Alma 36

#Alma Chapter 36

#The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman. Comprising chapters 36 and 37.

#Scripture Mastery

Alma 36-37 Alma counsels his son Helaman

Alma 36:3 Alma to his son Helaman: I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Alma 36:17-21 Alma recalls for his son Helaman the account of his conversion. There could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains and nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

The Jewish Festival of Passsover. Chapters 36 through 42 consist of Alma’s counsel to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton following his return from preaching to the Zoramites. Chapters 36 and 37 are directed to his eldest son Helaman. Chapter 38 was given to Alma’s son Shiblon, and chapters 39-42 to his previously wayward son Corianton.

Some scholars have suggested a direct relationship between this session of counseling Alma’s counseling his sons and the Jewish festival of Passover. Gordon C. Thomasson and John W. Welch related: “According to traditions at least as early as the time of Christ and probably earlier, after gathering his family the father then instructed his sons and answered their questions. His words were not fixed but were “to fit the knowledge and understanding of the child” and were supposed “to spell out the sequence of sin, suffering, repentance, and redemption” (Gordon C. Thomasson and John W. Welch, “The Sons of the Passover,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch, Salt Lake City and Provo UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992, 196).

What makes the link between Alma’s words to his three sons and this Passover tradition particularly striking is that, according to some Jewish customs, the sons often asked questions and played out different roles and characters (Martin Sicker, A Passover Seder Companion and Analytic Introduction to the Haggadah, New York: iUniverse, 2004, 55–64).

The first was a wise son, who quoted from Deuteronomy, asking: “What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Alma’s eldest son, Helaman, clearly stands out as Alma’s wise son,4 and it is notable that in addressing him, Alma mentions ‘wisdom’ at least eight times in Alma 37. Whatever Alma himself thought of Helaman’s worthiness or righteousness, he told Helaman “that God has entrusted you with these sacred things” (Alma 37:14). In other words, this wasn’t just about a father choosing his favorite son, but rather is an example of the Lord’s choosing who will succeed the presiding prophet. Interestingly, although Helaman was chosen as the new spiritual leader of the church, Alma did not explicitly praise him for his righteousness, as he did for Shiblon. In fact, his words to Helaman were strictly filled with exhortations and warnings. See the following examples: “give ear to my words” (Alma 36:1), “ye should do as I have done” (verse 2), “I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words” (verse 3), “ye ought to know as I do know” (verse 30), “I command you that ye take the records” (Alma 37:1), “I also command thee to keep a record of this people” (verse 2), “keep all these things sacred” (verse 2), “ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but . . . (verse 6), “O, remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God” (verse 13), “now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things” (verse 14), “if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you” (verse 15), “But if ye keep the commandments . . . no power of earth or hell can take them from you” (verse 16), “Therefore I command you . . . that ye be diligent in fulfilling all my words” (verse 20), “I command you that you retain all their oaths” (verse 27), “Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people” (verse 29), “And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you” (verse 32), “Preach unto them repentance, and faith” (verse 33), “Teach them to never be weary of good works” (verse 34), “O, remember, my son and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God” (verse 35), “cry unto God for all thy support” (verse 36), “counsel with the Lord in all thy doings” (verse 37), “I would that you should understand” (verse 43), “O my son, do not let us be slothful” (verse 46), “see that ye take care of these sacred things” (verse 47).

The second was a wicked son, who quoted from Exodus, asking: “What mean ye by this service?” (Exodus 12:26).

This son is depicted in the Jewish literature as one guilty of social crimes, who had excluded himself from the community, and believed in false doctrines. According to Jewish practice, he is to be told, in a manner that will “set his teeth on edge,” that he will be punished for his own sins (Thomasson and Welch, “Sons of Passover,” 197). Obviously, this description applies fittingly to Corianton, who struggled with moral transgressions and found several false doctrines attractive.

Finally, a third son would ask, “What is this?” (Exodus 13:14). “Israelite tradition said that the uninformed son who asked this question needed to be taught the law and given preventative instruction to keep him well away from any risk of breaking the law” (Thomasson and Welch, “Sons of Passover,” 197). Along these lines, Alma informatively warned Shiblon9 concerning the problems of pride, overbearance, unbridled passions, idleness, and the apostate practices of the Zoramites.

See Alma 38:11–14. These warnings to Shiblon can be contrasted with Helaman, who despite having been strictly commissioned and commanded to fulfill his charge (see footnote 5), was not quite as explicitly or directly warned against sin.

Interestingly, the modern Church today has its own parallels to ancient Israel’s miraculous deliverance. Such observances in our day can help readers of the scriptures to appreciate and relate to the solemn impact of the words of Alma centuries ago. Elder Russel M. Nelson taught, “Both groups shared many miracles that are memorialized annually. The celebration of Passover relates to the travels of the ancient Israelites. And each July we repeat legendary stories of our pioneers” (Russel M. Nelson, “The Exodus Repeated,” Ensign, July 1999, at lds.org). Like Alma’s sons, modern members of the house of Israel of all kinds have a duty to “always retain in remembrance” the hand of the Lord in their own divine deliverance (Alma 36:29).

See also the supplemental article, The Jewish Pilgrimage Festivals and their Relationship to King Benjamin’s Speech.

Chiastic parallelism. Chiastic parallelism or chiasmus is a form of Hebrew poetry. For a review of this and other types of Hebrew poetry see the supplemental article The Hebrew Language and the Book of Mormon. Basically, it consists of arranging a series of words or ideas in one order, and then repeating them in reverse order. The central idea of the passage is placed at the turning point where the first half ends and the second half begins.

John W. Welch has pointed out that verses 1 through 30 of this chapter contain a “masterfully crafted chiasm . . . which centers on the turning point of Alma’s life, which was when he called upon Jesus Christ for forgiveness.” He also commented, “Alma 36 was one of the first chiasms I discovered within the Book of Mormon in 1967. Many years later, it still remains one of my favorites. It is a masterpiece of composition, as good as any other use of chiasmus in world literature, and it deserves wide recognition and appreciation. I cannot imagine that its complex and purposeful structure happened unintentionally. Its sophistication as a piece of literature definitely shows Alma’s skill as a writer.” Commenting further on Alma’s writing skill, Brother Welch opined, “If an author uses chiasmus mechanically, it can produce rigid, stilted writing. . . Alma, however, does not simply stick a list of ideas together in one order and then awkwardly and slavishly retrace his steps through that list in the opposite order. His work has the markings of a skillful, painstaking writer, one completely comfortable with using this difficult mode of expression well.” Undoubtedly Alma learned the use of chiasmus as part of a long literary tradition which began with Old Testament prophets.

If the reader wishes to read a charming summary of Brother Welch’s first discovering the chiastic poetry form in the Book of Mormon while he was serving a mission in Regensburg, Germany in 1967, please see “The Book of Mormon” in Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 2, chapter 20, Joseph Smith.

This writing style was first discovered in the 1820s by two British scholars (John Jebb in 1820 and Thomas Boys in 1824 and 1825). They both published books about their new recognition of this form of parallelism in the Bible. There is little reason to believe that the young and unlettered Joseph Smith was aware of these books or, even if he were, that he would have been sufficiently equipped to create elaborate and meaningful passages utilizing a form rather foreign to his own culture’s way of thinking and writing.

I will make no effort to report here Doctor Welch’s complete analysis of the chiastic structure of Alma 36. However, I thought it might be of interest to the reader to illustrate the general structure of this fascinating chapter. There are seventeen key elements, each repeated twice. The verse numbers are indicated in parentheses:

#words

a My son give ear to my (1)

#b Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (1)

#I have done

c Do as (2)

#captivity

d Remember the of our fathers (2)

#e They were in bondage (2)

#deliver them

f He surely did (2)

#Trust in God

g (3)

#h Supported in trials, troubles, and afflictions (3)

#Lifted up at the last day

i (3)

#I know this not of myself but of God

j (4)

#k Born of God (5)

#I sought to destroy the church

l (6-9)

#My limbs were paralyzed

m (10)

#n Fear of being in the presence of God (14-15)

#Pains of a damned soul

o (16)

#Harrowed up

p by the memory of sins (17)

#q I remembered Jesus Christ, a son of God (17)

#Jesus, a son of God

q’ I cried, (18)

#p’ Harrowed up

by the memory of sins no more (19)

#o’ Joy as exceeding as was the pain (20)

#to be in the presence of God

n’ Long (22)

#My limbs received strength again

m’ (23)

#l’ I labored to bring souls to repentance (24)

#Born of God

k’ (26)

#my knowledge is of God

j’ Therefore (26)

#i’ and raise me up at the last day (28)

#Supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions

h’ (27)

#Trust in him

g’ (27)

#deliver me

f’ He will (27)

#e’ As God brought our fathers out of bondage and captivity (28-29)

#captivity

d’ Retain in remembrance their (28-29)

#I do know

c’ Know as (30)

#b’ Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (30)

#word

a’ This according to his (30)

The reader should particularly note the repetition of Jesus Christ as the Son of God at the precise center of the chapter. Note also that elements h and h’ are both marked by the same triplet “supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions.” Most dramatically, n and n’ contrast the agony of Alma’s suffering (verse 12) with his joy following his conversion (verse 20). Indeed, he makes the contrast very explicit: “Yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain” (verse 20, italics added). This overt comparison strongly supports the idea that Alma consciously created the chiastic structure of this chapter in order to strengthen these linkages.

Chiasmus can occur in any literature, but it only becomes meaningful when its degree of chiasticity, to coin a phrase, is high. When the chiastic format is truly complex and concise, we are most justified in supposing that the author intentionally followed the pattern. At least fifteen criteria, including objectivity, purposefulness, climax, centrality, boundaries, length, density, and balance as described here, demonstrate that the chiasmus in Alma 36 can best be explained only if Alma learned it as part of a long literary tradition extending back to Old Testament prophets.

Grant Hardy noted, Alma’s “account moves from public to personal to private and then back again” (Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Guide (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010), 140). Throughout the whole account, Hardy noticed the remarkable detail that “God is present in every phase.” Hardy thus thought “the order and purposeful design of Alma 36 suggests a world in which God . . . is in control, where the lives of individuals fit into some overarching . . . plan” (Hardy, Understanding the Book of Mormon, 140–141).

Central to that plan is Jesus Christ and his atoning power. While Alma on some occasions placed emphasis on the angelic encounter, it was not the appearance of the angel that caused Alma’s change of heart. Indeed, the chiastic structure in Alma 36 eloquently and effectively guides the reader most centrally and emphatically toward Alma’s direct, personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Welch noted: “The structure of the chapter powerfully communicates Alma’s personal experience, for the central turning point of his conversion came precisely when he called upon the name of Jesus Christ and asked for mercy. Nothing was more important than this in Alma’s conversion— neither the appearance of the angel, nor the prayers of his father and the priests. Just as this was the turning point of Alma’s life, he makes it the center of this magnificent composition” (John W. Welch, “A Masterpiece: Alma 36,” in Rediscovering the Book of

Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne, Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991, 118; John W. Welch, “Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon,” in Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds, Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1982; reprint, FARMS, 1996, 51).

The point of this remarkable literary structure underscores the dramatic turnaround in Alma’s life, answering most assuredly the question, why was Alma converted? That conversion occurred when he remembered his father speaking of “the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world,” which caused him to call out, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about the by everlasting chains of death” (Alma 36:17–18).

From that turning point, the chiastic pattern takes on what Noel B. Reynolds termed a “reverse polarity between the parallel units of text” (Reynolds, “Rethinking Alma 36,” 6, and unpublished paper). While once “harrowed up by the memory of [his] many sins” (Alma 36:17), he was “harrowed up by the memory of [his] sins no more” (verse 19). Where once there was “the pains of a damned soul” (verse 16), there now a “soul . . . filled with joy as exceeding as was [the] pain!” (verse 20).

The reversal here proceeds out from the central point until Alma’s effort “to destroy the church of God” (Alma 36:6) is juxtaposed with his new, unceasing effort to “bring souls unto repentance” (verse 24). From this reversal, Welch reasoned, “The message is clear: Christ’s atonement and man’s responding sacrifice of a broken heart and willing mind are central to receiving forgiveness from God” (Welch, “A Masterpiece,” 127).

It is hard to imagine any literary form being used more effectively than this extended chiasm to articulate the transformative effect of the Atonement in the lives of individuals all around the world. Many have felt as Alma felt. As a result, Alma 36 naturally and powerfully resonates with readers everywhere. After reading Alma 36 with Welch, prominent biblical scholar David Noel Freedman remarked, “Mormons are very lucky. Their book is very beautiful” (As quoted in John W. Welch, “What Does Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon Prove?” in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds, Provo, UT: FARMS, 1997, 206). After extensive study of Alma 36, Welch concluded: “This text ranks as one of the best uses of chiasmus one can imagine. It merits high acclaim and recognition. Despite its complexity, the meaning of the chapter is both simple and profound. Alma’s words are both inspired and inspiring, religious and literary, historical and timeless, clear yet complex—a text that deserves to be pondered for years to come” (Welch, “A Masterpiece,” 131).

For a more complete analysis of this chiastic composition, see Brother Welch’s article “A Masterpiece: Alma 36” in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, 114-31.

1 My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.

verse 1 “inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land” Alma apparently intends that this prospering “in the land” is both a temporal and a spiritual prospering. Evidence for this is seen in verse 30 where he uses antithetical parallelism to emphasize this concept. There he says, “inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence.”

2 I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.

verse 2 Shouldn’t this verse say, “he surely did deliver them from their afflictions” rather than “in their afflictions. The chiastic structure of this verse suggests that “in their afflictions” refers to the Israelites’ captivity or bondage. They were in bondage and none could rescue them save God himself. Similarly, they were afflicted and none other than God could save them.

The captivity referred to here in this verse includes that of the senior Alma and his flock of captive Nephi’s in the land of Helam in Mosiah 24:17-21, the captivity of King LImhi and his flock of Nephites in the Land of Nephi (Mosiah 22), and the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt. See also Mosiah 27:16

3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

verse 3 To be “lifted up at the last day” is to be exalted in the celestial kingdom.

verses 4-26 These verses contain the Book of Mormon’s second of three accounts of the story of the conversion of Alma. The first was found in Mosiah 27:8-37 and the third will be found in Alma 38:6-8. For a comparison of these three accounts, see the commentary for Mosiah 27:8-37.

4 And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.

verse 4 Alma emphasizes that his faith in God and his knowledge of the truth of the gospel is not knowledge acquired by temporal means. It is rather personal revelation through the medium of the Spirit of God.

5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself.

verse 5 “not of any worthiness of myself” Alma acknowledges that his own miraculous conversion, and that of the sons of Mosiah, was not the result of their own worthiness. Rather it was brought about by an all-knowing God for reasons perhaps known fully only to God himself. Certainly, at least in part, it was to further his work among the Nephite and Lamanite peoples.

6 For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way.

7 And behold, he spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet; and we all fell to the earth, for the fear of the Lord came upon us.

verses 6-7 Each of us is familiar with Joseph Smith’s First Vision through the canonical account found in the Pearl of Great Price (Joseph Smith—History 1:15–20), but this was not the only time Joseph told people about his First Vision. Joseph told the story on many occasions. Today, four different firsthand accounts and a handful of secondhand account survive. The Church and Brigham Young University, in numerous books and journals, have published, for many years, extensive resources on the various accounts of the First Vision. Beginning in 1969, Dean C. Jessee published “The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” in BYU Studies, 9 no. 3, 1969: 275-94, followed soon by James B. Allen, “Eight Contemporary Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision – What Do We Learn from Them,” Improvement Era 73, April 1970: 4–13; and Milton V. Backman Jr., Joseph Smith’s First Vision: Confirming Evidences and Contemporary Accounts, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971; 2nd edition, 1980. See also Milton V. Backman Jr., “Joseph Smith’s Recitals of the First Vision,” Ensign, January 1985, 8–17; and articles in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1992.

More recently, see Richard L. Anderson, “Joseph Smith’s Testimony of the First Vision, Ensign, April 1996, 10–21; Dean C. Jessee, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds., Journals, Volume 1:1832–1839, The Joseph Smith Papers, Salt Lake City, UT: Church Historian’s Press, 2008; Karen Lynn Davidson, David J. Whittaker, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds., Histories, 1832–1844, The Joseph Smith Papers, Salt Lake City, UT: Church Historian’s Press, 2012; Steven C. Harper, “The First Vision: A Narrative from Joseph Smith’s Accounts,” Church History, April 27, 2016; “First Vision Accounts” Gospel Topics, online on lds.org; and Elder Richard J. Maynes, “The Truth Restored,” CES Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, May 1, 2016.

For important current studies about the First Vision, see Samuel Alonzo Dodge and Steven C. Harper, Exploring the First Vision, Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center,

Brigham Young University, 2012; Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, New York, NY: Vintage Books, 2005, 30–56; Matthew B. Brown, A Pillar of Light: The History and Message of the First Vision, American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2009; Steven C. Harper, “Suspicion or Trust: Reading the Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet, Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2011, 63–76; Steven C. Harper, Joseph Smith’s First Vision: A Guide to the Historical Accounts, Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2012; Matthew B. Christensen, The First Vision: A Harmonization of 10 Accounts from the Sacred Grove, Springville, UT: Cedar Fort, 2014; Steven C. Harper, “Remembering the First Vision,” in A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine & Church History, ed. Laura Harris Hales, Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2016, 7–20.

These various accounts make Joseph Smith’s vision “the best-documented theophany—vision of God—in history” (Harper, Joseph Smith’s First Vision, 1), and when studied together can enhance a person’s understanding of that foundational event.

Because events like this are likely defining moments in the lives of the prophets who experience them, it is common for them to give multiple accounts of their visionary experiences. For instance, three accounts of Paul’s vision of the risen Christ are found in the New Testament (See Acts 9:3–30; 22:6–21; 26:12–21; see in addition 2 Corinthians 11:32–33 and Galatians 1:15–24). These different accounts were told or written years apart from each other and to completely different audiences, and thus each offers a different perspective (John A. Tvedtnes, “The Voice of an Angel,” in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited, ed. Noel B. Reynolds, Provo, UT: FARMS, 1997, 312. For comparison of Paul’s various accounts, see John A. Tvedtnes, “Variants in the Stories of the First Vision of Joseph Smith and Apostle Paul,” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 2, 2012: 73–86).

Alma the Younger’s experience with the angel is also recorded multiple times (Mosiah 27:8–37, Alma 36:4–26 and 38:6–8). Alma’s multiple tellings of his conversion story offer several points of comparison with Joseph Smith’s multiple tellings of his First Vision (On comparing Alma’s accounts, see John W. Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch , Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992, 150. On comparing Joseph Smith’s accounts, see James B. Allen and John W. Welch, “The Appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith in 1820,” in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations 1820-1844, Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2005; 2ndedition, 2017, 35-75).

John W. Welch has concluded that the accounts of Alma’s vision differ from each other, in light of their individual settings and audiences, but distinctive details in these three accounts show that they all came from the same person. Evidence for this is found in the repetition of distinctive phrases between the accounts. For example, Mosiah 27:11 states that the angel spoke with “a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood,” and Alma 36:7 states: “He spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet.” Alma 38:7 does the same thing: “I have seen an angel face to face, and he spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and it shook the whole earth” (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 151).

Several other phrases in Mosiah 27:28–29, like born of God, the gall of bitterness, marvelous light, racked with eternal torment, and pained no more (Mosiah 27:28–29) are used again in Alma 36 (“God did rack my soul” [Alma 36:14] “with eternal torment” [Alma 36:12]. “I cried . . . have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness” [verse 18]. “I could remember my pains no more” [verse 19]. “What marvelous light” [Alma 36:20]. “I had been born of God” [verse 23]). Repetitions like this are good evidence that one person experienced and wrote all that the three accounts report. Welch reasoned, “Alma had told his story many times and had grown accustomed to using these characteristic words and phrases” (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 151).

The details in the accounts are impressively consistent. In Mosiah 27 and Alma 36, Alma was told to “arise” (Mosiah 27:12–13; Alma 36:7–8) and “remember the captivity of thy fathers” (Mosiah 27:16; Alma 36:2, 28–29), exactly the same words in both accounts (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 151). There are also differences between the accounts (See John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching, Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999, chart 106). For example, the sons of Mosiah are mentioned more often in Mosiah 27:18 and 32 than in Alma 36, likely because King Mosiah reported the events in Mosiah 27, whereas Alma composed Alma 36 and 38 (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 151).

Another example is Mosiah 27:24–31, a statement which seems unrehearsed. As Welch stated, “They are full of emotion and rejoicing; they are direct, first-person declarations.” In contrast, Welch has noted that Alma’s comments in Alma 36 and 38 “show signs of thoughtful reflection, of years of thinking about his momentous conversion” (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 151).

For instance, in the later accounts Alma has placed his words into the context of his religious tradition (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 152). Instead of referring only to his father’s deliverance from Helam (as the angel mentioned in Mosiah 27:16), Alma also referred to older parallels: the deliverance of Lehi from Jerusalem and the Israelites from Egypt (see Alma 36:28–29) (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 152).

Other differences are present because Alma “has also applied his spiritual experience to his readers’ daily religious practice, drawing lessons about trusting in the Lord throughout one’s trials, troubles, and afflictions (see Alma 36:3, 27; 38:5), and about living a moral, righteous life (see Alma 38:9–15)” (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 152).

Alma even changed the structure from one telling to the next. Mosiah 27:29– 30 contains an ancient Israelite poetic style called antithetical parallelism (“I was X, but now I am Y,”) which he repeated four times. In Alma 36, he rearranged these into one “masterfully crafted chiastic composition” (See the introductory commentary for this chapter.). The focus of the chiasm is the turning point of Alma’s life, the point when he called upon Christ for forgiveness. He placed the negative attributes from Mosiah 27:29–30 into the first half of the chiasm and their positive opposites into the second half (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 152. Welch also noted that “Alma 38 is equally interesting. It presents essentially the first half of the chiasm found in Alma 36, up to the climactic turning point, before shifting into hortatory speech admonishing his second son. Having given the doubled version to his eldest son, Helaman, in Alma 36, Alma evidently felt no need to give the fully repeated structure to Shiblon in Alma 38).

Prophets, including Alma and Joseph Smith, spoke and wrote about their experiences on multiple occasions in different ways. In the cases of both Alma and Joseph Smith, this was because they were writing about the experience to different audiences at different points in their lives. As Welch noted, referring to Alma, “The three accounts . . . consistently reflect different vantage points in Alma’s life. In Mosiah 27, Alma is a young man, spontaneously overwhelmed by the power of the angel and terrified by the prospect of the day of judgment (see Mosiah 27:31). Later in Alma’s life, it is clear that the older man has faithfully and successfully served his Lord and his people all the rest of his days (see Alma 36:24–26) so that he now emphasizes his longing to be present with God (see Alma 36:22) (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 153).

This is not to say that either Joseph or Alma made things up as they went along. Rather, their variation in details seems to have been prompted by their varying audiences and inspired by what they had been going through in their individual lives (See Allen and Welch, “Appearance of the Father and Son,” 37). In the 1832 account, for example, Joseph focused on the essence of the Savior and only alluded to the presence of the Father because he was focusing more on the atoning power of Christ (Allen and Welch, “Appearance of the Father and Son,” 63). Yet in both the case of Alma and Joseph, the retellings have all the hallmarks of a genuine memory being told and retold over a lifetime. When seen together, the different accounts create a coherent picture that it what one would expect from a real story being told at different times to different audiences.

Both Joseph Smith and Alma seem to have gone back to their memories of these visions repeatedly throughout their lives, turning to them as a source of strength and using them to teach others (Compare Alma 5:7–14 to Alma 36. See S. Kent Brown, “Alma’s Conversion: Reminiscences in His Sermons,” in The Book of Mormon: Alma, The Testimony of the Word, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993, 144). It may well have been hard, if not impossible, for Joseph and Alma to even explain such overwhelmingly glorious events to the people around them, yet they did their best, knowing how much their experiences could help others. As Welch noted, referring to Alma, “these three accounts still profoundly bear the unmistakable imprints of a single distinctive person, who throughout his adult lifetime had lived with, thought about, matured through, and insightfully taught by means of his powerful and beautiful conversion story” (Welch, “Three Accounts of Alma’s Conversion,” 153). And of Joseph Smith, one can similarly conclude: “There is, in fact, striking consistency throughout the narratives [of the First Vision]; they combine impressively to give a consistent and coherent picture . . . showing a high degree of interdependent, cumulative corroboration among these accounts” (Allen and Welch, “Appearance of the Father and the Son,” 70).

Alma and Joseph Smith drew strength from their spiritual experiences and used them to teach others. In the same way, modern readers of the Book of Mormon can return repeatedly to the spiritual experiences in their lives as a source of strength. They can also, like Alma and Joseph, repeatedly ponder the significance of these events and apply their spiritual experiences to their daily religious practice, drawing lesson after lesson from the same experience at different points in their lives, depending on their circumstances.

8 But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.

9 And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God.

verse 9 Here is a most solemn warning given by the angel. The exact meaning of his warning, however, is not entirely clear from this verse. Verse 11 suggests that Alma took from the angel’s warning the meaning that if he did not desist in his efforts to destroy the church he would be destroyed—either temporally or spiritually. If the verse is read carefully, however, this is not quite its meaning. An alternative meaning is: Cease immediately in your efforts to destroy the church of God, even if it means being destroyed yourself. This latter meaning is corroborated by Mosiah 27:16 which contains another account of the angel’s issuing this warning: “I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.”

10 And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs.

11 And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.

verse 11 “seek no more to destroy the church of God” This is the third mention of this command given to Alma by the angel of God (see also verses 6 and 9). This three-fold repetition creates a powerful emphasis.

12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.

verse 12 “Eternal torment” is not torment that goes on forever. Rather Eternal is a name for God. Eternal torment is God’s torment.

To be “racked” is to be severely afflicted. To be “harrowed up” means to be vexed, tormented, distressed, afflicted, or tortured.

13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.

verse 13 “I did remember all my sins and iniquities” We have learned that in the day of judgment, we “shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt” (2 Nephi 9:14).

14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.

verse 14 “In fine” means in summary or in conclusion.

“the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror” To rack is to torment; to torture; to affect with extreme pain or anguish. This was Alma’s expression before completion of the conversion process. After his conversion, his feelings were quite the opposite: “I saw . . . God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels . . . and my soul did long to be there” (verse 22).

15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.

verse 15 “Soul and body” means spirit and body. Alma was so chagrined over his previously sinful ways, that he wished he might be annihilated and thus avoid having to stand before God to be judged for his misdeeds.

16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.

verse 16 Guilt is that emotional and spiritual anguish experienced by mankind because of having “set at defiance the commandments of God” (Alma 5:18). Guilt is to the spirit what physical pain is to the body. For another scriptural description of guilt, see Mosiah 2:38. The divine form of guilt is termed “godly sorrow” and is a gift of the Spirit which God intends as a motivator toward repentance and obedience. For a discussion of godly sorrow, see the commentary for Mosiah 26:29. See also Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 3, chapter 3, Godly Sorrow.

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

verse 17 For the meaning of “harrowed up” see the commentary for verse 12. “Jesus Christ, a Son of God” Alma was tormented by his sins. Only when he remembered that his father had spoken of the atonement of Christ and then called upon Jesus Christ did his agony begin to change.

In the introduction to this chapter the fascinating work of John Welch on the poetic structure of Alma 36 was mentioned. Brother Welch commented upon this verse and verse 18 as follows: “I am especially impressed with the repetition of the name “Jesus Christ, Son of God” at the very center of the chapter. This unquestionably had deep significance for Alma. It is one of the best examples of any ancient author succeeding in placing the most important concept at the central or turning point of his passage. By this, the structure of the chapter powerfully communicates Alma’s personal experience, for the central turning point of his conversion came precisely when he called upon the name of Jesus Christ and asked for mercy. Nothing was more important than this in Alma’s conversion—neither the appearance of the angel, nor the prayers of his father and the priests. Just as this was the turning point of Alma’s life, he makes it the center of his magnificent composition” (Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, 118).

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

verse 18 “in the gall of bitterness” Gall is a bitter and poisonous herb. “Its juice is commonly thought to be the “hemlock” poison which Socrates drank” (Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible). When the word is used in the Bible, it is usually interpreted to mean poison. In the Old Testament, gall is often mentioned in association with wormwood which a plant with a bitter taste. It is interesting that the specific phrase “gall of bitterness” is found in only one scriptural verse outside the Book of Mormon— Acts 8:23. Perhaps both Alma and Paul were quoting the phrase from an unknown Old Testament period source.

verses 17-18 Brother John W. Welch comments further: “At the absolute center [of this chapter] stand the words ‘atone,’ ‘mind,’ and ‘heart,’ bordered by the name of Jesus Christ. The message is clear: Christ’s atonement and man’s responding sacrifice of a broken heart and willing mind are central to receiving forgiveness from God” (Ibid., 127).

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

verse 22 “saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God” John W. Welch has pointed out that this phrase and others in the Book of Mormon text provide a remarkable example of internal textual consistency in the Book of Mormon (Reexploring the Book of Mormon, 21-23). In this verse, Alma is quoting father Lehi. Some twentyone words are quoted verbatim from 1 Nephi 1:8. This is not surprising since Alma had charge of the small plates of Nephi and thus had ready access to Lehi’s words (see Alma 37:2). In describing his joy, Alma thought of Lehi’s experience in 1 Nephi 1:8 and quoted verbatim these twenty-one words. It is interesting, in this context, to recall the method of translation used by Joseph Smith as he brought forth the book of Mormon. He dictated his translation to a scribe pausing only to allow the scribe to complete the recording. Once recorded, he did not go back and review or revise the text. At the beginning of each translation session, he simply began exactly where he had left off in the previous session without going back to review.

How then might we explain the twenty-one-word phrase that is shared by these two verses, particularly since they are separated by hundreds of pages of text, and they were dictated weeks apart? The answer is that it was Alma who looked back in the record and found the quote of father Lehi. It was not Joseph Smith. Joseph was merely the translator and not the writer or editor. There are other examples of this same phenomenon in the Book of Mormon. For example, compare Helaman 14:12 with Mosiah 3:8. Also compare 3 Nephi 8:6-23 with 1 Nephi 19:11-12. Perhaps this observation has not struck you as very interesting. If it has not, then just try quoting any twenty-one words of Lehi without looking!

In a similar manner, King Benjamin established a law containing five proscriptions: murder, plunder, theft, adultery, and any manner of wickedness. This list which first appears in Mosiah 2:13 reappears in seven other verses in the Book of Mormon: Mosiah 29:36; Alma 23:3; 30:10; Helaman 3:13; 6:23; 7:21; and Ether 8:16.

23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

verse 23 “Born of God” means thoroughly converted.

24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;

26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

verse 26 Verse 4 above indicates that Alma’s testimony is not of man, but rather is of the Spirit. This verse refers to Alma’s converts: “Many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know.” Alma’s converts also have a testimony born of the Spirit of God.

27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me. 28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.

verse 28 “I know that he will raise me up at the last day” Alma has a “perfect brightness of hope” (2 Nephi 31:20) which is a gift of the Spirit given to those who are worthy. It is likely that he has had his “calling and election made sure.” For a discussion of the concept of having one’s calling and election made sure, see the commentary for Helaman 10:4-7, and see also Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 2, chapter 16, Calling and Election Made Sure.

29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.

verses 28-29 The angel who orchestrated the miraculous conversion of Alma told him never to forget the captivity of his fathers and the Lord’s goodness in delivering them: “for they were in bondage and he has delivered them” (Mosiah 27:16).

30 But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.

verse 30 “inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land” This statement had practical and temporal implications for the Nephites. Their continued survival in the land depended on their strict adherence to the laws of God.

The structure of this verse additionally suggests that if a man prospers “in the land,” he prospers both temporally and spiritually.