Unit 53

of

93 occurrences in 36 verses

Alma 12:1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37,

Alma 13:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Alma 12:1

Now Alma, seeing that the words of Amulek had silenced Zeezrom,

for he beheld that Amulek had caught him

in his lying and deceiving to destroy him,

and seeing that he began to tremble under a consciousness of his guilt,

he opened his mouth and began to speak unto him,

and to establish the words of Amulek, and to explain things beyond,

or to unfold the scriptures beyond that which Amulek had done.

Alma 12:4

And thou seest that we know that thy plan was a very subtle plan,

as to the subtlety of the devil, for to lie and to deceive this people

that thou mightest set them against us,

to revile us and to cast us out —

Alma 12:5

Now this was a plan of thine adversary,

and he hath exercised his power in thee.

Now I would that ye should remember

that what I say unto thee I say unto all.

Alma 12:6

And behold I say unto you all

that this was a snare of the adversary,

which he has laid to catch this people,

that he might bring you into subjection unto him,

that he might encircle you about with his chains,

that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction,

according to the power of his captivity.

Alma 12:7

Now when Alma had spoken these words,

Zeezrom began to tremble more exceedingly,

for he was convinced more and more of the power of God;

and he was also convinced that Alma and Amulek had a knowledge of him,

for he was convinced that they knew the thoughts and intents of his heart;

for power was given unto them

that they might know of these things according to the spirit of prophecy.

Alma 12:8

And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently,

that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God.

And he said unto Alma:

What does this mean which Amulek hath spoken

concerning the resurrection of the dead,

that all shall rise from the dead,

both the just and the unjust,

and are brought to stand before God

to be judged according to their works?

Alma 12:9

And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying:

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.

Alma 12:10

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.

Alma 12:11

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 12:12

And Amulek hath spoken plainly concerning death,

and being raised from this mortality to a state of immortality,

and being brought before the bar of God,

to be judged according to our works.

Alma 12:15

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 12:17

Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone,

whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever;

and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction,

according to the power and captivity of Satan,

he having subjected them according to his will.

Alma 12:19

Now it came to pass that

when Alma had made an end of speaking these words,

the people began to be more astonished;

Alma 12:21

What does the scripture mean, which saith

that God placed cherubim and a flaming sword

on the east of the garden of Eden,

lest our first parents should enter

and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever?

And thus we see that there was no possible chance

that they should live forever.

Alma 12:22

Now Alma said unto him:

This is the thing which I was about to explain.

Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit,

according to the word of God;

and thus we see, that by his fall,

all mankind became a lost and fallen people.

Alma 12:23

And now behold, I say unto you that

if it had been possible for Adam

to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time,

there would have been no death,

and the word would have been void,

making God a liar,

for he said:

If thou eat thou shalt surely die.

Alma 12:24

And we see that death comes upon mankind,

yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek,

which is the temporal death;

nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent;

therefore this life became a probationary state;

a time to prepare to meet God;

a time to prepare for that endless state

which has been spoken of by us,

which is after the resurrection of the dead.

Alma 12:25

Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption,

which was laid from the foundation of the world,

there could have been no resurrection of the dead;

but there was a plan of redemption laid,

which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead,

of which has been spoken.

Alma 12:26

And now behold, if it were possible

that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life

they would have been forever miserable,

having no preparatory state;

and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated,

and the word of God would have been void,

taking none effect.

Alma 12:27

But behold, it was not so;

but it was appointed unto men that they must die;

and after death, they must come to judgment,

even that same judgment of which we have spoken,

which is the end.

Alma 12:29

Therefore he sent angels to converse with them,

who caused men to behold of his glory.

Alma 12:30

And they began from that time forth to call on his name;

therefore God conversed with men,

and made known unto them the plan of redemption,

which had been prepared from the foundation of the world;

and this he made known unto them

according to their faith and repentance and their holy works.

Alma 12:32

Therefore God gave unto them commandments,

after having made known unto them the plan of redemption,

that they should not do evil,

the penalty thereof being a second death,

which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness;

for on such the plan of redemption could have no power,

for the works of justice could not be destroyed,

according to the supreme goodness of God.

Alma 12:33

But 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;

Alma 12:34

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 12:36

And now, my brethren, behold I say unto you, that

if ye will harden your hearts

ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord;

therefore your iniquity provoketh him

that he sendeth down his wrath upon you as in the first provocation,

yea, according to his word in the last provocation as well as the first,

to the everlasting destruction of your souls;

therefore, according to his word, unto the last death, as well as the first.

Alma 12:37

And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true,

let us repent, and harden not our hearts,

that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us

in these his second commandments which he has given unto us;

but let us enter into the rest of God,

which is prepared according to his word.

Alma 13:1

And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time

when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children;

and I would that ye should remember

that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order,

which was after the order of his Son,

to teach these things unto the people.

Alma 13:2

And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son,

in a manner that thereby the people might know

in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

Alma 13:3

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.

Alma 13:4

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 13:5

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 —

Alma 13:6

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 13:7

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 13:8

Now they were ordained after this manner —

being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance,

and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order,

which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end —

Alma 13:9

Thus 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.