LeGrand L. Baker

Alma 15:18 , LeGrand Baker, the integrity of Amulek

Alma 15 is the winding up scene of the story that began in chapter 8 when Alma first went into the city of Ammonihah. Its surface text is the powerful story of Zeezrom’s repentance, and with that story comes the assurance that repentance is not only possible, but necessary for happiness and salvation.

There is another story that can be followed through the text, but to which Mormon only alludes. It concludes,

18   Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord. (Alma 15:18)

With the words that Alma took Amulek “to his own house, and did administer unto him,” we are brought back, with a jar, to a remembrance of who Amulek was, and what he had suffered in this very short time.

Amulek’s story is a contrast to Zeezrom’s. It is not about a man who had to repent, but about a man of unbending integrity.

We first met him when Alma was alone and hungry. We know that Amulek was a man of wealth and influence because later he would introduced himself by saying,

4  And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry. (Alma 10:4)

An angel had told Amulek to find Alma and to nurture him. After the men met they forged a bond on friendship. The record tells us almost nothing about the development of their friendship, Mormon simply reports,

And Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he began to preach unto the people. (Alma 8:27)

During those days, with Alma’s tutelage, Amulek became completely conversant with the mysteries of godliness. His testimony to his belligerent neighbors, and his later explanation of the atonement teach us that he had a brilliant mind and profound understanding of the meaning of the Saviour’s sacrifice.

As we read the story, we discover several things that happened to those who believed, and we can understand that they also happened to Amulek personally. Even though the details of his story are different from theirs, many of the events were the same.

For example, the leaders of the mob (judges, lawyers, and professional religionists) were “angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily” (Alma 14:3). That would have been a convenient way to get rid of them. It didn’t work, so they turned on the men who believed the words of the prophets. “They cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them” (Alma 14:7-8).

We learn later that “cast them out” does not mean that they drove the believers from the town square, for we next hear of them as refugees in land of Sidom”(Alma 15:1).

Then the mob and their leaders did the unpardonable.

8  And they [the mob] brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire. (Alma 14:8)

The apostates had driven away the men and killed their families. This was clearly not only a violation of their persons, but it was also a confiscation of their property. That fact throws a vivid light on the motives of the apostates, but it also teaches us about what happened to Amulek.

He had described himself as a man of some wealth. Now he lost it all because he bore testimony of the divinity of Alma’s call. Furthermore, nothing suggests that his wife and children did not suffer the same fate as the others. Therefore, we may know that he not only watched as other innocent women and children were burned, but he watched as his own family was consumed by the fire.

10  And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. (Alma 14:10)

After that, he was thrown into prison where he was humiliated, from which he was never intended to leave alive.

Amulek had born testimony with his mouth, with his property, with everything he loved, and with his own life. Surely one can find few more sterling examples of absolute integrity.

Mormon lets us know that, but does not dwell on its importance, for he has other purposes. Yet, at his conclusion he invites us to recognize Amulek’s integrity and the depth of his pain, but also the depth of Amulek’s newfound friendship with Alma. Mormon tells us all of that with the tender words,

18  Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord. (Alma 15:18)

Alma 14:17-29, LeGrand Baker, Veil to darkness

17  And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered him nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison.
18 And when they had been cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers, and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words; but they answered them nothing.
19 And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames? And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.
20 And it came to pass that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks. And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?
21 And many such things did they say unto them, gnashing their teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are damned?
22 And many such things, yea, all manner of such things did they say unto them; and thus they did mock them for many days. And they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst; and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked; and thus they were bound with strong cords, and confined in prison.
23 And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for many days, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.
24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words.
25 And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet.
26 And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.
27 And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.
28 And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city.
29 Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.

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I was frustrated when I read these verses this week because I couldn’t see the point in them. Mormon usually teaches a principle, often using someone else’s words or a sermon, then he illustrates its principles by telling a story. I couldn’t figure out what his point was in telling this story until I realized that the apostates had asked three times— and each time Alma refused to respond. I thought, “Wow, is that where he is going with this?” Then I began to read carefully, and was captivated with what I found.

These verses are another amazing evidence of Mormon’s ability as a story teller, and as a master of double speech—to write, as Nephi wrote, in the language of the world, but the learning of the Jews. As Mormon relates this narrative, he includes nothing that is unnecessary to the sub-text, and he leaves nothing out. Its context is still the confrontation reported in chapter 12, where Alma reminds his listeners of the way one may be redeemed—the steps that bring one into the presence of God. Now, Mormon illustrates in vivid prose what Jacob taught in 2 Nephi 9:41-42. In doing so, he follows the same pattern that is outlined in the 21^st Psalm. (If you are not familiar with those scriptures, this would be a good time to read them.)

The story, as Mormon tells it, is this:

The apostates approach the prophets three times, demanding that they respond and repeat their testimony. Their requests are not a prayer, but a challenge of authority. They mockingly asked, “If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?” and “How shall we look when we are damned?” But the antagonists are beyond hearing, therefore, the prophets say nothing at all.

“And they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst.”

Similarly, these apostates were denying to themselves the promises of the fruit of the tree of life, and the waters of life. Therefore, they would hunger and thirst forever.

“ and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked.” As the apostates had disrobed the prophets, as they had also disrobed themselves, and were left naked without the ennobling symbols of priesthood and kingship.

The apostates extended their hands to the prophets, but their hands were a symbol of their own damnation. “And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words. And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last;”

In chapter 12, Alma had contrasted God’s eternal embrace with the chains of hell. The apostates had chosen to had imitated that damning embrace. Though it looked secure, it was rejected and overthrown by the prophets. “And thus they were bound with strong cords, and confined in prison….And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound.”

The reality of the embrace was turned upon the apostates. The earth itself was repulsed by their wickedness, it testified of their eternal sorrow. The walls of the prison, like an ever-excluding veil, encompassed them in darkness and death. “And the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.”

In telling this story, choosing only the details that he chose, and relating them in that order, Mormon drew a devastating and final contrast to the invitation of redemption that Alma had extended in chapter 12.

Alma 14:10-13, LeGrand Baker, Comfort: The power to transcend sorrow

Alma 14:10-13
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.
13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.

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These verses present an indelible contrast against the later picture of the Saviour blessing the little children.

My own sensitivities compel me to search about—not to discover the answer to the question “why,” for Alma gives us that answer. It is an eternal principle founded upon the eternal law of progression: If all the good guys were taken out of the reach of all the bad guys, one result would be that the bad guys could not be demonstrated to be bad, but another would be that the good could not be proven valiant.

The question I had struggled with was about “how.” It is one thing to submit the righteous to an unjust death, but it is quite another to let that death be a prolonged agony. My question presupposed that there must be an alleviation to their pain, and my desire was to discover it. It fact, that seems not at all difficult to do.

The Saviour explained,

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.(John 8:46-55)

Many years later, he explained to the Prophet Joseph why it was so.

45 Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection.
46 And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;
47 And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter. (D&C 42:35-53)

Paul explained that dying without tasting the bitterness of death is a gift of the atonement. He said,

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)

Brigham young explained the principle in very practical terms, just as one would expect Brigham to do.

Jesus says, “He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” His body may be laid away to rest for a short time, but he shall not taste of death. When his spirit is released from this mortal tabernacle, the body drops back to mother earth; but the spirit departs with an assurance that the body will not always remain in the dust. The body has merely fallen asleep for a while, to be again quickened and united with the spirit to live forever. (Journal of Discourses, 8:283.)

We find the word, “comfort” in the Old Testament in Isaiah 61 where it introduces the coronation ceremony, and where that passage is paraphrased in the Beatitudes where the Saviour said, “Blessed are all they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Comfort: The power to transcend sorrow.

In Isaiah 61:2, “comfort” is an important word whose meaning is difficult for us to capture because it has changed since the King James Version was translated. In 1622, when the English word was nearer in time to its Latin origins, the first definition of “comfort” meant just exactly what the Latin said: “with strength.” or to strengthen, to empower. “Comfort” still meant that in 1787 when the American Constitution was written, and treason was defined as “giving aid and comfort to the enemy.” (That did not mean it was treason to give the enemy an aspirin and a warm blanket. It meant that it is treason to empower an enemy.) The most extensive analysis of the Hebrew word is by Gary Anderson, who wrote,

This verb “to comfort” (n-h-m) does not connote a simple act of emotional identification. Comfort can imply either the symbolic action of assuming the state of mourning alongside the mourner, or it can have the nuance of bringing about the cessation of mourning. In grammatical terms, the former usage reflects a processual usage of the verb, while the latter usage would be resultative. {1}

He goes on to explain:

The latter usage, to bring about the cessation of mourning, is very common in prophetic oracles of deliverance. The famous exhortation of Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort, my people,” comes to mind immediately. As Westermann noted, the term conveys “God’s intervention to help and restore.” {2}

Anderson’s definition can account for the way the English translators used the word “comfort” to mean the bestowal of authority or power—an empowerment—and it also adds substantial depth to the meaning of the 23rd Psalm and other scriptures where “comfort” might be read as “to give consolation,” they might also be read as “to give power and authority, thus enabling one to transcend sorrow.”{3} There, comfort is associated with the symbols of priesthood and kingship. It reads,

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod [a scepter, symbol of kingship]
and thy staff [a shepherd’s crook, symbol of priesthood]
they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4)

So the words say, “I am empowered by the symbols of kingship and priesthood.”

The Meaning of “Comforter.”

When one realizes that to comfort is to bestow the power to transcend sorrow, then one better understands the word “Comforter” as the source of that power.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…..
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:15-18,25-27)

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27)

In a letter to his son Moroni, Mormon wrote,

25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God. (Moroni 8:25-26)

The Lord both expanded upon, and encapsulated that teaching, when he promised Edward Partridge,

2 And I will lay my hand upon you by the hand of my servant Sidney Rigdon, and you shall receive my Spirit, the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which shall teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom;(D&C 36:2)

He reiterated it again in a revelation through the Prophet Joseph to James Covill,

6 And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom. (D&C 39:6)

The theme here is empowerment with peace, just as it was many generations ago when the Lord spoke to Adam:

1 Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment. (Moses 6:61)

Which brings us back to our beginning, where the Saviour said,

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:26-27)

Enoch’s famous question to the Lord is very relevant here:

29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?

The Lord’s response was different from what one might expect. He did not weep for those who were sinned against, but for those who sinned. He explained,

37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? (Moses 7:28-37)

When I read this story of the burning of women and children, the only way I can wrap my mind around that incident is to combine these two ideas: The righteous shall not taste death, and the Comforter—the Empowerer—administers peace.

I would like to show you three examples of death that is triumph. The first is about Stephen.

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54-60.)

Beginning with verse 55 and continuing until “he fell asleep,” Stephen was no longer in linear time or profane space. Rather, as I understand it, his spirit was in sacred time and sacred space—no doubt aware of the events that were killing his mortal body, and perhaps even of its agony—but the power of his spirit transcended those events and while his body may have responded to the pain, his soul—the real him—felt only sorrow for those who were hurting him.

The deaths of the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum are another example. John Taylor, who was in the jail with Joseph and Hyrum wrote the account published in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 135.

1 To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o’clock p.m., by an armed mob—painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man! Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming: O Lord my God! They were both shot after they were dead, in a brutal manner, and both received four balls. (D&C 135:1)

Some historians have made a great deal out of Joseph’s final words. Because they are the beginning of the Masonic cry for help, they claim this was Joseph’s last-ditch attempt to save his own life. But that notion is contrary to his nature. Many of those involved in his death belonged to the Masons, but there is little contemporary evidence that it was a factor in the murder.

An entirely different explanation for Joseph’s last words is this: As Brigham Young died, his last words were, “Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.” This sounds like a greeting to his dearest friend whom he recognized had come to meet him. Joseph similarly spoke a greeting: “O Lord, My God”—to his dearest friend who had come to meet him. Their friend, John Taylor, described their murders as “brutal,” and they certainly were. But there is no since of feeling the brutality in the last words spoken by either man.

The final example is very personal and sacred to me and to our family. It was written yesterday, at my request, by my favorite Baker cousin, Cheryl Rode. Her father is my Dad’s youngest brother. Daddy was one of those who came to usher her Dad home. Which means, Cheryl was the last person in this world to see my Dad.

The conclusion, if we need a conclusion, is this: Notwithstanding the horror of the situation, I believe that within the flames, there was peace, and that Alma sensed that peace even though the perpetrators of the deed never would.

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FOOTNOTES

{1} Gary A. Anderson, A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance, The Expression of Grief and Joy in Israelite Religion (University Park, Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1991),84, fn. 74. Italics in the original.

{2} Anderson, A Time to Mourn, 84.

{3} Isaiah 40:1-2 is an example. The verses report an event at the Council where God (Elohim) speoke to the Council (the work ye is plural). If one reads “comfort” to mean empower through the coronation ceremony, the verses take on enormous power. The verses read:

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2)

Alma 14:6-7, LeGrand Baker, sin is apostasy against Self

6  And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.
7  And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. And he began to plead for them from that time forth; but they reviled him, saying: Art thou also possessed with the devil? And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them.
8  And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.

Repentance is, and must be, commensurate with the sin. It must also be balanced on the scale of one’s prior knowledge of the seriousness of the sin. John Thompson has pointed out to me that in the Law of Moses, the sin offerings were to make an atonement for sins committed unawares, but there was no sacrifice or offering that made atonement for deliberate sins.

The whole system of salvation for the dead is founded upon the understanding that when one is unaware, one is not irrevocably guilty. But, as this story demonstrates, repentance from deliberate sin is more difficult, and more painful—but also not impossible. Sin is a violation of the law of one’s own being, and that law of self is defined and sustained for each of us by the light of Christ. Sin is an apostasy from what one is, against one’s on sense of right and wrong, and against the common decencies that are inherent in the innate human sense of fair play.

As is often the case, when an individual (or a culture) begins to apostatize from the directives of his own conscience, he also begins to apostatize—and to support the apostasy of others—from the principles of human dignity and decency. Thus, a moral apostasy often results in a political apostasy as well, just as had happened with these people.

The idea of the reality of a political apostasy was first introduced to me by this extraordinary statement by President Wilford Woodruff.

“I will here say, before closing, that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, “You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God.” These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. I thought it very singular, that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them. The thought never entered my heart, form the fact, I suppose, that heretofore our minds were reaching after our more immediate friends and relatives. I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others; I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three; and when their cause is just, somebody will do the work for them.
“I have felt to rejoice exceedingly in this work of redeeming the dead. I do not wonder at President Young saying he felt moved upon to call upon the Latter-day Saints to hurry up the building of these Temples.” (Sunday, September 16, 1877, Journal of Discourses, 19:229)

The Founding Fathers believed that there is an innate sense of right and wrong that is the same in all people, and that the legitimate function of government is to make laws that are consistent with that universal sense of morality: to pass laws making wrong things illegal and to support things that are right. The Declaration of Independence is a catalogue of what they believed were those correct principles, and the Constitution is the functional authority that enabled governmental righteousness.

We (both as individuals and as a society) would do well to maintain intact the standard from which the Founding Fathers refused to apostatize. They believed that no person or government has the right to violate the legitimate sense of self— the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit happiness—of any other human being.

In that regard, these verses in Alma contain another warning that is also relevant to us in our time. Not everything that one’s dominant culture defines as sin is actually a violation of eternal principle. In this story, as is true in many human cultures, people defined good as evil, and evil as good. In our time, we would do well to be watchful that we do not expend our energy fighting against “sin” that is only identified as sin by our culture, but is not a sin in the eyes of God.

Alma 14:1-5, 8-9, 14-16, LeGrand Baker, The Contrast between Good and Evil

1 And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures.
2 But the more part of them were desirous that they might destroy Alma and Amulek; for they were angry with Alma, because of the plainness of his words unto Zeezrom; and they also said that Amulek had lied unto them, and had reviled against their law and also against their lawyers and judges.
3 And they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily.
4 But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land.
5 And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of the land.

…………

8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.
9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.

………………..

14 Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?
15 Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thy faith. And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves?
16 Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who slew Gideon. (Alma 14:1-5, 8-9, 14-16-29)

There is an instructive pattern in Mormon’s writings that helps us understand his intent. That is, he frequently gives us a sermon by one of the Nephite prophets, then follows that by telling a story that expands upon, or illustrates his point. Alma 14 is an example of that pattern. In that chapter, he gives us a vivid conclusion to what Alma has been teaching.

Throughout chapters 12 and 13, Alma taught, in ever expanding examples, the contrast between good and evil. Chapter 12 focuses on the invitation we must accept in order to come into the presence of God, contrasted with the with the consequences of our refusing to accept that invitation. Chapter 13 begins at the Council in Heaven and shows the responsibilities of its members to help others. He contrasts the noble and great ones with those who were not in the Council, and shows that the differences were entirely of their own making.

4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.
5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—

Alma then calls our attention to the earthly attributes of those who had the priesthood at the Council. He does this by discussing the reign and accomplishments of Melchizedek who was both king and high priest. However, Alma does not contrast that with those in this world who reject the principles of salvation and seek to become a law unto themselves (that is, they reject the law that is the Saviour’s gospel, and seek to find some sort of supremacy some other way).

It is Mormon who presents the contrasting example by showing the arguments and methods used by the apostates to subdue and discredit the prophets. Their actions demonstrate what the Saviour explained to Nicodemus, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:20) Mormon gives us a vivid example of those who do not want their deeds exposed to the light. He tells us, “they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness…”

Their accusations against the prophets were consistent with their sidestepping the matter of their own apostasy. Those who had been challenged misrepresented the prophets’ words, “testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them”

Then they did the most heinous thing of all. They sought to prove Alma and Amulek were not true prophets by showing they did not have power to protect other people, or themselves. To do that, they drove the believing men from their homes and property, and “brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also.”

Finally they turned on the prophets themselves. The chief judge “smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?”

By telling this story, Mormon has drawn a sharp contrast between the righteousness of Melchizedek and the evil of Alma’s adversaries, showing that evil to be functionally extreme, but conceptually typical.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

In chapters 12-14, Alma and Mormon also introduced us to the answers to some of human philosophy’s most perplexing questions: What is the origin of evil? and why does God permit it?

Alma’s profound assurance in chapter 13 is one key to those answers: “in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren.” The other key is in B. H. Robert’s discussion about the most fundamental characteristics of an intelligence. He wrote.

He is called an “intelligence;” and this I believe is descriptive of him. That is, intelligence is the entity’s chief characteristic. If this be a true deduction, then the entity must be self- conscious, and “others-conscious,” that is, lie must have the power to distinguish himself from other things-the “me” from the “not me.” He must have the power of deliberation, by which he sets over one thing against another; with power also to form a judgment that this or that is a better thing or state than this or that. Also there goes with this idea of intelligence a power of choosing one thing Instead of another, one state rather than another.{1}

Their key ideas are these: At the beginning of our cognizance we were on an equal standing, and could tell the difference between “me” and “not me.” That knowledge of the difference between “me” and “not me,” imposed upon us our the first and most eternal dilemma: “What is in my best interest and how do secure that objective?”

One possible answer was “It is my best interest to make ‘not me’ subservient to ‘me.” I can use him for my purposes, to gratify my desires, to bring about my own aggrandizement.” If that was the premise on which one built his existence, then he had incorporated into himself the seeds of the most fundamental evil.

If, on the other hand, one aspires to this purpose: “As light, truth, love, and live fuse to produce joy in me, so do they produce joy in others—and the most efficient way of obtaining that joy is to lift others and to be lifted by them, therefore, I will expend my energies to lift others.” If that is the answer by which one seeks to define one’s Self, then he has discovered the way by which he may achieve the ultimate good—which is also the way to achieve ultimate joy.

Those examples are the two extreme ends of the spectrum, the supremely good and the profoundly evil. At one end is celestial glory, with its three degrees of goodness and purity. At the other is the telestial glory with its multiple degrees of fading light and increased darkness. Somewhere in between are the “honorable” people of the world—the terrestrial who are neither full of contempt nor full of love, but are suspended in a kind of disregard—perhaps indifference to others—an unconcern that neither rises to the law of consecration, nor descends into hurtfulness.

Because the powers of the atonement enable us to repent and turn from what we seem to be just now, to what we strive to be, we have the agency to reject mistaken attitudes and actions, and to ultimately become precisely what we choose to become. Therefore, in the end, each of us will become the eternal product of our own making. Examples of the differences are all around us, and are clearly given in the scriptures. Satan epitomized the one extreme when he said “surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. give me thy glory.” (Moses 4:1-3.) Cane brought it to the practicalities of this world.

32 And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him.
33 And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands. (Moses 5:32-33)

In contrast, the Saviour epitomized the other end of the spectrum when he said, “and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.” (3 Nephi 27:13)

Shortly before his death, Peter explained that principle in simple terms, illustrating how one make his calling and election sure:

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience reverence for others; {2}
7 And to reverence brotherly love; {3} and to brotherly love charity. (2 Peter 1:1-11)

Similarly, not long before his death, Mormon taught the same principles to his friends. “Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all,” (Moroni 7:46) And the Saviour summed it all up.

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

– – – – – – – – – –

ENDNOTES

{1} B. H. Roberts, Seventy’s Course in Theology, Second Year (Salt Lake City, Skelton Publishing Co., 1908), 8-9. The following note appears on the title page: “Elder Roberts submitted the following paper to the First Presidency and a number of the Twelve Apostles, none of whom found anything objectionable in It, or contrary to the revealed word of God, and therefore favor its publication.-Editors.”

{2} The King James Version uses the word “godliness,” but the footnote in the LDS Bible suggests that “reverence” might be a more understandable term.

{3} In 2 Peter, the King James Version uses the phrase, “brotherly kindness,” but elsewhere the Greek word is translated as “brotherly love,” which is stronger than “brotherly kindness.”

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:1-4).

Wilfred Griggs once told me that he asked Hugh Nibley if he had ever considered writing a commentary on the gospel of John. Nibley’s response was something like this: “No, I haven’t. It would take 300 or 400 pages, then I would be to verse 5.”

That seems reasonable to me, but I don’t intend to write anywhere near that much. I think the best place to start would be to discuss eternal priesthood in light of the Savior’s Atonement and the place to begin to do that is to review Alma 13:1-21.

Like everything else I write, this is only my opinion, but like my other opinions, I like this one a lot.

Alma’s words to Zeezrom are organized as follows:

Verse 1 — ORDINATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IN HEAVEN. This maps to Abraham 3:23.

Verses 2-5 — FLASHBACK: PRIESTHOOD OF INTELLIGENCES. This maps to Abraham 3:22.

Verses 6-9 — RELATIONSHIP OF THE TWO PREMORTAL PRIESTHOODS

Verses 10-20 — THE MORTAL PRIESTHOOD

In the following quotes, I have put the word “order” in all caps to facilitate reading the texts as a discussion of priesthood orders.

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Verse 1 — ORDINATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IN HEAVEN. This maps to Abraham 3:23.

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
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1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children

In these passages, the word “forward” has two different and opposite meanings. The meanings are made apparent by their contexts. The first “forward” projects our thinking to the distant past, “forward to the time when the Lord God gave [past tense] these commandments unto his children .” The second meaning projects our minds to the future, “in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.”

In order to make the first “forward” fit with the past tense “gave,” all we have to do is read the world’s best English dictionary to discover that Joseph used precisely the right word if he intended to project our thinking toward the very beginning of time. The first definition of “forward” in the Oxford English Dictionary is an absolute vindication of the use of that word with a past tense verb. It reads,

1. In OE [Old English] used in partitive concord: The front part of (any thing material); the first or earliest part of (a period of time, etc.).

Discovering the time frame of the story as “the first or earliest part of time, when the Lord God [Heavenly Father] gave these commandments unto his children” is the key to our understand the rest of the verse, as well as to our understanding the entire chapter.

to the time when the Lord God [Heavenly Father] gave these commandments unto his children [his spirit children];

Before their birth in the spirit world they had been the noble and great intelligences who were organized, probably in priesthood quorums as is suggested further on in chapter 13. They are now his spirit children who were members of the Council in Heaven

“After” is another word that has different meanings and both meanings are used in this chapter. As with forward, the meaning of “after” has to be determined by its context. The usual meaning of after is following — “subsequent to in time, or behind in place.” The other meaning is “in the characteristic manner of.” There is nothing unusual about using the same word with different meanings. After I wrote the sentence about this being my opinion, I was amused to notice that I had used the word “like” three times and with two entirely different meanings.

and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after [in the manner of] his holy ORDER, which was after [following] the ORDER of his Son,

The context insists on those two meanings of “after” The first one clearly says that they were ordained to the priesthood ORDER of the Father. The second “after” has to be a statement of sequence because it would make no sense at all for the Father’s priesthood to be a subset of the ORDER of the Son. So that “after” has to mean “following.”

to teach these things unto the people

Immediately before this, Alma had walked Zeezrom through the steps of the Nephite temple service (Alma 12:28-34). Here, as elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, “these things” is code for that temple drama. However, in this context it is a premortal temple drama (probably the same one Paul describes in Ephesians 1). The Father ordains his “children” to teach to the “people.” “People” and “children” are not the same I thing. At the Council in Heaven, “Children” would be his spirit children and “people” would be those intelligences who had not yet been born into a spirit body. As far as I can tell, this is the same event as is described in Abraham 3:23. The stories are different because in Abraham 3:22 – 4:1 the noble and great ones create the spirit world, while in Alma 13 they are ordained to teach the intelligences how to prepare to inherit that spirit world. (For a discussion of why I think the world described there is the spirit world, go to the scriptures section of this website, then Pearl of Great Price, then Abraham 3:22.)

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Verses 2-5 — FLASHBACK: PRIESTHOOD OF INTELLIGENCES. This maps to Abraham 3:22.

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized [into priesthood quorums] before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
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2 And those priests [the children] were ordained after [in the manner of] the ORDER of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people [intelligences] might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

Their object is to teach the people how to come into the presence of God. That’s what “redemption” means in Ether 3:10-13; 2 Nephi 1:15, 2:3-4; Alma 58:41; Helaman 14:16-18.

3 And this is the manner after which they [the children] were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place [I do not believe that “first place” here is a colloquialism. I read it as meaning FIRST PLACE — that is, when they were intelligences] being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith [pistis — “great faith” would be keeping those covenants with diligence], are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

We learned in verse 2 that “those priests were ordained after the ORDER of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.” Here we are told the purpose of the priesthood to which they were ordained when they were intelligences. This priesthood, after the ORDER of the Son, “was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” As intelligences they have not yet been born as spirit children of our heavenly parents. This priesthood after the ORDER of the Son is to enable them to do that. Their being born into God’s presence as his children was a “preparatory redemption” rather than the final one. The final redemption will come after their resurrection, when they will enter the presence of God and be able to remain there.

4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith [if faith is pistis, as it is elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, then what Alma says is that their calling came because they had kept their covenants], while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds [Alma had just defined a hardness of heart as choosing not to know the “mysteries of God” (Alma 12:9-11)], while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.

This statement, and the explanation that follows express one of the most fundamental and most important principles of the gospel. It reaches back into eternity to the origin of our free agency at the very beginning of our cognizance.

5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren;

If, in the first place they were on the same standing of those who eventually became the noble and great ones, and if they might have had as great privilege as their brethren had they not hardened their hearts, then we must conclude that any differences that developed between them and the noble and great ones were the products of their own choices. That would be equally true for the noble and great as well as for those who were not.

At this juncture Alma calls our minds back to the Council in Heaven in verse 1, where those noble and great ones, who were now spirits, were ordained after the ORDER of the Father.

In the story told by Abraham, that same juncture is tucked away between verses 22 and 23. (Abraham 3:22-23)

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized [into priesthood quorums] before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

There is a spirit birth between these two verses. The noble and great intelligences are next described as “for he stood among those that were spirits.” Spirits are intelligences who now inhabit spirit bodies, just as mortals are intelligences who inhabit both spirit and mortal bodies (see the explanations by B. H. Roberts in this website under “favorite quotes”).

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. [Which “born”? I suspect “both” would be the correct answer.]

Alma continues by merging the qualifications of the earlier priesthood with the qualifications of the order of the Father. The qualifications are “for such as would not harden their hearts.”

The definition of “this holy calling” is “being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son.”

thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—

This new definition brings the meaning of priesthood into sharp focus. It says that the eternal priesthood given to us in various stages is virtually a subset of the Savior’s Atonement. That is easy to understand. The purposes of the Savior’s Atonement and the purposes of priesthood are the same. The object of each is to invite people to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and …. if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot (Moroni 10:32-33).”

Having returned us to the Council in Heaven where he began in verse 1, Alma teaches the responsibility of the holy ORDER of God.

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Verses 6-9 — RELATIONSHIP OF THE TWO PREMORTAL PRIESTHOODS
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6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy ORDER of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

In verses 1-3 we learned that the ORDER of the Son was to teach intelligences how to receive a preparatory redemption. Here we learn that the ORDER of the Father is to “to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest.” So the priesthood they received at the Council extended their responsibility to teach “the children of men” in this world, and with the same purpose: that they also might be redeemed.

We can understand that continuum between premortal and mortal priesthood more easily if we read it in light of Abraham 3: where we learn that Abraham was one who was chosen at the Council to be one of God’s rulers. Later in this chapter Alma tells us that Melchizedek was another.

While Alma draws a distinction between the ORDER of the Son and the ORDER of the Father, he also wants to make sure Zeezrom understands that they are both one eternal priesthood. It is useful for us to understand this relationship by remembering that the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood are the same, yet different. Or a better example is that the offices of elder and high priest in the Melchizedek priesthood are the same, yet different. So in the next three verses Alma calls attention to that intertwined relationship.

7 This high priesthood [ORDER of the Father] being after [following] the ORDER of his Son, which ORDER [of the Father] was from the foundation of the world [when the spirit children, who were members of the Council, created the world]; or in other words, [these two priesthoods] being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—

8 Now they [the ‘children’ whom the Father ordained at the Council] were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy ORDER, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—

9 Thus they become high priests forever, after [following] the ORDER of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

The “Amen” is significant because it is the transition between our premortal priesthood and its continuation into this world where those high priests are to teach “the children of men.” as he mentioned in verse 6.

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Verses 10-20 — THE MORTAL PRIESTHOOD
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10 Now, as I said concerning the holy ORDER, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

11 Therefore they were called after this holy ORDER, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest.

14 Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after [in the manner of] this same ORDER which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood forever.

15 And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes; yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he possessed.

In the next verses, Alma points out that the priesthood we have in this world is the same priesthood we had before, even though we can no longer function in the fullness of that priesthood. A way to understand this is that we have moved out of the time and place where it was appropriate for us to exercise the fullness of our priesthood. Like a bishop who is released from serving in his ward. He is still a bishop but he cannot function in that office. Or like a patriarch who moves from his stake. He is still a patriarch but is not called to give blessings in his new stake. We come into this world as innocent children who have to be nurtured and taught, step by step, how to function here with that priesthood that is appropriate to this time and place.

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it [the earthly Melchizedek priesthood] being a type of his ORDER, or it being his ORDER, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

17 Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness;

18 But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy ORDER of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father.

19 Now, there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention.

20 Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.

From this analysis of the scriptures we have learned the following: The Covenant is between the Father, his Son, and ourselves. The Savior’s is the validation and the fulfillment of that covenant. His Atonement defines the terms. The object is our redemption — to bring as many as will come back into the presence of God. The hope is a product of our own righteousness. It is the assurance we receive that the covenant is real and its object is attainable. The fulfillment of the covenant comes after we have endured to the end.

The priesthood is a gift from God that is, for us, the enabling power by which we can bless others and be blessed by them, with the intent that they and we will enjoy the fulness of the blessings of the Gospel from the beginning of our cognizance, to our resurrection, and beyond.

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