Unit 63

now

44 occurrences in 43 verses



Alma 39:1, 2, 7, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17,

Alma 40:1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 24,

Alma 41:1, 8, 9, 11, 12,

Alma 42:1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 29, 31



Alma 39:1

And now, my son, I have somewhat more to say unto thee

than what I said unto thy brother;

for behold, have ye not observed the steadiness of thy brother,

his faithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the commandments of God?

Behold, has he not set a good example for thee?



Alma 39:2

For thou didst not give so much heed unto my words

as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites.

now this is what I have against thee;

thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.



Alma 39:7

And now, my son, I would to God that ye had not been guilty of so great a crime.

I would not dwell upon your crimes, to harrow up your soul,

if it were not for your good.



Alma 39:9

now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins,

and go no more after the lusts of your eyes,

but cross yourself in all these things;

for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Oh, remember, and take it upon you,

and cross yourself in these things.



Alma 39:12

And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me:

Command thy children to do good,

lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction;

therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God,

that ye refrain from your iniquities;



Alma 39:15

And now, my son, I would say somewhat unto you concerning the coming of Christ.

Behold, I say unto you,

that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world;

yea, he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people.



Alma 39:16

And now, my son, this was the ministry unto which ye were called,

to declare these glad tidings unto this people,

to prepare their minds;

or rather that salvation might come unto them,

that they may prepare the minds of their children

to hear the word at the time of his coming.



Alma 39:17

And now I will ease your mind somewhat on this subject.

Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand.

Behold, I say unto you,

is not a soul at this time as precious unto God

as a soul will be at the time of his coming?



Alma 40:1

now my son, here is somewhat more I would say unto thee;

for I perceive that thy mind is worried concerning the resurrection of the dead.



Alma 40:3

Behold, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead.

But behold, my son, the resurrection is not yet.

now, I unfold unto you a mystery;

nevertheless, there are many mysteries which are kept,

that no one knoweth them save God himself.

But I show unto you one thing

which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know —

that is concerning the resurrection.



Alma 40:4

Behold, there is a time appointed that all shall come forth from the dead.

now when this time cometh no one knows;

but God knoweth the time which is appointed.



Alma 40:5

now, whether there shall be one time, or a second time, or a third time,

that men shall come forth from the dead,

it mattereth not;

for God knoweth all these things;

and it sufficeth me to know that this is the case —

that there is a time appointed that all shall rise from the dead.



Alma 40:6

now there must needs be a space

betwixt the time of death and the time of the resurrection.



Alma 40:7

And now I would inquire what becometh of the souls of men

from this time of death to the time appointed for the resurrection?



Alma 40:8

now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise

it mattereth not;

for all do not die at once,

and this mattereth not;

all is as one day with God,

and time only is measured unto men.



Alma 40:9

Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead;

and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection.

And now, concerning this space of time,

what becometh of the souls of men is the thing

which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know;

and this is the thing of which I do know.



Alma 40:11

now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection —

Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel,

that the spirits of all men,

as soon as they are departed from this mortal body,

yea, the spirits of all men,

whether they be good or evil,

are taken home to that God who gave them life.



Alma 40:14

now this is the state of the souls of the wicked,

yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for

the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them;

thus they remain in this state,

as well as the righteous in paradise,

until the time of their resurrection.



Alma 40:15

now, there are some that have understood

that this state of happiness

and this state of misery of the soul, before the resurrection,

was a first resurrection.

Yea, I admit it may be termed a resurrection,

the raising of the spirit or the soul and their consignation to happiness or misery,

according to the words which have been spoken.



Alma 40:17

now, we do not suppose

that this first resurrection, which is spoken of in this manner,

can be the resurrection of the souls

and their consignation to happiness or misery.

Ye cannot suppose that this is what it meaneth.



Alma 40:19

now, whether the souls and the bodies of those of whom has been spoken

shall all be reunited at once,

the wicked as well as the righteous,

I do not say;

let it suffice, that I say that they all come forth;

or in other words, their resurrection cometh to pass

before the resurrection of those who die after the resurrection of Christ.



Alma 40:20

now, my son, I do not say

that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection of Christ;

but behold, I give it as my opinion,

that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous,

at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven.



Alma 40:24

And now, my son, this is the restoration

of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets —



Alma 41:1

And now, my son, I have somewhat to say

concerning the restoration of which has been spoken;

for behold, some have wrested the scriptures,

and have gone far astray because of this thing.

And I perceive that thy mind has been worried also concerning this thing.

But behold, I will explain it unto thee.



Alma 41:8

now, the decrees of God are unalterable;

therefore, the way is prepared

that whosoever will

may walk therein and be saved.



Alma 41:9

And now behold, my son, do not risk one more offense against your God

upon those points of doctrine, which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.



Alma 41:11

And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature,

or I would say, in a carnal state,

are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity;

they are without God in the world,

and they have gone contrary to the nature of God;

therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.



Alma 41:12

And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration

to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state,

or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?



Alma 42:1

And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more

which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand —

which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner;

for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice

that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery.



Alma 42:2

now behold, my son, I will explain this thing unto thee.

For behold, after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden of Eden,

to till the ground, from whence they were taken —

yea, he drew out the man,

and he placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, cherubim,

and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life —



Alma 42:3

now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil;

and lest he should put forth his hand,

and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever,

the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword,

that he should not partake of the fruit —



Alma 42:7

And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off

both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord;

and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will.



Alma 42:8

now behold, it was not expedient

that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death,

for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.



Alma 42:11

And now remember, my son,

if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside)

as soon as they were dead

their souls were miserable,

being cut off from the presence of the Lord.



Alma 42:12

And now, there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state,

which man had brought upon himself because of his own disobedience;



Alma 42:13

Therefore, according to justice,

the plan of redemption could not be brought about,

only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state,

yea, this preparatory state;

for except it were for these conditions,

mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice.

now the work of justice could not be destroyed;

if so, God would cease to be God.



Alma 42:15

And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about

except an atonement should be made;

therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world,

to bring about the plan of mercy,

to appease the demands of justice,

that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.



Alma 42:16

now, repentance could not come unto men

except there were a punishment,

which also was eternal as the life of the soul

should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness,

which was as eternal also as the life of the soul.



Alma 42:17

now, how could a man repent except he should sin?

How could he sin if there was no law?

How could there be a law save there was a punishment?



Alma 42:18

now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given,

which brought remorse of conscience unto man.



Alma 42:19

now, if there was no law given — if a man murdered he should die —

would he be afraid he would die if he should murder?



Alma 42:29

And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more,

and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble

which shall bring you down unto repentance.



Alma 42:31

And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people.

And now, my son, go thy way,

declare the word with truth and soberness,

that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance,

that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them.

And may God grant unto you even according to my words.

Amen.