Alma 5:21-25
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 5
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Questions
- v. 21: Compare what Alma says here about salvation with what he said about it in verses 10-13. Here he says that to be saved we must have our garments washed white in the blood of the Redeemer. There he says that we must have our hearts changed, humble ourselves, trust God, and remain faithful. How are those two descriptions of salvation related?
- Cannot be saved. How does this statement compare with the idea that all mankind can be saved by grace (see Eph 2:5)?
- v. 23: Alma seems to use murder as the type of all sin. Why is it appropriate to do so?
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Lexical notes
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Exegesis
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Verse 21
Cannot be saved. No matter how cruel it may seem, God cannot save everyone (see Alma 12:18). Certain qualifications are necessary to receive eternal life, such as being 'cleansed from all stain' through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
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Verse 25
Make our Creator a liar. In other words, this thing cannot happen.
Alma is one of the few prophets to suggest that God must follow certain patterns or cease to be God (see Alma 12:23, 42:13). Here, he relies on the reader's understanding of God's attributes (truthful, all-knowing) to realize how unlikely this event is.
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Related links
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