanta asked, ‘Are you a Saint?’
may I suggest three questions that will allow for a self-assessment. First, is
the way we live consistent with what we believe, and would our friends and
associates recognize, . . . that we have separated ourselves from worldly
evils? Second, are worldly pleasures, profits, and similar pursuits distracting
us from following, worshiping, and serving the Savior in our daily lives? Third,
in order to serve God and be holy, are we making sacrifices consistent with our
covenants?”[7]
Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: “Man cannot resurrect
himself; man cannot save himself; human power cannot save another; human power
cannot atone for the sins of another. The work of redemption must be infinite
and eternal; it must be done by an infinite being; God himself must atone for
the sins of the world” (A New Witness
for the Articles of Faith [1985], 111–12). Elder Nelson explains what
is meant by an “infinite atonement”: “In preparatory times of the Old
Testament, the practice of atonement was finite—meaning it had an end. It was a
symbolic forecast of the definitive Atonement of Jesus the Christ. His Atonement
is infinite—without an end. It was also infinite in that all humankind would be
saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense
suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype
of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all.
And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of
people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him. It was
infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension. Jesus
was the only one who could offer such an infinite atonement, since He was born
of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. Because of that unique birthright,
Jesus was an infinite Being.”[8]
Finally, a quote from Elder Robert E. Wells on what “faith unto repentance” means: “Just
how much faith do I need for the atonement of Christ to work for me? In other
words, how much faith do I need to receive salvation? In the book of Alma … we
find the answer. The prophet Amulek taught this simple but grand principle:
‘The Son of God, … bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto
repentance’ (Alma 34:14–15). Please note those three words: faith unto
repentance. That is the clue. Four times in three verses he uses that
expression [see Alma 34:15–17]. … So the combination of faith in Christ plus
faith unto repentance is vitally important. That concept is one of the greatest
insights we have into the importance of simple, clear faith—faith sufficient to
repent. Apparently faith great enough to move mountains is not required; faith
enough to speak in tongues or to heal the sick is not needed; all that we need
is just enough faith to recognize that we have sinned and to repent of our
sins, to feel remorse for them, and to desire to sin no more but to please Christ
the Lord. Then the greatest miracle of all, the Atonement, whereby Christ
rescues us from our deserved punishment, is in effect in our behalf” (“The
Liahona Triad,” in Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top, eds., Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991
Sperry Symposium [1992], 6–7).
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-08-2270-receiving-a-personal-testimony?category=book-of-mormon/alma-helaman&&lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-08-2270-receiving-a-personal-testimony?category=book-of-mormon/alma-helaman&&lang=eng
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