Lesson 24: “Give Us Strength According to Our Faith … in Christ” Reading: Alma 13–16

Lesson 24: “Give Us Strength According to Our Faith … in Christ” 

Reading: Alma 13–16 

Alma 13 

In the previous lesson, we saw that the teachings of Alma and Amulek in Alma 9-12 were oriented toward the temple endowment and the focus of returning to the presence of the Lord.  Here in chapter 13, we find the culmination of their teaching. 

All good endowments have a story that takes us from the pre-mortal existence, through creation and fall, and through Christ's atonement lead us back into God's presence.  We've seen some of these components in the previous chapters, including the discussion of Adam and the Fall, and how all mankind will resurrect through Christ's atonement and enter back into God's presence (Alma 11).  For the wicked, the glory of God will cause them great pain of conscience and they will wish the rocks would fall and cover them up (Alma 12). 

For Alma 13, we will begin in the pre-mortal existence, even prior to the Creation, back to the great Council of Heaven, where God's children are offered a great gift: the priesthood.  We learn that the priesthood is "after the order of his Son" (Alma 13:1-2).  This holy and high priesthood preceded this earth, where righteous men were foreordained to the priesthood after the order of the Son of God,  This foreordination was performed in God's heavenly temple, and its complete fulfillment occurs in the holy temples here on earth.  More on that in a moment. 

"And this is the manner after  which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation  of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their  exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose  good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising  exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that  holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory  redemption for such. 

And  thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their  faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the  hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had  not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their  brethren" (Alma 13:3-4). 

Here we learn about events prior to this earth's creation.  God's spirit children existed prior to this earth.  There is no creatio ex nihilo (creation from nothing). In this pre-mortal existence, the spirits of men were left to choose good or evil.  Some chose good and exercised great faith, and so were entrusted with the holy priesthood in mortality.  The difference between those foreordained and those who were not is based on their level of faith. Those not ready to exercise great faith were not ready for such a foreordination.  In connection to the covenant with Israel, we would consider that Israel was foreordained to be the covenant people.  LDS understanding is that the Melchizedek Priesthood primarily falls to the tribe of Joseph and his son, Ephraim, as the right to rule the spiritual kingdom (as Judah has the right to rule the physical kingdom of Israel). 

Whether foreordained or not, any man can become worthy through exceeding faith in Christ, to receive this priesthood in mortality.  But for those who harden their hearts, there will be no priesthood given unto them.  In fact, we learn in D&C 121:33-46 that the priesthood only works on the principles of righteousness, and when a man attempts to rule wickedly, it is "amen" or the end to that man's priesthood. 

Note that the priesthood is a "privilege" and not a right.  It is not something we earn or demand as a right, but is a gift given to those who prepare themselves to use it.  That preparation requires great faith, repentance, and good works.  If a man is ordained to the priesthood, while lacking the preparation, he may hold the priesthood, but will not have the power that comes with it. 

"Or in fine, in the first  place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy  calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as  would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the  Only Begotten Son, who was prepared— 

And  thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high  priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the  children of men, that they also might enter into his rest" (Alma 13:5-6). 

All spirit children of God were born equal.  It is what we did in our pre-mortal existence and here that determines whether we are ready to receive any gifts from God. It is not an issue of meriting such gifts, but of being ready and able to receive it.  Why give the gift of the Spirit to a man, who refuses to listen to it?  The priesthood is given to help us help others enter into God's "rest" or presence. 

"This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was  from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without  beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all  eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things" (Alma 13:7). 

Here we get an interesting definition of some terms.  "in other words" notes we are to receive a definition or meaning of a term.  "without beginning of days or end of years" and "eternity to all eternity" does not necessarily mean forever into the past and future, but that it began with the foundation of the world!  In the Book of Mormon, we thrice find the term "eternal round" (1 Nephi 10:19, Alma 7:20, 37:12. see also D&C 3:2, 35:1).  Interestingly, Alma uses the term twice, once just prior to going to Ammonihah to preach, and the other in teaching his sons.  Such view of time is in keeping with ancient Israel, which did not see time as linear, but as a cycle. 

It seems that an eternal round is a period of time, or a cycle of time, during which there is a Creation and a Destruction.  During this period, God's work is performed to create spirit children, send them to a newly formed earth, allow them to Fall, offer them an Infinite Atonement, and bring those who will follow Christ back into His presence. 

"they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only  Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of  years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen" (Alma 13:9). 

This ordination to high priest is an eternal ordination. It does not end with death, but continues on into the eternities.  It is the priesthood which Jesus Christ had (Hebrews 5-7), as well as his apostles. It is the priesthood that Moses held, and desired to use to bring Israel back into the presence of God at Sinai (D&C 84:19-26).  We will now see that it is also the priesthood that Melchizedek the King of Salem held. 

"Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified,  and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their  garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look  upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly  great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord  their God" (Alma 13:11-12). 

Here we see the ancient guidance given by God to Moses in preparing Aaron and his sons to serve as high priests in the Tabernacle.  They were to be sanctified, washed clean, and made pure in order to enter into God's presence.  So it is with us if we want to see the face of God and live in His kingdom.  Mormons attending the temple dress in white clothing to symbolize such purity, as they seek to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and purified in the blood of Christ (sanctification and justification). The grea t purpose of the temple is for us to symbolically learn to be pure and enter into God's rest. 

Alma begins speaking of Melchizedek, his people, and the priesthood and ordinances that led them into God's presence. According to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, the people of Melchizedek were a wicked people, but repented and became righteous and sanctified (made holy) to where their city was caught up to the city of Enoch in a state of paradise (JST 14). 

Melchizedek is a name that is two words: Melchi (King) and Zedek (Righteousness), or the King of Righteousness.  Being King over the city of Salem (Peace), he is also the Prince of Peace (Alma 13:18). Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, and the King performed great miracles throughout his life as a priesthood holder.  As with Enoch and Moses, he becomes a symbol of the future Christ.  Today, the priesthood after the order of the Son of God is nicknamed the Melchizedek Priesthood, or the Priesthood of the King of Righteousness! 

As Melchizedek is a great king and priest unto God, so we can also do so.  The highest form of this priesthood is found in the temple ordinances.  When man and woman are sealed in eternal marriage, they receive together the Patriarchal Priesthood.  This priesthood was given to Abraham, and through this priesthood all the nations of the world are blessed with the gospel and the binding ties (Book of Abraham 1).  In the temple, man and woman learn to become kings and queens and priests and priestesses under the tutelage of Jesus Christ.  As Melchizedek becomes a symbol of Christ, so too do those who receive the fullness of the priesthood become a symbol of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. 

Alma tells the people of Ammonihah that it is now the time to repent, for angels are " angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is  for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to  receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory" (Alma 13:24).  Alma and Amulek are two witnesses of the coming of angels, who prepare all of us for the coming of God in glory.  Alma concludes his sermon telling them that, 

"Having faith on the Lord;  having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God  always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and  enter into his rest. 

30 And  may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his  wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell,  that ye may not suffer the second death" (Alma 13:29-30). 

That the few righteous among the people will be cast out or burned in the fire (along with the holy scriptures), shows that (as noted in the previous lesson) the people of Ammonihah were inhospitable and sought to impose their wickedness upon the righteous.  Alma and Amulek are cast into prison, and tortured for days, also a sign that the city was ripened in wickedness (Alma 14).  Even the miraculous rescue of the prophets from prison did not cause the people to repent.  All that was left was for the Lord to allow the Lamanites to destroy them (alma 16), and allow them to "suffer the second death" (Alma 13:30) out of the presence of God. 

Bibliography 

Justification and Sanctification: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-of-mormon-lesson-6-free-to-choose.html 

Also: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-testament-gospel-doctrine-lesson-36.html 

Joseph Smith Translation of Bible on Melchizedek: http://www.lds.org/scriptures/jst/jst-gen/14?lang=eng 

Book of Mormon Lesson 23 - "More Than One Witness" Alma 8–12

Book of Mormon Lesson 23 - "More Than One Witness"   

Alma 8–12  

In this lesson, we find  an interesting dichotomy.  Alma will teach them a form of the endowment, to prepare people to enter into the presence of God, in drastic contrast to the worldly lifestyle of the people of Ammonihah.  The name "Ammonihah" is interesting in this context, as it seems to contain the names of two deities.  Ammon = Amun, who became the chief Egyptian God, the King of the gods.  Hah = Jah or Yahweh/Jehovah, the God of Israel.  Such a name can be considered in several ways.  If the name "Ammon" is viewed as a man, it can mean Ammon of Jehovah.  As the name of the Egyptian god, it can be equating Amun and Jehovah, or contrasting them as an internal struggle.  In the case of the city of Ammonihah and Alma, we will see it as such a struggle between embracing the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or the god of Israel's former captors and a symbol of worldliness.  In the end, each individual resident of the city must decide to embrace Jehovah or Amun, the true God in heaven or the god of this world.  Alma's teaching will lay this out, showing that Jehovah has always existed, and that mankind formerly chose Jehovah prior to coming to this earth.  

Alma 9  

The people of Ammonihah are called stiff-necked, as they refuse to believe that God could destroy their city or the earth pass away.  Little did they realize that God has the power to do both, and both events are in the planning stage.  Living during the Great Recession and a period of great unrest and impredictability, humans today still often deny the concept that the earth could "pass away", life as we now know it could quickly end.  We do not see how our lifestyle or beliefs (disbeliefs) can affect events in the world.  Though many still disbelieve, we can see that in a moment, towering skyscrapers can collapse, economies can crash, stability can be destabilized, and order turn to chaos.  While we do not need to believe every person on the street corner with a "world is going to end" sign, we do need to be aware of building and establishing foundations that work and maintain a godly society. This is part of what Alma and Amulek will teach them.  

Moses led Israel out of Egypt, where Amun was the chief god.  Moses led Israel to Sinai and to the worship of Jehovah.  For Alma, Lehi is the Moses of the Nephites:  

"Do ye not remember that our father, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem by the hand of God? Do ye not remember that they were all led by him through the wilderness?  And have ye forgotten so soon how many times he (Jehovah) delivered our fathers out of the hands of their enemies, and preserved them from being destroyed, even by the hands of their own brethren?  Yea, and if it had not been for his matchless power, and his mercy, and his long-suffering towards us, we should unavoidably have been cut off from the face of the earth long before this period of time, and perhaps been consigned to a state of endless misery and woe" (Alma 9:9-11).  

Just as Moses led Israel out of sin and captivity, and Israel was protected by God's matchless power, we now see Alma presenting Lehi as Moses.  This will be important in the endowment that Alma and Amulek will teach, as it shows Lehi and Moses (and later Adam) traveling through this earth to the promised land and the presence of the Lord.   

"Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord" (Alma 9:13).  

In verse 19, the Lord says that rather than have their wickedness spiritually destroy them, God would rather allow the Lamanites physically destroy the Nephites as a people.  This is interesting in considering the case of evil.  Many ask how God can allow evil to occur in the world, whether man-made or caused by nature.  For God, this world is just a part of the whole picture.  Dealing with eternal tragedy is more important to Him than temporary mortal destruction.  He would rather flood the earth to destroy man's wickedness, than allow generations of evil to continue, destroying souls forever.  This is not to say that all people who die in a natural disaster or war are evil, or that all disasters are caused to punish the wicked, but to say that for God the important issues are the eternal ones.  

Lehi is Moses and the Nephites are Israel.  They are a highly favored people in the promised land.  The Lord has delivered them from captivity, and blessed them with many gifts of the Spirit.  

 "Having been visited by the Spirit of God; having conversed with angels, and having been spoken unto by the voice of the Lord; and having the spirit of prophecy" (Alma 9:20-22).  

Moses heard the voice of the Lord, had the spirit of prophecy, and led the people to the promised land.  Lehi also spake with angels and heard the voice of God.  The people had to choose between the continued spiritual and physical blessings of God, or reject God and return to the idol worship of Jerusalem/Egypt.   

Alma then tells the people that an angel came to him and told him to call them to repentance.  Suddenly, Alma is Lehi and Moses, seeking to deliver them from destruction and captivity.  They have to repent or be destroyed.  

Alma 10  

Amulek arises and introduces himself as a second witness to the people. In telling his genealogy, he notes that one ancestor translated writing placed on the temple wall by the finger of the Lord.  This is an allusion to what we are going to learn.  Alma and Amulek will reveal to the people of Ammonihah the writing on the wall.  Moreso, they will reveal the key concepts of the temple, the things we need to know to return to the presence of God  

Amulek becomes a second witness with Alma, not because of anything Alma has taught him, but an angel came to him as well, and witnessed to Amulek that Alma was a prophet of God.  The people of Ammonihah now have to deal with two people who have seen angels.  Angelic visitations, along with the gifts of the Spirit are very important. Wicked people do not have such experiences, except to  chastise them (Laman and Lemuel) or humble them (Korihor and Sherem).  For the wicked, they only understand the world they see.  They do not see the spiritual things. Once one looks up to God, God begins revealing himself.  For Amulek, once his heart was ready, an angel came to him and Amulek had a divine experience.  This is a major step toward the final event: entering into God's presence.  

"But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent" (Alma 10:23).  

This is the key to the ripening in iniquity of a people. According to scholar Harold Bloom, Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed because of the rampant sexual sin and violence among the people, but because they were "inhospitable".  Better said, the people sought to impose their wickedness on others by force.  For Sodom, they tried to force their way into Lot's home, in order to rape Lot's visitors.  Lot and his family were essentially cast out of Sodom, leaving it ready for God's retribution.  For Ammonihah, they had not yet been destroyed because they had not yet imposed their sin upon the people, casting the righteous out of the city or murdering them in the flames.  For us today, nations and peoples will be ripe for destruction once they not only tolerate sinful actions, but force their behavior upon the innocent.  When government and power are used to promote sin and denigrate righteousness, we will also be ready for the final destruction when the earth shall pass away. 

The people of Ammonihah called Amulek a "child of the devil" because he spoke against their laws and reviled their judges and lawyers.  You'll note that there is no note of the portions of their law he speaks out against.  There is no evidence given that what he says is wrong.  Instead, they defend their statements by demonizing Amulek and Alma, using emotion rather than logic or truth.  We see this same thing today, as evil people defame and eviscerate the righteous by calling them names: demons, Nazi, racist, etc.  It isn't that there aren't evil people that are children of a devil, Nazis or racists, but that these words are used as a weapon against the righteous. 

It isn't easy to stand before the wicked and bear witness of the truth.  The wicked twist words, even as Zeezrom did. Zeezrom was a trained lawyer, and used his abilities and skills to promote more evil, while calling his craft good.  The goal of such lawyers and wicked people? To get gain. They sought power, wealth, and fame, willing to obtain these by any means.  We can see the same today in many aspects of our society, as people cheat in government, finance, and adored in Hollywood. 

Alma 11 

"And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No. Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things? And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me. 32And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God? 33 And he said unto him, Yea.... Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? 39 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last; 40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else" (Alma 11:27-40). 

How can there be only "one God" and yet there be a "Son of God"?  How can the Son of God be the "very Eternal Father"?  There are a variety of valid ways to read this.  In the Trinitarian or Godhead sense, there is but one God.  In the Trinity, God is one substance with 3 persons.  For the Godhead, there is one Godhead with 3 persons.  In LDS belief is the concept of Divine Investiture, meaning that the Son has Power of Attorney responsibility over all of the Father's things.  Christ created the heavens and the earth, under the direction of the Father (Hebrews 1:2).   Jesus is the Father of this creation, as well as the Father of our redemption.  He is rightly called the Eternal Father.  Even though modern LDS tend to separate out the Father and Son and their distinct roles, it hasn’t always been done that way.  For example,  Joseph Smith called the Father “Jehovah” in the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer (D&C 109).  In establishing that the Father and Son are distinct physically, we often miss a more important concept: that the two of them are One Godhead, united in all things.  There is but one Godhead for us to follow and worship, whether we call the Godhead, “Father”, “Son”, “Holy Ghost”, or any other divine name, it is the same.

But he is more than just God, he is also our redeemer.  Amulek explained the first of two parts of the redemption, the resurrection.  While some Christians believe that only the righteous will resurrect, we learn that all will resurrect.  It is a free gift, given to all mankind.  Amulek also notes that all will return to the presence of God, if even for a moment.  We will all be brought before the bar of God, where we shall see him as he truly is.  We will be judged of our works, determining just what type of resurrection we shall receive. 

Alma 12

Alma resumes the discussion, condemning Zeezrom for his attempt to deceive and lie.  He continues Amulek’s discussion on the redemption, but from the focus of what Zeezrom can expect when he enters God’s presence in his sinful state.

“It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell” (Alma 12:9-11).

Here is a great secret of the gospel, and taught in the temple endowment: as we give heed and diligence to God’s word, we receive more and more until we know the mysteries of God in full.  What is the greatest mystery of God?  It is to know God face to face, to stand in His presence and have Him reveal all things to us.  For this to occur, we must be ready and willing to receive all God wishes to offer.  In D&C 84:19-27, we learn that Moses understood this in regards to the Melchizedek priesthood.  Through Moses, God revealed many great things, such as the Ten Commandments.  But the most important thing Moses desired was to sanctify Israel and lead them to the top of Sinai to see God face to face.  That they refused to ascend meant that the greater portion (God’s presence) was taken from them, and they were given the lesser portion: the Aaronic Priesthood and the ministration of angels.

When Israel was very wicked, they were severely punished.  There were periods of time when the Ark of the Covenant, representing the presence of God, was taken from them, due to disobedience.  There were periods of time when prophets and revelation were taken from them, as in the last days of Saul.  Eventually, people who continually harden their hearts will know nothing about the mysteries of God, becoming atheists or agnostics.

Alma explains that because of the atonement, all will return to the presence of God.  It may be a temporary event, as many would rather

“Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned.
For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.
But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance” (Alma 12:13-15).

The wicked will be in God’s presence, but will not look upon him.  As Moroni will later state of the wicked: “ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell” (Mormon 9:4).

Such people would not enjoy being in God’s presence or having a fullness of his glory.  Instead, they will go to a lower level of glory, or to outer darkness.  In fact, for the most wicked, Alma explained that a second death would fall upon them.  They will be cast out, receiving no kingdom of glory, because they would be miserable there.

One lawyer, Antionah, asks him regarding things that tie the discussion closer to the Creation and the temple.  When Adam fell, the Tree of Life was placed out of bounds for Adam and Eve to partake of.  How then could there be a resurrection and new life, if mankind was set to die?

Alma explained that there was a Fall, and all mankind must die a temporal death.  Adam could not partake of the Tree of Life without first having a chance to repent and place himself in a position to be saved.  He had not heard the fullness of the gospel, nor been baptized.  Had he partaken of the fruit of the Tree of Life, he would have lived forever in his sins, and could not therefore enter into eternal rest.  He would have instantly become a son of perdition, fit only for hell. However, Christ would come to renew the world, and with that knowledge and a probation period for repentance, Adam could become clean through Christ’s atonement.  At that point, he would be able to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life and be saved in the kingdom of God.

So we see that God planned the Fall of Adam, preparing “the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world” and long before the Fall came into place.  With the Fall, Adam was not able to be in the presence of God, and so God sent angels to teach him and Eve.  Over a period of time, Adam and Eve would repent, learn the whole gospel, embrace Christ through faith, and be redeemed.  They would return into the presence of God and live forever in righteousness. 

This we also learn in the temple, as we see that all are fallen from God, and must dwell in this world until we are ready to return into the presence of the Lord.

“God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son; Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest” (Alma 12:33-34).

In the next lesson, we’ll continue the endowment teachings of Alma.

Bibliography  

Amun/Ammon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amun  

Inhospitality of Sodom - http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/02/lds-gospel-doctrine-class-old-testament_15.html  

Lack of Hospitality by Sodom - Book of J, Harold Bloom, pp 299-301: http://www.amazon.com/Book-J-Harold-Bloom/dp/0802141919/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320158037&sr=8-1