Alma 36-38 and Alma 39-42: Come Follow Me Book of Mormon with Sam

Welcome to Come Follow Me with Sam! I have combined the last two weeks as they are some of the last words Alma gives, and some very fascinating scriptures! Alma is a man of many sides. He was a rebel, an apostate, a (re)convert, a chief judge, a high priest, a warrior, a missionary, a seeker of the greater things, and a poet, among other things. I have decided to go through these scriptures talking to some of these sides.

Was Alma teaching a pattern with the order he put these teachings in?

Alma is a sneaky guy. You think you have him figured out and bam! 150 years later we realize that he has perfect symmetrical pattern in his first chapter to his sons (36). Isaiah does a similar thing on a monstrously large scale.

So here is a thought I am just throwing out there.

Do you think that Alma 36 wasn't the only trick he through in the book? Do you think he followed a similar literary structure throughout the chapters? there's 7 of them, just sayin...

1. Alma 36 - Call to repentance and a change of heart

2. Alma 37 - Study the scriptures, and pray in patience, diligence, and faith

3. Alma 38 - Come unto Christ who is the life and the light of the world.

4. Alma 39 - put off all ungodliness and become clean

5. Alma 40 - look to the resurrection

6. Alma 41 - look to the restoration of all things

7. Alma 42 - look to being purified through justice and mercy at the judgement bar of God.

The pattern doesn't quite perfectly fit in my mind, because I'd expect putting off ungodliness to come sooner, and Christ to be in the exact middle (Although, notice that Alma 39 is the middle son, and coming unto Christ is in the middle of that teaching. Coincidence?). It is possible that Alma was aiming for Spiritual life for the first three chapters, Spiritual death in the 4th chapter, and spiritual post-death events in the plan of salvation for the last three chapters.

In any case, I'm looking at this mostly from an arm chair point of view. I'm sure there are people much more qualified who can look at this closely and recognize patterns that Alma is teaching.

Alma the poet, and Chiasm as a pattern of being

Speaking of patterns...

Alma is a poet. Based on the scriptures we see, I can't help but wonder that there might be a quite large collection of poetry from Alma that we don't have today. Check out what we do have though:

Mosiah 27:24-31 - This isn't Chiasm so don't get all excited on me about that, but look carefully at his phraseology. You can compare/contrast it to Lamoni, and his father when they are converted as well. I suspect that Alma took his experience and put it into a form of poetic praise here. (Mormon throws in an interesting tidbit in the last verse too which connects this journey back to where it all started with Abinadai's witness. Something to think about).

Alma 29 - I talked about Alma 29 earlier in my blog. I think it is the most beautiful psalm to missionary work we have today, and it follows a somewhat symmetric pattern as well.

Alma 36 - This leads us to the king pin example, at least in form, of almost perfectly parallel structure in Alma 36.

So what can we learn from this? Most people take this as a simple proof of the authenticity of the work, and I see nothing wrong with that. I learned that Chiasm was also way to remember important writings when most people did not write, and I don't see anything wrong with that either. There is a deeper level than that as well. Chiasm is a structure to help us understand the plan of salvation. Because in a way, it is the plan of salvation.

We were in the presence of God

We came down to earth to get a body, exposing us to physical death

We came down to be tried, and the separation of our own imperfection causes spiritual death

The Atonement of Jesus Christ conquers both of these deaths.

Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can overcome the separation of our imperfection

Through the sanctifying power of Christ, we will be resurrected again.

Once again, we can dwell in the presence of God.

Notice that complex Chiasm has a change agent (always emphasized in the middle) and while the structure is parallel the outcome is spiral, that is, you ended up where you started but at a greater level. You can see this for example in Joel 3:17-21 where in Chiasm, God promises Jerusalem will be delivered, then speaks as if Jerusalem has been delivered. God bringing Zion remains the subject, but it is in fact as well as in word by the end of the verses.

So next time you see Chiasm in the Book of Mormon, remember that it is more than just a marker of authenticity, it is a pattern to reflect upon.

Alma the ponderer and the ineffable power of small and simple things

Alma is always thinking about things, sometimes even when those things that we sometimes don't consider as important. We can learn a lot from Alma about how to approach pondering the gospel, especially those things we don't know too much about. We will talk about this more in Alma 40 but we get a sneak peak in Alma 37 where Alma is talking about the records that he is preserving. He throws in this at the very end:

10 And who knoweth but what they will be the ^ameans of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our ^bstiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?

11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear.

Notice how he goes out and explores the thought, and then reigns himself in a bit.

Now let's talk about small and simple things. I (hopefully like many people) wonder what God means by this idea of small and simple things. How do they confound the wise? What is the difference between being small and simple vs. being just plan weak and pathetic?

I have some intimations. I don't think I am prepared to answer in full here, or that I even can answer in full at all. I am reading a book called 'The Starfish and the Spider' that talks about how distributed network effects in certain ways have an unstoppable power that hierarchical systems can't mimic. For example, the Apaches, who seemed much less organized or powerful than the Aztecs somehow successfuly repelled the Spanish invasion, while the previously mentioned Aztecs ceased to exist as a civilization in 2 years.

My conclusion thus far is that we are barely tapping the potential structures of organization and because of that we have a blind spot as to the true power of individuals doing the right thing. I would love your uplifting thoughts on this. 

Alma the high priest and how to handle the deep mysteries

Some things are sacred and should not be uttered except in certain places at certain times. Some things are profane and should not be taught. This is another one of those edges of the gospel that Alma runs into. He has sacred records and he has records of great evil (the secret works of the Jaredites), and he is careful with the care of both.

We can learn some patterns here to help us understand when to share and when to do other things.

Notice in Alma 37 where he says that if Helaman trifles with sacred things 'ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind.'

He also tells his son to retain certain things from the Jaredite plates, meaning to not share them broadly, 'lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed.'

Do you think there is information that, if you had it today, would destroy you? I know that we don't want to think that, but what if someone gave you a device where you could listen to anybody you wished at any time? How long do you think it would be before you started invading people's privacy to use it?

Brandon Sanderson created the fantastic 'Reckoners' fiction series where he explores what people would really do if they had unlimited power. I find it both fun to read and profound on the topic.

In real history, Joseph Smith was with the apostles in Nauvoo and said (in effect) 'Brethren, if I were to tell you all I know of the kingdom of God, I do know that you would rise up and kill me.'  Brother Brigham arose and said, 'Don't tell me anything that I can't bear, for I don't want to apostatize.'

This case with the Jaredite plates is slightly different than all of these but it is worth remembering that we should be extremely humble before God when wishing to learn what is good and what is evil.

Alma the father and son

In Alma 39, He has a heart-to-heart with his son Corianton on some pretty grievous sins. It is good to remember that Alma the older probably had similar talks with this same Alma (the younger). I wonder if Alma (the younger) was reflecting on how his father treated him when he was in need of correction. In a way, Alma can understand his son by thinking to when he was in the same place

More on pondering, more on the mysteries

Alma takes the rest of the time with his son to basically teach some really deep doctrine. Once again we have the chance, especially in Alma 40, to understand how he approaches these topics. Notice how he says in Alma 40:3 that '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...

Alma knows there is so much that he doesn't know, and he is okay with it. He also asks diligently for knowledge, and never gives up getting more. To what he is given, he testifies. To what is not given, He thinks about, and gives his opinion the best he can. In all things, I think he does it in thanksgiving and with an eye on repentance and salvation.

Alma talks of three mysteries; the mystery of resurrection. the mystery of restoration, and the mystery of the justice of God. I would love to go more into these mysteries sometime, but, as Alma would say, I shall forbear for now.

Alma the witness of Christ

We have talked about some of the many hats of Alma. If Alma had the choice of saying who he was, I think he would say that he was first and foremost a witness of Christ and redemption through Him. In his life, in his words, in his deeds, Alma never gave up teaching others the gospel, and so I would like to leave you with his words in chapter 38 to his son Shiblon, and possibly the most important part of all his teachings.

9 And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is ^ano other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the ^blight of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and ^crighteousness.

15 And 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. Be ^asober. My son, farewell.