After Alma experienced the joy of being born of God, he worked hard to help other people experience that same joy (Alma 36:23-24). In his sermons to the cities of Zarahemla and Gideon, he emphasized the importance of turning to the Savior and being born again (Alma 5:49, Alma 7:14). Many of the people in Zarahemla were in a state of unbelief and were lifted up in pride (Alma 7:6). In contrast, the people of Gideon were generally walking “in the paths of righteousness” (Alma 7:19). But his core message to both groups was the same: We all need to repent. We all need to be changed by God.
Here are my summaries of the sermons he preached in those two cities, with my takeaways from those sermons:
Here are some posts about key themes in these sermons:
Repentance
- Aligning our desires with God’s will: “He Changed Their Hearts” – Alma 5:7
- Visualizing a positive outcome: Can You Imagine? – Alma 5:16-18
- Consistent self-assessment: Are Ye Stripped Of Pride? – Alma 5:27-28
- Continuous improvement: What Does It Mean to Be “Baptized Unto Repentance?”
- Pleading for help: That Ye Had Continued in the Supplicating of His Grace – Alma 7:3
- Trusting God to help us overcome our weaknesses: “Which Easily Doth Beset You” – Alma 7:15
- Being responsive: What Does It Mean to Be “Easy to Be Entreated?”
- Addressing the root cause, not just the symptoms: See That Ye Have Faith, Hope, and Charity – Alma 7:24
Grace
- God is our ally: He Sendeth an Invitation Unto All Men – Alma 5:33-34
- Healing every wound: “The Pains and the Sicknesses” – Alma 7:11-12
- Three kinds of deliverance: He Will Take Upon Him… – Alma 7:11-13
- Running to help us: What Does It Mean to “Succor” Someone?
Teaching and Leadership
- Asking questions which invite self-reflection: Have Ye Spiritually Been Born of God? – Alma 5:14
- Creating structure and predictability: According to the Order of God – Alma 6:1
- Ministering to those who don’t want to be served: The Souls of Those Who Knew Not God – Alma 6:5-6
- Remembering who you represent: According to the Revelation of the Truth – Alma 6:8
- Expressing confidence in others: I Trust – Alma 7:5-6
Blog Posts: June 2-7
“If You Will Hearken” – Alma 5:60
During Abinadi’s message to the priests of King Noah, he quoted the following words from Isaiah: All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. (Mosiah 14:6) One of those priests, Alma, was converted to the gospel because of Abinadi’s words. Years later, as Alma’s son (also named…
“I Have Spoken Unto You Plainly” – Alma 5:43
From the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi set the standard: in this book, the word of God would be preached in plainness. In the opening chapter, Nephi’s father, Lehi, sees a vision which “[manifests] plainly” to him “of the coming of the Messiah” (1 Nephi 1:19). Nephi later foresees a time when corrupt…
“Will Ye Persist in Supposing That Ye Are Better One Than Another?” – Alma 5:54
Equality is a core principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Alma resigned as chief judge and dedicated himself to the ministry because of the inequality he saw among his people. Members of the church were becoming proud, wearing expensive clothing, being “scornful, one towards another,” and persecuting those who believed differently from them (Alma…
Shine Forth
The Hebrew word or (אוֹר) means light. When used as a verb, it means to be light or to become light. Speaking to a future generation of Israelites who would be gathered home, Isaiah said: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60:1 They could share light…
Pains, Afflictions, Temptations, Infirmities – Alma 7:11-12
In his sermon to the people of Gideon, Alma testified that the Son of God would live a mortal life, subjecting Himself to the same challenges and constraints that we experience: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith…
The “Hundredth Part” – Mormon’s Prioritization of Events in the Book of Alma
The book of Alma illustrates Mormon’s editorial choices. More than 40% of the book is dedicated to Alma’s sermons. 20% describes the mission of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites. Another 20% describes the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites.
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