It is about 74 BC in Zarahemla, and Alma the Younger
grieves for the sins of his people.
He lovingly encourages his sons to live righteously.
Based on actual events as recorded in the Book of Mormon:
Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
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Father.
Helaman, come in.
Are your brothers with you?
Yes.
Good.
First, I want to speak with just you.
Come in.
Sit down.
I'm grieved for the iniquity of my people.
Their hearts begin to wax hard.
I've asked that you all gather that I might give each of you
your charge separately concerning
the things pertaining to righteousness.
My son, give ear to my words; I swear to you,
that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye
shall prosper in the land.
His holy angel made these things known unto me.
Alma, why persecutest thou the church of God?
Go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more,
even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.
(VOICEOVER) Three nights was I racked,
even with the pains of a damned soul.
Alma.
(VOICEOVER) But I remembered hearing my father
prophesy concerning the coming of one
Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone
for the sins of the world.
When my mind caught hold upon this thought,
I cried within my heart: O Jesus, Thou Son of God,
have mercy on me.
When I thought this, I could remember my pains no more.
And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold;
my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
From that time even until now, I have
labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls
unto repentance; that they also might be born of God,
and filled with the Holy Ghost.
And the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy
in the fruit of my labors.
Because of the word which He has imparted unto me,
many have been born of God.
Therefore they do know of these things of which I
have spoken, as I do know.
Now, I command you that ye take the records which
have been entrusted with me.
I also command you that you keep a record of this people
upon the plates of Nephi, for it is for a wise purpose
that they are kept.
And these plates of brass have the records
of the holy scriptures upon them,
which have the genealogy of our forefathers.
It has been prophesied by our fathers,
they should be kept and handed down from one generation
to another, and preserved by the hand of the Lord
until they shall go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue,
and people, that they shall know the mysteries contained
thereon.
Now, if they are kept they must retain their brightness.
I understand.
By small and simple things are great things brought to pass;
and small means in many instances
doth confound the wise.
These records and their words brought this people unto
repentance.
They brought them to the knowledge
of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ
their Redeemer.
And who knoweth but what they will
be the means of bringing many thousands to the knowledge
of their Redeemer?
Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me;
therefore I shall forbear.
Remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth,
to keep the commandments of God.
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings,
and He will direct thee for good.
And if ye do these things, ye shall
be lifted up at the last day.
Now, my son, I have somewhat to say
concerning the thing which our fathers called the Liahona,
or compass.
It was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which
they should travel in the wilderness.
And it did work for them according
to their faith in God.
If they had faith to believe that God could cause
that those spindles should point the direction they should go,
it was done; therefore they had this miracle,
and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God,
day by day.
Nevertheless, because those miracles
were worked by small means, they forgot
to exercise their faith and diligence
and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not
progress in their journey.
Just as surely as this director did bring our fathers
to the promised land, shall the words
of Christ, if we follow their course,
carry us beyond this vale of sorrow
to a far better land of promise.
See that ye take care of these sacred things.
See that ye look to God and live.
Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober.
I will, Father.
Send for Shiblon.
Father.
Shiblon.
Son, I trust I shall have great joy in you, because
of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God;
for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord
your God, even so I hope that you will continue
in keeping His commandments.
Blessed is he that endureth to the end.
I know, Father, and I will.
Sit.
I know that you were in bonds.
I know that you were stoned for the word's sake.
You could bear all these things with patience
because the Lord was with you.
Remember that as much as ye shall put your trust in God
even so much ye shall be delivered out
of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions,
and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved,
only in and through Christ.
And now, as ye have begun to teach the word even so I would
that ye should continue to teach;
and I would that ye would be diligent and temperate
in all things.
Use boldness, but not overbearance;
see that ye bridle all your passions,
that ye may be filled with love; see that ye
refrain from idleness.
I will do my best.
May the Lord bless your soul and receive you at the last day
into His kingdom, to sit down in peace.
Now go, my son, and teach the word unto this people.
Please send in your brother.
Father.
Corianton.
I have somewhat more to say unto thee than what I said unto thy
brother; for thou didst not give so much heed unto my words
as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites.
Thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.
Father--
This is not all, my son.
Thou didst do that which was grievous unto
me; for thou did forsake the ministry, and did
go over into the land of Siron, after the harlot Isabel.
And we hid as it were our faces from him.
She did steal away the hearts of many;
but this was no excuse for thee, my son.
Know ye not that these things are
an abomination in the sight of the Lord;
yea, most abominable above all sins
save it be the shedding of innocent blood
or denying the Holy Ghost?
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.
But ye cannot hide your crimes from God;
and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against
you at the last day.
My son, 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.
Counsel with your brothers; for thou art in thy youth,
and ye stand in need to be nourished by your brothers.
For when the Zoramites saw your conduct
they would not believe in my words.
Turn to the Lord with all your mind,
might, and strength; that ye lead away the hearts of no more
to do wickedly; but rather return unto them,
and acknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done.
I am so sorry.
I would say somewhat unto you concerning
the coming of Christ.
It is He that surely shall come to take away
the sins of the world.
He cometh to declare glad tidings
of salvation unto His people.
I perceive that thy mind is worried concerning
the resurrection of the dead.
Yes.
How can it be?
Behold, there is no resurrection until after the coming
of Christ.
There is a time appointed that all
shall come forth from the dead.
There is a space between death and the resurrection
of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery
until that time which is appointed
of God that the dead shall come forth, and be
reunited, both soul and body, and be brought
to stand before God, and be judged
according to their works.
The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body
to the soul; and every limb and joint
shall be restored to its body; even a hair of the head
shall not be lost.
And then shall the righteous shine forth
in the kingdom of God.
But an awful death cometh upon the wicked;
for no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.
It is requisite with the justice of God
that men should be judged according to their works.
If their works were good in this life,
they shall be restored unto that which is good.
If their works were evil, it shall
be restored unto them for evil.
But if they have repented of their sins,
and desired righteousness until the end of their days,
even so they shall be rewarded unto righteousness.
And thus they stand or fall; for behold, they
are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.
Corianton, do not suppose, because it
has been spoken concerning restoration,
that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness.
I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.
Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto
your brethren.
If ye do all of these things then ye shall have mercy.
Ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you.
But is it not injustice that the sinner should
stay in a state of misery?
The great 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.
And the atonement bringeth to pass
the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection
of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God;
and thus they are restored into His presence,
to be judged according to their works,
according to the law and justice.
Justice exerciseth all his demands,
and also mercy claimeth all which is her own;
and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.
Do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice?
Nay; not one whit.
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.
O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God
no more.
Do not endeavor to excuse yourself
in the least point because of your sins,
by denying the justice of God; but do you
let the justice of God, and His mercy,
and His long-suffering have full sway in your heart,
to bring you down into the dust in humility.
Now, my son, ye are called of God
to preach the word unto this people.
And now 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.
May God grant unto you even according to my words.
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