Category: Alma

Alma 18:4-11, LeGrand Baker, the power of personal integrity

Alma 18:10-11
10 Now when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them.
11 Now I surely know that this is the Great Spirit, and I would desire him that he come in unto me, but I durst not.

Mormon is a superb and very candid historian. He has an agenda and he not only doesn’t try to hide it, he insists we know what it is. He frequently concludes his stories with the words “and thus we see” then he explains the principles we should have learned. But he does not always do that. Sometimes he just tells the story and leaves it to us to discover the principles. That is an easy task because the principles can usually be reduced to four basic ideas: To be happy (1) one must exercise faith in God, (2) one must be true to the eternal law on one’s own being, (3), one must obey instructions and teachings of the prophets, and (4) one must comport his life in the same way the prophets conduct theirs. This story focus on the second and fourth of those principles: have the integrity to be true to one’s eternal self, and achieve that by doing what Ammon did.

Integrity is one of the most fundamental principles that leads to salvation. In my work at BYU, I once interviewed Arnold Friberg, who did the artwork for Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. Friberg had great admiration for DeMille whom he described as having unbending integrity. Then Friberg defined the word: “Integrity is having no gap between what one says and what one does.” In gospel terms that simply translates to this: Integrity is having no gap between the covenants one makes and the life one lives.

Elder Maxwell spoke of integrity in eternal terms, He used the word “unvaryingness ” to describe the integrity of God. He said,

“We can serve others also by developing real integrity, which is more than being honest and true only until it becomes too expensive. In the crowds of chameleons in the world today, daring to be the same good self is being different. When our goodness is constant we are on the road, albeit only a short distance along, to the unvaryingness of Godlike love.” (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 62.)

It is not surprising that President Monson equated faith in God with personal integrity. He said,

“Today, in a quiet grove at Valley Forge, there is a heroicsized monument to Washington. He is depicted not astride a charging horse nor overlooking a battlefield of glory, but kneeling in humble prayer, calling upon the God of Heaven for divine help. To gaze upon the statue prompts the mind to remember the oft-heard expression, “A man stands tallest when upon his knees.
“Men and women of integrity, character, and purpose have ever recognized a power higher than themselves and have sought through prayer to be guided by such power. Such has it ever been. So shall it ever be.” (Thomas S. Monson, Be Your Best Self [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 24-25.)

The book of Job, which is not only some of the most beautiful but also probably the oldest poetry in our Old Testament, is all about integrity. It begins in the Council in Heaven where Satan wishes to lay claim to the earth, but he can’t because Job is there.

3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. (Job 2:3)

From that time, Job’s life begins to fall apart, until his wife can’t take it any more.

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (Job 2:9-10)

Job’s steadfastness was an evidence of his sure knowledge. He laments,

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Job 19:23-26)

As seems often to be so, Job’s most intense trial comes from those who should have been his friends but were his accusers instead. They attack him with all the philosophical and academic weapons they can muster. To which Job responds,

2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. (Job 27:2-9)

Later, he challenges his tormenters,

6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. (Job 31:6)

In the end, God gives Job all that he requests, including the fulfillment of the ultimate promise. Job spoke in wonderment and said,

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. (Job 42:5)

When the Prophet Joseph organized the Relief Society, he taught the sisters that each of our lives would be something like Job’s.

“He spoke of delivering the keys of the Priesthood to the Church, and said that the faithful members of the Relief Society should receive them with their husbands, that the Saints whose integrity has been tried and proved faithful, might know how to ask the Lord and receive an answer; for according to his prayers, God had appointed him elsewhere.” ( Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 226.)

The Psalms repeatedly say that we will be judged according to our personal integrity (Psalms 7, 25, 26, 41, 78). Brigham Young confirmed that. He said,

“We have the principle within us, and so has every being on this earth, to increase and to continue to increase, to enlarge and receive and treasure up truth, until we become perfect. It is wisdom for us to be the friends of God; and unless we are filled with integrity and preserve ourselves in our integrity before our God, we actually lay the foundation for our destruction.” (Journal of Discourses, 5:54)

The ultimate importance of personal integrity is found in the Saviour’s praise of Hyrum Smith. In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph, the Saviour said,

15 And again, verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord. (D&C 124:15)

As we approach judgement day, we will discover that one’s integrity is the final definition of one’s eternal Self. If that Self is the guileless personification of one’s love for God and for “that which is right,” then one is on the sure path that leads to eternal life.

Alma 18:1-3, LeGrand Baker, the blessings of pre-mortal covenants.

The story begins with this comment about the ruffians who scattered Lamoni’s flocks.

35 Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king. (Alma 17:35)

After Ammon’s success, this is what happened.

1 And it came to pass that king Lamoni caused that his servants should stand forth and testify to all the things which they had seen concerning the matter.
2 And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man. Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders? Probably a reference to the arms
3 And they answered the king, and said: Whether he be the Great Spirit or a man, we know not; but this much we do know, that he cannot be slain by the enemies of the king; neither can they scatter the king’s flocks when he is with us, because of his expertness and great strength; therefore, we know that he is a friend to the king. And now, O king, we do not believe that a man has such great power, for we know he cannot be slain. (Alma 18:1-3)

Even though it is shown more dramatically here than in many other places in the scriptures and in church history, the essence of this story is probably repeated many times in each of our lives. The principle is simply this: before we came into this world we made covenants with our Heavenly Father that we would accomplish specific things while here. Some of those things had to do with our personal progression, but the great majority had to do with helping other people.

These assignments were made and accepted by covenant— and that is very different from the military concept of receiving an assignment then going out at our own peril to try to do it. A covenant is a two-way promise. We covenanted that we would fulfill our assignment and God covenanted that he would make it possible for us to do so. In the following I would like to review some of the scriptures that deal with the conditions of that premortal covenant.

During the ancient Israelite performance of the Feast of Tabernacles temple drama, Psalm 82 was enacted as a depiction of our making covenants with our Heavenly Father. Watching the play not only gave the ancient Israelites the opportunity to review the covenants they had made in the premortal world; but as they participated in the drama that became a new covenant-making reality. As they spoke the words in unison, each individual covenanted to fulfill his own assignment in order that the Father’s purposes might be accomplished. If those assumptions are correct, then, as in the story of King Benjamin, even though the words were spoken in unison, making of the covenant was the personal act of each individual in the congregation.

Because the congregation’s participation in the drama was, for each of them, a present and personal act, the words of the psalm and the enactment of the story were, as Mowinckel and Nibley suggested ( Mowinckel, The Old Testament as Word of God, 99-100. Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 224.), not just a remembering of the myth and a re-enactment of the ritual, but a new actualization of the event and a new covenant. For each member of the congregation who participated in the ancient drama, their making the covenant anew was a reaffirmation of an everlasting covenant, but it was also a new covenant, affirming one’s present relationship with God— a new and everlasting covenant.

The original scene depicted by Psalm 82 can more readily be understood by inserting it into the account recorded in Abraham 3, where it fits so perfectly that it does not even break the cadence of the story. Please note, by putting the two scriptures together in this way, I am not trying to imply that they were ever written as a single unit. Rather, they are combined here to illustrate an interesting—perhaps insightful—picture of how things might have been in the Council in Heaven, and how they might have been portrayed on the stage. In the King James Version, the last verse of Psalm 82 reads, “Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” The word translated “God” is elohim which is plural for “gods in the ordinary sense” and also the name of the Father of the gods. Elohim is translated both ways in the first verse of the psalm. In the last verse, “gods” makes more sense, showing that line to be the concluding words of the Father and the covenant made by his children. The members of the Israelite audience probably understand themselves to represent the members of the Council in Heaven. If that were so, then it was they who stood and spoke the words of the covenant.

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. [He asked,] How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O gods, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. [After the covenant, God said,] These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born (Abraham 3:22-23 & Psalm 82).

The covenant we made in the Council in Heaven is new because it is given to us anew in this mortal world. It is the fulness of the gospel, as the Lord explained.

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 84:46-48).

It is everlasting because its principles are eternal.

2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old. (D&C 66:2)

Subsets of that covenant include the promises represented by Psalm 82, which are like the law of consecration. Baptism is another part of it.

1 Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing; and this is a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.
2 Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works. (D&C 22:1-2)

Celestial marriage is another important part of it.

1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it (D&C 131:1-3).

The importance of that new and everlasting covenant is taught in D&C 132:1-14. At the conclusion of that explanation of the covenant, the Lord makes it clear that while the principles of the covenant are eternal and apply to everyone, certain aspects of the covenant are very specific to each individual.

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
9 Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?
10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?
11 And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was? (D&C 132:8-11).

Paul taught the early Saints about the covenant in his letter to the Ephesians. At the beginning of the letter he reminds them,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 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 (Ephesians 1:3-4).

He then gives remarkable details about our covenants with our Heavenly Father, concluding with the assurance that “ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [ourselves], unto the praise of his [Heavenly Father’s] glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). Paul then brings us from the premortal world into the present world where he prays that— by the spirit of revelation— “ye may know what is the hope of his calling [‘calling’ is a verb: Paul wants us to know what the intent of our assignment is], and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints [what blessings await those who fulfill their assignments], And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” (Ephesians 1:15-19) In the rest of the chapter Paul explains that Heavenly Father will exercise the same power in our behalf that he exercised in the Saviour’s behalf, to empower us to fulfill our covenants.

In other words, God has given each of us an assignment that we must fulfill in this life (and that assignment probably extends to include the spirit world after this life). He has also given us the necessary tools to fulfill that assignment, and he has promised us that he will exercise his power in our behalf to keep any obstacle in earth or in hell from preventing us from keeping our covenants. He will not fulfill the assignment for us, and we may choose not to, but in the end we will never be able to say that the assignment was greater than our ability. The Lord expects us to succeed and has arranged for our success. That is one of the most comforting principles of the everlasting gospel, and the evidence of its truthfulness is not only found in the scriptures but also many times in our own personal lives.

Alma 18, 19 – LeGrand Baker – The Conversion of the Kings

Over the years, it has been my great privilege to have spent many rewarding hours with many of you as we have read the scriptures together. And that’s the point I wish to make here. It takes time, usually a great deal of time to read, examine, and digest the intent of many passages of scriptures. For example, if we could get through more than the first four verses of Ephesians in less than two or three hours, then we had been moving right along. With that in mind, I read the account of the Nephite missionaries teaching the Lamanite kings, and conclude that we are getting a very abbreviated description of some powerfully profound and in-depth conversations. And that those conversations probably lasted for many days, perhaps many weeks.

Not long ago, Rudd Hopkins, who is working this summer in New York, called me to say, “Wow! I’ve got to tell you what I just read in Alma 22.” At his suggestion, I re-read the story told there. He was right: it is “wow!” I would like to share it with you, but of course, I can’t, so we will just have to go round-about it in the way the scriptures do.

First, lets read the story of king Lamoni’s conversation, and the story of his father’s, and compare them. The comparison should focus on what they were taught and in what order the ideas were presented. Then we will each— each individually, for that is the only way it can be done— compare their remarkable experiences and consider the prerequisites for such experiences.

For ease of reading, I have put one in bold and the other in italics.

Alma 18

36 Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam,

Alma 22

12 And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam

and told him all the things concerning the fall of man,

reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen.

and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people,

13 And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him,

which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem.

37 And he also rehearsed unto them (for it was unto the king and to his servants) all the journeyings of their fathers in the wilderness, and all their sufferings with hunger and thirst, and their travail, and so forth.

38 And he also rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, yea, all their rebellions did he relate unto them; and he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time.

and their carnal state

39 But this is not all; for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world;

and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.

14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself;

and he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ,

but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory;

and all the works of the Lord did he make known unto them.

and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.

I suppose in both of those last statements “all” means all. If that is the case, then the subtext of both stories presuppose a number of interesting things. One is implied in this explanation from the D&C:

19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.

20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, 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 (84:10-22)

Given what happened to each of the two kings after their conversion, it is reasonable to suppose that they must have had the priesthood. That, in turn, suggests that they got it from the Nephite missionaries. That probably implies that the sons of Mosiah had all the requisite authority to administer all the blessings, covenants, and ordinances that would have been necessary to bring the Lamanites fully into the Kingdom of God.

This is the conclusion of king Lamoni’s conversion story.

Alma 18

40 And it came to pass that after he had said all these things, and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words.

41 And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.

42 And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead.

Alma 19

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.

This is what happened with king Lamoni’s father:

Alma 22

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.

……………

22 Now when Aaron saw the determination of the queen, he, also knowing the hardness of the hearts of the people, feared lest that a multitude should assemble themselves together, and there should be a great contention and a disturbance among them; therefore he put forth his hand and raised the king from the earth, and said unto him: Stand. And he stood upon his feet, receiving his strength.

23 Now this was done in the presence of the queen and many of the servants. And when they saw it they greatly marveled, and began to fear. And the king stood forth, and began to minister unto them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord.

The sequence of their teachings is unmistakable. Each story appears to contain a very abbreviated review of the ancient Israelite Feast of Tabernacles drama. King Lamoni’s account even ends the same way king Benjamin’s celebration of that drama ended, with a cry for mercy: “O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.” A review of that might be appropriate

Mosiah 4:1-3

1 And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them.

2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.

Alma 17:35-39, LeGrand Baker, the story of Ammon

As we have observed, the story of Ammon is written in the most classic of ancient literary traditions. Ammon is not just any prince; he is heir apparent to the Nephite throne. Without being told we assume that when he went to the Lamanites he was dressed like a prince, well spoken, well educated, and had a personal presence that commanded respect. The Lamanites would not have had to guess twice to know who he was.

As a prince, Ammon’s education set him apart from every commoner. He was taught military tactics, diplomatic language and protocol, He would have been tutored in the use of personal weapons by the very best of the Nephite instructors. He would also have been given a superb academic education For example, king Benjamin’s sons were taught in all the languages so they could read and understand the scriptures. (Mosiah 1:2)That would include Hebrew, Egyptian, the spoken language of the Mulekites, and the vernacular tongue of the Nephite people. Similarly, even though Zeniff does not tell us his relationship to the king, we know he is a prince because he has a uniquely princely education – knows all the languages. (Mosiah 9:1)

Ammon, the hero prince, leaves home to accomplish an impossible task. He is captured by the Lamanites and immediately confronted with a temptation that would have prevented his fulfillment of that task. What may have been the equivalent of Odysseus’s Sirens stood squarely in the path of his success.

After Ammon was interrogated by King Lamoni, the Lamanite king offers the Nephite prince one of his own daughters as a wife. Whether this was a response to love -at-first-sight on the daughter’s part, or simply a political arrangement devised by the father, we are not told. But Lamoni’s having the next in line to the Nephite throne for a son-in-law (especially if he were one who had defected from his own country) would be a major political coup.

Ammon turns the offer down and opts to help tend the flocks instead, but that may not mean he accepted a demeaning office. The story of Ammon is remarkably like the one Josephus tells about Moses who had just fled from Egypt.

Moses, thinking it would be a terrible reproach upon him if he overlooked the young women under unjust oppression, and should suffer the violence of the men to prevail over the right of the maidens, he drove away the men, who had a mind to more than their share, and afforded a proper assistance to the women; who, when they had received such a benefit from him, came to their father, and told him how they had been affronted by the shepherds, and assisted by a stranger, and entreated that he would not let this generous action be done in vain, nor go without a reward. Now the father took it well from his daughters that they were so desirous to reward their benefactor; and bid them bring Moses into his presence, that he might be rewarded as he deserved. And when Moses came, he told him what testimony his daughters bare to him, that he had assisted them; and that, as he admired him for his virtue, he said that Moses had bestowed such his assistance on persons not insensible of benefits, but where they were both able and willing to return the kindness, and even to exceed the measure of his generosity. So he made him his son, and gave him one of his daughters in marriage; and appointed him to be the guardian and superintendent over his cattle; for of old, all the wealth of the barbarians was in those cattle. (Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews, “From the Death of Isaac to the Exodus,” chapter 11: “How Moses Fled out of Egypt into Midian, ).

The obvious difference is that while Moses’s marrying a princess fit well into his assignment, a similar act on Ammon’s part would have precluded his accomplishing his purposes. It appears that Lamoni’s most urgent need was to find someone who could protect his flocks. It was probably true that Lamoni’s wealth was measured by his flocks, and Ammon was apparently put in charge of their safety. If not actually put in charge by the king, his royal education and ability to command quickly became apparent. It was he, the newcomer, who led the others to recover their flocks and then he gave them instructions about what they should do to protect the animals.

35  Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.

Two important parts of every prince’s education are military strategy and personal expertise with weapons. Here again we see Ammon as the prince and hero. Hercules like, he confronts the enemy alone. Ammon is an expert with a sling, but cannot be hit by his enemy’s stones (God’s promise of invulnerability had a great deal to do with that).

36  But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.

When his enemies came at him with clubs (an evidence that they tough guys, but probably not trained soldiers) Ammon did not slaughter them with his sword. (The sword is probably another evidence of his wealth and status). Rather he cut off their arms.

37  But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm.

That required a great deal of skill. I wonder if his skill enabled him to sever their arms at the joint of the elbow or if the force of his blows was so great that he cut through their bones. In either case, it is evidence that he had been trained to defend himself rather than just strike at the heart and kill his opponents. We see him exercising that same skill again later when he is engaged in a short dual with Lamoni’s father. That time he only wounded the king’s arm. He was not so sparing toward the leader of the ruffians.

38   Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew none save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few.
39  And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done.

That doesn’t say, but the implication is that after the battle there were quite a few arms laying about for the others to gather up.

This is a remarkable story because it fits into the ancient milieu of the hero man-god so accurately that it a perfect example of the ancient formula of the Cosmic Myth. As with Greek heroes, Ammon is confronted with not just one overwhelming challenge, but with two reasons to fail. The first is temptation, the second is that he is outnumbered by his enemies. Yet Mormon tells the story so casually that it does not have the “romance” of many of the other ancient hero story. Mormon’s purpose is not to create a hero, but to show that the Lord keeps his covenants and to set the stage for the conclusion of the saga which is Ammon’s successful missionary work.

Alma 17:10-12, 26:26-27, LeGrand Baker, Mosiah’s Sons Comforted by the Lord.

There are two accounts of this event. Both quote the Saviour as though he personally spoke to them.

10  And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.
11  And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.
12  And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God.(Alma 17:10-12)

26  But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.
27  Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success (Alma 26:26-27).

This account sounds remarkably like Moroni’s observation about the Saviour’s appearance to the Brother of Jared:

17 And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites. (Ether 3:17)

That observation is reinforced by the fact that the Saviour not only spoke to them, but he also “comforted” them, implying that he administered an empowering ordinance. Empowering ordinances are associated with the word “comfort” in Isaiah 61, Psalm 23, and Isaiah 40:1-2,

I discussed “comfort” a short time ago under Alma 14:10-13, LeGrand Baker, Comfort: The power to transcend sorrow.

Alma 17:1-3, LeGrand Baker. the sanctity of friendship.

1 And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the land of Gideon southward, away to the land of Manti, behold, to his astonishment, he met with the sons of Mosiah journeying towards the land of Zarahemla.
2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God (Alma 17:1-3).

To me, this is one of the most moving stories in the scriptures because, like the story of David and Jonathan, it celebrates the sanctity of friendships.

My soul teaches me that friendships are eternal and that we come here under covenant to know each other when we meet— that we may support, and be supported by people whom we loved before we came here and whom we will always love. I believe that. Not only do my experiences teach me it is true, but my reason insists that it must be true. I cannot conceive of our Heavenly Father’s sending us into this world alone, to fulfill our seemingly impossible assignments, without also promising us that we would find mutual strength with the people we love.

“Friendship,” as much as any word in one’s personal language, is always defined within the confines of one’s own world-view. If that world-view begins at birth and ends with in the nothingness of the moldering grave, then friendship is a passing pleasure of unfinished value. If one’s world-view is a foggy notion of a pre-mortal existence and a hopeful projection into an ill-defined eternal hereafter, then friendship is a bonding that takes place here and a hoped-for forecast of pleasant things to come. However, if one’s world-view begins as an intelligence progresses through a premortal spirit world until we come to here, then, within that world-view one understands one’s Self and one’s friends is a continuum of timeless personalities engaged in mutual growth. Then “friendship” is understood as a necessary part of that continuum, and a friend is an integral part of one’s own immortal Self and an ever enriching part of the eternal progression of each other.

If it is true that beloved others are an integral part of our eternal Selves, then it is also true that there are parts of us that are empty unless filled by specific and precious family and friends. It is the filling of that emptiness that we recognize when we meet “for the first time” someone whom we immediately recognize as an eternal friend If those things are true, then it is also true that without an eternal association with family and friends whom we love, we cannot be wholly our Selves. Thus, not just a limited “eternal family” but an expansive circle of eternal friendships are necessary components of “eternal life.”

Just as friendships may not originate in this life, they are certainly not confined to it. Brigham Young observed,

“We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life; and then we shall go on from step to step, from rejoicing to rejoicing, and from one intelligence and power to another, our happiness becoming more and more exquisite and sensible as we proceed to the words and powers of life.” (Journal of Discourses, 6: 349)

One of the reasons I like the Hymn of the Pearl so much is because it acknowledges that eternal relationship.

The Pearl is the story of a young prince who is given a seemingly impossible task. He must leave home to find a treasure (his true Self) and bring it to his Father. When he arrives at his destination, he meets another like himself (“an anointed one”) and they assist each other in preparing for the darkness to come. Though we do not hear about the “anointed” friend again, he is a central part of the story. It is true that the hero must fulfill his covenants alone, but it is also true that his loving Father will not let that aloneness be void of the help of treasured family and friends.

The Pearl was first translated and published by A. A. Bevan. In lines 24-28, the prince meets a young nobleman from his own country. The qualities of the friend cause them to confide it, and support each other. They warn each other against the temptations and the defilements of Egypt. Bevan’s translation reads,

23 And when I was single and alone,
A stranger to those with whom I dwelt,
24 One of my race, a free-born man,
From among the Easterns, I beheld there-
25 A youth fair and well favored ….
26 ….and he came and attached himself to me.
27 And I made him my intimate,
A comrade with whom I shared my merchandise.
28 I warned him against the Egyptians
And against consorting with the unclean
[The Hymn of the Soul (Cambridge, University Press, 1897), 12-31.]

The Pearl has been translated many times since then. Each translator has treated these lines differently. The differences are interesting, so I quote each of them here. There is apparently a problem in the original manuscript between lines 25 and 26 and that may account for part of the differences in translation. In many places throughout the poem, the other translated simply borrow words from Bevan. But here, as they try to capture the intimacy implied by those few line, all their translations are different from each other. I suspect, if one hopes to catch the full meaning of the friendship between these two boys, a combination of all of the translations would help one do that.

23 And when I was single and alone,
A stranger to those with whom I dwelt,
24 One of my race, a free-born man,
From among the Easterns, I beheld there-
25 A youth fair and well favoured,
[a son of great rulers.] –
26…and he came and attached himself to me.
27 And I made him my intimate,
A comrade with whom I shared my merchandise.
28 I warned him against the Egyptians
And against consorting with the unclean; (Grant, Gnosticism, 118.)

– – – – – – – – – – –

24 But there I saw a Cousin* of mine from the East-a free person,
25 Gracious, handsome, and young, a child of members of court:
26 Who came and kept me company,
27 And whom I made my friend and partner in my travels: had as a constant companion:
28 And exhorted to guard against the Egyptians and against intercourse with their impurities. (Layton, Gnostic Scriptures, 372.)

(* Layton’s footnote reads: “Probably not an indication of close blood relationship, but rather an Eastern title bestowed at royal court as a mark of honor.” note “d,” p. 372.)

– – – – – – – – – – –

23 And forasmuch as I was alone I made mine aspect strange, and appeared as an alien to my people.
24 And there I saw my kinsman from the East, the free-born
25 a lad of grace and beauty, a son of princes (or an anointed one).
26 He came unto me and dwelt with me,
27 and I had him for a companion, and made him my friend and partaker in my journey (OT merchandise).
28 And I charged him to beware of the Egyptians, and of partaking of those unclean things. (James, Apocryphal New Testament,412 .)

– – – – – – – – – – –

23 And since I was all alone
I was a stranger to my companions of my hostelry.
24 But one of my race I saw there,
A nobleman out of the East,
25 A youth fair and lovable,
26 An anointed one,
And he came and attached himself to me
27 And I made him my intimate friend,
My companion to whom I communicated my business.
I (He ?) warned him (me ?) against the Egyptians
And against consorting with the unclean.
(Hennecki, New Testament Apocrypha, 499.)

– – – – – – – – – – –

As I was alone, [I was a stranger
to my hosts who were my companions].
But there I saw one of my fellow countrymen
from the East, a free man, a youth gracious and favored,
a son of the mighty.
He came and joined me,
and I made him my bosom companion,
my friend, to whom I communicated.
I warned him to watch the Egyptians
and their unclean companionship.
(Cartlidge and Dungan, Documents for the Study, 47-48.)

– – – – – – – – – – –

Here are some scriptures that teach about the importance of friendships:

– – – – – – – – – – –

35 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded.
36 Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.
37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.
38 And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance.
39 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord according to that which had been spoken by the mouth of Jared.
40 And it came to pass that the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him, and said unto him:
41 Go to and gather together thy flocks, both male and female, of every kind; and also of the seed of the earth of every kind; and thy families; and also Jared thy brother and his family; and also thy friends and their families, and the friends of Jared and their families. (Ether 1:35-43)

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.
10 Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job. (D&C 121:7-10)

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you…….
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning (John 15:1-19, 26-27) .

1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep……..
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?(John 11:1-11, 32-37)

30 And now, Zoram, I speak unto you: Behold, thou art the servant of Laban; nevertheless, thou hast been brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true friend unto my son, Nephi, forever.
31 Wherefore, because thou hast been faithful thy seed shall be blessed with his seed, that they dwell in prosperity long upon the face of this land; and nothing, save it shall be iniquity among them, shall harm or disturb their prosperity upon the face of this land forever.
32 Wherefore, if ye shall keep the commandments of the Lord, the Lord hath consecrated this land for the security of thy seed with the seed of my son. (2 Nephi 1:30-32)

1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. (Luke 12:1-13)

62 Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature.
63 And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God’s high priests; ye are they whom my Father hath given me; ye are my friends;
64 Therefore, as I said unto mine apostles I say unto you again, that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost…..
77 And again I say unto you, my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends, it is expedient that I give unto you this commandment, that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power; (D&C 84:62-64,77)

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you:
2 Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5 Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son—
6 He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
7 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made….
62 And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—
63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you; (D&C 88:1-7, 62-64)

45 Verily, I say unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., or in other words, I will call you friends, for you are my friends, and ye shall have an inheritance with me—
46 I called you servants for the world’s sake, and ye are their servants for my sake— (D&C 93:45-6)

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, I speak unto you with my voice, even the voice of my Spirit, that I may show unto you my will concerning your brethren in the land of Zion, many of whom are truly humble and are seeking diligently to learn wisdom and to find truth.
2 Verily, verily I say unto you, blessed are such, for they shall obtain; for I, the Lord, show mercy unto all the meek, and upon all whomsoever I will, that I may be justified when I shall bring them unto judgment. (D&C 97:1-2)

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord. (D&C 98:1-3)

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends Sidney and Joseph, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.
2 Therefore, follow me, and listen to the counsel which I shall give unto you. (D&C 100:1-2)

1 Verily I say unto you, my friends, behold, I will give unto you a revelation and commandment, that you may know how to act in the discharge of your duties concerning the salvation and redemption of your brethren, who have been scattered on the land of Zion; (D&C 103:1)

Alma 16:16-19, LeGrand Baker, Preparing the people for the Saviour’s coming

16  … the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—
17  That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.….
19  Holding forth things which must shortly come; yea, holding forth the coming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead.

There is a story behind those words here that is easy to miss if we only look back at them from our own place in history. From our perspective, it is quite simple. The people had to repent so they would be ready when the Saviour came. We can say the same thing about ourselves as we look forward to the Second Coming.

Yet there was much more to it than just that. They had to be prepared for a major change in the way they understood their theology and in their way of practicing their religious worship.

The change in the way they practiced their religion rites was this: Their sacrifices of animals, grain, and incense would all be done away. A sacrifice is a kind of pistis. It is the formal affirmation of a covenant. Until the time of the Saviour’s last sacrifice, that affirmation looked forward to the future, and the animal sacrifices were a token or an evidence that the Saviour would keep his part of the covenant. After the Saviour performed the atonement there was no more need for that anticipatory affirmation. When the Saviour came to America, he had already performed the atonement so his part of the covenant was an accomplished fact. But for the Saints, their part to make the covenant validity still had to be sealed by sacrifice. But the sacrifice acceptable was no longer a cow or a sheep but one’s Self— a broken heart and contrite spirit.

The people had always known that this change was coming, They had sung about it during their own New Year Festival temple services. The 51st Psalm asserts,

16  For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalms 51:16-17).

The Saviour reminded them of that psalm when he spoke to them during the three days of darkness (3 Nephi 9:20-22). What he told them wiped away much of their need for the old ceremonial religious way. Only the most important personal ordinances would remain.

Those where the changes in their religious practices. The changes in the way their theology was to be understood were no less dramatic. They literally had to develop a new understanding of who their God was. Before it had been Jehovah who had presided at the Council in Heaven and who was the covenant God of Israel. That was still true and it would never change, but now he was also Jesus, the Saviour who had been a man on the earth and who had fulfilled all the covenants that their old theology only promised he would do. His atonement could no longer be taught as future hope, for now it was a promise fulfilled

For many, those changes would be a joyous fruition of eternal covenants, but there would always be some who would seek to retain the old ideas and the old ways. The challenge that Mormon points out here is that the leaders of the church had to prepare all the people to anticipate and accept those changes. Mormon makes us aware of that challenge this early in the story so that we may watch how it was accomplished.

It is likely that it was Mormon’s concern for us that prompted him to include this challenge in his history. Those of you who are as old as I have seen many changes in the way the church operates as our culture has softened and permitted us to become a more purified Kingdom of Heaven. Those of you who are much younger will see changes that may be even more exciting. When those changes occurred, or when they will occur in the future, for us, as for the Nephites, the simple rule of “follow the prophet” is the only sure way we can keep our moorings in the shifting waves of cultural, social, and even political change.

Alma 16:14-16, LeGrand Baker, Mormon’s conclusion to Alma’s story.

14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually.
15 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more who had been chosen for the work, to preach the word throughout all the land. And the establishment of the church became general throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites.
16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming

With the conclusion of chapter 16, Mormon ties a nice bow around this portion of the story of Alma. From here, Mormon will do a flashback and tell us about the adventures of the sons of Mosiah.

These chapters in Alma’s life are about his success as president and prophet of the Church, but they also demonstrate that Mormon is an accomplished historian as well as a master storyteller.

As an historian, he has not only taught us about the adventures of Alma, but he has also carried Alma through the full-cycle of the cosmic myth, showing that Alma’s story is an example of how the Lord’s purposes are accomplished when we fulfil our part of the program.

The book of Alma began by explaining that even though the members of the church were a persecuted minority, the faithful among them esteemed each other as equals and blessed each other’s lives.

26 And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.
27 And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely.
28 And thus they did establish the affairs of the church; and thus they began to have continual peace again, notwithstanding all their persecutions (Alma 1:26-28).

Then trouble sets in and sense of equality based on mutual esteem has dissipated. Mormon reports,

12 Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted…..
15 And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him (Alma 4:12, 15).

It is in response of this lack of mutual esteem, which is symptomatic of the members of the Church not keeping their covenants, that causes Alma to go on his extended missionary journey. It is significant that, unlike the sons of Mosiah who taught non-members, Alma directed his mission toward the Nephites who were (or who claimed to be) followers of the Saviour. He began in Zarahemla. Alma 5 records a compelling sermon in which he quotes several of the psalms that were the text of the drama of their temple service. By doing so, he drew sharp contrast between the covenants they had made and the way they were not living those covenants.

Alma 7 is a sermon he delivered at a priesthood meeting that emphasized those covenants to people who were living them more faithfully than the people of Zarahemla. Then he went among the people who had perverted them entirely. Alma 8 through 14 are about his confrontation with the people of Ammonihah. . In chapter 12 he reminds them of their covenants and of the consequences of their not keeping them. In chapters 14 and 15 Mormon teaches us that those consequences are as real as the blessings to the righteous.

Now Mormons rounds out the whole story by reporting that trough Alma’s work all of the Nephites had become faithful to their covenants and there was no inequality among them.

14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually.
15 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more who had been chosen for the work, to preach the word throughout all the land. And the establishment of the church became general throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites.
16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming (Alma 16:14-16,).

Alma 16:13, LeGrand Baker, Multiple Ancient Israelite Temples

Alma 16:13
13  And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews.

This reference to multiple temples is consistent with our own understanding of what a temple is used for. However it seems inconsistent with the Old Testament’s apparent insistence that the only valid temple was at Jerusalem. The problem is not with the meaning and purpose of the ancient temples, rather, the problem is that the post-exilic authors and editors who wrote the historical books of the Old Testament. Relative to their predisposition toward only one temple, the Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible reports,

Now the exclusive monopoly of the temple of Jerusalem had become for the authors of the historical books a political as well as a religious dogma, which they traced back to the prophetic utterance of Moses. They were, of course, hard put to reconcile their views with historical reality, confronted as they were with the existence, not of one national place of worship prior to the reign of Solomon, but of several local sanctuaries. (“Temples,” in Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible [New York, Abingdon Press, 1962], 4:566-67).

Until the reign of Josiah, there had been several small temples scattered throughout Judea. However, Josiah’s “reforms” closed them down and transferred their wealth and their priests to the main Temple in Jerusalem. He also changed some of the religious rites. We know, for example that he changed the way the Feast of Tabernacles temple drama was celebrated. How much of the Jewish apostasy that occurred between Josiah and Zedekiah was orchestrated by Josiah is impossible to know. But Ezekiel assures us that by the time of Zedekiah the Temple was under the control of people who worshiped gods other than Jehovah. The speed with which this apostasy occurred is remarkable. Lehi’s four oldest sons were all born during the reign of Josiah, and by the reign of Zedekiah things had become so serious that Lehi was fleeing for his life.

When Lehi and his family came to America, they brought with them the original ancient temple rites, not the changed version introduced by Josiah.

In a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph, the Lord explained why he caused his people to build those ancient temples. The context of this statement is his instructions that the Latter-day Saints should build the temple in Nauvoo.

36 For it is ordained that in Zion, and in her stakes, and in Jerusalem, those places which I have appointed for refuge, shall be the places for your baptisms for your dead.
37 And again, verily I say unto you, how shall your washings be acceptable unto me, except ye perform them in a house which you have built to my name?
38 For, for this cause I commanded Moses that he should build a tabernacle, that they should bear it with them in the wilderness, and to build a house in the land of promise, that those ordinances might be revealed which had been hid from before the world was.
39 Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.
40 And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein unto my people (D&C 124:36-40).

Menahem Haran believes that before Josiah’s reforms small, legitimate temples could be found throughout Jedea . Whenever the Bible mentions sacred rites performed in any location, he has identified that as the site of a local Israelite temple. He identifies about a dozen, then writes,

In addition to the twelve or thirteen temples listed so far, ancient Israel may have known some other temples which have left no trace whatsoever in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, it is a reasonable assumption that any addition to this list (which would have to be based on new, extra-biblical evidence) would be insignificant, and that the total number of Israelite temples can not have been much greater than that which emerges from the biblical records. (Temples and Temple-Service in Ancient Israel [Winona Lake, Indiana, Eisenbrauns, 1985], 39

The pre-exilic small temples are also discussed by Beth Alpert Nakhai, “What’s a Bamah? How Sacred Space Functioned in Ancient Israel,” Biblical Archaeology Review, v. 20 (May/June, 1994) n. 3, p. 18-29. On page 26 there are two photographs of the remains of a small Israelite temple dedicated to Jehovah that was probably destroyed as part of Josiah’s crusade against the small temples.

The same was apparently true with the early Christians. In an article describing early Christian meeting houses Tzaferis gives us a photo of the interior of one. While he identifies it as a meeting house, it might also have been a small Christian temple. (I want to send you a copy of the photo, but I have a distrust for email, so rather than sending it to now, I’ll send it to you separately. If you don’t get it, please let me know.) The caption under the photo does not mention the stars at the top. It reads: DOMUS IN QUA CHRISTIAN I CONVENIEBANT, or “houses in which Christians gather,” also called domus ecc/es;ae, came into use in the second century A,D., when the Christian community did not yet have permanent churches dedicated to worship, A “house church” functionally similar to the prayer hall at Megiddo was found in the 1930s in Dura Europos in Syria. Although not originally meant to be a religious structure, the simple two-story dwelling was converted into a house of worship with a place for the Eucharist table, a vestry for clergy clothes, and a baptistery. The walls of the baptistery were decorated with frescoes illustrating scenes from the Bible such as Adam and Eve, the Good Shepherd and a parade of women that might depict the women at the tomb of Jesus (shown at right in photo). The walls of the prayer hall at Megiddo were also adorned with frescoes, as fragments were found among the debris. (Vassilois Tzaferis, “Inscribed ‘To God Jesus Christ’,” in Biblical Archaeology Review [March/April, 2007, v. 33, n. 7, p. 38-49.] Picture and quote are on p. 49.)

Attached photo

The attached photo is from Vassilois Tzaferis,“Inscribed ‘To God Jesus Christ’,” in Biblical Archaeology Review [March/April, 2007, v. 33, n. 7, p. 38-49.] Picture and quote are on p. 49.)

The caption under the photo does not mention the stars at the top. Even though this photo is identified by the author as a Christian meeting house, its decorations reminds one of the stories told in the Ancient Israelite New Year festival temple drama.

Alma 16:4-12, LeGrand Baker, The Negative Side of the Blessings of Abraham.

Mormon is a great historian and a marvelous story teller. Like his other stories, this one has a good plot, and an obvious moral. In this case that moral is that if a general will ask a prophet what to do, and then do it, his military success is assured. Yet, even though this is no doubt Mormon’s point there is still a deeper undercurrent of truth that sustains the other principles of the story. The key to that undercurrent is found in two contrasting ideas, reflecting both the blessing and the curse of the Abrahamic Covenant.

The ownership of land is very important among any agrarian people. It is not only an evidence of wealth but also of stability. So it is consistent that part of the Abrahamic covenant should include the promise of land—both an earthly security and an eternal inheritance.

The psalms emphasize that principle when they say the meek will inherit the earth (Psalm 37) and more explicitly when they say the children of the meek will inherit the earth (Psalm 25). The Saviour quoted from those psalms when he spoke the Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Section 88 explains that the earth will be prepared as a celestial world so “the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.”

Another part of the Abrahamic covenant is “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

Mormon brings all of these ideas sharply into focus by simply telling this story. To do so, he created a parallel contrast that makes his point.

The word “brethren” in the Book of Mormon is a priesthood term (as “beloved brethren” in Alma 7 and Moroni 7). So it is clearly not just a mission to rescue fellow Nephites, but a necessary church-related responsibility that causes Zoram and his sons to ask Alma “whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren.” Alma gives them instructions about where to go and promises, “ there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren.” The military action worked, and “not one soul of them had been lost,” After the successful rescue, the former captives “were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands.”

The key phrases are “they took [rescued] their brethren,” “not one soul of them had been lost,” and “they were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands.

In contrast, the people of Ammonihah “were of the profession of Nehor,” “every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed,” and “their lands remained desolate.”

There is nothing subtle about Mormon’s intent. His story is set in a this-world context, but its implications still harken back to Alma’s sermon in chapter 12 about the consequences of spiritual rebellion and the meaning of the second death.