After delivering a long sermon in Zarahemla, Alma delivers a shorter one in Gideon. Telling the people that he trusts that they are open to his message, he testifies of the Savior’s life and atoning sacrifice and urges them to “lay aside every sin,” be “easy to be entreated,” and “abound in good works,” by having faith, hope, and charity.
Chapter Outline
- Introduction: I hope that you are humble before God and blameless (v. 1-6)
- The Redeemer will take upon Himself our afflictions, death, and our sins (v. 7-13)
- Invitation: Repent and be baptized (v. 14-16)
- I know that you believe these things (v. 17-21)
- Admonition and blessing: May the peace of God rest upon you (v. 22-27)
My Takeaways
- Everyone wants to be trusted. We should find ways to express confidence in others.
- Jesus understands our pains, afflictions, temptations, and infirmities.
- To “succor” is to answer a distress call immediately.
- We need to be temperate in all things: restrained or moderate, avoiding excesses.
- If you can get your heart in the right place, good works will flow naturally.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Expression of confidence – Alma 7:1-6
I Trust – Alma 7:5-6
5 And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla, for behold, my…
With an Everlasting Faith – Alma 7:6
6 But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I…
❖ The Redeemer – Alma 7:7-13
He Will Take Upon Him… – Alma 7:11-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which…
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…
What Does It Mean to “Succor” Someone?
succour – to help someone, especially someone who is suffering or in need (Cambridge English Dictionary) succor – Literally, to run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering; as, to succor a besieged city; to succor prisoners (Webster’s Dictionary, 1828…
❖ Admonition – Alma 7:22-27
What Does It Mean to Be Temperate in All Things?
While serving as high priest over the church, Alma delivered a series of sermons in different cities. He admonished the people in the city of Gideon to be “temperate in all things” (Alma 7:23). He later gave the same advice to his son Shiblon (Alma 38:10). The apostles Paul and Peter both emphasized the importance…
See That Ye Have Faith, Hope, and Charity – Alma 7:24
24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works. (Alma 7:24) Good works come naturally to good people. If we can get our hearts in the right place, so that we have faith in Jesus Christ, hope that He will fulfill His promises, and charity…
Old Testament Foundations
Numbered with the Transgressors
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be “numbered among the transgressors.” He did this in at least 4 ways: 1. He became mortal. 2. He spent time with sinners. 3. He was condemned and punished like a sinner. 4. He absorbed the consequences of our sins.
Acquainted with Grief
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3, Mosiah 14:3) The word translated “sorrows” in this passage—makobot (מַכְאֹב֖וֹת)—means literally “pains,” and the word translated “grief”—choli (חֱלִי)—means “sickness,” so the passage is as much about physical suffering as it is about emotional anguish. Alma’s reference to this passage…
He Will Save
At the end of his book, the prophet Zephaniah paints a picture of what it will be like for modern Israel to be gathered and delivered. Here is part of his description: The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love,…
Fear Not
Is fear a choice? God told Abraham, Hagar, Isaac, and Jacob not to be afraid. (See Genesis 51:1, 21:17, 26:24, 46:3.) An angel gave the same direction to Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, and a group of shepherds in Bethlehem. (See Luke 1:13, 30, Matthew 1:20, Luke 2:10.) And the prophet Isaiah several times gives us the…
New Testament Parallels
Perfected Through Suffering
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was made perfect through suffering. How can a Being who was already flawless and divine become perfect? I don’t fully understand, but I do believe that our suffering is helping us become more complete.
Mary
When Nephi needed to understand God’s love, he saw Mary. About 600 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Nephi’s father shared with the family a dream he had experienced while they were traveling in the wilderness. The central symbol in that dream was “a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy” (1 Nephi 8:10). Intrigued by…
“Which Easily Doth Beset You” – Alma 7:15
The word euperistatos (εὐπερίστατος) only appears once in the Greek New Testament. The word means “to easily surround,” “to encircle,” or to “thwart.” It carries the connotation of something that overpowers you, grabs hold of you and prevents you from moving forward. In the King James Version, this word is translated “beset.” Here is the…
How Can I “Always Abound in Good Works?”
We are all imperfect. We make mistakes every day, and we all wish we had more knowledge, more skill, and more wisdom. But even in our imperfect state, we are all capable of doing good works. After the people of King Benjamin prayed and received a forgiveness of their sins, Benjamin taught them that they…
What Does It Mean to Be “Easy to Be Entreated?”
After calling the people of Zarahemla to repentance, the prophet Alma traveled to the city of Gideon. He was pleased to find that the people of Gideon had humbled themselves and that they were not in “the state of dilemma” that the people of Zarahemla had been in. “I perceive that ye are in the…
What Are “Bowels of Mercy?”
In the scriptures, the word “bowels” is often associated with compassion or empathy. For example: The Apostle Paul encouraged the members of the church in Colossae to “put on…bowels of mercies” (Colossians 3:12). He pleaded with the saints at Phillipi, “if there be any…bowels and mercies,” then they should be unified and kind to one…
Church History Connections
Mighty to Save
Isaiah describes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the form of a dialogue between the people and the Savior. The people are caught off guard by His arrival and by His appearance. They ask, “Who is this that cometh from Edom [a country south of Israel with whom Israel had had significant conflict], with dyed garments from Bozrah [a…
Ascension, Descension, and Comprehension
In the sixty-eighth psalm, King David offers the following words of praise to God: Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:18-19 Verse 19 is somewhat ambiguous in the original…
One Eternal Round
After losing the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith was devastated. “All is lost!” he exclaimed to his family. “What shall I do?” (Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, page 131). Shortly after, the Lord reassured him that His work would continue to move forward. God emphasized this point by saying that…
“Temperate in All Things”
The Lord told Joseph Knight, Sr. that no one can assist in His work without being “temperate in all things.” The apostle Paul compared disciples of Christ with elite athletes, who carefully manage their diet, sleep, and exercise. Elder Kent D. Watson compared a temperate soul to tempered glass, which does not shatter dangerously when…
All Posts Referencing Alma 7
- He Turned Aside (3/29/2026)
- Mary: A Precious and Chosen Vessel (12/23/2025)
- “He Redeemed Them, and Bore Them, and Carried Them” (11/18/2025)
- Infusing the Light of Christ into My Life (8/28/2025)
- Ascending and Descending as a Disciple of Jesus Christ (8/17/2025)
- Being Bound (7/24/2025)
- Succor, Lift Up, and Strengthen (7/22/2025)
- Vessels of Wrath, Vessels of Mercy (7/10/2025)
- A Crown of Eternal Life (6/22/2025)
- Preparing the Way of the Lord (6/20/2025)
- In Temporal Labors (3/20/2025)
- Book of Mormon Elements in Doctrine and Covenants 20 (3/14/2025)
- Walking in Holiness (3/13/2025)
- Endless (3/8/2025)
- “Temperate in All Things” (2/18/2025)
- A Job Description for Servants of God (1/31/2025)
- A Book of Mormon Nativity (12/25/2024)
- How the Savior Succors Us (6/16/2024)
- Christmas, Easter, and the Book of Mormon (3/27/2024)
- Mercy (3/26/2024)
- His Holy Order (2/21/2024)
- Sense and Insensibility (2/10/2024)
- Belonging (1/6/2024)
- Faith and Works (11/15/2023)
- Perfected Through Suffering (11/4/2023)
- Another Gospel (9/30/2023)
- Sufficient and Abounding Grace (9/21/2023)
- Charity (9/3/2023)
- “Love Is the Fulfilling of the Law” (8/19/2023)
- Where You Want Me to Go (7/21/2023)
- “All Things” (6/8/2023)
- Numbered with the Transgressors (6/3/2023)
- Women in the Gospels (5/14/2023)
- From Their Sins (1/6/2023)
- He Will Save (12/4/2022)
- Fear Not (9/20/2022)
- How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling-place (8/21/2022)
- Acquainted with Grief (4/15/2022)
- The Passover (4/1/2022)
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2/20/2022)
- The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon (12/26/2021)
- Mighty to Save (11/16/2021)
- Integrity (10/29/2021)
- Duty (9/21/2021)
- Ascension, Descension, and Comprehension (8/10/2021)
- A House of Prayer (3/29/2021)
- Elias (3/20/2021)
- One Eternal Round (1/19/2021)
- Mary (12/26/2020)
- “My Time Is at Hand” – 3 Nephi 17:1 (9/29/2020)
- Pains, Afflictions, Temptations, Infirmities – Alma 7:11-12 (6/6/2020)
- What Is a “Remission” of Your Sins? (4/23/2020)
- “The Pains and the Sicknesses” – Alma 7:11-12 (4/9/2020)
- “He Suffereth It” – 1 Nephi 19:9 (4/3/2020)
- “Which Easily Doth Beset You” – Alma 7:15 (4/2/2020)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Reveal? (1/1/2020)
- How Does the Savior Bring Us Peace? (12/25/2019)
- How Does the Gospel Bring Us Joy? (12/23/2019)
- What Do We Know About God’s Love for Us? (12/2/2019)
- When Should I Express Gratitude? (11/29/2019)
- How Can I “Always Abound in Good Works?” (11/26/2019)
- How Can I Avoid Being an “Unholy Temple?” (11/14/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be “Temperate in All Things?” (11/1/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Abraham? (7/20/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be Temperate in All Things? (5/18/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Sadness? (5/7/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be “Easy to Be Entreated?” (4/12/2019)
- What Is the Significance of the Names and Titles of Jesus in the Book of Mormon? (3/3/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be “Long-Suffering?” (3/1/2019)
- What Are “Bowels of Mercy?” (2/28/2019)
- What Does It Mean to “Succor” Someone? (2/27/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be “Baptized Unto Repentance?” (2/22/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Grace? (1/28/2019)
- What Should I Do When There Are Questions I Can’t Answer? (1/6/2019)
- Which Easily Doth Beset You – Alma 7:15-16 (11/3/2017)
- See That Ye Have Faith, Hope, and Charity – Alma 7:24 (3/29/2016)
- With an Everlasting Faith – Alma 7:6 (3/5/2016)
- He Will Take Upon Him… – Alma 7:11-13 (1/11/2016)
- I Trust – Alma 7:5-6 (6/8/2015)
- That He May Know…How to Succor His People – Alma 7:11-13 (6/8/2015)
- That Ye Had Continued in the Supplicating of His Grace – Alma 7:3 (6/6/2015)
- Alma 7:24 See That Ye Have Faith, Hope, and Charity (10/30/2014)