Alma 36:21-25
The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 36
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Contents
Questions
- Why might Alma have chosen to share his conversion story with his son Helaman? What did Alma want Helaman to learn from his past?
Verse 21
- What does Alma mean by "exquisite" pain or joy?
- Why does Alma contrast pain and joy with the descriptors bitter and sweet?
- What does Alma mean by bitterness? If we feel bitterness, does that mean that we are still bound by sin?
Verse 22
- How could Alma have seen God at this point? Three days earlier, he had been a vile sinner--and now he's having a greater spiritual experience than most members of the modern Church will probably ever have. How is that possible?
- What are "concourses of angels"? Why are they "singing and praising their God"?
- Alma had just said that he would rather be extinct than brought before God. Now here he is, longing to be there. What happened to cause this change?
Verse 23
- Alma seems to have wanted to stay in the vision, but instead he is brought out of it. Why would that happen?
- What does Alma mean by having "been born of God"? What would that experience be similar to in our own experience?
Verse 24
- After his experience, Alma serves God without ceasing. What does that mean? How are we similar or different from Alma? Do we have to have a similar type of experience before we can really serve God?
- Do we share this same motivation with Alma? Why or why not? Should we take his experience as somehow a measure by which we can gauge our own level of motivation?
- What does it mean to "taste" exceeding joy?
- What is the connection between the type of experience Alma has and being "filled with the Holy Ghost"?
Verse 25
- Alma receives "exceedingly great joy." Is this a reward for his labors? Why would it be important for Alma to feel one way or the other about his labor? Is this joy a motivator? Is it in any way selfish? Should we be motivated by a desire to have that same kind of joy, or would that be a selfish motive?
Lexical notes
- Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes
Exegesis
In verses 6-20 Alma tells the story how he was converted unto the church of Jesus Christ through an Angel. He described his feelings- horror, fear, amazement, torment, and finally joy that was as great as his pain. He shared this story with only Helaman. He wanted him to know, as he says in verse 21 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 wanted Helaman to know that ever since that experience, he has spent his life serving and loving the Lord. He wanted to bring people to taste that sweet bitterness that he tasted during the conversion in his life. He wanted them to be born of God and be baptized into His church (verse 26). Alma wants Helaman to love the Lord just as much as he loves Him. He wanted him to follow in his footsteps and give his life in service to the Lord.
Related links
Verse 21
- Marcus B. Nash, "The Great Plan of Happiness," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 49–50. Elder Nash warns: "As to any evil and unclean thing..., do not even touch it! Disguised in such things is a hook that sets subtly and much more suddenly than you dare think—and it can be an excruciatingly painful process to extract the hook [see also vv. 12-16]... There may be some of you who have been involved with that which is evil or unclean. Take hope in the doctrinal and historical fact that Alma's faith in the Lord led him to repent, and as a direct result of his repentance he experienced such happiness through the power of the Atonement of Christ."
Verse 24
- Anthony D. Perkins, "‘The Great and Wonderful Love’," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 76–78. Elder Perkins offers this advice: "One source of joy is service, for when you are busy helping others, you will have less capacity to agonize over your own shortcomings."
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