Alma 4:16-20
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 4
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Contents |
Questions
Verse 18
- When Alma said that he "delivered" the judgment-seat to Nephihah, does that mean that it was a sort of calling or was it a responsibility? Is it like the church today that some teachers who teach Seminary are called to do so and others have to go through college to get paid to do so?
Verse 19
- What does the last part of this verse suggest we must do if we wish to see peace in the world? How is this related to Alma’s teaching in Mosiah 18:9? Does Alma here imply that other things are unnecessary? This verse suggests that testimony has a saving power, not only in heavenly, but also in temporal things. How can that be?
Lexical notes
This is the first time that a '-hah' name is used in the Book of Mormon. The origin is an Egyptian suffix, meaning, 'eternal'. Much like we would call a child by our own name today, like Frank 'Junior', the Nephites sought to perpetuate the name of their first parent eternally.
See also, for example, Shine-hah from the Book of Abraham, etc.
Exegesis
At this time in the Book of Mormon the people are ruled by judges. As we can see from verse 16, judges had the power to enact laws in their government. The following phrase "according to the laws which had been given" suggests though that unlike the kings previous, there were restraints on how new laws could be enacted by the the chief judge. Verse 16 also tells us that there was some form of democratic process was a part of the process. When Alma gives Nephihah power, he does it "according to the voice of the people."
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