Alma 13:21-25
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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 13
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Questions
Verse 22
- At the beginning of this verse Alma says that angels declare unto all nations that "now is the time to repent for the day of salvation draweth nigh." Later in this verse he says "he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people." Does "all his people" and "all nations" refer to the same groups? If so, do both refer to every people in the world? Or just the house of Israel?
Verse 23
- Alma links the fact his people are made aware in plain terms that the day of salvation is nigh with the fact that they are wanderers in a strange land. (See exegesis.) Why would the Lord choose to be more plain with wanderers in a strange land?
Verse 24
- Alma says that angels were visiting "many" people. What does this suggest about our own time? Are angels visiting many of our people? If not, why not?
Lexical notes
- Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes
Exegesis
Verse 21-25: The coming of the Lord
In verse 21 Alma stretches forth his hand and tells the people that the day of salvation is drawing nigh. Verses 22 tells us that angels are declaring this unto all the Lord's people, even those scattered abroad--including the Nephites. Verse 24 tells us that angels are telling many people in the land of the Nephites these glad tidings to prepare their hearts to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory. Specifically those phrases noted in italics suggest that the coming of the Lord spoken of here is not Christ's birth. Jesus's coming in glory would be in contrast to his humble birth. This explains why it is that Alma says they do not know how soon the Lord will come (in verse 25). (Were Alma speaking of Christ's birth, this statement would seem odd since it would be unlikely that Alma would have been unaware of Lehi's prophecy that Christ would be born in 600 years after Lehi left Jerusalem (1 Ne 10:4). Though it could be that he knew of the prophecy but didn't assume that it was to be interpretted as an exact count of the years.)
It seems that Alma is speaking of the time that Jesus would come to visit the righteous Nephites and Lamanites (see 3 Ne 11). Alternatively we might assume that Alma is speaking here of the second coming. In favor of the former, the fact that the scriptures specifically notes that angels are visiting many people preparing their hearts for this coming suggests the sooner event when Christs visits in 3 Ne 11. On the other hand, the phrase day of salvation though it could be applied to Christ's visit seems to suggest the alternative interpretation.
Verse 23
In the preceding verses Alma says that angels declare unto all nations that now is the time to repent and that the day of salvation draweth nigh. In this verse Alma links the fact that his people receive this news of salvation "in plain terms" with the fact that they are wanderers in a strange land. He goes on to also link their being wanderers in a strange land to that the fact that this news of salvation is declared in all parts of their land (by angels according to verse 24).
Alma's point seems to be that the Lord has choosen to be more clear and straightforward with wanderers in a strange land than he has with those in Jerusalem.
When we compare what the the Book of Mormon says about Christ before he came to earth with what the Old Testament says about Christ, we see that the Book of Mormon is much more clear. In other places the scriptures give one reason for that difference: that many plain and precious parts have been lost from the Bible. This verse suggests an additional reason: God chose to reveal more frequently and plainly the coming role of Christ with the Nephites than he did with those around Jerusalem because the Nephites were wanderers in a strange land.
See exegesis also on 2 Ne 25:4.
Related links
Angelic visitations
- See Elder Neal A. Maxwell's 1986 General Conference address “God Will Yet Reveal,” (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, Nov. 1986, 52). There Elder Maxwell says "Therefore, the process of revelation typically involves angels and prophets (see Alma 12:28–29)."
- See Elder Hartman Rector, Jr.'s 1979 General Conference address Follow Christ to Victory" (Hartman Rector, Jr., Ensign, May 1979, 30). Elder Rector says "If you pray for a revelation from the Lord, he will probably send you your bishop with the answer. You really don’t need a visit from an angel so long as you have a bishop."
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