Alma 28-29: Destruction and Second Coming of Christ
Alma 28:
- Final destruction before Second Coming (Jacob 5:69)
- Alma 28:2-6,11
- 2 And thus there was a tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem; yea, and tens of thousands of the Lamanites were slain and scattered abroad.
- 3 Yea, and also there was a tremendous slaughter among the people of Nephi; nevertheless, the Lamanites were driven and scattered, and the people of Nephi returned again to their land.
- 4 And now this was a time that there was a great mourning and lamentation heard throughout all the land, among all the people of Nephi—
- 5 Yea, the cry of widows mourning for their husbands, and also of fathers mourning for their sons, and the daughter for the brother, yea, the brother for the father; and thus the cry of mourning was heard among all of them, mourning for their kindred who had been slain.
- 6 And now surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time of solemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer.
- 11 And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth;
Alma 29:
- Christ's Second Coming (Jacob 5:72)
- 1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
- 2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
- Final Judgment
- 5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.
- Heavenly Mother involved
- 8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.
- Christ gives salvation to His servants and the gathered fruit (Jacob 5:75-77)
- 14 But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi.
- 15 Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!
- 16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.
- 17 And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen.
Alma 17-27: Final gathering of remnant and Zion
Alma 17-26:
- Final Gathering of Remnant(s) (Jacob 5:51-75)
- Four sons of Mosiah preaching to four lost remnants
- Alma 17 - King Lamoni speechless - "Kings shall shut their mouths" (Isaiah 52:15)
- Alma 23 - preach in a place that had been forbidden but restrictions were lifted
- Alma 24 -gathered people are tested to see if they'll stay true to the Covenant
- Alma 24:15 Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
- Alma 25 - post-gathering wars, more flee to join gathered remnant
- Alma 26 - post-gathering harvest and rejoicing (Jacob 5:74-75)
- Alma 26:7 - harvest
- "...they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest"
- Alma 26:15 - marvelous work
- "we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work."
- Alma 26:36 - branch taken from tree of Israel and visited in a strange land
- "blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land;"
- Jacob 5:74-75
- 74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.
- 75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.
Alma 27:
- Final restoration of remnant to Zion (Jacob 5:67-68)
- Alma 27:14
- And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land.
- Characteristics of this Zion people
- Alma 27:27-30
- 27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.
- 28 And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.
- 29 Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them.
- 30 And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord.
Alma 16 - The Destruction of the Nephites
Alma 16:
- Destruction of the Nephites (Jacob 5:40-43)
- Ammonihahites are destroyed
- Jacob 5:40-43
- 40 And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died.
- 41 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?
- 42 Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard, save it were these, had become corrupted. And now these which have once brought forth good fruit have also become corrupted; and now all the trees of my vineyard are good for nothing save it be to be hewn down and cast into the fire.
- 43 And behold this last, whose branch hath withered away, I did plant in a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me above all other parts of the land of my vineyard.
Christ's mortal and post-mortal ministries
Alma 4:
- Alma (Christ) hands over governing role and "condescends" to focus on his duties as High Priest
- (chapter 5 preface)
- The words which Alma, the High Priest according to the holy order of God, delivered to the people in their cities and villages throughout the land.
- 18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.
- 19 And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.
Alma 5-6:
- Christ's mortal ministry among the Jews, as well as Jacob 5:16-18
- Alma (Christ) consecrated (anointed) by his father to be a high priest
- 3 I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things…
- 50 Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.
- Atonement of Christ
- 9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.
- 34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
- Division between followers of Christ and followers of Satan
- 38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
- 39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
- Temple imagery reminds readers of the endowment ceremony and the Fall
- 7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God.
- 24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?
- 34 Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
- 44 For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus;
- Alma preaches the same things Christ taught
- Alma teaches the way to reverse the effects of the Fall and bring the new Millennium
Alma 7-15:
- Christ's post-mortal ministries among the lost Tribes (Jacob 5:20-25)
- Alma 7:
- Alma preaches in Gideon/Christ preaches in second location (Jacob 5:20-22)
- Alma 8:3-5
- Alma preaches in Melek/Christ preaches in third location (Jacob 5:23)
- Alma 8:6-Alma 15:17:
- Alma (and Amulek) preach in Ammonihah and Sidom/Christ (and someone?) preach to the Nephites and Lamanites in the fourth location
- Two main groups -
- One rejects and the other receives
- Jacob 5:25: Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit;
Alma 1-3: The War in Heaven and Christ's pre-mortal ministry
Alma 1:
- Zion-like (Millennial)
conditions:
- 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.
- 29 And now, because of the
steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having
abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of
flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of
grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance
of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth.
- 30 And thus, in their
prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or
that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had
not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches;
therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and
free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church,
having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
- 31 And thus they did
prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to
their church.
- Introduction of pride and
priestcraft (Order of Nehor)
- 2 And it came to pass that
in the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment-seat, there was a
man brought before him to be judged, a man who was large, and was noted
for his much strength.
- 3 And he had gone about
among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word
of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that
every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to
labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the
people.
- 4 And he also testified
unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and
that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their
heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also
redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.
- 32 For those who did not
belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in
idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife;
wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes;
persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and
murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put
in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was
possible.
Alma 2:
- Rise of adversary
(Amlici (satan) - follows path of Nehor, gathers followers, desires to be
king and destroy the church
- 2 Now this Amlici had, by
his cunning, drawn away much people after him; even so much that they
began to be very powerful; and they began to endeavor to establish
Amlici to be a king over the people.
- 3 Now this was alarming to
the people of the church, and also to all those who had not been drawn
away after the persuasions of Amlici; for they knew that according to
their law that such things must be established by the voice of the
people.
- 4 Therefore, if it were
possible that Amlici should gain the voice of the people, he, being a
wicked man, would deprive them of their rights and privileges of the
church; for it was his intent to destroy the church of God.
- Assembly gathered - people
vote against Amlici (satan)
- 5 And it came to pass that
the people assembled themselves together throughout all the land, every
man according to his mind, whether it were for or against Amlici, in
separate bodies, having much dispute and wonderful contentions one with
another.
- 6 And thus they did
assemble themselves together to cast in their voices concerning the
matter; and they were laid before the judges.
- 7 And it came to pass that
the voice of the people came against Amlici, that he was not made king
over the people.
- Amlici (satan) leads his people
against the people of God
- 8 Now this did cause much
joy in the hearts of those who were against him; but Amlici did stir up
those who were in his favor to anger against those who were not in his
favor.
- 9 And it came to pass that
they gathered themselves together, and did consecrate Amlici to be their
king.
- 10 Now when Amlici was made
king over them he commanded them that they should take up arms against
their brethren; and this he did that he might subject them to him.
- Alma (Christ) leads the
battle against Amlici (satan)
- 16 Now Alma, being the
chief judge and the governor of the people of Nephi, therefore he went
up with his people, yea, with his captains, and chief captains, yea, at
the head of his armies, against the Amlicites to battle.
- Alma (Christ) sends four spies
(archangels)
- 22 Now those whom he had
sent out to watch the camp of the Amlicites were called Zeram, and
Amnor, and Manti, and Limher; these were they who went out with their
men to watch the camp of the Amlicites.
- Amlici (satan) defeated by
Alma (Christ)
- 29 And it came to pass that
Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did
contend mightily, one with another.
- 30 And it came to pass that
Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried,
saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an
instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.
- 31 Now when Alma had said
these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened,
insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword.
Alma 3:
- A race of people (satan's
followers) cursed for rebellion against four men (Amlicites also brought
curse upon themselves)
- 4 And the Amlicites were
distinguished from the Nephites, for they had marked themselves with red
in their foreheads after the manner of the Lamanites; nevertheless they
had not shorn their heads like unto the Lamanites.
- 6 And the skins of the
Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their
fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and
their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob,
and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.
- 7 And their brethren sought
to destroy them, therefore they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark
upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and
Ishmaelitish women.
- 8 And this was done that
their seed might be distinguished from the seed of their brethren, that
thereby the Lord God might preserve his people, that they might not mix
and believe in incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction.
Alma 1:
- Zion-like (Millennial)
conditions:
- Introduction of pride and
priestcraft (Order of Nehor)
Alma 2:
- Rise of adversary - Amlici
(satan) - follows path of Nehor, gathers followers, desires to be king
and destroy the church
- Assembly gathered - people
vote against Amlici (satan)
- Amlici (satan) leads his
people against the people of God
- Alma (Christ) leads the
battle against Amlici (satan)
- Alma (Christ) sends four
spies (archangels)
- Amlici (satan) defeated by
Alma (Christ)
Alma 3:
- A race of people (satan's
followers) cursed for rebellion against four men (Amlicites also brought
curse upon themselves)
Alma 4:
- Alma (Christ) hands over
governing role and "condescends" to focus on his duties as High
Priest
Alma 5-6:
- Christ's mortal ministry
among the Jews (Jacob 5:16-18)
Alma 7-15:
- Christ's post-mortal
ministries among the lost Tribes (Jacob 5:20-25)
Alma 16:
- Destruction of the Nephites
(Jacob 5:40-43)
Alma 17-26:
- Final Gathering of the
Remnant(s) (Jacob 5:51-75)
Alma 27:
- Gathered remnant arrives in
Zion (Jacob 5:67-68)
Alma 28:
- Final destruction before
Second Coming (Jacob 5:69)
Alma 29:
- Christ's Second Coming (Jacob 5:72)
- Final Judgment
- Heavenly Mother involved
- Christ gives salvation to
His servants and the gathered fruit (Jacob 5:75-77)
