Alma testifies to his son Helaman that God will support him in every trial he faces. As evidence, he tells his own conversion story: An angel called him to repentance. Afterward, he was in torment, because of an acute awareness of the pain he had caused. But when he cried out to Jesus for mercy, his torment was replaced by joy. Since that time, he has preached the gospel, and God has supported him in every trial.
Chapter Outline
- If you trust God, you will be supported (v. 1-4)
- I saw an angel who called me to repentance (v. 5-11)
- I was in torment, but I was saved by Jesus Christ (v. 12-23)
- Since that time, I’ve worked to bring people to repentance, and God has supported me (v. 24-32)
My Takeaways
- God will always support you.
- We need to think about the consequences of our actions.
- The Savior can not only heal us personally, but that He can also heal people we have harmed.
- When we experience a change of heart, we want others to have that experience too.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ God will support you if you trust Him – Alma 36:1-4
God Has…Made These Things Known Unto Me – Alma 36:4-5
4 And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God. 5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the…
❖ An angel appears to alma – Alma 36:5-11
Born to Know
Alma told Helaman and Shiblon that he could not have understood the gospel without being changed, born of God. God can not only give us knowledge, but He can also transform us and elevate our consciousness, so that we can understand what He is teaching us
If Thou Wilt of Thyself Be Destroyed – Alma 36:8-11
8 But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel. 9 And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God. 10 And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it…
❖ Alma is saved by Jesus Christ – Alma 36:12-23
Harrowed
After an angel called Alma to repentance, he “fell to the earth, and…did hear no more” (Alma 36:11). For three days, he was “racked, even with the pains of a damned soul” (Alma 36:16). During that time, he was “tormented with the pains of hell” (Alma 36:13). It was only when he remembered that his…
“My Mind Caught Hold”
In Lehi’s dream, people “caught hold of…the rod of iron,” which led them to the tree. After an angel rebuked Alma, his mind “caught hold upon” the thought that Jesus could save him. We can figuratively catch hold of this truth in our moments of darkness
Exquisite
Alma described his pain and his joy using the same word: exquisite, which means “in the highest degree.” Lehi taught that we cannot feel joy if we feel no misery. Maybe our sorrows expand our hearts, making room for us to feel more joy.
“Numberless Concourses of Angels” – Alma 36:22
A large number of people united in a common cause is an inspiring sight. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a single angel appeared to a group of shepherds to announce the good news. But immediately after, “there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Luke 2:13). The large number…
❖ Alma preaches the gospel – Alma 36:24-32
Motivated by Love
When we experience a change of heart, we want others to have that experience too. After Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah were miraculously converted to the gospel, they got to work immediately: And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who…
He Has…and He Will
Remembering how God has helped us in the past can strengthen our faith that He will help us in the future. Alma reviewed with his son Helaman the ways that God had sustained and delivered him, and then testified, “He will still deliver me.”
Old Testament Foundations
Restitution
The Hebrew word shalam (שָׁלַם) means to make something complete or whole. It is sometimes translated into English as “make restitution.” The word appears many times in the context of our obligation to repair the damage we do. Consider the following specific examples: Reference Action Consequence Exodus 22:5 If a man shall cause a field…
“Stronger than the Cords of Death”
“The cords of death entangled me,” wrote David; “the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me” (Psalm 18:4, NIV; see also Psalm 116:3, NIV, 2 Samuel 22:6, NIV). Alma used similar language as he cried out to God for deliverance from his own overwhelming feelings of guilt: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall…
New Testament Parallels
Alma and Saul
Both Alma and Paul experienced sudden and miraculous conversions to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although our own conversion experience is likely to be more gradual, we can learn a lot about the conversion process by understanding their experiences.
The Gall of Bitterness
Peter told Simon that he was in the “gall of bitterness.” Gall is bile. It is a bitter substance which our bodies use for digestion. Alma taught that Jesus can help us overcome spiritual bitterness. When we recognize our need and ask for help, He is there
Church History Connections
Innumerable
There are lots of good people in this world. That’s one message I get from Joseph F. Smith’s Vision of the Redemption of the Dead. Although the question which prompted this revelation was a logistical one—how could the Savior preach to so many disobedient spirits during the brief period between His death and His resurrection—another…
All Posts Referencing Alma 36
- Bitter (4/7/2026)
- The Sign of Jonah (4/5/2026)
- The God of Abraham (2/17/2026)
- Family History and Belonging (12/2/2025)
- “Take Especial Care of Your Family” (11/6/2025)
- “What Are These Wounds?” (5/8/2025)
- Entangled Again (3/11/2025)
- “He Began to Remember” (12/1/2024)
- Knowing “Of Myself” (9/4/2024)
- “Prepare the Minds” (8/8/2024)
- Born to Know (8/3/2024)
- Exquisite (8/2/2024)
- “My Mind Caught Hold” (8/1/2024)
- He Has…and He Will (7/31/2024)
- “If Thou Wilt of Thyself…” (6/1/2024)
- “We Talk of Christ” (3/10/2024)
- Unto You / Unto Us (12/19/2023)
- Beseeching (10/29/2023)
- By the Grace of God (9/9/2023)
- Alma and Saul (7/13/2023)
- The Gall of Bitterness (7/12/2023)
- Their Angels (4/21/2023)
- Poor in Spirit (2/17/2023)
- Restitution (5/8/2022)
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2/20/2022)
- “I Did Eat” (1/13/2022)
- Glory (12/28/2021)
- Innumerable (11/30/2021)
- Angels (11/9/2021)
- “Stronger than the Cords of Death” (10/26/2021)
- “Behold, I Am Jesus Christ” – 3 Nephi 9:15-18, 11:10-11 (9/18/2020)
- “When They Saw Your Conduct…” – Alma 39:11 (7/29/2020)
- “Numberless Concourses of Angels” – Alma 36:22 (7/25/2020)
- Harrowed (7/21/2020)
- Motivated by Love (5/24/2020)
- “I Could Remember My Pains No More” – Alma 36:19 (4/11/2020)
- What Is the Significance of the Name “Jesus?” (12/26/2019)
- How Can I Fully Receive the Forgiveness of God? (12/21/2019)
- What Is the Role of Music in the Gospel? (12/17/2019)
- What Is Joy? (10/11/2019)
- How Can I Teach the Gospel More Effectively in My Home? (9/16/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Crossing of the Red Sea? (8/16/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Abraham? (7/20/2019)
- What Is the Significance of God’s Promise to Nephi? (7/19/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Teaching the Gospel in Families? (7/16/2019)
- How Can I Know If I’ve Been Forgiven? (6/19/2019)
- How Can I Be a Better Father? (6/17/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Complacency? (5/11/2019)
- What Are Some Examples of People Coming Unto Christ? (2/14/2019)
- God Has…Made These Things Known Unto Me – Alma 36:4-5 (8/20/2018)
- If Thou Wilt of Thyself Be Destroyed – Alma 36:8-11 (11/14/2017)
- My Soul Was Filled with Joy – Alma 36:18-21 (12/19/2016)
- I Remembered Also to Have Heard My Father – Alma 36:17-19 (8/10/2016)
- I Could Remember My Pains No More – Alma 36:18-21 (2/11/2016)
- I Have Labored Without Ceasing – Alma 36:24-26 (7/23/2015)
- Alma 36:3 Whosoever Shall Put Their Trust in God (11/17/2014)