Alma 5:56-62
The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 5
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Contents
Questions
- v. 57: How do we come out from the wicked? How do we avoid touching their unclean things? Does coming out from among them and not touching their unclean things mean that we dissociate ourselves from them? If so, how can we do missionary work among them? If not, how do we separate ourselves?
Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Verses 59 - 60: Destroy Satan's Wolves
Implicit in these verses is a parallel betweeen a divine being (Christ) who shepherds a flock of sheep (Christians) and a diabolical being (Satan) who commands a pack of wolves (anti-Christs). Implicit, too, is a justification of Alma's execution of Nehor. Nehor was undoubtedly one of Satan's wolves. Alma, the earthly shepherd of this church flock, has used the power of the state that was at his command to destroy the wolf that threatened his flock. Politically, Alma quite clearly did not do the right thing (see exegesis on Alma 1). Morally, the issue is more ambiguous. It is sometimes better that one man perish than that an entire nation dwindle and perish in unbelief. But that principle can be applied both justly (1 Nephi 4:15) and unjustly (John 11:50). Mormon certainly thinks that Alma was justified in eliminating Nehor as he did, and given his general uprightness, it is quite likely that Alma was morally justified in acting as he did. But we probably should be troubled by that episode and this talk about destroying the wolves who are, after all, fellow children of God, however misguided.
Related links
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