Mosiah 25-28

Mosiah 25:19 With this sudden increase in members, Mosiah turns over the running of the Church to Alma, who becomes the President of the Church.  And, Mosiah continues to remain King over the government.  “And it came to pass that King Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church.”

Mosiah 25:20 “Now this was done because there were so many people that they could not all be governed by one teacher; neither could they all hear the word of God in one assembly;” The words “God is one” are the same in Ephesians 2:16.

Mosiah 25:21 “Therefore they did assemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma.”   This sounds somewhat like the organization of the Mormon Church today.  Where the saints are divided into branches and districts, and wards and stakes, with bishops and stake presidents presiding over each.  And with those leaders looking to their Prophet for direction on what they should teach their, congregations.  The words “and every priest” are also in Hebrews 10:11.

Mosiah 25:22 They were all one church – the church of God.  And they only taught faith and repentance.  The words “they were all one” are also in 1 Corinthians 12:19 “preached in all the churches” are similar, to Acts 8:40.

Mosiah 25:23 There were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla.  Reminiscent of the seven churches mentioned in John’s Revelation in the New Testament.  In the 1830 edition page 209, it read “there was seven Churches”.  It now reads “there were seven Churches”.  The words “now there were seven” are also in Mark 12:20 and “seven churches in the land” are similar, to Revelation 1:4 and, “the name of Christ” are in 2 Timothy 2:19.

Mosiah 25:26 “And they were called the people of God.  And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.” 

Mosiah 26:1-2 Just as things were starting to go really well for the new church, it is threatened by the “rising generation” who did not believe the traditions of their fathers or in God.  Sounds like the Millennials and Gen Z’s of our modern day.     

Mosiah 26:1 In the 1830 edition page 209, it read “there was many of the rising generation”.  It now reads, “there were many of the rising generation”. 

Mosiah 26:2 The phrase “concerning the resurrection of the dead” is similar, to Acts 24:21. 

Mosiah 26:3 “And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.”  The phrase “because of their unbelief” is also in Matthew 13:58.

Mosiah 26:4 “And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church.  And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God.”  They were turned off from religious institutions and their dogmatic policies and authoritarian restrictions and works-based requirements, much like today.  The words “they should not be baptized” are similar, to Acts 10:47 “call upon the Lord” are also in Psalm 18:3.

Mosiah 26:5-6 And although they were in the minority of the Nephites, they were becoming more numerous all the time.  Because of their influence, many church members were led away to commit sin.  So, the church felt it needed to do something about them.

Mosiah 26:5 The words “the brethren they” are also in Acts 16:40.

Mosiah 26:6 In the 1830 edition page 209, it read “those who committed sin that was in the church”.  It now reads “that were in the church”.   The phrase “flattering words” is in 1 Thessalonians 2:5 and, “were in the church” is the same in Acts 13:1.

Mosiah 26:7 These serious transgressors were gathered up by the local church authorities and brought before Alma, who was the high priest.  Again, we have to question the “high priest” designation.  The words “before the priests” are also in Deuteronomy 19:17 and, “who was the high priest” are similar, to John 18:13.

Mosiah 27:8 The words “authority over the” are also in 1 Timothy 2:12.

Mosiah 26:9-10 Because nothing like this had happened before in the church, Alma didn’t know how to handle the situation.  So, he brought them to King Mosiah.

Mosiah 26:10 The phrase “was troubled in his spirit” is similar, to John 13:21 “be brought before the” is also in Exodus 29:10.

Mosiah 26:11 “And he said unto the king; Behold, here are many whom we accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities.  And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them according to their crimes.”  Because Mosiah was the Ruler over the government, Alma referred to these transgressors as criminals – hoping that their “crimes” would fall under the King’s jurisdiction.  The words “that thou mayest judge” is also in 2 Chronicles 1:11.

Mosiah 26:12 “But King Mosiah said unto Alma: Behold I judge them not; therefore I deliver them into thy hands to be judged.” Mosiah reminds Alma that this is a religious matter, not a civil matter.  It seems Alma as high priest, has yet to learn how to act in his calling.  The words “Behold, I judge” are also in Ezekiel 34:17 and, “I deliver them into thy hands” are similar, to Joshua 24:11.

Mosiah 26:13 As a last resort, Alma now turns to the Lord for guidance. “And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.” Alma was concerned that he might mis-handle the situation.  The words “now the spirit” are also in 1 Timothy 4:1 “this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God” is similar, to Acts 8:21.

Mosiah 26:14 “And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying:” And God had a lot to say to Alma about how “blessed” he is for many reasons.  The phrase “he had poured out his whole soul” is similar, to Isaiah 53:12 “the voice of the Lord came to him” is similar, to Acts 7:31.

Mosiah 26:15-16 The Lord called Alma “blessed” for believing the words of Abinadi and being baptized in the waters of Mormon with those who believed on his teachings. 

Mosiah 26:16 The words “which thou hast spoken unto” are in 2 Chronicles 6:17.

 Mosiah 26:17 And Alma is blessed because he established a church.  The words “shall be established” are also in Zechariah 5:11.

Mosiah 26:18 And blessed are the members who are called the Lord’s.  The words “in my name shall they be called” are similar, to Mark 16:17.

Mosiah 26:19 Another reason Alma is blessed is because he asked God what to do with these transgressors.  The phrase “hast inquired of” is also in 1 Samuel 22:13.

Mosiah 26:20 From this verse, we learn that Alma’s calling and election is made sure.  In other words, according to Mormonism, the Lord assures Alma at this point that he will be exalted in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom and will become a god.  In Mormonism, the term “eternal life” means exaltation. “Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name and shalt gather together my sheep.”  Of course, Alma will have to go to the temple where he will take out his endowments and be sealed to a righteous woman before he can obtain that “eternal life.”  Unfortunately, the Nephite temples did not perform any of those ordinances or ceremonies.  At least they are not mentioned in the Book of Mormon, nor the Bible for that matter.  So, maybe that work will need to be done for him after he is dead.  But, that doctrine or “precept” is not taught in the Book of Mormon.  The phrase “that ye have eternal life” is also in 1 John 5:13 “and shalt gather together” is similar, to Mark 13:27.

In the language of Mormonism – “Eternal Life” is distinct from immortality.  It doesn’t describe living eternally with God – but living eternally AS God.  Thus, it is another name for godhood and synonymous with exaltation.  And exaltation, is to inherit a place in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4).  It can only be achieved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.  On the other hand, Biblical Christianity teaches that eternal life is living WITH God.  It is His gift and is received the moment a person is brought to faith in Christ (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9 and John 5:24).

In 2 Nephi 31:4-20, we learned that, in the LDS context, the grace Jesus gives does not elevate a person to a new relationship with God – it merely provides a staircase or ladder to allow humans the opportunity to climb their way to the top by their obedience to laws and ordinances, and by keeping commandments of the Mormon gospel.  Doctrine and Covenants 14:7 says, after keeping the commandments and enduring to the end – THEN, you will have eternal life. 

Mosiah 26:21 “And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive.”  The words “him will I also” are in Matthew 10:33.

Mosiah 26:22 “For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance.  And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.”  The phrase “shall be baptized” is in Acts 1:5 and, “shall believe in my name” is similar, to Mark 16:17.

Mosiah 26:23 The Lord tells Alma that He has taken on the sins of the world.  Well, not yet. But he will!  The words “the sins of the world” are similar, to John 1:29 and, “unto him that believeth” are similar, to Mark 9:23.

Mosiah 26:24 “For behold, in my name are they called; if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.”  The words “shall have a place” are also in Proverbs 14:26.

Mosiah 26:25 “And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall sound then shall they that never knew me come forth and shall stand before me.”  This is the resurrection of those who did not accept Christ.  They will be judged.  The phrase “And it shall come to pass that when the” is also in Genesis 24:43 and, “shall stand before me” is in Ezekiel 44:15.

Mosiah 26:26 “And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed.”  They didn’t want to be redeemed.  The phrase “then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am” is taken from Ezekiel 39:28.

Mosiah 26:27 “And then I will confess unto them that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”  This verse is taken from Matthew 7:23 and Matthew 25:41.   Remember – In the Introduction Page of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”  Evidently, one of the precepts that was never taught in the Book of Mormon was the three degrees of glory and outer darkness.  Rather, the main considerations are simply heaven or hell as taught in this chapter of Mosiah.  The Book of Mormon in several places teaches that there are only two options for man’s future: heaven or hell (2 Nephi 28:22; 1 Nephi 15:35; Mosiah 16:11, 27-31; Alma 41:4-8; Alma 42:16) yet the Doctrine and Covenants promises some level of heaven to practically everyone, (see D&C 76).  

Mosiah 26:28 The Lord now gives specific instructions to Alma as to how to deal with sinners and apostates in the Church.  If people do not want to hear God’s voice, they are not welcome in His church.

Mosiah 26:29 “Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.”  This is similar, to the same procedure LDS Bishops and Stake Presidents operate under today.  The words “whosoever transgresseth” are also in 2 John 1:9 “will forgive him” are similar, to Luke 17:4.

Mosiah 26:30 “Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.”

Mosiah 26:31 God tells Alma’s people to forgive one another.  The words “forgive one another your trespasses” are similar, to Matthew 6:14.

Mosiah 26:32 Whoever does not repent will not be numbered among God’s people.  In other words, Alma will have to hold a disciplinary court and excommunicate them meaning, cut them off or blot their names out. 

Mosiah 26:33-34 So, Alma judged those that had been taken in iniquity. 

Mosiah 26:33 The phrase “that he might judge the people” is similar, to Psalm 50:4.

Mosiah 26:35 Those who repented were able to retain their membership.

Mosiah 26:36 Those who would not repent – their names were removed from the records of the Church.  This is how religious institutions enforce compliance to policies, procedures, laws and commandments.  The words “were not numbered among the people” are similar, to Numbers 2:33.

Mosiah 26:37 “And it came to pass that Alma did regulate all the affairs of the church; and they began again to have peace and to prosper exceedingly in the affairs of the church, walking circumspectly before God, receiving many, and baptizing many.”  The phrase “walking circumspectly” is similar, to Ephesians 5:15.  Once all the sinners are purged from the church, it is utopia!

Mosiah 26:38 They suffered persecution from non-believers and apostates, which has always been a Mormon complaint.  Right?  The phrase “walking in all” is in Luke 1:6 and, “teaching the word of God” is in Acts 18:11 and, “being persecuted” is in 1 Corinthians 4:12.

Mosiah 26:39 “And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, every one by the word of God, according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed, being commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things.”  The words “by the word of God” are also in Romans 10:17 and, “God, according to his” are the same in Acts 13:23 and, “pray without ceasing” are in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 

Mosiah 27 We now come to one of the most popular chapters in the Book of Mormon.  In contains the account of the conversion of Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah, who were very wicked men. 

Mosiah 27:1 The unbelievers were persecuting the believers, so they complained to Alma Sr.  Alma asked the King what to do about it, and Mosiah asked his priests.  The words “which were inflicted” are similar, to 2 Corinthians 2:6 and, “by the unbelievers” are similar, to Luke 12:46.

Mosiah 27:2 Mosiah sent out a proclamation to his people that unbelievers shouldn’t persecute believers.  The phrase “sent a proclamation throughout the land” is similar, to 1 Kings 22:36.

Mosiah 27:3 There was also a strict command throughout the churches that there should be no persecution among themselves.  There should be equality among all men.  The phrase “throughout all the churches” is also in 2 Corinthians 8:18 and, “that there should be an equality” is similar, to 2 Corinthians 8:14.

Mosiah 27:5 “Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.”  The phrase “labor with their own hands” is similar to 1 Corinthians 4:12 and “in the grace of God” is also in Acts 13:43. In other words – no paid clergy among the Nephites.  The LDS Church has always taught that it had a lay ministry.  They criticized other religious denominations for having paid clergies.  However, it was recently revealed that the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and that of the First Presidency in the LDS Church receive a six-figure annual salary along with other monetary benefits (see The Salt Lake Tribune January 26, 2017 by Peggy Fletcher Stack “How much do top Mormon leaders make?  Leaked pay stubs may surprise you”).  So it’s not consistent with the teaching and “precepts” of the Book of Mormon.    

Mosiah 27:6 There began to be peace throughout the land.  The population grew and spread out into large cities and villages.  Wish there were archaeological ruins to substantiate that claim.  The words “abroad upon the face of the earth” are similar, to Genesis 11:4 and, “cities and villages” are also in Matthew 9:35.

Mosiah 27:7 “And the Lord did visit them and prosper them, and they became a large and wealthy people.” Just like the modern LDS Church. (see The Wall Street Journal article Feb. 8, 2020 “The Mormon Church Amassed $100 Billion.  It Was the Best-Kept Secret in the Investment World” Links are in the description below)

Mosiah 27:8 “Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man.  And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.”  Alma was both a smooth talker and a bad influence on people.

Mosiah 27:9 “And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them.”  Sounds like many church members admired Alma Jr. and followed him.  The words “the enemy of God” are also in James 4:4.

Mosiah 27:10 We are about to read of a conversion account reminiscent of Saul of Tarsus in the New Testament.   “And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king –”  This verse is similar, to Acts 26:11.

Mosiah 27:11 “And as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood;”  The phrase “as I said unto you” is also in John 10:26 and, “behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto” is the same in Matthew 1:20 and, “with a voice of thunder” is similar, to Job 40:9.

Mosiah 27:12 “And so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them.”  The words “fell to the earth” are also in Acts 9:4 and, “and understood not the words which he spake unto them” are similar, to Luke 2:50.

Mosiah 27:13 “Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutes thou the church of God?  For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.”  This sounds very similar to what the Savior said to Saul (or Paul) on the road to Damascus.  The phrase “why persecutes thou” is also in Acts 22:7 and, “will establish it” is also in Psalm 48:8 and, “the transgression of my people” is the same in Isaiah 53:8.

I believe the author of the Book of Mormon found the experiences and teachings of Apostle Paul most helpful.  Even though Paul was not yet born when the Nephite Record was allegedly written, the conversion and ministry of Paul is duplicated almost exactly in the ministry of Alma the Younger.  Even in manner of speech and travels.

The following is a list of parallels between Paul and Alma – with a couple exceptions:

(Do not quote the verses in this list)

Both Alma and Paul came from legalistic religious backgrounds.

Both were very wicked men before their conversion (Mosiah 27:8 and 1 Timothy 1:12-13).

Both were a threat to the Church (Mosiah 27:9 and Acts 9:1).

Both traveled about trying to destroy the Church of God (Alma 36:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:9).

Both were vigorous in their persecution of the church (Alma 36:14 and Acts 22:4).

Both were out on one of their missions to persecute the Church on the day of their conversion (Mosiah 27:10-11 and Acts 26:11-13).

Both Alma and his companions and Paul and his companions were stopped by a heavenly vision (Mosiah 27:11 and Acts 9:3).

In both cases the people who were present fell to the earth (Mosiah 27:12 and Acts 26:14).

The companions of both Alma and Paul were unable to understand the voice that spoke (Mosiah 27:12 and Acts 22:9).

In the vision which followed, both Alma and Paul were asked why they fought against the work of the Lord (Mosiah 27:13 and Acts 9:4,8).

There certainly is a difference between the angel that Alma sees and, the resurrected Christ who Paul sees. 

Both became physically helpless after their vision and had to receive help from their friends (Mosiah 27:19 and Acts 9:9).

Both went without food for a period of, time (Mosiah 27:23 and Acts 9:9).

Both Alma and Paul were converted to the Lord (Mosiah 27:23 and Acts 9-18-19).

However, the kind of conversion is different in both stories:  Alma had to change his, behavior but Paul had to change his beliefs. 

They are converted for different reasons:  Alma because of the prayers of his father (Mosiah 27:14).  Paul because the Lord needs him for a very specific purpose (Acts 9:15).

After their conversion both traveled about preaching the word of God (Mosiah 27:32 and Acts 9:20).

Both Alma and Paul labored with their own hands for their support (Alma 30:32 and 1 Corinthians 4:12).

Both Alma and Paul performed a similar miracle (Alma 16:11 and Acts 14:10).

Both were put in prison (Alma 14:22 and Acts 16:23).

In both cases they prayed to the Lord (Alma 14:26 and Acts 16:25).

In both cases there was a great earthquake (Alma 14:27 and Acts 16:26).

In both cases the prisoner’s bands were loosed (Alma 14:28 and Acts 16:26).

Mosiah 27:14-15 Alma Sr., King Mosiah, and others had prayed countless times for these young men.  That’s why the Lord sent an angel to get their attention and bring them to the knowledge of the truth.

Mosiah 27:14 The phrase “be brought to the knowledge of the truth” is similar, to 2 Timothy 3:7 and “the power and authority of” is the same in Luke 20:20.

Mosiah 27:15 The words “can ye not” are also in Matthew 16:3 “sent from God” are in Luke 1:26.

Mosiah 27:16-17 The angel tells Alma the Younger to not seek to destroy the church anymore.  And then the angel departed.

Mosiah 27:16 The words “the captivity of thy” are in Ezekiel 16:53 and, “fathers in the land of” are in Psalm 78:12 and, “how great things he has done for” are similar, to 1 Samuel 12:24.

Mosiah 27:17 The words “these were the last words” are similar, to 2 Samuel 23:1.

Mosiah 27:18-19 Alma the Younger and Mosiah’s sons again, fell to the ground because they were so astonished at what had just happened to them.  In fact, Alma was so shocked that he became dumb (unable to speak).  He was so weak that he had to be carried and laid before his father. 

Mosiah 27:18 The phrase “an angel of the Lord; and” is also in Judges 6:11 and “shook the earth” is also in Hebrews 12:26.

Mosiah 27:19 This verse is similar, to Acts 9:8.

Mosiah 27:20 Alma’s companions rehearsed to Alma Sr. everything that happened, which made Alma Sr. rejoice.  The phrase “all that had happened unto them” is similar, to Esther 4:7.

Mosiah 27:21 “And he caused that a multitude should be gathered together that they might witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him.”  The words “for those that were with him” are similar, to Matthew 12:4.

Mosiah 27:22 Then he made his priests fast and pray to God to restore his son back to his full strength.  The words “open the mouth of” are also in Joshua 10:2 and, “see and know of” are in Luke 21:30 and, “and glory of God” are the same in 1 Corinthians 11:7.

Mosiah 27:23 “And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort.”  The phrase “after they had fasted and prayed” is similar, to Acts 13:3 and “stood up and began to speak” is similar, to Luke 7:15 and, “be of good comfort” is also in Philippians 2:19.

Mosiah 27:24 “For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.”  Alma the Younger is a new person!  He has been born again!  The words “am born of the Spirit” are similar, to John 3:8.

Mosiah 27:25 God had been speaking to Alma the Younger the whole time while he was paralyzed.  “And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;”  The phrase “Marvel not that” and “must be born again” is in John 3:7.

Mosiah 27:26 “And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.”  The words “they become new creatures” are similar, to 2 Corinthians 5:17 “can in nowise inherit” are similar, to Luke 18:17 and, “inherit the kingdom of God” are also in 1 Corinthians 6:9.

Mosiah 27:27 “I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.”  To be cast off is to not make it to the celestial kingdom.  Alma was just about to miss exaltation.

Mosiah 27:28 We now find out why Alma was able to repent completely in such a short time. “Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.”  Alma was repenting so hard that it nearly killed him.  Interesting that he mentions “everlasting burning”.  The phrase “through much tribulation” is also in Acts 14:22 and, “night unto death, the Lord in mercy” is similar, to Philippians 2:27.

Mosiah 27:29 Alma the Younger will now contrast his prior spiritual darkness with the intense spiritual light which is now filling his whole soul. “My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity.  I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God.  My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.”  He was “snatched” from the jaws of hell.  The term “racked” was changed in the 1964 edition from “wrecked” in the 1830 edition page 214.  The phrase “the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity” is similar to Acts 8:23 and, “marvelous light” is also in 1 Peter 2:9.

Mosiah 27:30 I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may forsee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all.”  The words “every creature of” are in 1 Timothy 4:4 and, “manifest unto all” are also in 2 Timothy 3:9.   Back in Jacob chapter 7 we read about Sherem who acted very similar to Alma the Younger.  In Sherem’s case, he was killed by God, but in the case of Alma the younger God saved him.  Does not seem quite fair. 

Not all readers of the Book of Mormon are aware that the Book of Mormon contains three accounts of the conversion of Alma the Younger.  The account in Mosiah 27:8-37 gives a contemporary record of how Alma harassed the church and of his extraordinary conversion.  27 years later, Alma twice recounts his conversion story as he blesses his son Helaman recorded in Alma 36:4-26, and his second son Shiblon recorded in Alma 38:4-8. 

There have been attempts by the LDS to compare Alma’s three accounts with the nine accounts of Joseph Smith (see Gospel Topics Essays: First Vision Accounts) and (see T2M Episode 3 First Vision Links are in the description).  The LDS Church’s approach to deflecting criticisms of Joseph Smith’s nine first vision accounts, are to show that similar issues pertain to Paul’s vision.  However, the comparative argument fails.  They also, attempt to argue that the discrepancies in Paul’s vision accounts justify the discrepancies in Joseph Smith’s first vision accounts.  But that doesn’t work because the discrepancy in Acts is a very minor, inconsequential difference that has nothing to do with the credibility of Paul’s vision having seen the risen Christ.  The difference does not come close to being as significant as whether Joseph Smith saw God the Father.  Plus, the discrepancies in Joseph’s multiple accounts of the First Vision are significant because the accounts were given at various times over a period of several years and paralleled his evolving theology during those years from monotheism to polytheism.  Nothing like that is going on with the accounts of Paul in Acts.  Or, in Mosiah and Alma for that matter. (see Come Follow Me podcast – Acts 22-28). 

Mosiah 27:31 “Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him.  Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgement of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.”  The phrase “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him” is similar, to Romans 14:11 and, “that he is God” is also in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and, “without God in the world” is the same in Ephesians 2:12 and, “everlasting punishment” is in Matthew 25:46.

The “all searching eye” or “all seeing eye” of God is represented in the architecture of the Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple. History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, vol. 4, p. 550-551 records Joseph Smith’s induction into the Masonic lodge in 1842 “I received the first degree in Free Masonry in the Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office.”  The next day Smith recorded in History of the Church, vol. 4. p. 552: “Wednesday, March 16th. – I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree.” 

Mormon involvement in Freemasonry grew rapidly.  In the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, vol. 2, p. 527 it reads,  “The introduction of Freemasonry in Nauvoo had both political and religious implications… Eventually nearly 1,500 LDS men became associated with Illinois Freemasonry, including many members of the Church’s governing priesthood bodies – this at a time when the total number of non-LDS Masons in Illinois lodges barely reached 150.”

The Mormon endowment ceremony introduced by Joseph Smith was inspired by the Masonic lodge ceremonies.  It was also obvious that the Nauvoo Temple architecture – and later the Salt Lake Temple – was influenced by Masonry with the use of Masonic symbols and shapes.  Along with sunstones, moon and star stones, cloud stones, aprons, beehives, compass, square, hand grip – was the all-seeing eye.  Other Book of Mormon references of the “all searching eye” include: 2 Nephi 9:44 “beneath the glance of his all-searching eye” and, Jacob 2:10 “under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty God” and, Mosiah 27:31 “the glance of his all-searching eye”.

Mosiah 27:32-33 Following this miraculous conversion story, Alma and the four sons of Mosiah traveled around the country sharing with people what they had heard and seen.  As they preached the word of God, they were severely persecuted.  But they continued to tell members of the Church to keep the commandments.

Mosiah 27:32 The words “and preaching the word of God” are similar, to Acts 15:35.

Mosiah 27:33 This verse is similar, to Acts 14:22.

Mosiah 27:34 “And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; and their names were Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni; these were the names of the sons of Mosiah.”

Mosiah 27:35 “And they traveled throughout all the land of Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.”  The words “things which they had seen” are also in Luke 9:36 “desire to hear” are in Acts 13:7.  Latter-day Saints believe that this principle of restitution is an important component of true repentance.  It means doing everything within your own power to right the wrongs which you have caused. 

Mosiah 27:36 “And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.”  The phrase “to the knowledge of the truth” is also in 2 Timothy 3:7.

Mosiah 27:37 “And how blessed are they!  For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.”  The phrase “good tidings of good” is also in Isaiah 52:7 “that the Lord reigneth” is in Psalm 96:10.

Mosiah 28:1 Mormon continues telling us that after Mosiah’s sons were done preaching to everyone in Zarahemla, they wanted a bigger challenge.  They decided to ask the king if they could go to the land of Nephi and preach to the Lamanites.  The words “and desired of him” are also in Acts 9:2.

Mosiah 28:2 Mosiah’s sons had good intentions.  They wanted to improve relations with the Lamanites by sharing the knowledge of the Lord. The words “that there should be no more contentions” are similar, to 1 Corinthians 12:25.  We are not told here how the people of Zarahemla reacted to this idea of Mosiah’s sons going on a mission to the Lamanites, but in Alma 26:23-26 we discover that the popular reaction was not favorable.  It says, “they laughed us to scorn.”  

Mosiah 28:3 They wanted everyone to be saved from the endless torment of hell.  The words “to every creature” are also in Colossians 1:23.

Mosiah 28:4 They knew what they were talking about since they had once been the vilest of sinners themselves.  The words “because of their iniquities” are also in Psalm 107:17.

Mosiah 28:5 “And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi.”  You can imagine the fears their father had about letting them go into such a dangerous environment. 

Mosiah 28:6 “And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word.”  The phrase “to preach the word” is also in Acts 16:6.

Mosiah 28:7 “And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.”  That sounds like good news and some concerning news.  We will learn in chapters 17 through 26 of Alma, that they suffered much in order to fulfill their mission to the Lamanites.  But they did return to their father when their missions were completed.  The words “have eternal life; and I will” are similar, to John 6:54.

Mosiah 28:8 “And it came to pass that Mosiah granted that they might go and do according to their request.” 

Mosiah 28:9 Mormon then states, “And they took their journey into the wilderness to go up to preach the word among the Lamanites; and I shall give an account of their proceedings hereafter.” Again, this account is recorded in Alma chapters 17-26.   The phrase “And they took their journey into the wilderness” is similar, to Numbers 33:12.

Mosiah 28:10 As Mosiah is approaching the end of his life and he begins his farewell by making, preparations. “Now King Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for there was not any of his sons who would accept of the kingdom.”

Mosiah 28:11 Now, with his sons gone he has, to decide what to do with the sacred records, sword of Laban, and other artifacts entrusted to his care by his father, King Benjamin.  “Therefore he took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, and also the plates of Nephi, and all the things which he had kept and preserved according to the commandments of God, after having translated and caused to be written the records which were on the plates of gold, which had been found by the people of Limhi, which were delivered to him by the hand of Limhi;”  These plates of gold were the 24 plates which contained the history of the Jaradites recorded in Ether.  The words “to him by the hand” are also in Numbers 16:40. In this verse and no less than five more times in the 1830 edition is the abbreviation “&c” meaning “and so forth”, used.  It is hardly believable that such a symbol as “&c” was a translation from ancient writings.  This kind of mistake is clear evidence of a recent origin of the book.

Mosiah 28:12 Mosiah’s people really wanted to know what had happened to their ancestors, and since his sons were gone for a while, who knows if he might be the last true seer in a while. 

Mosiah 28:13 “And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow.”  Referring to the Urim and Thummin.  The words “by the means of those” are in Revelation 13:14 “which were fastened” are in 2 Chronicles 12:2 and, “of a bow” are in 1 Chronicles 12:2.

In the front of the Book of Mormon we find The Testimony of Joseph Smith which says, “Also, that there were two stones in silver bows, and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummin – deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted ‘seers’ in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.”  In the (Gospel Topics Essay: The Book of Mormon Translation) the church establishes as fact, that Joseph used a seer stone to translate the Book of Mormon.  Joseph found this stone in the ground years before he retrieved the gold plates and Urim and Thummin.  He had used this specific stone to search for treasure.  As a matter of fact, he only used the Urim and Thummin to translate the first 116 pages called the book of Lehi.  Makes you wonder why the need for the gold plates and the Urim and Thummin, when Smith ended up using his treasure seeking peep stone in a hat, instead.  Pictures were used by the LDS Church on their official website and in various publications for decades, which misled members into concluding that Joseph translated the Book of Mormon while actually looking at the characters engraved upon the gold plates.  Only recently is the Church depicting Joseph’s face in the hat in their pictures of the translation process.   

For a detailed description of how that worked, we have David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses in An Address to All Believers in Christ, 1887, p.12 who describes the meticulous method by which the gold plates were translated: “I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated.  Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine.  A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing.  One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English.”

Mosiah 28:14 “Now these things were prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages;” 

Mosiah 28:15 “And they have been kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every creature who should possess the land the iniquities and abominations of his people;”  The phrase “to every creature” is also in Colossians 1:23.

Mosiah 28:16 “And whosoever has these things is called a seer, after the manner of old times.” I guess, a seer is someone who can translate things by looking at peep stones in the bottom of a hat, just like in old times.

Mosiah 28:17 So what did Mosiah learn from these long, lost plates?  Just about everything.  They told the history of the Jaradites right back to the tower of Babel and even to the creation of Adam.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  The words “were scattered abroad upon the” are also in Acts 11:19 “abroad upon the face of all the earth” are in Genesis 11:9.

Mosiah 28:18 Mosiah’s people, as usual, were both happy and sad to hear the Jaradite story.

Mosiah 28:19 The phrase “the things which are written in this account” is similar, to Revelation 22:19.

Mosiah 28:20 “And now, as I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, who was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanded him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.” So, now Alma the Younger becomes the custodian of all these sacred items. 

This concludes our study for today.  Please subscribe, so you will not miss any of the future episodes.  You can catch us on YouTube, Apple podcast, and Google podcast or on whatever podcast play you use.  Or, you can go to our website at Talking to Mormons.com – where you can download this script and learn much more.