Category: Alma

Alma 33: 22, LeGrand Baker, judged “according to their works”

Very often in the scriptures, what appears to the casual reader as a simple list, is, in fact, a carefully structured sequence. The Beatitudes are an example; so are the gifts mentioned in Moroni 10. Today’s verse is another example of that.

22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God,
that he will come to redeem his people, and
that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and
that he shall 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 and judgment day,
according to their works (Alma 33: 22).

Evidence that it is a sequence, rather than a list is that it is repeated several times in the Book of Mormon. Other examples are:

Jacob’s explanation:

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that [in order that] all might stand before him at the great and judgment day. (2 Nephi 9:22)

When Zeezrom asks Alma, “What does this mean which Amulek hath spoken concerning the resurrection of the dead, that all shall rise from the dead, both the just and the unjust, and are brought to stand before God to be judged according to their works? (Alma 12:8),” Alma seems not to have answered him directly. Rather, Mormon explains,

9 And now Alma began to expound these things [In the Book of Mormon, “these things” is often code for the temple rites and ordinances.] unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God [As in the New Testament, “mysteries” is a clear reference to the ancient temple drama]; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.

After that explanation, Alma repeats the sequence as it is always given:

12 And Amulek hath spoken plainly concerning death, and being raised from this mortality to a state of immortality, and being brought before the bar of God, to be judged according to our works (Alma 12:9-12).

While talking with his son Corianton, Alma repeated that sequence twice more:

21 But whether it be at his resurrection or after, I do not say; but this much I say, that there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works (Alma 40:21).

The second time was even more explicit:

23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice (Alma 42:23).

When Moroni bore testimony of the Saviour, he did it by stressing that same sequence:

6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby [that word asserts that the resurrection enables the judgment] man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.
7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. (Mormon 7:5-7)

This oft-repeated doctrine of the Book of Mormon is that the final judgment will come to each of us AFTER we have been resurrected. That is, we will stand before the Saviour to be judged having already received our celestial, terrestial, or telestial bodies.

It is apparent that the resurrection is also based on a judgement, otherwise the nature of the bodies we receive would be based on an arbitrary decision. But it is not arbitrary in any sense. One of the most enlightening statements in the Doctrine and Covenants is very clear about that:

17 And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.
18 Therefore, it [the earth] must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
19 For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;
20 That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
21 And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
23 And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
25 And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—
26 Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.
27 For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual [resurrected] body.
28 They who are [present tense] of a celestial spirit shall receive [future tense] the same body which was [past tense— but past from the future, so it brings us back to the present] a natural body; even ye shall receive [future tense] your bodies, and your glory shall be [future tense] that glory by which your bodies are [present tense] quickened.
29 Ye who are [present tense] quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
30 And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
31 And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness (D&C 88:17-31).

It is apparent that there are people in this world who are presently quickened (made alive) “by a portion of the celestial glory.” That is, they have a celestial nature even in this world. The conditions of such a nature are the quality of one’s truth, light, love, and joy. {1} In other words, their life is an expression of highest values: the law of consecration (in the D&C) and charity (in the Book of Mormon). Living the law of consecration in a very private way is what one does when charity is what one is.

Now the question is, if the quality of one’s light, love, truth, joy determines one’s resurrection, and the resurrection enables us to stand before the Saviour at the last judgment to be judged according to our works, then what does “works” mean. It cannot mean goodness, kindness, or generosity because those things (or the lack of them) is what determines the quality of our resurrection. So “works” must mean something different from living law of consecration or being charity.

Alma uses the phrase “holy works” in conjunction with his discussion of the ancient temple drama (Alma 12:30) {2}, and thereby we have the definition we seek. It is the same as used in the New Testament. James juxtapositions his discussion of faith (pistis— conditions and evidences of a covenant) with “works,” Thus the famous statement, “Faith [pistis (the covenant)] without works [the enabling ordinances] is dead.” In that context and elsewhere in the New Testament “works” is a reference to the ordinances that were received in conjunction with the covenants in the ancient temples.

The Prophet Joseph clarified the question. When speaking of baptism, he said:

“Those who seek to enter in any other way will seek in vain; for God will not receive them, neither will the angels acknowledge their works as accepted, for they have not obeyed the ordinances, nor attended to the signs which God ordained for the salvation of man, to prepare him for, and give him a title to, a celestial glory; and God had decreed that all who will not obey His voice shall not escape the damnation of hell. What is the damnation of hell? To go with that society who have not obeyed His commands” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 197).

So it appears there are two “final” judgments. The first is at the time of our resurrection and is based upon the conditions of our spirit— light, truth, love, joy— which is basically determined by our living the law of consecration and being charity. The second follows the resurrection and is called the “last judgment,” and appears to be a necessary formality after the resurrection, or perhaps a concluding ceremony. It is based on our works— the ordinances we have received in conjunction with the covenants— and the way we have honored those ordinances. Joseph mentions baptism as the first of those, but concludes with “the ordinances, [and] signs which God ordained for the salvation of man.

One can draw only one conclusion from the juxtaposition in which the Book of Mormon prophets place resurrection and the last judgment “according to our works.” That conclusion is this: What happened in their temples was of the utmost, eternal significance. So it should be with us.

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ENDNOTES:

{1} Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, 802.

{2} Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, 790-92.

Alma 33:2-3, LeGrand Baker, use of temple code

2  And Alma said unto them: Behold, ye have said that ye could not worship your God because ye are cast out of your synagogues. But behold, I say unto you, if ye suppose that ye cannot worship God, ye do greatly err, and ye ought to search the scriptures; if ye suppose that they have taught you this, ye do not understand them.
3  Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or worship?

Last week, after I submitted that long comment called “Alma 32 as a temple text,” one of my friends asked me if it really seemed reasonable to suppose that Alma would have been speaking to these apostate people in temple code. These verses in chapter 33 seem to answer that question, at least part. Even though the people were apostates, they had full access to the scriptures. That is evident because Alma is not using Zenos’s words to teach them, but rather he is using them as an argument. That would only work if they were already acquainted with the scriptures and accepted them as an authoritative source.

Alma demonstrated many times, that he was fluent in the double language of the ancient Israelite temple code. However, he was also a very wise prophet, and we can be sure he would not have used it unless he knew by the Spirit that there were those present who could hear what he was saying.

Another example of Alma’s using the code is in Alma 12. There, Alma cited the scriptures to almost literally beat Zeezrom over the head with his own Israelite temple covenants. It was Alma’s use of the scriptures and his speaking in sacred code to those in the audience in the audience who could understand that caused them to ask the questions that lead to their repentance.

Alma 32:22-43 LeGrand Baker, Alma 32 as a temple text

A careful reading of Alma 32 shows it to be a temple text. It is “the word” rather than “faith” that is represented by the ever maturing seed. Read that way, Alma is urging the people to keep their covenants (pistis) so that they may understand and be empowered by “the word,” which appears to be a reference to the entire ancient Nephite temple experience. That discussion is in the attachment.

The last couple times I have suggested that in Alma 32 “faith” means the same as “faith” in the New Testament. There “faith” is translated from the Greek word pistis. Pistis or “faith” is the single word that represents the full complex system of ideas that are involved in the making and keeping of covenants. (See Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, chapter: “The Meaning of Faith—Pistis,” p. 1007-25.)

I also suggested that if Alma is using “faith” the same way that Peter, Paul, and the gospel writers use it, then he is speaking to people who understand at least something of the covenants of the ancient Nephite temple service.

That idea is substantiated in Alma’s sermon, where he does not compare either belief or faith to a seed, but rather he compares the seed to their understanding of “the word.” In his sermon, it is “the word” that grows into the tree of life, and it is by increasing our faith (pistis ), that is by increasingly our understanding and keeping our covenants that “the word” (seed) grows within us.

He also makes an important distinction between God’s word, Alma’s words, and THE word. First, he talks about God’s word.

22 And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.

In our colloquial language, belief and faith are essentially equivalent. However, in the scriptures they are very different. The difference between belief and pistis is that belief requires no substantiating covenant, while faith (like trust in the Old Testament) is based on prior covenants.

In review, there are five parts of Paul’s definition of pistis (Hebrews 11:1). Three are stated. Two are implied because they are obviously so necessary that they are simply presupposed.

1. (presupposed) There must be a covenant or contract that defines the agreement and the methodology by which it will be accomplished.
2. There must be a mutually understood “substance,” that is the object, objective, purpose, assurance, or intent of the covenant.
3. There must be binding “evidence” (a handshake, signature) that validates the agreement and guarantees the fulfillment of the covenant.
4. The next is a functional “hope.” That is, taking the covenant at full value and acting or living as though the terms of the covenant were already fulfilled.
5. (implied) Finally, the conclusion or fulfillment of the terms of the covenant.

In faith (pistis), a perfect knowledge comes when the covenant is fulfilled and the preceding four parts have proven true. Therefore, as long as the pistis is in process, one cannot have a perfect knowledge of its fulfillment. Alma draws on that fact when he compares his own testimony (i.e. his words) to faith. He says the people cannot know that his testimony is true until they have proven that it works. Therefore, he says:

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith [essentially he is urging them to challenge the validity of the covenant], yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Now his messages comes into focus. After this, he is no longer talking about his testimony (“my words” plural) but rather he is talking about “the word” (singular) which he describes as a living constant.

28a Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart [In the ancient world, one’s heart is the cosmic center of the being: it is the seat of both his emotions and his intellect. So this seed is as much an academic as a spiritual thing. That must be so. A firm testimony must be sustained by the twin pillars of spirituality and intellectual understanding.]
(28b) behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this [enlarge the soul and enlighten the understanding] increase your faith? [testify of the validity of the covenants] I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow. [That growth enlarges the soul and enlightens the understanding.]
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness. [Here, he does not mention what “its own likeness” is, however, later we learn that the seed matures into a tree of life (v. 40-42). In the scriptures the tree of life is always associated with the ancient temple worship. Therefore, we may know that Alma is using the word as code to depict the ordinances and covenants of the ancient Israelite temple services.]
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know [that part of the covenant which promises that you will know the seed is good is fulfilled], for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light [in the scriptures truth, light, love, and

In the Psalms, truth and light bring one to the tabernacle (temple):

3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God (Psalms 43:3-4).

Alma personifies those words in the Saviour.

9 And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness (Alma 38:9)

The Saviour uses those words to define himself:

12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world (Ether 4:12 see D&C 93).

45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world. (D&C 84:45-48).

(35b) and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith [i.e. anticipating the fulfillment of the covenant] to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence [keeping your part of the covenant], and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life [a promise that could only be fulfilled through the ancient temple services].
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may ta ke root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith [ultimate fulfillment of the covenants], and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Alma 26:21-22, “Mystery” and “Secret” in the Book of Mormon, LeGrand Baker

21 And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent.
22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance. (Alma 26:21-22)

Joseph Smith wrote from Liberty Jail, “the things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out.” (History of the Church 3:295)

Sode is a Hebrew word that means a secret {1} – it usually refers to the deliberations and decisions of a council. {2} In the Old Testament it is frequently translated as “secret.”

A “sode experience” is a vision (as in Isaiah 6) in which the prophet is returned to the Council and taught afresh what assignment he was given there, and under what circumstances he is to fulfill it while in mortality. {3} Kingsbury observes, that “These experiences are held in common by many of the pre-exilic prophets as well as by deutero-Isaiah, but are lacking in the experiences of the post-exilic prophets.” {4}

Amos 3:7 says “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret [sode] unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). To do that the Lord, in vision, brings his human prophets back to the Council where they renew their covenants and review conditions of where and how, in human history, they are to fulfil those covenants. Thus a true prophet knows his own place in the past, present, and future; and he can speak of them with certitude and authority.

14 The secret [sode] of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant(Psalm 25:14) .

For the people of ancient Israel, a sode experience was a necessary criterion for a prophet’s legitimacy. Jeremiah writes that a false prophet was one who claimed to speak for God but who had not had a sode experience, and so could only pretend to know God’s will (Jeremiah 23:18-22).

Conversely then, to the ancient Israelites, a true prophet was one who had stood in God’s Council and had heard his counsel; knew the decisions of the Council, and could act, teach, and prophecy accordingly.

The most detailed example of a prophet’s sode experience in the Bible is Isaiah chapter 6, where that prophet, in vision, returned to the Council to re-receive the assignment he had been asked to fulfill before he came to this world. {5}

The four necessary elements of a sode experiences are: (1) that the prophet returns, in vision, to see his own part in the Council in Heaven, and (2) therefore, he mentions that he sees the other members of the Council who were present. {6} (3) He sees God sitting on his throne presiding at the Council, and (4) he sees Jehovah who conducts the affairs of the Council and makes the assignments. {7} There are many accounts of prophets who seem to have had a sode experience, but not all of them report all four parts of what constitutes a full account. However, all say they saw a vision, and all say they received an assignment from God. {8}

The sode experience reviews the reality that is represented in the cosmic myth. There, the hero understands why and what his assignment is, and the difficulties he will encounter in seeking to accomplish it. He is promised that he will be able to succeed and that he will return home triumphant. As that is the same story told in the ancient temple drama, one might describe the drama as a this-world generic version of a sode experience. The writers of the psalms understood that relationship.

In some of the psalms, the Temple of Solomon was the place where one went to find the sode. Referring to the sode-like drama that people experienced in conjunction with the Temple of Solomon, Psalm 111:1 clearly shows that the congregation was regarded as representing the members of the Council. It begins, “Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly [sode.] of the upright, and in the congregation.” Because the drama of Solomon’s temple followed essentially the same pattern, and conveyed essentially the same information that the prophets learned during their actual sode experiences, the ancient temple drama might be understood as a kind of generic sode experience whose purpose was to teach each member of the congregation where they came from, how they came to be here, and what they must do here to fulfill their covenants and return home triumphant.

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In the New Testament, Brown has shown that the Greek mysterion denotes the same kind of experiences as the Hebrew sode, and the same significance is attached to them. {9} It is more specific that sode because mysterion describes “religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals. {10}

That concept adds considrably to our understanding of the Saviour’s words found in three of the gospels:

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries [mysterion] of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given (Matthew 13:11).

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery [mysterion] of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables (Mark 4:11).

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries [mysterion] of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand (Luke 8:10).

It also teaches us what Paul meant when he described the disciples as “the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries [mysterion] of God (1 Corinthians 4:1).”

Morray-Jones shows that Paul’s own apostolic authority rested upon his having had a sode experience. {11}

Paul taught that the Saints that each had made covenants in the Council — “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery [mysterion], even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory (1 Corinthians 2:7).” He also reminded the Ephesians, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: … Having made known unto us the mystery [mysterion] of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself (Ephesians 1:3-4,9).” He left no question about what he intended to say when he added,

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery [mysterion] , which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:8-9).
The mysteries (“secrets confided only to the initiated”) Paul describes are not only secrets in this world, but have always been, and always will be. He taught the Romans:

25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [mysterion], which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith (Romans 16:25-27).

Paul described his authority in terms of his being able to teach the mysterion:

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery [mysterion] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery [mysterion] among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:23-29).

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Even though the Greek word mysterion could not have been part of the Nephite language, its English equivalent, “mystery,” is found throughout the Book of Mormon — and always with the same meaning as the Hebrew sode.

In the very first verse, Nephi introduces himself to us by telling us that he has “a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God (1 Nephi 1:1). With that statement is a clear reference to his own sode experience, Nephi defines himself — in a way his contemporaries could not help but understand — as a true prophet of God. Then, almost immediately thereafter, Nephi shows us that his father is also a true prophet by describing Lehi’s sode experience in enough detail that we have all four defining characteristics of a sode experience (1 Nephi 1:9-15).

Beginning with those first pages, the Book of Mormon shows a remarkable consistency in its use of the word “mystery.” It almost always uses the word to describe either a real sode experience or else the ancient temple drama that represented a kind of generic sode experience. {12} Examples are:

18 For he [God] is the sa me yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round (1 Nephi 10:18-19).

9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell (Alma 12:8-11).

22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance (Alma 26:22).

In the Old Testament where sode means the secret deliberations of a council, the use is not limited to the decisions of the Council in Heaven. It may be used to describe a as well. Three examples are:

6 O my soul , come not thou into their secret [sode]; unto their assembly, mine honour , be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man , and in their selfwill they digged down a wall (Genesis 49:6).

2 Hide me from the secret counsel [sode] of the wicked ; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity (Psalm 64:2).

3 They have taken crafty counsel [sode] against thy people , and consulted against thy hidden ones (Psalm 83:3).

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

This is where we find another evidence of the care and consistency with which the Book of Mormon was translated. As in the Old Testament, sode could represent the secret deliberations of any council, so, we assume, on the brass plates the word sode was used to represent the decisions of councils both good and bad. The remarkable thing is the way sode was translated in the Book of Mormon. There the New Testament equivalent of mysterion (“mystery”) is always used to represent a sode experience or the temple drama version of a sode experience. However, whenever sode was found on the plates to represent evil or conspiratorial councils, the Old Testament word “secret” was used. Two examples are:

22 And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever (2 Nephi 26:22).

5 But as many as there were who did not enter into a covenant, and who did still continue to have those secret murders in their hearts, yea, as many as were found breathing out threatenings against their brethren were condemned and punished according to the law.
6 And thus they did put an end to all those wicked, and secret, and abominable combinations, in the which there was so much wickedness, and so many murders committed (3 Nephi 5:5-6).

27 A nd it shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of darkness (Mormon 8:27).

The uses of the words “mystery” and “secret” in the Book of Mormon are further evidence that Hebrew was the original language on the brass plates and remained a major component of the Nephite language for the next thousand years. They also evince the great care with which the Book of Mormon was translated into English. Because sode was translated as “secret” in the negative context, and “mystery” in the temple context, its readers are not left to wonder about either the meanings of the passages or the correctness of the translation.

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ENDNOTES

1} Sode (Strong’s definition # 5475 reads: )

1) council, counsel, assembly
a) council (of familiar conversation)
1) divan, circle (of familiar friends)
2) assembly, company
b) counsel
1) counsel (itself)
2) secret counsel
3) familiar converse, intimacy (with God)

2} A discussion of the meaning of sode is found in Raymond E. Brown, The Semitic Background of the Term “Mystery” in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968), 2-6.

Brown, Raymond E., “The Pre-Christian Semitic Concept of ‘Mystery’,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 20 (1958): 417-443.

3} In his explanation of the significance of the Council, H. Wheeler Robinson gave several examples of Old Testament references to sode, Inspiration and Revelation, 168-69.

4} It is significant, as Edwin C. Kingsbury observes, that “These experiences are held in common by many of the pre-exilic prophets as well as by deutero-Isaiah, but are lacking in the experiences of the post-exilic prophets.” (“The Prophets and the Council of Yahweh,” Journal of Biblical Literature 83 [1964]: 279).

5} Isaiah 6 is widely recognized as the most complete account of a sode experience that can be found in the scriptures. However, it has some problems, all of which are cleared up in the brass plates version that is found in 2 Nephi 16.The best non-canonical description of a sode experience is Enoch’s in The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, from The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, 2 vols., ed. R. H. Charles (Oxford: Clarendon, 1976), 2:431-69. Early Christians included at least some of Enoch in their canon. Jude 1:14-16 is 1 Enoch 1:9. For further discussions of the Council, see Stephen D. Ricks, “Heavenly Visions and Prophetic Calls in Isaiah 6 (2 Nephi 16), the Book of Mormon, and the Revelation of John,” Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, 171-90.

6} These are called “angels” by Nephi (1 Nephi 1:8).

7} Nephi’s account of his father’s sode experience in 1 Nephi 1:6-10 also contains all four elements. It is discussed in the chapter called, “Nephi’s Introduction as a Review of the Festival Temple Drama.”

8} Among those visions are the following:
Enoch’s, recorded in Moses 7:2-4.
7:5-67 are about the call (note v. 63-4).
Abraham’s, recorded in Abraham 3:22-28.
Chapters 4 and 5 continue the story.
Moses’s, recorded in Exodus 3:1-15.
3:29 to 4:17 the Lord and Moses discuss the call.
Moses chapter 1.
The rest of the book of Moses continues the story (note Moses 4:2-3).
Isaiah’s, recorded in Isaiah 6:1-13.
Jeremiah’s, recorded in Jeremiah 1:4-6.
1:7 through chapter 19 the Lord and Jeremiah discuss the call, then there is a short break and the dialogue continues.
Lehi’s, recorded in I Nephi 1:3-16,19.
See also II Nephi 1:15.
Ezekiel’s, recorded in Ezekiel 1:3-28, 3:12-14.
2:1 to 3:11 the Lord explains the call (note v. 7-10?).
Alma’s, recorded in Alma 36:11-23.
Note v. 14 & 22.
Moroni’s, recorded in Ether 12:22, 3.
Verses 23-37, the Lord and Moroni discuss the call.

The Savior’s is recorded in many places. Some are: John l: 1-5 and Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:1-19, 29-33 (page 807-8 of LDS Bible); John 3:11-13; Doctrine and Covenants 93:1-21; Luke 1:69-75; and Isaiah chapter 61.

John the Baptist’s is suggested in Luke 1:76-79, and in John 1:33 (“He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me.”).

Joseph Smith’s, recorded in J.S. History 2:15-20 and Dean C. Jessee “The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” BYU Studies 9, 3 (Spring 1969): 275-94.

Abinadi’s is very concise but interesting. He says to King Noah, “Touch me not, for God [Elohim] shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord [Jehovah] sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God [Elohim] will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time” (Mosiah 13:3) Abinadi affirms that he is acting under Elohim’s protection, but fulfilling the assignment that was given to him by Jehovah.

9} Raymond E. Brown, The Semitic Background of the Term “Mystery” in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968), 2-6.

10} mysterion (Strong’s # 3466)

1) hidden thing, secret, mystery
a) generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals
b) a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding
c) a hidden purpose or counsel
1) secret will
a) of men
b) of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly
2) in rabbinic writings, it denotes the mystic or hidden sense
a) of an OT saying
b) of an image or form seen in a vision
c) of a dream

11} C. R. A. Morray-Jones, “Paradise Revisited (2 Cor 12:1-12): The Jewish Mystical Background of Paul’s Apostolate Part 2: Paul’s Heavenly Ascent and its Significance,” Harvard Theological Review 86, 3 (1993): 265-92. He says that the “seventh heaven” is a later tradition, but it represents essentially the same idea. For discussions on the heavenly ascent, see Lundquist, “Common Temple Ideology,” 57-58. Richard D. Draper, and Donald W. Parry, “Seven Promises to Those Who Overcome: Aspects of Genesis 2-3 in the Seven Letters,” Temple in Time and Eternity. 121-41. Hamblin, “Temple Motifs,” 441-50. Thomas, “Hebrews: To Ascend,” 479-91. An example where mysterion is used to represent initiation into evil systems is Revelation 17:5.

12} An example of a different use is Helaman 16 where the word is spoken by apostates with a negative connotation.

Alma 26:1, LeGrand Baker, ‘Could We Have Supposed?’ — Covenant of Invulnerability

1 And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings? (Alma 26:1)

There may be no other scripture that so accurately express the sense of awe that the faithful feel as they watch the Lord fulfill the promises he has made to them. It is an echo of the much shorter, but equally profound question asked by Enos: “Lord, how is it done?”(Enos 1:7.)

The answer, while unfathomable from our perspective, is very simple to say in words: At the Council in Heaven we made covenants with God. On our part, we promised what we would do when we came here; on his part, he promised he would make it possible for us to do it—not easy—not even safe—but possible (Paul explains that in the first chapter of Ephesians). However, like the Prophet Joseph, Peter, and Abinadi, it might appear to others that we had been prevented from achieving our objective; but like with them, the end cannot come until the Father has fulfilled his covenants to help us succeed—unless, of course, we have chosen to not fulfill our part.

His promise is renewed here in this world as we are taught what we must do to return to him. His promise is virtually a guarantee of invulnerability—not against hurt or sorrow, but against failure if we do our part. The following are two excerpts from my forthcoming book on the Psalms, They discuss our of invulnerability. The first is from my discussion of Psalm 45 which portrays the king (and through him all the audience) receiving that promise during the proceedings of the Council in Heaven.

In his blessing to the king, the Father promised that when all these conditions are met, “thy right hand shall teach thee awesome things.” {1} Then Elohim concludes his blessings to the future king of kingship and priesthood with this final promise.

5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee (Psalm 45:5).

Many of the psalms that contain blessings, conclude with similar promises of military invulnerability {2} as we move through linear time. {3} In ancient Israel there were two kinds of enemies. One challenged the king’s earthly responsibility for providing personal and national peace and security. The other (a holdover from the previous world) challenged his powers of one’s righteousness and priesthood. That is the context of these seeming military blessings in this and other psalms. They appear to suggest military conquest, but in fact they are reiterations of the assurance of the Lord’s guarantee that no power on earth or in hell could prevent one from keeping one’s premortal covenants, and from enjoying the blessings derived therefrom. It was a promise to the king who was newly dressed in sacred clothing; that by truth, meekness and righteousness; even though he found himself surrounded by enemies, he would remain invincible until his covenants were fulfilled and his mission accomplished.

The promise of invulnerability is often found in psalms that speak of the king’s actually approaching God. It is a reminder of the promise received in the Council that God is the guarantor that one will have the power to fulfill one’s eternal covenants. That promise of invulnerability is important because, as is always so in the cosmic myth, the assignment is impossible and only the intercession of the heavens can make a path through the obstacles that would prevent its fulfillment. The obstacles and the impossibility of the task are ever-present but then so is the guarantee that the Father will fulfill his part of the covenant.

It is the same guarantee as the prayer that concludes the first chapter of Ephesians, after Paul reminded his readers of their pre-mortal relationship with their Father in Heaven, and of the covenants and instructions they received before they left home. {3}

With those definitions in mind, consider the impact of Elohim’s blessing to the king as a single, coherent promise:

3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. [names of sacred clothing: glory is priesthood, majesty is kingship]
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously [successfully] because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible [awesome] things. [Then follows the promise of invulnerability]
5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. (Psalm 45:3-4)

Elohim’s blessing to the king was a comprehensive covenant, embracing all of the powers and authorities of sacral kingship and priesthood—there was nothing left to be added except the promise about his posterity, and that was reserved for the conclusion of the psalm.

Two statements in the Doctrine and Covenants suggest that the powers of a king, as described in Psalm 45, closely parallel the powers of the Melchizedek priesthood. These passages are not the same as the statement in the psalm, but the messages seem to be the same. They emphasize the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood in terms that sound very much like “truth, meekness, and righteousness.”

“Truth” is defined as knowledge of reality in sacred time: “truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (D&C93:2.).

“Meekness” is keeping the covenants we made at the Council and remake here:

9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. …
14 The secret [sode, decisions of the Council in Heaven] of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (Psalms 25:9-10, 14)

“Righteousness” is zedek – correctness in temple and priesthood things.

The first of the D&C scripture reads:

19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries [“Mysteries” would probably be the same as sode in the Old Testament] of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God [knowing the truth].
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof [In Isaiah and the Psalms, the word “ordinances” would probably appear as the code words “way”or “path”], the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live [a sode experience].
23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God (D&C 84:19-23).

The second reads:

18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [truth], to have the heavens opened unto them [sode experience], to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn [Council in Heaven], and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant (D&C 107:18-19).

The Veil Ceremony in Psalm 21.

The 21st Psalm describes the king’s request to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. (In Alma 5 in the Book of Mormon, when Alma was asking the people in the congregation if they could still the song of redeeming love, as they had once sung it, it seems likely that the hymn he was referring to was the 21st Psalm.) The psalm begins by someone describing the action on the stage. It might have been a chorus, as in a Greek play, or a narrator, or it might have been the entire congregation who sang this part:

1. The king shall joy in thy strength,
O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2. Thou hast given him his heart’s desire,
and hast not withholden the request of his lips
(Psalm 21:1-2).

This is what we know about what has already happened on the stage: the king had asked the Lord for something, and the Lord had granted that request. In the next verse there is an unusual word, “preventest.” The footnote in the LDS Bible helps with that. It says that the words “thou preventest him” might be translated “thou wilt meet him.” When we use that phrase, this is the way the chorus described the Lord’s response to the king’s request:

3. For thou wilt meet him with the blessings of goodness:
thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head (Psalm 21:3).

In the next verse we learn what the blessing was that the king had requested:

4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him,
even length of days for ever and ever. [i.e. through all eternity]
5. His glory is great in thy salvation:
honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him (Psalm 21:4-5).

“Honour and majesty” are the names of the clothing that represents his kingship and priesthood: {4}

6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever:
thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance (Psalm 21:6).

The king had received a blessing that reached “for ever,” and now the king is “exceeding glad” because he had seen the countenance of God:

7 For the king trusteth in the Lord,
and through the mercy of the most High he shall not
be moved (Psalm 21:7).{5}

That he will not be moved indicates that the king will keep the covenants he has made with the Lord.

The next five verses in the psalm are spoken by God to the king. It is easy for us to read them in the context of our own time—and that without much understanding, for they sound like a battle hymn whose emphasis is victory in war. But when one recalls that they were written in a time very unlike our own, then the words have a different ring altogether. In the days of ancient Israel, there were no police forces that kept one safe as he traveled. People built walls around cities, and the wealthy built fortifications on their own estates. The words in our psalm, and many like them in other psalms and in Isaiah, are promises of protection—of personal invulnerability—the same kind of invulnerability he promises all those who keep his commandments:

8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies:
thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger:
the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath,
and the fire shall devour them.
10. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth,
and their seed from among the children of men.
11. For they intended evil against thee:
they imagined a mischievous device,
which they are not able to perform.
12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back,
when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy
strings against the face of them (Psalm 21:8-12).

The final verse is an anthem of praise, sung by the people who sang the first verses of the psalm:

13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength:
so will we sing and praise thy power (Psalm 21:13).

About these events, Margaret Barker observes:

“The rituals of the holy of holies were thus taking place outside time and matter, in the realm of the angels and the heavenly throne, and those who functioned in the holy of holies were more than human, being and seeing beyond time.” {6}

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ENDNOTES

{1} The Tanakh (official Jewish translation) uses “awesome” rather than “terrible.”

{2} Some important examples are Psalms 2, 21, 110.

{3} At the conclusion of Paul’s discussion of the covenants we made with God in the premortal world (Ephesians 1:1-14), Paul prays that his readers may know three things:

First, “what is the hope of his calling.” Calling is a verb, thus it is God’s calling—his premortal assignment—to the Saints.

Second, “and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” That is, what great blessings await those who keep their covenants.

Third, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.” (v. 18-20 and on to v. 23)

In other words, Paul’s prayer concludes with the hope that we will know that the Father has also promised us that he will enable us to fulfill our covenants if we are faithful to the instructions of the Holy Ghost.

{4} “Majesty” clearly represents his kingship, just as it does elsewhere in the scriptures. In Job 40:10 the fact that the Lord is talking about clothing is made even more clear: “Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.” In Moses 7:3-4, and in his sode experience, Enoch is dressed properly. One must be clean and properly clothed to come into the presence of God. In our psalm the phrase, “honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” suggest that God himself has dressed the king in royal garments.

{5} The prophet Enoch describes an experience in a similar sequence:

3 And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory;
4 And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face (Moses 7:3-4).

{6} Barker, Great High Priest, 81

Alma 22:15-18, LeGrand Baker, ‘give away all my sins’

15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
16 But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. (Alma 22:15-18. Italics added)

It is apparent to me that to “give up” and to “give away” are not the same things. To “give up” is a passive approach. It is to abandon, to surrender, to desist from, to discontinue.

It may require some effort. It can be difficult, but the difficulty is to achieve the passivity. For example if one gives up smoking one may have to exercise a good deal of willpower in order to discontinue, but the willpower is directed toward inactivity. Another example: To give up telling lies is not the same as to seek to tell the truth, because not telling a lie does not impose the burden of saying anything at all. (If one determines to tell the truth, that would be a major change for the better, but it is also something different from simply giving up the habit of telling lies.)

Repentance is “giving away” one’s sins. The sins are forever there and they carry consequences. But both the sin and the consequence can be “given away” to the Saviour who will accept their burden and pay their price.

To give away is never passive, but always active. If you and I are sitting by a desk and my dollar bill is on the desk, and you take it, that’s stealing. If I proffer it to you and you don’t accept it, but I give it anyway, that’s throwing it at you, not giving it to you. If you do not accept I cannot give away, because throwing it at you is not the same as giving.

To give away requires action on the part of both persons, and that action always presupposes a written, spoken, implied or symbolic contract or covenant. An example of an implied covenant is that if you invite me to lunch (give me food), I could not accept your invitation without also accepting the implied covenant that you would pay for it and I won’t have to. An example of a written covenant is that if I wish to give you my car, I must go to the court house and fill out the necessary paper work. If you accept, you also accept the burden of paying the future taxes on the car.

As I understand it, The ordinance of baptism functions like that paper work in the courthouse. It is the formality of giving our sins to the Saviour. For us the meaning of the contract is that our sins may go into remission. It evokes the blessings of the atonement to put the sins in remission. The word initially meant a diminution of force or effect, a slackening of energy— like putting cancer in remission— and therefore making the sins inoperative. -The Saviour accepts the burden of the sins so that it will not weight us down as we seek to turn our lives around. “Repent” literally means to turn around and go the other way. To use the example above: repentance not only means that we stop telling falsehoods, but also to begin telling the truth and testify of it.

Repentance is giving one’s sins to the Saviour. The ordinance of baptism is literally a transfer of ownership.

Repentance is a maturation process. It requires persistence, refining, and re-refining. It requires both the gift of the atonement, and a knowing response on our part to the tutoring of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit teaches us how to repent and it cleanses us from those sins, then teaches us more and cleanses, and teaches and cleanses, ad infinitum. Thus, by the Spirit, our spirits are refined. As Moroni explained,

And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost… (Moroni 6:4)

That principle is taught to us weekly in the covenant of these words:

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat inremembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and [willing to] always remember him and [willing to] keep his commandments which he has given them; that [to the end that:] they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:77 bold added)

Being thus committed by covenant, our cleansing is again renewed by water that represents the Saviour’s blood— the cleansing waters of life.

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 20:79 bold and italics added)

I suppose that to understand this whole principle most clearly, one must simply take the Saviour at his word when he summed up it up to the Nephites. There, the first Beatitude (the one that is left out of the New Testament) might be translated into today’s terms as simply, “Blessed are those who follow the Prophet and the Brethren.” It reads,

1 …. Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. (3 Nephi 12:1-2)

Alma 19:2-29, LeGrand Baker, The Queen’s Conversion.

Mormon’s remarkable ability to tell nothing, yet tell all that needs to be told rises to surpurb heights in his recounting of the queen’s conversion. The story begins after king Lamoni’s apparent death. His body is taken to the queen and she summons Ammon to attend her.

3 And it came to pass that Ammon did as he was commanded, and went in unto the queen, and desired to know what she would that he should do.
4 And she said unto him: The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that thou art a prophet of a holy God, and that thou hast power to do many mighty works in his name;

The fact that Ammon can do “many mighty works” might simply have been known from the incident with the flocks, but that he is “a prophet of a holy God” could only have been known from some additional evidence. That source of that evidence is easy to recognize, for Mormon tells us that Ammon taught the king and also his servants (probably meaning those who were privy to his person). (18:37) When Ammon arrived, the queen did not ask for a miracle, she only asked for his assurance that her husband was not dead. They entered the king’s chamber:

8 And he said unto the queen: He is not dead, but he sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again; therefore bury him not.
9 And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.
10 And Ammon said unto her: Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites.

Just as we are told only the barest of details about the conversations between Ammon and the king, so are we told almost nothing about the conversation between Ammon and the queen. Her simple answer, as it is recorded here, seems not so insightful as to rank her faithfulness above all the women of the Nephites, yet that is Ammon’s his response. So we may assume that there is a complex background, and a great deal happening within their conversation that is only barely suggested by Mormon’s report of it. There is an echo in the way Mormon tells the story that reflects John’s solemnity: “He who has ears, let him hear.”

11 And it came to pass that she watched over the bed of her husband, from that time even until that time on the morrow which Ammon had appointed that he should rise.
12 And it came to pass that he arose, according to the words of Ammon; and as he arose, he stretched forth his hand unto the woman, and said: Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.
13 For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name. Now, when he had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with joy; and the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit.

The queen lay there until Abish,

29 …took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!
30 And when she had said this, she clasped her hands, being filled with joy, speaking many words which were not understood; and when she had done this, she took the king, Lamoni, by the hand, and behold he arose and stood upon his feet.

The queens affirmation that Jesus “has saved [past tense] me from an awful hell!” and her prayer, “O blessed God, have mercy on this people!” is intriguing. If “Jesus” is, as it must be, a reference to the premortal Jehovah, and if her appeal to “God” is a prayer to Heavenly Father (Elohim), then her words suggest she, like her husband, has had a sode experience.

Sode is the Hebrew word meaning the secret deliberations of a council, and many scholars use the phrase “sode experience” to identify visions where a prophet is returned to the Council in Heaven to re-experience and re-commit himself to the covenants he made there. (such as Isaiah 6 and 1 Nephi 18-15) Amos 3:7 assures us “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret [sode] unto his servants the prophets,” and Jeremiah 23:18-22 defines a false prophet as one who presumes to speak for God without having “stood in the counsel [sode] of the Lord.”

If this story and the queen’s response are, in fact, evidence that she has had a sode experience, then this is one of the few places in scripture that records a woman’s returning to the Council.

The accounts Mormon gives of their being “as dead” during those experiences reflect a truth that is attested in many places. Experiences in sacred time also require the passage of linear time. Three other examples are Lehi’s going to lay down on his bed before he had his sode experience; Alma laying as though he were dead for three days; and Enoch’s great vision taking 60 days. (The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, 68:2, in R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913] 2:469)

Alma 19-26, LeGrand Baker, Mormon’s messages

For the most part, the Book of Mormon is the story of a single family, with only three possible breaks in the genealogical record. They are King Mosiah I who was apparently a younger brother of the king of the Nephites, and who took the sacred regalia and fled from the Land of Nephi before it was destroyed by the Lamanites. The second is Alma who is clearly identified as “a descendent of Nephi” even though we are given no definitive statement of how he is connected with the royal family. The third is Mormon himself, who also tells us that he is also “a descendent of Nephi” but whose precise family ties are not given. Thus the story of that family becomes the golden thread that goes from the beginning to the end of the book, giving it structure and continuity

The Book of Mormon is written to the Lamanites but it is about the Nephite royal family, because their family, church, and state records were the sources to which Mormon and Moroni had access. The reason I point that out here is because this story of the Lamanite conversion, and the later story of the miraculous preservation of their “stripling soldier” sons, are among Mormon’s most significant diversions from the mainstream of Nephite history, but even these stories of Lamanite faithfulness are dependent on Nephite records. The missionaries who converted the Lamanites were sons of the Nephite king. The prophet/general Moroni after whom Mormon named his own son was a high ranking member of the Nephite aristocracy. Heleman, Moroni’s military subordinate who commanded the faithful Lamanite youth, was a son of Alma and the father of Heleman who would become the Nephite Chief Judge.

Mormon never tells a story without a purpose, and he usually defines that purpose to us with a phrase like, “and thus we see.” Because this departure into Lamanite history is so unusual, I think it would be wise to focus our attention on the message Mormon wants us to gain from it, rather than on the details of the story.

The chapters that describe these events invite us to stop and consider the underlying principles that support them, but if we do that the Book of Mormon Project may get bogged down in the details. So rather than risk that, Let’s just do a quick overview, stopping only to call attention to the principles Mormon emphasizes.

Let’s pick up his story where Ammon is with King Lamoni.

22 Now, one of them, whose brother had been slain with the sword of Ammon, being exceedingly angry with Ammon, drew his sword and went forth that he might let it fall upon Ammon, to slay him; and as he lifted the sword to smite him, behold, he fell dead.
23 Now we see that Ammon could not be slain, for the Lord had said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith—therefore, Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord. (Alma 19:22-23)

After the king and his servants testified of what they had seen and heard,

35 …there were many that did believe in their words; and as many as did believe were baptized; and they became a righteous people, and they did establish a church among them.
36 And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name. (Alma 19:333-36)

From there Mormon takes us with Aaron to the palace of the Lamoni’s father, the king of all the Lamanites.

17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. (Alma 22:17-18)

The king and queen, and many of their servants were converted.

1 Behold, now it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites sent a proclamation among all his people, ….
4 ….that Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, and from one house of worship to another, establishing churches, and consecrating priests and teachers throughout the land among the Lamanites, to preach and to teach the word of God among them; and thus they began to have great success…..
6 And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away. (Alma 23:1-6)

A new covenant with God is always associated with a new covenant name. The name is the token of the validity of the covenant. The converter Lamanites chose a name that reminded them of their rich heritage. As we use it, the prefix “anti” usually means “against,” but it also means “like.” The name they chose— Anti-Nephi-Lehi— might be understood as meaning: “Like the ancient prophets Nephi and Lehi.” (Alma 23:16-17)

Righteousness on the part of some, often brings anger and an unexplainable need for retaliation on the part of those who do not repent, as it did here. The Lamanites who were not converted tried to use force to overthrow the king and his followers. However,

6 Now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not.

As the king’s first prayer had been answered, so he taught its principles to his people.

7 Now, these are the words which he said unto the people concerning the matter: I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us, and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.
8 And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts, that we have opened a correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites.
9 And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed. ….
11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain— ….
15 Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby…..(Alma 24:6-15)

To that sermon, Mormon adds:

19 And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.

The Lamanites attacked, but were met with no resistance.

23 Now when the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword—
24 Now when the Lamanites saw this they did forbear from slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those of their brethren who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of the things which they had done…..
26 And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved.
27 And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.
28 Now the greatest number of those of the Lamanites who slew so many of their brethren were Amalekites and Amulonites, the greatest number of whom were after the order of the Nehors. ….

Again, Mormon stops to remind us what is happening:

30 And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things. (Alma 24:19-30.)

The frustrated Lamanites then attacked Nephite cites.

2 But they took their armies and went over into the borders of the land of Zarahemla, and fell upon the people who were in the land of Ammonihah and destroyed them.
3 And after that, they had many battles with the Nephites, in the which they were driven and slain.
4 And among the Lamanites who were slain were almost all the seed of Amulon and his brethren, who were the priests of Noah, and they were slain by the hands of the Nephites;
5 And the remainder, having fled into the east wilderness, and having usurped the power and authority over the Lamanites, caused that many of the Lamanites should perish by fire because of their belief—….
8 Now this martyrdom caused that many of their brethren should be stirred up to anger; and there began to be contention in the wilderness; and the Lamanites began to hunt the seed of Amulon and his brethren and began to slay them; and they fled into the east wilderness.
9 And behold they are hunted at this day by the Lamanites. Thus the words of Abinadi were brought to pass, which he said concerning the seed of the priests who caused that he should suffer death by fire.

The conversion story continues:

13 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw that they could not overpower the Nephites they returned again to their own land; and many of them came over to dwell in the land of Ishmael and the land of Nephi, and did join themselves to the people of God, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.
14 And they did also bury their weapons of war, according as their brethren had, and they began to be a righteous people; and they did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe to keep his commandments and his statutes. …. (Alma 25:1-14)

Having told the story in his own way, and calling our attention to the most relevant parts, Mormon returns to the official account kept by the king’s sons, to tell us the missionary’s reaction to their own adventure:

17 And now behold, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni, and their brethren did rejoice exceedingly, for the success which they had had among the Lamanites, seeing that the Lord had granted unto them according to their prayers, and that he had also verified his word unto them in every particular.(Alma 25:17)

Next week, lets read Alma 26, which is Ammon’s joyful summarizing of their missionary success.

Alma 18:21-24, LeGrand Baker, “And thus he was caught with guile.”

Alma 18:21-24
21 And now, if thou wilt tell me concerning these things, whatsoever thou desirest I will give unto thee; and if it were needed, I would guard thee with my armies; but I know that thou art more powerful than all they; nevertheless, whatsoever thou desirest of me I will grant it unto thee.
22 Now Ammon being wise, yet harmless, he said unto Lamoni: Wilt thou hearken unto my words, if I tell thee by what power I do these things? And this is the thing that I desire of thee.
23 And the king answered him, and said: Yea, I will believe all thy words. And thus he was caught with guile.
24 And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God?

“Guile” is an interesting choice for the word that concludes verse 23. For the most part it has a very negative connotation, such as this admonition from Peter:

8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. (1 Peter 3:8-10)

Shortly before that, in the same letter, Peter had explained what he meant by “speak no guile.” He was writing to people who would suffer—some would be killed–- for the sake of their testimonies. He drew a contrast between how one should respond when punished for a guilt, and when punished for no guilt at all. He wrote,

19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

One of the greatest compliments ever paid to anyone is recorded in the gospel of John:

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:47-51)

As is so typical of the Saviour, his words were paraphrased from the psalms. By using the psalms Jesus expanded his words by giving his hearers a context in which to understand his teachings. Here he was referring to Psalm 32. Like so many of the psalms, this one was intended to be performed on the stage, and is spoken by multiple voices.

The first two verses appear to be spoken by a chorus (as in a Greek play), or a narrator.

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

The next verses are in first person, so are spoken by the one in whom there is no guile. He is in prayer, addressing his words to God.

3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.
5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

The next words are spoken by God. They are a blessing with a charge to follow instructions, but not mindlessly.

8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

The final words are a commentary on what has occurred, spoken by the chorus who introduced the scene.

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. (Psalm 32:1-11)

Jesus’s apostles, knowing the context of Jesus’s words, could understand that Nathanael’s being without guile also meant that he need not be prodded like a mule before he would get something done. That tells us the underlying meaning of the Saviour’s promise, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Notwithstanding the negative aspects of “guile,” the more closely we look at the positive aspects of the concept the more reasonable Mormon’s choice of the word becomes. There is a passage in the New Testament that will help us understand. It may require more than one reading, for Paul often does, but it helps explain the passage in the Book of Mormon. Paul writes to the Corinthians,

14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. [He is referring to himself as a parent for it was he who taught them the gospel.]
15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. (2 Corinthians 12:14-16)

The key to understanding Paul’s words is “I seek not yours, but you.” The guile was the way Paul always approached his missionary task. Whenever he, the perfect Jew, entered a city, he went first to the synagogue to teach from their own scriptures the promises of the Messiah, and then he taught the fulfillment of those promises. After he established a base of operation among the Jews he had converted, then he expanded his reach to the Gentiles. His method looks simple and it proved very effective.

Ammon used a similar approach. He established his credibility before he tried to teach.

Mormon also helps us understand his meaning when he introduces the idea with these words, “Now Ammon being wise, yet harmless….”

Mormon’s lesson is about how to introduce people to the gospel, and about keeping one’s balance between enthusiasm and propriety. The Saviour taught that same lesson to his apostles. He said,

16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (Matthew 10:16-20)

A serpent (think of a lovely garden snake rather than of a viper) is wise because he is cautious and he doesn’t want some big guy stepping on his head. The Lord used that same simile when he cautioned the Prophet Joseph, “Therefore, be ye as wise as serpents and yet without sin; and I will order all things for your good, as fast as ye are able to receive them (D&C 111:11).”

In another revelation, this one addressed to the Twelve, he instructed them to go into all the world to teach the gospel, he taught them that signs will follow those who believe, then forewarned them,

73 But a commandment I give unto them, that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the world; for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation.(D&C 84:73, see v.62-74),

The Prophet Joseph amplified those instructions when he spoke to the Saints during April Conference of 1844— the very last conference he attended before his death. He said,

“I want you to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Preach principles that will stand the test of ages; teach them good precepts and save souls, go forth as men of God, and you will find friends wherever you go. Drink deep of the Spirit of Truth and a great and mighty work shall be wrought in the world; hundreds and tens of thousands shall flock to the standard and go up to Zion.” (History of The Church, 6: 321)

We are frequently admonished to do the same as we seek to bring someone to the gospel: to first become an honest friend. After that friendship is established on a foundation of mutual trust, then introduce our friends to the missionaries and the gospel. They will gravitate to the truth we embrace because they have already felt the sincerity of our love.