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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

Verse 1

• Which records did Alma receive from Mosiah (Mosiah 28:20)? Does Alma have both the large and small plates of Nephi? Which records were being kept at this time? Was there a parallel secular and spiritual history still being kept? Did Nephihah and succeeding chief judges keep records as well, or were records now only kept by the leaders of the church?

Verse 2

• Is Alma maintaining just a history on the large plates of Nephi? Or is he maintaining a history on other plates as well?

Verse 3

• What do we know about the contents of these plates of brass? How are the "holy scriptures" on them different from what we have in the Old Testament? Why might any differences be important to us?

Verse 4

• Where are these plates of brass? Why haven't they gone forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people yet? When will these be revealed?
• What does it mean that the plates of brass will "be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord"?
• What mysteries are contained on the plates of brass that we don't have yet?
• Does the modern Church look forward to having these plates? Is there something that we need to do in order to bring these plates forth to the world?

Verse 5

• What does it mean for the plates to "retain their brightness"? Does this just mean that they will not oxidize?

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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Related links

• Robert D. Hales, "Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 24–27. Elder Hales recounts the promise of the Lord to protect the sacred record for a wise purpose. "The scriptures which we have give prophecies and promises [that] have been fulfilled in our day."

The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

Verse 6

• What does Alma think some may suppose as "foolishness"? Why might he think Helaman would think it foolish?
• What are the "small and simple things" Alma is referring to? What are the "great things"?
• What does it mean to confound the wise? How might the mysteries on the plates of brass "confound the wise" in our day? When will this prophecy come to pass?

Verse 7

• What does it mean that "the Lord God doth work by means"? What are these means?
• How might the revelation of the plates of brass bring about the salvation of many souls?

Verse 8

• How were the plates of brass of so much importance to convincing people "of the error of their ways" and bringing them "to a knowledge of their God"?
• If these plates were so important for the descendants of Lehi, why don't we have them today?

Verse 9

• How did Ammon and his brethren use the plates of brass if Alma had them? Did they have copies? Did they just memorize them? What would the Lamanites have seen of these records?
• How did Ammon and his brethren teach the word from the plates to the Lamanites? Was it just to establish the teachings about Jesus Christ, or was it to somehow assert some other kind of legitimacy to their teachings?

Verse 10

• What is Alma's appraisal of the Nephites at this time? Why does he say they are "hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities"? Are they less righteous than the converted Lamanites at this time? Why would they not have a "knowledge of their Redeemer"? Didn't they have that knowledge already?

Lexical notes

Verse 6

• "Small and simple." These two words do not appear together in any other verse of Mormon scripture, although "small" and "great" do appear in many other verses (see an lds.org search here), sometimes in an inclusive way (e.g., "both small and great" in Gen 19:11), but most often in a contrasting way (e.g., Isa 54:7, "for a small moment have I foresaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee").

Exegesis

For those who feel that they are small and simple as to the things of the world, verse 6 should be of comfort to you. As individuals in the church, we may feel small and simple compared to the great body of the church or the universal plan of the Lord. However, as Alma points out, small and simple things can bring great things to pass. Not only do small and simple things bring great things to pass, in many instances, they confound the wise as well. Those learned of the world who choose to not accept the gospel or reject these glad tidings because they cannot see or feel with their senses can be overcome with a small and simple testimony from an individual of the church. Never sell yourself short in comparing your qualities or abilities with others. The Lord looks upon us all as equals - His children. Therefore, remember that being small and simple is a good thing; in the end, we will be made great and powerful if we simply fulfil our covenants given to us in this life.

Related links

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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

Verse 11

• Mysteries: What does the word "mysteries" mean in this verse? Does it mean something different here than in verse 4 or verse 21?
• Why does Alma seem to view the possible future restoration of the Nephites to righteousness as a mystery?

Verse 12

• Counsel in wisdom. What does this phrase mean? How are we to relate to His counsel? What does it mean that he counsels "over" all his works? What is meant here by wisdom. Is this meant to be the same Wisdom from the Hebrew Wisdom literature we have in the Old Testament?
• Paths are straight. What does this mean?
• One eternal round: What does the phrase "one eternal round" mean? How can the Lord's paths be "straight" while his course is "round"?
• Course: What does the term "course" mean here?

Verse 13

• What does Alma mean by saying the commandments of God are "strict"?
• What does Alma mean by "prosper in the land" or "cut off from his presence"? Are these meant to be opposites? Is there a connection between being in the presence of God and prospering?

Verse 14

• What does it mean for God to entrust these men with the records? In what ways did the see this responsibility as a trust?
• Why does Alma consider the records sacred? What does it mean that they are "kept sacred"?

Verse 15

• What allows Alma to tell Helaman these things "by the spirit of prophecy"? Why mention that in this counsel to his son?
• How might the sacred things "be taken away...by the power of God"? Why weren't they taken away from Omni, who considered himself "a wicked man" Omni 1:2?
• Delivered up unto Satan. What does this mean?
• Sifted as chaff before the wind. What does this mean? Does it say something about Nephite agriculture, or is it just an ancient expression?

Lexical notes

Verse 12

• One eternal round: The phrase "one eternal round" does not occur in the Bible, but is found four other times in Latter-day scriptures: 1 Ne 10:19, Alma 7:20, D&C 3:2, and D&C 35:1.

Verse 12: Course

Course: While we have no idea what the orignial term translated here as "course" may have meant, in English, the word has several definitions, most of which suggest a connected series events which could be seen as a type of path or sequence:

• A series of educational lessons (eg. "she took a course in linguistics")
• A connected series of events, actions, or developments (eg. "the Senate took a firm course")
• A sport facility laid out with a sequence of features (eg. a golf course)
• A mode of action (eg. "his plan was on the wrong course")
• A pathalong which something travels or moves (eg. "the course of a river")
• A general line of orientation (eg. "the highway takes a mountainous course")
• Part of a meal served at one time (eg. "she served a four course meal")
• A layer of masonry (eg. "a course of bricks")

The word "course" occurs 24 times in the Book of Mormon, most often in reference to a path or direction of travel (eg. Mosiah 7:4, Alma 46:31) but also in the phrase "course of my days" (eg. 1 Ne 1:1, Enos 1:24).

Verse 15

• Chaff: Chaff driven by the wind, is a fairly common metaphor in our Old Testament, and these passages were probably present on the Brass Plates. The specific language of being "sifted" as chaff occcurs in the scriptures only here and at D&C 52:12

Exegesis

Verse 12

Alma tells his son that the brass plates are preserved for a wise purpose because God counsels in widsom, his paths are straight and his course is one eternal round. These three reasons are positioned as explanations for why Helaman should have confidence in the wise purpose that God has preserved the records for. Consider each in turn.

By saying God counsels in wisdom Alma is emphasizing the fact that the choices God makes are well thought out. Saying God's paths are straight emphasize the fact that God's choices are good. He will not choose evil. To understand what Alma may mean by God's course being one eternal round it is helpful to look at Alma 7:20 where Alma also uses this phrase to describe God. There Alma says that God's course is one eternal round because "he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong." It seems then that by saying God's course is one eternal round, Alma is emphasizing the qualities of God that do not change. Alma may be emphasizing that God is totally trustworthy by saying his course is one eternal round. Or it may be just to show how God is different (and better) than we are which should imply that we have faith and confidence in the purpose for which God preserves the brass plates--even if we don't fully understand what that purpose is, as Alma says he doesn't in verse 11.

Related links

Verse 12

• Nibley on "one eternal round": Hugh Nibley has written about on "one eternal round" in Temples and Cosmos. In particular, see the chapter 4 entitled "The Circle and the Square" and chapter 9 entitled "One Eternal Round: The Hermetic Version". Here is a page for quotes, summary, and discussion of these chapters.

The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

Verse 16

• Why does Alma say that Helaman "must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever [he] must do with" the plates? What does he mean by "all things"? Do we each have sacred things entrusted to us that we should treat the same way, such as sealed family members?
• Alma promises Helaman that if he keeps the commandments and specific instructions given for "all things" that he should do with the plates, "no power of earth or hell can take them from [him]". Can we obtain the same promise about our own sacred trusts?

Verse 17

• What are meant by the promises of God? How does he make these promises?
• Of what value is referring back to promises made and fulfilled with "our fathers"? What role is there for such remembrance in maintaining faith?
• Is there a difference between a vague faith in God that everything will be OK, and faith in specific promises given to our fathers?

Verse 18

• Why would God promise over many generations to preserve the records "for a wise purpose" but keep the nature of the fulfillment of that purpose "in him"? Is there a need to get revelation about the operational things that are beyond our own lifetime?

Verse 19

• What does it mean for the Lord to have "shown forth his power in them"? What does "them" refer to, the plates? If so, how was his power "shown forth in" the plates?
• Do the plates merely function as sacred relics, or do they serve some other function? Is it the teachings on the plates that are important, or the preservation and maintenance of the plates themselves?

Verse 20

• What would it mean for Helaman to "be diligent in fulfilling all [of Alma's] words?
• What is the difference between fulfilling Alma's words and "keeping the commandments of God as they are written?"

Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

Verse 23

• The Lord said that he prepares for his servant Gazelem (see lexical notes) a stone to "discover unto my people who serve me ... the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness and their wickedness and abominations." Why does the Lord emphasize bringing to light the secret works and works of darkness? Why is this emphasized especially given that, in verse 27, Alma tells Helaman not to let the people know about their secret oaths, covenants, sign and wonders?

Lexical notes

Verse 23

Gazelem is a name given to a servant of God. The word appears to have its roots in Gaz – a stone, and Aleim, a name of God as a revelator, or the interposer in the affairs of men. If this suggestion is correct, its roots admirably agree with its apparent meaning – a seer.

Exegesis

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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

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Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

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Lexical notes

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Exegesis

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Related links

• See User:Brettferre/Alma 37:31-35.

Verse 33

• Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Faith to Move Mountains," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 82–85. President Hinckley tells of the rescue of the Willie and Martin handcart companies and other personal stories of faith and sacrifice. "May the Lord bless us with faith in the great cause of which we are a part. May faith be as a candle to guide us in the night by its light. May it go before us as a cloud in the day. [see Exodus 13:21]"

The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

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Lexical notes

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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 37

Questions

Verse 43

What does shadow mean in this verse?

Verse 46

Why did Alma use the phrase "easiness of the way" when he was talking about the liahona? A similar phrase is used in 1 Ne 17:41: "…He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished" (emphasis added).

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Exegesis

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