Alma

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Home > The Book of Mormon > Alma

Subpages (record of Alma the Younger): Chapters 1-3, Chapters 4-7, Chapters 8-16, Chapters 17-29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31-35, Chapter 36-42, Chapter 43-44
Subpages (record of Helaman):

                                                                 Next page: Chapters 1-3


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary

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The relationship of Alma to the rest of the Book of Mormon is discussed at The Book of Mormon.

It is almost universally recognized that there is a qualitative difference between "the atonement chapters" at the beginning of Alma and "the war chapters" at the end. The wide extent of this recognition suggests that Mormon, who was a skillful editor, intended to draw a contrast between the two halves of the book. He even marked the point of contrast by labeling the first half as being taken from the record of Alma the Younger (superscript to Alma 1), and the second half from the record of Alma's son Helaman (superscript to Alma 45).

But Mormon did edit the book of Alma into its final form as a single book, not two books. This suggests that the reader should read each half of Alma in light of the other. In other words, the reader should look for correspondences or points of similarity between the two halves, and then use those similarities as guides to recognize what in the first half should be contrasted with what in the second half.

Alma Part 1, the record of Alma the Younger (chapters 1-44)

I. Nehor, invasion by dissenter Amlici at River Sidon (1-3)
II. Alma regulates two churches(4-7)
III. Nehors kill converts (8-16)
IV. Mission of sons of Mosiah (17-29)
IV. Korihor (30)
III. Zoramites expel converts (31-35)
II. Alma's last counsel and regulation of his sons (36-42)
I. Invasion by dissenter Zoramites at River Sidon(43-44)

Part 1 of Alma (chapters 1-44) addresses the atonement from several different angles. Chapters 4-7 focus on church members who, though many of them needed exhortation and stirring up unto remembrance, knew the truth and were entreated back into the way of righteousness without raising opposition: If you have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, do you still feel that now? The parallel chapters 36-42 focus on Alma's sons, who were similarly situated.

Chapters 8-16 focus on the Nehors, who took the liberal doctrine of universal salvation to a murderous logical extreme: Since God is going to save both you and me no matter what we do in mortality, I can kill you today without any consequence on judgment day. The parallel chapters 30-35 focus on the Zoramites, who took the conservative doctrine of predestination to an equally murderous logical extreme: Since God is going to save me and condemn you no matter what we do in mortality, I can kill you today without any consequence on judgment day. These groups illustrate incorrect beliefs about God's salvation.

The middle chapters focus on two groups who did not know what to believe. Like the Nehors and Zoramites, the Lamanites (chapters 17-29) also believed that whatever they did was okay. But this Lamanite belief did not derive from a mistaken belief about God, but rather from a lack of knowledge about God. This is epitomized in King Lamoni's prayer: God, if there is a God, and if you are God, ... Like the Lamanites, Korihor (chapter 30) was also agnostic. But he was much more certain and militant about his agnosticism: I don't know, and neither do you.

Part 1 of Alma (chapters 1-44) is a record of preaching the atonement to people holding each of these different points of view. It is not surprising then that so many of the great atonement sermons in the Book of Mormon are contained in these chapters.

Alma Part 2, the record of Helaman I (chapters 45-62)

I. Change of leadership (45)
II. Amalackiah becomes Lamanite king, attack repelled (46-49)
III. Kingmen dissension put down (50-51)
IV. Dissensions lead to defeat (52-53)
IV. Unity leads to victory (54-55)
II. Stripling warriors (56-58)
III. Kingmen dissension put down (59-62)
I. Change of leadership (63)

Part 2 of Alma (chapters 45-63) is very different. While it contains references to righteousness and revelation from God, it does not contain a single reference to the atonement or to the process of personal conversion. What is discussed is the need for unity. Mromon expressly tells us that the cause of all the Nephites' hardship was the internal dissension of the kingmen. And it is after the Nephites finally deal with the kingmen that they begin again to be victorious and rather quickly recover all of their territory.

Correspondences between the two halves of Alma

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Historical setting

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Discussion

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Direct address to the reader

Two halves of Alma through the lens of free agency

The Book of Mormon repeatedly addresses two social institutions that affect free agency: the church and the state. The role of the church is to provide accurate information so that people accurately understand the nature and consequences of their choices. Part 1 of Alma shows the prophet Alma providing this accurate information in his role as high priest of the church and prophet of God. It also shows others such as Ammon, Amulek and Zeezrom who either volunteered or were enlisted to preach. But Part 1 also recounts a time when there were many threats to this function as anti-Christs preached false doctrine so that people were misled and misunderstood their choices. Indeed, with the sole exception of Sherem in Jacob 7, lists of anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon usually draw exclusively from Part 1 of Alma.

The role of the state is too protect liberty so that people are free to in fact act upon their choices. Part 2 of Alma recounts a time when this function was threatened. The Lamanite invasion is characterized as a threat to life, livelihood and free exercise of religion. So is the internal dissension that threatened the Nephite democracy with paralysis and overthrow. Part 2 of Alma likewise describes how people can protect their liberty by standing up to both external and internal threats.

The main character at the middle of Part 1 is Ammon, a Nephite prince who gives up the throne to go be a servant among the Lamanites. He refuses an offer to marry the king's daughter, and when it appears that he has killed the king, he explains the situation to the king's wife. His Lamanite converts eventually migrate to go live with the Nephites in peace. Ammon does all this in the process of fulfilling the church's mission to preach truth to all and thereby increase their free agency.

The main character in Part 2 of Alma is Amalackiah, a Nephite who acquires the Lamanite throne by killing the king, lying about it, and marrying the king's widow. He then sends his Lamanite subjects into a lengthy war against the Nephites. This is done as Amalackiah abuses the state to compel his own people - against their own better judgment - to attack another people for the purpose of subjugating them and ending their access to the church and the accurate information it provides.[1]

It is significant that in both halves part of the lesson is that regular people are able to act and influence the outcome of both struggles.

Mormon and His Sources

The superscription to the Book of Alma—the italicized paragraph found immediately following "The Book of Alma, the Son of Alma" in the current edition of the Book of Mormon—is, like many superscriptions in the Book of Mormon, original text. This superscription not only offers a summary of the material to be found in the Book of Alma; it also tells the reader something about Mormon's relationship to his sources. Most important in this regard is the following phrase: "according to the record of Alma, the first and chief judge."

What this phrase implies, though, is difficult to know. In order to sort out its implications, it is necessary to look at other clues about Mormon's editorial procedure, clues that are scattered throughout the Book of Alma.

Alma 1-29

Occasional lengthy quotations from "the record of Alma" make clear that the source Mormon was working with was—or at least purported to be—originally written and/or compiled by Alma (the Younger) himself. Alma was, according to Mosiah 28:20 and Alma 37:1, the keeper of the large plates of Nephi for twenty years or more (from before the inauguration of the reign of the judges to the eighteenth year of the judges' reign. Usually, it is clear that Mormon is the "author" of the text, since Alma appears in the narrative as a character, but at times—for instance, in Alma 9 and Alma 28-29—it is clear that Alma's own words from the original record are quoted at length, since Alma appears as narrator, speaks of himself in the first person, and describes events in the present (rather than past) tense. Of course, even where it is clear that Mormon is the authorial voice, much (most?) of what he says can be presumed to be copied directly over from his sources, but it is much more difficult in these cases to determine what is Mormon's contribution and what comes directly from Mormon's sources.

Addressing these issues somewhat naively, one might divide up the first half of the Book of Alma as follows:

Alma 1:1 - 5:1 — Mormon as author/editor
Alma 5:2 - 5:62 — Alma's original words
Alma 6:1 - 6:8 — Mormon as author/editor
Alma 7:1 - 7:27 — Alma's original words
Alma 8:1 - 8:32 — Mormon as author/editor
Alma 9:1 - 9:33 — Alma's original words
Alma 9:34 - 28:6 — Mormon as author/editor
Alma 28:7 - 29:17 — Alma's original words

(Parts of this interpretation can be called into question and are based on what at times is somewhat problematic evidence. See, in particular, the commentary for the superscription to Alma 9, for Alma 9:34, for Alma 10:12, for Alma 11:20, for Alma 11:46, for Alma 13:31, and for Alma 28:7.)


Points to ponder

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I have a question

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Relation to other scriptures

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Related scriptures

The relationship of Alma to the rest of the Book of Mormon is discussed at Book of Mormon: Unities.

Preaching in First and Second Nephi and in Jacob tends to emphasize exhortation, or obedience to what the audience already knows is correct behavior. Mosiah and Alma tend to emphasize teaching people so they will feel the Holy Ghost and have a change of heart. Ether and Moroni tend to address those who are already living correctly how to obtain greater faith to not only obey but to also work miracles, ant to obtain hope and charity.

First Nephi teaches that God will deliver those who come unto him so that they will not perish. Mosiah teaches that there is not other name given by which we can be saved than the name of Christ. Alma Part 1 teaches that we do in fact need to be saved or delivered.

Mosiah teaches that there is a problem with monarchy: it is not accountable to you and may abuse you. Alma Part 2 teaches that there is also a problem with democracy: it is accountable to your neighbor, and may therefore become paralyzed by disunity. Helaman teaches that democracies are also susceptible to secret combinations. Ether teaches that monarchies are likewise susceptible.

Parallel passages

Previous editions

The original 1830 edition of Alma was divided into only thirty chapters (I-XXX). For the 1879 edition Parley Pratt further divided those thirteen into the sixty three chapters (1-63) still used today. • I: 1-3 • II: 4 • III: 5 • IV: 6 • V: 7 • VI: 8 • VII: 9 • VIII: 10-11 • IX: CH.12-13:9 • X: 13:10-ch.15:19 • XI: 16 • XII: 17-20 • XIII: 21-22 • XIV: 23-26 • XV: 27-29 • XVI: 30-35 • XVII: 36-37 • XVIII: 38 • XIX: 39-42 • XX: 43-44 • XXI: 45-49 • XXII: 50 • XXIII: 51 • XXIV: 52-53 • XXV: 54-55 • XXVI: 56-68 • XXVII: 59-60 • XXVIII: 61 • XXIX: 62 • XXX: 63


Complete outline and page map

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Alma


I. Nehor, invasion by dissenter Amlici at River Sidon (1-3)
II. Alma regulates two churches(4-7)
III. Nehors kill converts (8-16)
IV. Mission of sons of Mosiah (17-29)
IV. Korihor (30)
III. Zoramites expel converts (31-35)
II. Alma's last counsel and regulation of his sons (36-42)
I. Invasion by dissenter Zoramites at River Sidon (43-44)


I. Change of leadership (45)
II. Amalackiah becomes Lamanite king, attack repelled (46-49)
III. Kingmen dissension put down (50-51)
IV. Dissensions lead to defeat (52-53)
IV. Unity leads to victory (54-55)
II. Stripling warriors (56-58)
III. Kingmen dissension put down (59-62)
I. Change of leadership (63)


Resources

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Cited references

  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition: Alma

Other resources


Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves, such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word. In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources are preferable to footnotes.

  1. Many of these correspondences are noted and explored in a blog post by Joe Spencer.



                                                                 Next page: Chapters 1-3