Alma knows Best

Section: Alma 1 through Alma 7

Alma judges a man of Nehor for what he has done (pp 249-250.)

Amalici became king over the Amalicites and commanded with a spoken work to “take up arms against their brethren” (pp 253.)

Alma prays to God to “spare him and that he may be an instrument in thy hands” and then he slew Amalici with his sword (pp 255.)

The rest of the army was afraid and scared. There was a dialogue between Nephi and God (pp 256-257.)

Pride overruled the church and Alma gave a sermon starting at Zarahemla (pp 260-262.)

Alma says in his testimony “that Jesus Christ shall come” (pp 264.)

During the sermon Alma says to those who persist in wickedness “shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they repent” (pp 264.)

SECTION ANALYZED: Alma 5-7

Alma know personally what it is like to live a life in opposition to truth, and the ethos of his sermons and pleadings are for his people to understand truth, the Good Shepherd’s healing, and repentance which lead to exaltation. He wants to be a tool in the hands of the Master to save his people.

The audience changes as he travels and goes from city to city, but his continual theme is for his people to come to the Good Shepherd. In Alma 5:62 he says, “I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.” He directs his voice to the people and clarifies the doctrine explaining what it means to come unto Him. He elucidates the doctrine using logos such as “awaken from a deep sleep,” while in the “midst of darkness,” so their souls could be “illuminated by the light” (Alma 5:7.) Then Alma bears his personal testimony, and lists the blessings of ‘awakening.’ Alma’s continual them is to come unto Christ as he pleads, “And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you” (Alma 5:60.)