Alma I’s Conversion & Ministry
READ Mosiah 18:1-2
Was Alma a “wicked priest” in
need of repentance?
Yes, he wouldn’t have been selected by King Noah otherwise (see
Mosiah 23:9 and Mosiah 11:5).
What doctrinal teachings did Alma
learn from Abinadi’s sermon?
That which was to come – i.e. their own destruction but also the
coming of Christ to earth.
The resurrection of the dead.
The redemption of the people through the Atonement of Christ.
Repentance and faith on the Lord (see v7).
READ Mosiah 18:3-7
Why did many believe Alma’s words
when they would not believe Abinadi’s – even though Alma is only teaching what
he had heard Abinadi say?
He taught those he had a prior relationship with – at least at
first; while Abinadi seemed to have been an outsider or loner.
While not all of them believed him and would listen, enough did to
start a “movement” (see v 32) and even those who did not believe, didn’t go to
the king right away – this may speak to Alma’s personality, despite his earlier
wickedness.
Alma had been a Priest and had “authority” as the people supposed
– much more than Abinadi who held none (but who had stood in the presence of
God and been redeemed, while Alma had only listened to and believed his words,
albeit he was “ordained” by a wicked King to be an official priest) – and most
religious people are predisposed to follow a man with credentials and authority.
READ Mosiah 18:8-10
What are the qualifications Alma
lists for baptism?
Desire to come into the “fold” of God – take upon themselves God’s
covenant and enter into His rest.
Desire to be called “God’s people” – take upon themselves the name
of Christ and be adopted as Sons and Daughters of God (see Mosiah 5).
Serve the “fold” by bearing their burdens, mourning with them and
comforting them – to become like Christ, as He describes the behaviors of those
who would be saved in the Sermon on the mount (see Matthew 5-7; 3 Nephi 12-14).
Stand as a witness of God in all places until they die.
What constitutes the “fold of God”?
Those who are Christ’s, His people…
Through covenant with Him (see Mosiah 4-5).
While they are individually Christ’s through covenant, they are
also part of a group or “fold” or church or fellowship
And must be willing to treat each other in the same way they would
treat the Lord if He was among them (see Matthew 25:37-40).
There are duties “owed” internally to the fold or group.
The “fold of God” or Christ also refers to the Church of the
Firstborn – some of whom are on earth in their mortal probation but many of
whom live in the heavens – either as translated beings with Enoch or as spirits
in the Spirit World or as Gods with the Father.
Why must we be willing to bear
each other’s burdens, comfort and mourn with each other?
God’s work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and
eternal life (Moses 1:39)…
Eternal life is to know God and Christ (John 17:3)…
We can’t know a Master we haven’t served (Mosiah 5:13)…
He commands us to serve Him by doing His works and emulating His
behaviors (2 Nephi 31:9-10)…
These are the works of our Master: relieving the suffering of
others and loving them with charity (Alma 7:11-13; Matthew 5-7)…
If we love Him, we will do whatever He asks of us (John 14:15).
We must be precisely as He is or we cannot be saved (LoF 7:9).
Unless we are willing to render aid to each other, we cannot
possibly become one (see Mosiah 4). It
isn’t possible to bear one another’s burdens when we are oblivious to the
burdens they bear. This is a requirement
to be baptized. Until we are like-minded,
we don’t even qualify for baptism. This
sounds similar to Jacob 2, where we have no business seeking after riches until
we have entered into the rest of the Lord and had our calling and election made
sure.
What must
you do to qualify to stand as a witness of God?
You must come into the fold of God.
You must be called His.
You must sacrifice for others – you must love
them as you love Him.
You must BE a witness of God.
How can
you become a witness of God?
First, you must exercise faith, repent and be baptized
in water.
Second, you must live the covenant so that you
receive the birth of the spirit or baptism of fire and enter into the “Gate”.
Third, you must endure to the End, who is
Christ (Omega), and enter into His presence to become a witness of God (see 3
Nephi 11:14-15).
What do
all witnesses of God do after they have received the witness?
They are compelled to share it – their
overarching concern is for the eternal welfare of everyone who does not have
that same witness (see Mosiah 28:3; 1 Nephi 8:10-18).
They have a responsibility to testify to the world
of that which they now know.
How will
the world react to your witness?
The world will hate you (see John 15:18-19; JSH
1:25).
What is the purpose of baptism?
Witness to God that you have entered into a covenant with Him to
serve Him and keep His commandments; to accept the covenant He offers us.
It is an outward sign to God of inward repentance – it is another
instance of taking the spiritual world and moving it into the physical world.
Hadn’t these people been baptized
before – as they are members of the Church – so why are they being baptized
again?
Yes, they have already been baptized.
As a sign to God that they are willing to “come into His fold” and
“be called His people” – baptism is an outward performance of an inward resolve
– and they each resolved again to follow God, especially as they had so
recently learned that they had never really known the true and living God (see
Mosiah 21:35).
Clearly they had never received the baptism of fire, so from a “were
they REALLY baptized” perspective, you could argue that “no, they weren’t” in
that they had never lived the terms so that their prior baptism had been
“stillborn”.
What does it mean to “pour out”
His Spirit “more abundantly” upon those who have been baptized and what is
implied about how the Spirit works with people who have not been baptized?
“More abundantly” is code for the sanctifying “mighty change” that
happens when one “enters into the Gate” by covenanting with the Lord – of which
baptism is the outward ordinance signifying one’s intention to live God’s
covenant – it is the outpouring of the Spirit that changes one from natural man
to spiritual man.
This is a whole level of magnitude greater than having felt the
Spirit testify of truth without having been “quickened”, sanctified and changed.
``You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in
view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water
is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is,
the baptism of the Holy Ghost.'' (Joseph Smith, HC, 5:499 and TPJS 352:4)
READ Mosiah 18:12-13, 18
By whom was Alma ordained with
priesthood so that he could baptize?
From King Noah or his High Priest.
How did priestly office function
in Alma’s branch of the Church?
Through common consent of those who were willing to sustain (Alma)
as a priest.
Which is the way it functions everywhere – the membership decides
who they will sustain as leaders and priests (it was even the same with King
Noah’s priests).
Is priesthood power different
from priesthood ordination?
Priesthood power only comes from connecting with God (see D&C
121:36-37).
Priesthood ordination comes from “authorized” men to other men.
Ordination, as with all rites and covenants, is an authorized
invitation to connect to heaven to obtain power in the priesthood; it is not
the actual power itself – the power itself is the direct connection to the
“powers” of heaven (i.e. angels for Aaronic, Christ for Melchizedek, and Father
for Patriarchal or the High Priesthood After the Order of the Son of God –
although there is some debate as to if the latter two names should be reversed).
As a wicked Priest of King Noah,
did Alma have authority to perform ordinances?
He had “authority” in that he had been the recipient of an
ordination (see Mosiah 11:5).
He was “called” (see D&C 121:34).
But as the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with
the powers of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled, over even
handled, only upon principles of righteousness (see D&C 121:36), one that
is not living his life in alignment with those principles of righteousness (see
D&C 121:41-46), does not have power or even authority (in heaven) to
perform ordinances – they have no priesthood or connection/association with the
powers of heaven which give power to ordinances performed on earth (see D&C
121:37-40).
So, until he repented, he did not have authority, despite his
ordination – none of them had authority due to their personal wickedness (see
Alma 5:3; Mosiah 23:9; Mosiah 21:33).
But Alma and his fellow priests would not have known this or at
least not at first – “ere he is aware” (D&C 121:38) implies that the wicked
man who has never had a true manifestation from heaven will just assume that
their own thoughts are inspired and will not know for some time, perhaps, that
they have no power in their priesthood, unless they try to perform some miracle
or even prophesy – which is why he will not dare to attempt to do so.
Do the ordinances performed by a
wicked man “with authority” count with God?
No.
As we have seen from D&C 121, from heaven’s perspective, they
have no priesthood (power) or actual connection to heaven with which to do the
ordinance, anyway.
This is called the Donatist Heresy – and it is the reason
that Mormons claim that the Catholic Church has no authority; the Catholics
(and now the LDS Church, in a stroke of incredible irony and illogical
reasoning) said that priestly authority was not dependent on the officiator’s
worthiness or wickedness but was indelible and endured beyond or despite sin;
if this principle is correct then there was no need for God to have restored
priesthood authority to Joseph Smith, as the Catholics still retained it and
their baptism would have been authoritative with God.
How did Alma obtain the power and
authority in the priesthood necessary to perform the ordinance of baptism?
He prays for it in “mighty prayer”.
He does not act without God’s acceptance and approval – he waits
until the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him – it is the presence of the “powers
of heaven” and manifestation of the Holy Spirit that signifies that Alma has an
operating priesthood – it’s what priesthood is: a connection with the powers of
heaven through which blessings are given and ordinances are sealed on earth
(see Alma 5:3).
Priesthood rights are “inseparably connected with the powers of
heaven” – there is no such thing as priesthood that functions independent of
heaven.
And the High Priesthood itself is only ever given directly by God
to man anyway (see JST Genesis 14:28-29) – a result of which is that it is
uncontestable regarding if one has received it or not – but the proof of having
that Priesthood is even more public: either one can stand in the presence of
God and perform miracles in Christ’s name or one cannot.
READ Mosiah 18:14-16
What happens right after they are
baptized and what does this show?
They both receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost – the baptism of fire
(see Alma 5:7).
It shows that Alma had the authority and power from God to conduct
the ordinance.
And that those asking for baptism had truly laid their whole souls
on the altar in repentance and sacrifice (see D&C 20:37).
Why does the Holy Spirit manifest
itself upon the people immediately after baptism, without any mention of laying
on of hands?
As with Joseph Smith’s baptism (see JSH 1:69-74) and Christ’s (see
John 1:32-34), the laying on of hands was not required for the baptism of fire
and the Holy Ghost to occur.
Because of the fact that the participants had repented and
intended, in good faith, to live the terms of the baptismal covenant (offer
their whole souls/broken hearts and contrite spirits) at the time they were
baptized in water, the Holy Ghost baptized them with fire, sealing the
ordinance upon them and making it efficacious or “in effect” (see D&C
132:7; 3 Nephi 11:35; 3 Nephi 12:1-2; 3 Nephi 19:9-15).
In the Church today, Confirmation or the “laying on of hands” for
the Gift of the Holy Ghost does two things: 1) it confirms someone an official
member of the LDS church and 2) it officially admonishes the person to go out
and receive the Holy Ghost by living the terms of the covenant they have now
entered into via baptism; it does not automatically bestow the Gift of the Holy
Ghost because none of the people laying hands on your head today are authorized
with that kind of High Priesthood authority (see D&C 124:28).
So perhaps the key is to receive the gift and “seal” the baptism
with fire and the ordinance of confirmation or the laying on of hands is an
invitation to go receive that gift of the Holy Ghost/baptism of fire but is not
a requirement to receive it? If one’s
heart is prepared at the time of water baptism, perhaps it happens naturally.
READ Mosiah 18:17
Were they baptized into
membership in the Church?
No.
Those who were baptized were “called the Church of Christ” as a
group or fold and those who were baptized afterward were added to that group or
joined that group BECAUSE they had been baptized not through the act of baptism
itself.
They may or may not have been “confirmed” into membership in the
Church, as we do today, by the laying on of hands.
READ Mosiah 18:19-22, 27-29
How did they become the children
of God?
By focusing inwardly on faith, repentance and the gospel covenant
they had entered through baptism.
By focusing outwardly on “losing their lives in service to Christ”
through their behaviors with regards to each other – founded in love for each
other, they served one another and refused to contend if there was a
disagreement, and made sure that there was no poor among them.
Blessings & Curses
Alma’s people are discovered by King Noah and flee into the
wilderness when he sets the army on them (see Mosiah 18:32-34). They start a new colony in the wilderness
called Helam. The Lamanites invade King
Noah’s land and Noah suffers death by fire at the hands of his own people after
he convinces them to leave their families and flee into the wilderness. Noah’s son, Limhi, becomes a vassal king to
the King of the Lamanites (see Mosiah 19:25-27).
READ Mosiah 21:2-5, 13-15
What was the “word of the Lord”
that must be fulfilled?
Abinadi’s warning that they would be brought into bondage unless
they repented (see Mosiah 20:21 and Mosiah 12:2).
Why did the Lord not deliver the
Nephites even when they “humbled themselves in the depths of humility” and
“cried mightily to God”?
They had been cursed.
READ Mosiah 21:29-35
What did all this affliction
cause to happen to King Limhi and his people?
It caused them to see the error of their ways, to truly desire to
repent, and to serve God with all their hearts.
They were humbled in the depths of humility and then some.
They learned that they truly were nothing without God.
They realized that the “blessings” they’d experienced earlier
during the time of Noah did NOT mean that their behaviors were condoned by God.
Finally, King Mosiah’s scouts find Limhi and his people and help
them escape from the Lamanites and find their way back to Zarahemla (see Mosiah
22).
READ Mosiah 23:20-24
So, one can guess that King
Limhi’s people had to be humbled to the point that they wanted to repent, but
Alma’s people had repented previously – why were they captured by the
Lamanites, too?
Every covenant of the Lord contains blessings and curses.
If those with whom He covenants keep His commandments, which are
the law of the covenant, blessings follow – if they don’t, the curses follow.
READ Deuteronomy 28:25, 48
What curses were associated with
the Law of Moses?
If they broke the Law, they would be smitten by their enemies and
enslaved.
What is the difference between
“sin” and the “effects of sin”?
Sin is transgressing the law of God.
The effects of sin are the consequences of sin or transgressing
the law of God – they apply to the sinner but can also apply to others
including descendants who are effected by the choices of the sinner and may not
even realize it.
Children can inherit the results of their parent’s transgressions
– so that there may be consequences of parents’ actions that children may have
to deal with in their lives – Adam’s fall being the prime example and Laman’s
children are another.
Why was the curse still in effect
after the people had repented – were they not forgiven?
That is the way these “Aaronic” laws are.
The covenant blessings and curses operate independently of
people’s current spiritual disposition.
They can accrue to people today as a result of what they or their
forebears did yesterday.
They are personally forgiven but still under the effect of the
curse.
The blessings and curses can also be multi-generational (see
Deuteronomy 5:9), despite the fact that children are not guilty of parent’s
sins (see Ezekiel 18:19-20); but they must live with the effects of those sins.
Abraham is an example of multi-generational blessings (see Abraham
2:8-11, also D&C 98:28-37).
READ Mosiah 23:10 and Mosiah 24:10-16
How are these curses or effects
of sin stopped?
As each individual comes before the Lord and takes upon themselves
their own covenant with God (see Mosiah 18:10 and Mosiah 21:31-32).
Then they exercise faith and patience in their new relationship
with God, knowing that the purpose of their afflictions has switched from
legitimate cursing owed an oath breaker and their descendants to the 4th
generation, to trial required of a covenant maker to help them to offer the
only acceptable and needful sacrifice – their whole soul, a broken heart, and a
contrite spirit. Meanwhile, the actual
trial itself may not have changed at all – just the purpose of it has changed fundamentally.
