Alma II now goes across the country “bearing down in pure
testimony against” his people in an effort to reclaim them from their pride and
wickedness (see Alma 4:19-20).
Alma II’s Sermon to the Church in Zarahemla: The Two Paths
READ Alma 5:6
What does it mean to “sufficiently retain in remembrance”?
READ Alma 5:7-13
What happens when your heart is changed?
What was the cause of their awakening?
READ Alma 5:14-16, 19
Who is Alma speaking to?
What is implied by Alma’s question “have ye spiritually been born
of God”?
How could people be baptized without spiritually being born of
God?
Why might someone have not experienced the baptism of fire?
What does it mean to receive Christ’s image in your countenances?
What does it mean to experience a mighty change to your heart?
What must happen for someone to have the faith to look forward to
the resurrection and judgment - to imagine that they hear God calling them
“blessed” and calling them into His presence?
Are the questions that Alma asks in these verses different
questions or are they different ways of asking the same question?
If everyone sins, what does it take for our works to be the “works
of righteousness”?
READ Alma 5:21-22
How does washing garments in Christ’s blood clean them from the
stain of blood (and filthiness)?
READ Alma 5:26-27
Who is Alma talking to and what is he really asking?
What is “redeeming” love?
Why does Alma say “blameless” and not “sinless”?
How does one lose the desire to sing the song of redeeming love?
How does one who has experienced a change of heart, “feel so now”?
READ Alma 5:28-32
Why are we unprepared to meet God if we are not stripped of pride?
How does envy prevent us from being in the presence of God?
READ Alma 5:33-39
Is it significant that the Lord doesn’t command but offers an
invitation; why does He do that?
What metaphors does Alma use to describe the way Christ ministers
to us?
READ Alma 5:40-41
During his sermon in Zarahemla, Alma points out two Paths or Ways
that people may follow in this life – one to eternal lives and one to the
“deaths” (see D&C 132:21-25) – and behind these paths are two opposite
forces; Alma asks a series of questions and makes a series of statements to
illustrate this theme - what are some examples from his sermon?
Is it true that “whatsoever is good cometh from God” even if someone
is not a baptized member of the Church or if that “good” is not affiliated with
the Church?
READ Alma 5:42
What are the wages of sin and what does this mean?
Why don’t the scriptures speak of the “wages of righteousness”?
READ Alma 5:61-62
Alma “commands” the Church members to observe the words which he
has spoken to them but “invites” those who are not Church members to come and
be baptized – how does this square with the way the Lord deals with His people
in verses 33-39?
What can we make of Alma’s implication that God commanded him to
speak these words and that his command is just echoing God’s?
READ Alma 6:1-4
Did Alma have the same level of success as King Benjamin?
Alma’s Sermon to the Church in Gideon: The Atonement of Christ
The Church in Gideon have already humbled themselves before God
and repented (v3) but were not suffering from the same level of unbelief –
believing in things that are not true – and materialistic idol worship as the
people of Zarahemla (v6). As a result,
the Lord has a slightly different message for those in Gideon…
READ Alma 7:7-9
What is the Lord’s message to the Church in Gideon?
READ Alma 7:10
Who is the father of the son that Mary delivered?
READ Alma 7:11-13
What does succor mean?
How do we receive the benefit of Christ’s succor?
Why did Christ have to suffer pains, afflictions and temptations
of every kind?
What is the nature of the suffering of His people?
How did Christ learn how to relieve this suffering or in other
words, succor them?
Is God’s work and glory finished?
Is Christ’s atonement finished?
How does Christ succor us?
What must we do to receive His succor or Atonement?
READ Alma 7:14-16
Why is Alma telling the Church members in Gideon to be baptized?
READ Alma 7:19-20
What does the metaphor of the “straight” vs. “crooked” paths teach
us?
READ Alma 7:21-22
What is the Holy Order of God and is it different from the order
of the Church (in Alma 8:1)?
If the people in Gideon were “established” in the “paths of
righteousness,” why did they have to be awakened to a sense of their duty to
God?
READ Alma 7:23-25
How does one “abide in the covenant”?
Does faith, hope and charity guarantee good works?
