The Book of Mormon Part 75

Alma 34:34 34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my G.o.d. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

Alma 34:35 35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

Alma 34:36 36 And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb.

Alma 34:37 37 And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before G.o.d, and that ye should no more deny the coming of Christ;

Alma 34:38 38 That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and wors.h.i.+p G.o.d, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.

Alma 34:39 39 Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.

Alma 34:40 40 And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;

Alma 34:41 41 But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

Alma 35 Chapter 35

Alma 35:1 1 Now it came to pa.s.s that after Amulek had made an end of these words, they withdrew themselves from the mult.i.tude and came over into the land of Jershon.

Alma 35:2 2 Yea, and the rest of the brethren, after they had preached the word unto the Zoramites, also came over into the land of Jershon.

Alma 35:3 3 And it came to pa.s.s that after the more popular part of the Zoramites had consulted together concerning the words which had been preached unto them, they were angry because of the word, for it did destroy their craft; therefore they would not hearken unto the words.

Alma 35:4 4 And they sent and gathered together throughout all the land all the people, and consulted with them concerning the words which had been spoken.

Alma 35:5 5 Now their rulers and their priests and their teachers did not let the people know concerning their desires; therefore they found out privily the minds of all the people.

Alma 35:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s that after they had found out the minds of all the people, those who were in favor of the words which had been spoken by Alma and his brethren were cast out of the land; and they were many; and they came over also into the land of Jershon.

Alma 35:7 7 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma and his brethren did minister unto them.

Alma 35:8 8 Now the people of the Zoramites were angry with the people of Ammon who were in Jershon, and the chief ruler of the Zoramites, being a very wicked man, sent over unto the people of Ammon desiring them that they should cast out of their land all those who came over from them into their land.

Alma 35:9 9 And he breathed out many threatenings against them. And now the people of Ammon did not fear their words; therefore they did not cast them out, but they did receive all the poor of the Zoramites that came over unto them; and they did nourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to their wants.

Alma 35:10 10 Now this did stir up the Zoramites to anger against the people of Ammon, and they began to mix with the Lamanites and to stir them up also to anger against them.

Alma 35:11 11 And thus the Zoramites and the Lamanites began to make preparations for war against the people of Ammon, and also against the Nephites.

Alma 35:12 12 And thus ended the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

Alma 35:13 13 And the people of Ammon departed out of the land of Jershon, and came over into the land of Melek, and gave place in the land of Jershon for the armies of the Nephites, that they might contend with the armies of the Lamanites and the armies of the Zoramites; and thus commenced a war betwixt the Lamanites and the Nephites, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges; and an account shall be given of their wars hereafter.

Alma 35:14 14 And Alma, and Ammon, and their brethren, and also the two sons of Alma returned to the land of Zarahemla, after having been instruments in the hands of G.o.d of bringing many of the Zoramites to repentance; and as many as were brought to repentance were driven out of their land; but they have lands for their inheritance in the land of Jershon, and they have taken up arms to defend themselves, and their wives, and children, and their lands.

Alma 35:15 15 Now Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodsheds, and the contentions which were among them; and having been to declare the word, or sent to declare the word, among all the people in every city; and seeing that the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

Alma 35:16 16 Therefore, he caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge, separately, concerning the things pertaining unto righteousness.

And we have an account of his commandments, which he gave unto them according to his own record.

Alma 36 Chapter 36

Alma 36:1 1 My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of G.o.d ye shall prosper in the land.

Alma 36:2 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 G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.

Alma 36:3 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 G.o.d shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Alma 36:4 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 G.o.d.

Alma 36:5 5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of G.o.d I should not have known these things; but G.o.d has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself.

Alma 36:6 6 For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of G.o.d; but behold, G.o.d sent his holy angel to stop us by the way.

Alma 36:7 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.

Alma 36:8 8 But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.

Alma 36:9 9 And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of G.o.d.

Alma 36:10 10 And it came to pa.s.s that I fell to the earth; and it was for the s.p.a.ce of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs.

Alma 36:11 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 G.o.d--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.

Alma 36:12 12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.

Alma 36:13 13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of h.e.l.l; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my G.o.d, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.

Alma 36:14 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 G.o.d did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.

Alma 36:15 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 G.o.d, to be judged of my deeds.

Alma 36:16 16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a d.a.m.ned soul.

Alma 36:17 17 And it came to pa.s.s 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 G.o.d, to atone for the sins of the world.

Alma 36:18 18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of G.o.d, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

Alma 36:19 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.

Alma 36:20 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!

Alma 36:21 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.

Alma 36:22 22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, G.o.d sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the att.i.tude of singing and praising their G.o.d; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

Alma 36:23 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 G.o.d.