LeGrand L. Baker

Alma 7:4-5 — LeGrand Baker — the reality of Joy.

A friend Lincoln called me this week to tell me he is being baptized. He said to me that I “had a big part in that.” After our brief telephone conversation my soul overflowed with joy, and I just sat here and treasured the feeling. That was a new kind of experience for me. The feeling of joy is not new, but just sitting quietly and consciously appraising and appreciating that feeling was something I had never done before. I truly love that young man. The love was not weakened by the reality that we were separated by many miles just then. My love and his came together in a moment, and, for me, it expressed itself as the overflowing joy I experienced.

There is a strange phrase, repeated twice in Alma 7:5. The words are “joy over you.” Taken out of context that phrase might mean that one rejoices in another’s subservience, but in context it means something very different from that: Alma said to the people of Gideon:

4   But blessed be the name of God, that he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they [the people at Zarahemla] are established again in the way of his righteousness.
5   And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla, for behold, my joy cometh over them after wading through much affliction and sorrow. (Alma 7:4-5)

The same idea is found in the New Testament where the Saviour said:

7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. …
10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:7,10.)

In one of his commentaries, Mormon introduces his story of the Nephite missionaries by describing their joy.

8  And this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy , and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon. And now may the Lord, the Redeemer of all men, bless their souls forever. (Alma 28:8)

It sees that was the kind of joy Alma was talking about. A little further on in his sermon to the people of Gideon, Alma says to them,

17  And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy. (Alma 7:17)

So I have been reflecting on the nature of joy, and would like to tell you some of my thoughts.

The two most dominant characteristics of human life in the world that is now our home are: (1) that each of us is alone; and (2) that each of us is burdened with the need to eat, to find physical and mental rest, and to experience pleasure and avoid pain. How much money one has may change the focus of those needs, but ultimately, our experiences here are about the same. We will all die, and when we do the pain will pass, but the experiences — and the way we responded to them — will remain part of us. I have an aunt who was quite wealthy, who felt that her social position required that she not admit to her friends that she was a member of the Church. Her life was a relentless quest to demonstrate that she had purpose and worth. Her tragedy was that she sought to establish her eternal value on ephemeral successes that people only briefly cared about. Like her, for many of the people who live on this earth, the phrase “a lonely, dreary world” is the best way to describe our existence. I suspect that most of the sin that happens in this world comes from an uninformed or unscrupulous attempt to overcome the loneliness and dreariness of this life. That is unfortunate, but is also a testimony of the need for missionary work among the dead.

In reality — whether this world’s reality or the next — the loneliness can only be overcome by love, and the dreariness must be vanquished by hope, which is the assurance of eternal love. In many places in the scriptures love is called joy. That is reasonable to me, because, as far as I can tell, they are the same thing. Love describes what one gives to others. Joy describes what remains behind for one’s Self.

Neither love nor joy can be described that simply. For example, Alma’s discussion of Joy is quite complex.

It seems that Alma is doing what we all so often do. That is, he is using the same word to represent two different concepts. “Joy” is the word he uses to describe his feeling “after wading through much affliction and sorrow.” But “joy” is also the word that he uses to represent his feelings toward the righteous people of Gideon who caused no such sorrow. I suspect the difference is this: In the first instance, joy seems to be a description of an event that followed his sorrow. In the second, joy is not an event, rather it is a quality of life. I have observed that the scriptures frequently use that word both ways.

Because all normal humans experience mood swings, we usually think of joy as representing the times when our moods are high. Thus, for people who live in a lonely dreary world, joy is an event to be sought after and remembered.

But for Latter-day Saints, as one learns more and more how to live by the Spirit, the opposite becomes true. Joy as the quality of life that admits to, but is independent from, those normal human mood swings. When joy is the norm, sorrow becomes only an event. For such people, when joy is described as a special event. It is often called “exceedingly great joy.”

I would like to examine the scriptural meaning of Joy as a quality of life.

Optimistic personalities tend to slide over difficulties more easily than people who are more pessimistic. But optimism is not the sort of thing I am discussing here. What I am talking about is the kind of joy that displaces loneliness and sorrow, notwithstanding one’s propensity to be either optimistic or pessimistic. That kind of joy was the power that sustained the Saviour, Abinadi, the Prophet Joseph, and the “ordinary” people who died — and those who nearly froze to death — in the pioneer handcart companies. It is the kind of joy that comes from the Holy Ghost — that gives meaning to his name, the Comforter.

Lehi pointed out that there must be opposition in all things. He also said “man is that he might have joy.” Those are both eternal truths, though I don’t suppose anyone enjoys experiencing the negative side of that equation. We often quote different parts of what Lehi said as though they were independent thoughts, but notice how he welds them together into a single coherent unit:

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. …. And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. …. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2)

I take it that “captivity and death” is something like a never-satisfied need to overcome loneliness and dreariness by seeking in one’s self to validate and display one’s purpose and worth — a tragic kind of ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth.

I take it that absolute freedom is knowing the Saviour so that one can define one’s Self in terms of the Saviour’s love, and loving others with that same kind of love — knowing one’s Self, the Saviour and others in truth — in sacred time — as we are, as we were, and as we are to be. Only knowing in truth empowers one to experience — to be a personification of — liberty and eternal life.

And I take it that the ultimate consequence of exercising such freedom is to have joy in this life and to be able to say, with Lehi, “the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.”

Mostly from my reading D&C 88 and 93, I concluded some time ago that we are made of the light that emanates from the Saviour’s person, and are sustained by the love that also emanates from the Saviour. His truth, light, and love fill the imensity of space. So they either occupy the same space at the same time, or his truth, light and his love are simply different words that describe the same thing. So if light is tangible, love must be also. I wrote about that not long ago, and included a quote from President McKay that talks about the goodness that radiates from each person. My understanding of what President McKay wrote is that the light/love that one radiates envelops one’s person and defines one’s Self. It is that light-love-extension of one’s Self that communicates with others. If that is so, then love/light is a tangible thing. Even though it is more refined than most eyes can see, it is something we can feel when we are in the presence of others. When one feels it within one’s Self, we call it joy.

If what I have written it true, then truth, light, love, and joy are simply different words that describe the same thing. As a single unit, they are called peace, and one who exudes those qualities is called a peacemaker in the Beatitudes, and peaceable in Moroni 7. That describes the essence of what such people really are, and is therefore the dominant quality of their lives.

When one walks alone in this lonely, dreary world, one’s path winds through the valley of the shadow of death. For such people, sorrow, uncertainty, and aloneness are the conditions of life. Then happiness and joy are the treasured events that break the monotony of the toil.

But when one has the hope of a testimony of the Saviour, then joy, love, and peace are the condition of one’s life. For such a one, sorrow is only an intruding event. Thus Alma reports that he experienced sorrow because the people of Zarhamla did not keep the Lord’s commandments. That event for Alma was followed by one of great joy when the people repented. But the normal continuity of the quality of Alma’s life was the joy exemplified in his relationship with the people of Gideon.

The psalmist acknowledged this dichotomy when he wrote,

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy,
because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. (Psalms 5:11-12.)

The commandment is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” (Luke 10:27)

When that love is a shared reality, each person rests within the light and beneath the canopy of the other’s love. Then Alma’s words are not a metaphor but a reality when he expressed his joy over the people of Gideon.

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I do not know that is what Alma meant when he spoke those words, but that is what his words caused me to think about. In order to confirm and refine my thoughts, I did a scriptural word search on joy, and found dozens of references. I disregarded the ones that said things like “we had great joy when we won the battle,” and kept only the ones that seemed to talk about the two kinds of joy Alma was expressing.

Then I discovered there were three, and divided them into these categories: Joy as a condition of life and exceedingly great joy. The third category associates joy with the temple — which is credited in the scriptures as being the root of true joy. The scriptures in that last group usually do not actually contain the word temple, but they do contain temple code words, like mountain, path, way, prosper, garments, and so forth. Rather than burden you in this little essay by quoting bunches of those scriptures, but still wanting to share them with you, I have included them as an attachment. If you have the time to consider them, I think you will find it worth your while. I have also added President McKay’s statement on the back of this letter.

(For a further discussion see: Helaman 12:24 — LeGrand Baker — grace for grace.

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ATTACHMENT:

“Radiation of the Individual”

by President David O. McKay

The Instructor, October, 1964, p. 373-374.

     “Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is. Every person is a recipient of radiation. The Saviour was conscious of that. Whenever He came into the pres­ence of an individual, He sensed that radiation — whether it was the woman of Samaria with her past life: whether it was the woman who was to be stoned, or the men who were to stone her; whether it was the statesman, Nicodemus, or one of the lepers. He was conscious of the radiation from the individual. And to a degree so are you. and so am I. It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us.
     “As individuals, we must think nobler thoughts. We must not encourage vile thoughts or low aspirations. ­We shall radiate them if we do. If we think noble thoughts; if we encourage and cherish noble aspirations, there will be that radiation when we meet people, especially when we associate with them.
     “As it is true of the individual. so it is true of the home. Our homes radiate what we are, and that radiation comes from what we say and how we act in the home. No member of this Church — husband, father — has the right to utter an oath in his home, or ever to express a cross word to his wife or to his children. You cannot do it as a man who holds the priesthood and be true to the spirit within you by your ordination and your responsibility. You should contribute to an ideal home by your character, con­trolling your passion, your temper, guarding your speech, because those things will make your home what it is and what it will radiate to the neighbor­hood.

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SCRIPTURES THAT TALK ABOUT JOY

In these scriptures, “joy” is greater than the feeling of joy that is the norm of one’s life:

1 Nephi 16:4-6, Isaiah 66:5, Matthew 28:5-9, Luke 6:20-23, Luke 24:33-41, 1 Nephi 8:11-12, 1 Nephi 19:11, Enos 1:1-4, Mosiah 4:3-4, Mosiah 4:11, Mosiah 4:20-21, Mosiah 5:2-5, Alma 13:21-22, Alma 16:15-17, Alma 17:1-2, Alma 26:10-13, Alma 26:30-31, Alma 26:35-37, Alma 27:17-20, Alma 27:25-26, Alma 28:14, Alma 29:1-17, Alma 30:34-35, Alma 32:6-7, Alma 56:1-57, Alma 57:25, Alma 57:35-36, Alma 62:1, Helaman 5:43-49, Helaman 6:3-4, Helaman 7:1, Alma 19:1-7, Alma 19:13-14, Helaman 16:13-14, 3 Nephi 4:31-33, 3 Nephi 10:10-11,

These scriptures suggest that joy is not an ephemeral thing that comes on occasion and then pass away, but a permanent condition of the soul:

Alma 33:1-13, Alma 22:15, Alma 48:11-13, Helaman 3:32-35, Alma 4:11-14, Psalms 30:2-12, Job 38:1-7, 2 Nephi 9:17-20, [Nephi’s words echo the sentiments of the 16^th Psalm Neither insist on delaying that joy until after this life, but rather suggest that joy is a condition of this life as well] Psalms 16:9-11,

These scriptures identify joy with the temple, but most do not mention the temple. Rather joy is associated with temple code words.

(1 Nephi 2:19-24.)

[In both the Psalms and the BofM, “prosper” is a code word, whose opposite is to be cut off from the presence of the Lord.]

19 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.[the land of promise is also code]

21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler [king] and a teacher [priest] over thy brethren.

(2 Nephi 1:20-21.)

20 And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

(Alma 38:1-3.)

1 My son, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence.

2 And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.

3 I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites.

(Isaiah 61:1-3.)

[from the context of D&C 138:42, we learn that Isaiah 61 is about vicarious temple work for the dead. This is the only place in the Old Testament where the ancient Israelite coronation ceremony is described. It is significant to me that in that description, Isaiah uses the same kind of contrasting ideas as Lehi when he writes that there must be opposition in all things.]

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

[To comfort is to bring about an end of sorrow. Here Isaiah writes that comfort is given through empowerment, and the empowerment is the coronation ceremony used in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, and modern England. As is shown in v. 3, the ceremony consisted of a washing, anointing, clothing, and receiving a new name. The Saviour paraphrased this promise of coronation in the Beatitudes when he said “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.]

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes [Ashes signify sorrow or repentance. The removal of the ceremonial ashes required a ceremonial washing], the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

[verse 10 is a marriage hymn sung by the dead.]

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

(Isaiah 55:8-13.)

[there is always a new name associated with a new covenant, such as when we are baptized we take upon us the name of the Saviour. That is what happens in v. 13]

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

(Matthew 25:20-23.)

20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

(John 15:1-11.)

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

(John 17:9-15.)

[to “come unto Christ” is a temple experience, abiding in his presence is a perpetuation of that.]

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

(1 Nephi 13:37)

37 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

(2 Nephi 8:1-3.)

[This sounds like Abraham 1:2, where Abraham says, “finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness,”]

1 Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness. Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged.

2 Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, she that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him.

3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

(Isaiah 51:1-3.)

1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

(2 Nephi 27:28-30.)

[Ipresume the “meek” and the “poor” mentioned here are the same as those referred to in the Beatitudes and in D&C 88: 17-18 “…it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it. Therefore, it {the earth} must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory”]

28 But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts: I will show unto the children of men that it is yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest.

29 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.

30 And the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

(Isaiah 29:18-19.)

18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

(Mosiah 3:1-4.)

1 And again my brethren, I would call your attention, for I have somewhat more to speak unto you; for behold, I have things to tell you concerning that which is to come.

2 And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me.

3 And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.

4 For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.

(Mosiah 3:13.)

13 And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them.

(Isaiah 52:7-10.)

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

(Mosiah 12:21-23.)

21 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;

22 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;

23 Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem;

(Mosiah 15:29-31.)

29 Yea, Lord, thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

30 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

31 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

(Alma 31:36-38.)

36 Now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

37 And after that they did separate themselves one from another, taking no thought for themselves what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on.

38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

(3 Nephi 12:10-12.)

10 And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;

12 For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.

(Alma 36:17-26.)

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;

26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

(Psalms 43:4.)

4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

(Psalms 5:11-12.)

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joy ful in thee.

(Psalms 27:6.)

[This can be taken as nice poetry, or it can be taken as having a literal meaning. Notwithstanding the Law of Moses, the required sacrifice then was the same as it is now: a broken heart and a contrite spirit. (Ps 34:18, 51:19)]

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

(Psalms 21:1-2.)

[This psalm appears to be a prayer spoken before the veil. It begins:]

1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips.

[The person then comes into the presence of the Lord and receives a promise of personal invulnerability. As is often so in the Psalms, that promise in couched in military terms.]

Alma 7:1 — LeGrand Baker — Alma’s ‘language’

Alma 7:1
1    Behold my beloved brethren, seeing that I have been permitted to come unto you, therefore I attempt to address you in my language; yea, by my own mouth, seeing that it is the first time that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth, I having been wholly confined to the judgment-seat, having had much business that I could not come unto you. (Alma 7:1)

Every once in a while, one bumps into a statement in the Book of Mormon that seem to make no sense. The way we usually handle it is to superimpose our own preconceptions upon it, and read on without ever noticing that we have come head-on with an incredibly meaningful insight. This verse contains one of those. The words say: “therefore I attempt to address you in my language; yea, by my own mouth, seeing that it is the first time that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth.” That sounds funny, but we can read it as, “I’m glad to be here so I speak to you personally.” It works, so we read on, not noticing the bump.

The truth is, it doesn’t make much sense the way Alma said it, unless we assume the people of Zarahemla and the people of Gideon spoke different languages. Historically there was some possible truth to that. The people of Zarahemla did speak a different Hebrew dialect when they were discovered by Mosiah I. Then he taught them to speak, read and write his kind of Hebrew. But that was four generations before Alma II came to Gideon. By that time it is extremely unlikely that there was actually a language barrier between the two communities.

So one might ask, “If Alma didn’t mean that, why did he say it?” I suspect the answer is not found in the words he used, so much as in the way he used them—and probably not so much in his ability to speak, but rather in his audience’s ability to listen.

This audience is markedly different from the one to whom he spoke in Zarahemla. There were members and non-members of his church in that audience. But the one at Gideon is a priesthood meeting. That is made clear by his addressing them as “my beloved brethren.” In the Book of Mormon that phrase is almost always used referring to a priesthood congregation and the sermon is almost always temple-covenant setting. This is a temple covenant audience. That is clarified in the last verse where Alma says, “may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon… your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever.” (v. 27) (A fun exercise is to collect all the places in the Book of Mormon that refer to temple marriage.)

More about Alma’s audience can be found in v. 17-19 & 26. Those verses also help one understand what Alma meant by “my language.” And again the definition of the language is found in the identification of the audience. While the following verses do not actually talk about the language itself, they do say why Alma is so comfortable in speaking that language in the company of those men.

17  And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.
18  For as I said unto you from the beginning, that I had much desire that ye were not in the state of dilemma like your brethren, even so I have found that my desires have been gratified.
19  For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.….
26  And now my beloved brethren, I have spoken these words unto you according to the Spirit which testifieth in me; and my soul doth exceedingly rejoice, because of the exceeding diligence and heed which ye have given unto my word (Alma 3:17-19 & 26).

So we have in these two sermons expressing two contrasting sentiments, spoken to two different kinds of audiences. The question is: Why did Mormon select these two sermons, and why are their differences important for us to know?

I am not privy to Mormon’s thinking, but I would like to venture a guess.

The undergirding fact of the Book of Mormon is that Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni know us. They know our opportunities and our challenges, and above all else, they knew that we have the fulness of the gospel with all of its requisite priesthood ordinances, covenants, and blessings. Knowing that probably answers our question.

Mormon selected stories and sermons from primary sources that stretched over a thousand years of Nephite history. He used only the stories that fit into his sub-textual order that was patterned after the ancient Israelite temple rites of the New Year’s festival. But he arranged those stories in their obvious chronological order to create a wonderfully profound history for anyone to read. He inserted sermons into that history to fit correctly in the sub-textual order.

In the chronology by the time we get to the book of Alma, Mormon has brought the people out of the wilderness where the first generation of church members had covenanted to live the law of consecration. Now their children and grandchildren are living comfortably and peacefully in Zarahemla and its environs. That is the context of Alma 5 and 7. It seems to me that the two sermons he chose to insert into the history at this point fit perfect into its sub-textual context — especially if the story and the sermons are addressed to us. For those of us who try to get by and believe that the Lord will somehow let us into the Celestial Kingdom because we keep enough of the commandments to have a current temple recommend, Alma 5 is very applicable. For those of us who seek to live all the covenants made and understood by the fathers, Alma 7 is a statement of hope.

I suspect that’s why Mormon placed these contrasting sermons for us to read side by side.

Alma 5:61-61 — LeGrand Baker — Book of Life in John’s Revelation

We begin with Alma 5:61-21.There are three things in these verses that strike me as especially important. One is Alma’s conclusion where he reiterates the authority with which he speaks to the members of the Church, but does not impose himself upon those who are not members of the Church:

61 And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.
62 I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

The other two are: (1 ) his references to the temple text in Isaiah 52, and (2) these words: “For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand.” This is the only place in the Book of Mormon where the phrase “book of life” is used.

I would like to discuss both of those last two.

– – – – – – – – – – – –

(1 ) ALMA’S REFERENCES TO THE TEMPLE TEXT IN ISAIAH 52,

Alma’s charge: “be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things,” is a paraphrase of Isaiah’s

Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.(Isaiah 52:11)

Isaiah 52 is probably the most frequently quoted scriptures in the scriptures. It is quoted in every one of the standard works except the Pearl of Great Price whose Old Testament portions pre-date Isaiah. (Lamentations 4:15; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 1 Nephi 13:37; Mosiah 12:20-23, 15:14-18; 3 Nephi 20:29-46; Moroni 10:28-34; D&C 128:19.) The most recognizable phrase from that chapter is, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” Abinadi equates the persons described here to the Saviour, the prophets, and those who follow the prophets. I believe it is the promise of sacral kingship to the righteous. The mountain would of course be the mount in Jerusalem where the Temple stood. The feet probably refer to the king’s using the Ark of the Covenant as his footstool when he sat upon the throne of Jehovah in the Holy of Holies after his coronation at the conclusion of the New Year festival. A related verse that is deleted from the Bible’s Isaiah chapter 49, but is restored in the First Nephi version reads:

13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. (1 Nephi 21:13)

So, it is apparent to me that Isaiah 52 is about the ordinances that consecrate priests and sacral kings. If that is correct, then Alma’s using Isaiah’s temple text in the context of his own speech consists perfectly with the message he is delivering:

57 And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;
58 For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled. (Alma 5:57-58)

The Good Shepherd is the Saviour, and following him suggests both ritual and personal attitudes and actions. “Be ye separate” is an invitation to become Zion—notwithstanding the “real world” that is all around us. “Touch not their unclean things” is part of Isaiah’s temple text.” “Name” has a covenant referent because new covenants always have new names. “For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand,” is the conclusion of his sermon, and carries the whole burden of what has gone before it.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

(2) THE BOOK OF LIFE

The major source of information about the book of life is found in Revelation. About that, the Prophet wrote:

6 And further, I want you to remember that John the Revelator was contemplating this very subject in relation to the dead, when he declared, as you will find recorded in Revelation 20:12—And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which werewritten in the books, according to their works.
7 You will discover in this quotation that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life; but the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works; consequently, the books spoken of must be the books which contained the record of their works, and refer to the records which are kept on the earth. And the book which was the book of life is the record which is kept in heaven; the principle agreeing precisely with the doctrine which is commanded you in the revelation contained in the letter which I wrote to you previous to my leaving my place—that in all your recordings it may be recorded in heaven. (D&C 128:8-7)

With that as a key, that is, knowing that “the book which was the book of life is the record which is kept in heaven,” one is now equipped to analyze what is written about it in Revelation. It is first mentioned as part of the seven letters the apostle John wrote to the seven churches.

Understanding that in the full context of all seven letters is important:

In the first letter, John commends the Ephesians for their obedience:

3 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (Rev 2:2-3).

Then he promises:

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (v. 7)

The sacrificers of the Smymains is the subject of the second letter:

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty….
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (v. 9-11)

He accused the people of Pergamos of eating things sacrificed unto idols, and of committing fornication. Then he promised:

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (v. 17)

To the church in Thyatira he wrote: wrote:

19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; (v. 19)

He promised them sacral kingship:

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
19 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (v26-29)

To the church in Sardis he wrote:

4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Rev. 3: 4)

To them he promised:

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (v. 5-6)

To the people in Philadelphia he defined the Saviour in terms of the sealing powers:

7 These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (v. 7-8)

To them he promised:

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world….
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (v. 10-13)

To the Laodiceans he wrote:

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (v. 19-20)

And he promised.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (v. 21-22)

After this, the Book of Revelation frequently mentions that one’s inclusion in the book of life is a major criterion upon which one is judged. (Revelation 13: 8; 17:8; 20:11-15; 21:27; 22:19)

In D&C 132:19 the Lord uses the same criterion to define those who will go to the Celestial Kingdom. The Lord opens the revelation that is section 88 with different words, yet that difference seems to help to clarify the meaning of the book of life:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you who have assembled yourselves together to receive his will concerning you:
2 Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded in the book of the names of the sanctified, even them of the celestial world. (D&C 88:1-2.)

Alma’s words are perfectly consistent with what the other scriptures say about the book of life.

58  For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled. (Alma 5:58)

It is interesting, perhaps significant, that there is no reference to the book of life in our Old Testament. That makes Alma’s reference to the book of life the oldest we have in the scriptures. Yet, because he mentions it without describing what it is, it is apparent that both he and his listeners were well acquainted with its meaning. That is just one more evidence that the brass plates contained a much richer and more comprehensive understanding of the gospel than our Old Testament, and gives further credence to the notion that the earliest version of the Law of Moses focused on the Saviour and his atonement.

Alma 5:49-56 — LeGrand Baker — Alma and Psalm 82

This is the background from which I believe these verses in Alma were spoken:

First, the evidence is that the Law of Moses that the Book of Mormon people were living was not the same as the Law of Moses that is in our Bible (See the discussion of the Jewish apostasy in Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord). There are two reasons for that assumption. First, Nephi says the Law taught about the Saviour and his atonement. That is not very apparent in the version of the Law we have in our Old Testament. Second, I believe (as Mowinckel and other great biblical scholars have insisted) that the most important ceremonies that were practiced during the time of Solomon’s Temple (those scholars call it the New Year’s festival), were edited out of the books of Moses and the Law, after the Jews returned from Babylon, and no longer had a king, and had apostatized from the old religion. Those scholars say that the Psalms are the words of the hymns sung during the New Year festival, and that after the Babylonian captivity the arrangement of the Psalms was changed so that it was no longer possible to read them in their original order and discover the story they once told. So by my saying that I believe the Book of Mormon people had the Law as it was practice before Lehi left Jerusalem, I am also saying I believe that the New Year’s festival was a part of their temple ceremonies, that they used the psalms in their original order, including the psalms like 22, which truly do testify of the Saviour and his atonement.

If one can assume, as I do, that they were conducting a new year’s festival as it was in the old world, and if the psalms were the text of that endowment ceremony, then Psalm 82 would have been familiar to them. If it was, and if it represented the covenants they had made at the Council in Heaven, and their renewing those covenants here on earth, then what Alma is doing in these verses is accusing the members of his audience of violating their sacred and eternal covenants.

Psalm 82 was a scene in a play that was performed during the Feast of Tabernacles Temple Drama. This scene takes place in the Celestial Temple where Elohim is giving instructions to the members of the Council. The instructions are in the form of a covenant that is confirmed by the Council in the last verse.

The occasion represents the time when Elohim met with the members of the Council – when “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.” To “judge” means the same in our language as in Hebrew: i.e. it may mean to condemn, or it may mean to justify, or to choose (like in an apple pie contest). Most scholars select the definition that suggests God is condemning the bad gods because of the conclusion of Elohim’s words that they will die like men. But I don’t believe that interpretation is true. The reason is that if one uses the interpretation of “to choose” then Psalm 82 fits perfectly into the story told in Abraham where, “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…” (Abraham 3:23) If that is correct, then the statement that they will die like men, is only a promise that there is a way provided so they can leave this world like other people do. Death, after all, is one of the greatest blessings of the atonement.

Let me show you what happens if one reads Abraham 3 and Psalm 82 together. They are the same story, except in the psalm we find more detail than we do in Abraham. One can drop the 82nd psalm into the Book of Abraham at that point without breaking the cadence of the Abraham account.

Like other psalms, Psalm 82 is introduced by a narrator (or a chorus, as in a Greek play). In the first verse, the narrator describes what is happening, then Elohim speaks to the members of the Council. After that, in the last verse, the Council responds. In my imagination, I am not sure how this was presented to the audience, it seems like there are two likely possibilities. Either there were persons on the stage who represented the Council, or else the audience itself represented the Council. I am strongly inclined to believe the latter. In the latter case it would have been the members of the audience who made the covenant in verse 8.

Let’s examine the psalm, and I’ll show you what happens when we put it in the Abraham account, and we will compare it to what Alma is saying.

The 82nd psalm reads:

Introduction by the narrator or chorus:

1     God standeth in the congregation of the mighty;
he judgeth among the gods.

Instructions given by Elohim:

2     How long will ye judge unjustly,
and accept the persons of the wicked?
3     Defend the poor and fatherless:
do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4     Deliver the poor and needy:
rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5     They know not, neither will they understand;
they walk on in darkness:
all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6     I have said, Ye are gods;
and all of you are children of the most High.
7     But ye shall die like men,
and fall like one of the princes.

The members of the Council respond by making a covenant with Elohim:

8     Arise, O God, judge the earth:
for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Now let’s look at it more carefully. In the first verse of Psalm 82, our narrator is on stage again explaining what is happening.

1.     God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

The Hebrew word here translated “God” is Elohim, who is the Father of the gods who are the members of the Council. They are called the noble and great ones in Abraham 3, and “the gods” in Abraham 4 and 5.

After the narrator’s introduction, Elohim gives the gods instructions about how they are to conduct themselves when they go to the earth. He begins by warning them of a major danger they will face when they come go down to this world. As children, they will grow up in societies where they will be taught to pay homage to wealthy and powerful people. Human cultures teach that prestige, money, education, and fancy toys are evidence that one is in good with God. He warns them that they must shake off that teaching before they can fulfill their priesthood assignments.

2.     How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?

If this psalm was a part of a stage presentation, and represented instructions given at the Council in Heaven, then, for the audience, it would have been part of a symbolic sode experience. The language implies they have already judged unrighteously, but if, as I believe, this was instructions about how they are to conduct themselves when they get to this world, then it begins by pointing out what always happens in this world. The Hebrew word translated persons means “face,” and in this context “persons” means about the same thing as “persona,” which is a facade behind which people hide their true selves. So “persons of the wicked” refers to the false fronts people project for other people to see—which in most cultures is what other people tend to admire. So, implicitly what the psalm says is this: “When you get to that earth your culture will teach you that you should judge people by the correctness of their speech, their wealth, education, and expensive toys, but you must learn that is not the way to judge.” This is very important in priesthood matters, for to be a righteous judge is the greatest power and most lasting obligation of sacral kingship. These members of the Council were kings already – they are called “rulers” and “gods.” But when they get to the earth they will be as vulnerable as everyone else to letting worldly values get in the way of their righteous judgements. In addition to warning them about how not to judge, the Father instructs his sons that they must judge in mercy, kindness, charity. Those are the things everyone must do, but for the gods, no matter what other specific individual assignment they might have, to judge righteously is the most important thing of all, because it is the foundation of all else they will do.

The Father’s instructions continue:

3-4.     Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

After the instructions about how to judge, came the reason: the gods will be expected to be spiritual and political anchors to the people, and as such they must first of all be servants. Like everyone else on the earth, the people whom they serve will have forgotten their glorious past in the pre-mortal world. They will stumble in the darkness of their forgetfulness. Some of the people in this world will deeply resent the help the noble and great ones seek to give. But that resentment will not excuse the gods from doing their duty. The people on earth must be helped—but not just helped—they must be helped with great compassion. The Father reminds his sons,

5     They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

Being one whose primary function is to show compassion can be scary—in fact it can be really dangerous. Elohim reminds his sons that in our world they will be subjected to persecution—even death—but their suffering those things may be an integral part of their assignment. They are gods, but they will all die: some will use up their lives in the service to others; while others, like Abinadi and the Prophet Joseph, will die like princes in battle, sealing their testimonies with their own blood.

6-7     I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

At this point in the play those representing the members of Council respond. They invite their Father to stand as a token of the covenant they are about to make. (For an example of the practice of standing to make covenant see 2 Kings 23:1-3.) Then, in unison they each swear to fulfill his own assignment in order that the Father’s purposes may be accomplished among all people. They say,

8     Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Some scholars believe that these ceremonies were not just watched by the audience, but that the audience actually participated in the ceremonies themselves. In that case, the Father would have been addressing the congregation; it would have been the people in the congregation who spoke the last covenant words of the psalm. If so, that covenant would have been made between God and every individual person in the congregation.

Now consider how that fits into the story told by Abraham 3:22-4:1.

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; 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. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
[Instructions given by Elohim:]
How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness:
all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

[The members of the Council respond by making a covenant with Elohim:]

Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. and he [God] saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him. And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they (that is the Gods) organized and formed the heavens and the earth. (Abraham 3:22-4:1.)

Now read our verses in Alma 5, and notice how closely Alma follows the ideas represented in the covenant that is the 82nd Psalm.

49     And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.
50     Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.
51     And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.
52     And again I say unto you, the Spirit saith: Behold, the ax is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, yea, a fire which cannot be consumed, even an unquenchable fire. Behold, and remember, the Holy One hath spoken it.
53     And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?
54     Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—
55     Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?
56     And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent. (Alma 5:49-56.)

If, as I believe, Alma is not just telling the people they must not turn their backs on the poor, but he is actually accusing them of violating their temple covenants, then that helps explain why, in the verses immediately preceding these, he stressed the priesthood authority by which he is addressing them. He warned people very pointedly that if they didn’t remember and keep their covenants, the Lord will neither trifle with them nor disregard their negligence.

Alma 5:44 — LeGrand Baker — meaning of ‘Christ Jesus’

Alma 5:44
44 For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.

Two weeks ago, Kirt wrote:

       I have a question that maybe someone in the project can answer for me. The name of the Savior being presented in the scriptures as “Christ Jesus” instead of “Jesus Christ” has often subtly caught my attention. Following the Gospel Doctrine lesson on Alma 5, my curiosity was peaked because Alma uses the name of the Savior in this reverse order in verse 44. “For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.” This, in fact, is the only verse in the Book of Mormon that sequences the name Christ before the name Jesus. It is stated as such numerous times in the New Testament – In many places, the name “Christ Jesus” is mentioned in the same verse as the name “Jesus Christ,”
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:1-3.)
And
1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2.)
The fact that the two sequences appear so close to each other in these verses seems to indicate that the writer has a purpose in differentiating between the two titles. One pattern I’’ve noticed is that the title “Christ Jesus” is often preceded by the word “in,” possibly identifying the Savior as the covenantal source. Beyond that, I’m at a loss. Any guidance would be appreciated.

– – – – – – – – – – – – My response:

“Jesus” is the Greek form of “Joshua” – a Hebrew word that means “Jehovah-saved” (Strong # 3091). So the name “Jesus” is a combination of his pre-mortal name (Jehovah) and his post-mortal title (“the one who saved,” or “Saviour”). Elis Rasmussen, my friend and neighbor, who is a former Dean of Religion at BYU, translates “Joshua” or “Jesus” as simply “Saviour,” and The LDS Bible dictionary gives the same definition.

From the New Testament, we learn that Jesus was given that name by the angel who spoke to Mary.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. (Luke 1:30-31.)

But from the Book of Mormon, we learn that this was his name or name-title before he was born.

A name-title is a name by which someone is known, but which is actually a title rather than a name. For example, “the President,” or “Mr. President” are name-titles of anyone who serves as president of the United States. “The Prophet Joseph” is a name-title. “Jehovah” is the covenant name that Abraham’s God taught Moses, and is used as a token of God’s covenantal relationship with the nation of Israel. After the Lord made that covenant with Moses, “Jehovah” was used in the Old Testament as the Saviour’s name-title. It is also the name-title we use to refer to the Saviour in his pre-mortal role at the Council in Heaven.

When the Saviour introduced himself to the Brother of Jared, he said,

14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. (Ether 3:14.)

And Nephi learned that name from an angel.

19 For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (2 Nephi 25:19.)

That statement by Nephi is very interesting because both the words “Messiah” and “Christ” are used together. That may be a clue to the answer to Kirt’s question. “Messiah” is the name-title used in the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon; while “Christ” is the New Testament name-title used to describe the Saviour’s fulfillment of those prophecies. It would be interesting to know if Nephi used the word “Messiah” twice in that passage and if the second one were translated “Christ” for the sake of modern readers.

“Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Messiah.” Both words mean “the anointed one,” and is a reference to an anointing with olive oil, which was the culmination of the coronation ceremonies of both kings and high priests in ancient Israel. (Isaiah 61:3; 2 Kings 11:12; Exodus 29:22; Exodus 40:13; Leviticus 21:10. In some of the psalms and other Old Testament passages the anointed king of Israel is referred to as the “messiah.”)

The scriptures testify of the Saviour’s having received such a royal anointing in the pre-mortal existence. (Psalm 45:7-8, quoted by Paul in Hebrews 1:9; Isaiah 61:1 clarified and quoted by Joseph F. Smith in D&C 138: 42). And Peter testifies that the Saviour received an anointing in this world at the time of his baptism. “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power…”(Acts 10:38)

There are a number of reasons to believe that “Jesus Christ” is a name-title, rather than a given name.

It is apparent from the gospels that “Jesus Christ” was not the name by which the Saviour was know when he walked on the earth as a man.

Matthew opens his gospel with the words, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” ( Matthew 1:1). Mark opens his with “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;” (Mark 1:1) but otherwise, the name-title “Jesus Christ” is not found in any of the synoptic gospels. Luke does not use it at all. John uses it only twice. Once as part of a very formal statement which is the testimony of John the Baptist.

15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:15-17)

And the other as an equally formal statement by the Saviour himself.

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:1-5)

Before his resurrection, the name-title “Jesus Christ” is not used in the New Testament, except for the two instances in John. Rather, every time the Saviour is referred to by the authors of the gospels, they call him “Jesus.” Within the gospels others refer to him as the “son of David,” which is a reference to his inherited kingship, and may be roughly equivalent to “messiah”; and the Saviour refers to himself as the “Son of Man” – which appears also to have been equivalent to “Messiah” because it establishes his relationship to his Eternal Father, the Man of Holiness.” (Moses 6:57)

All that suggests that to his contemporaries in and around Jerusalem, his name was “Jesus,” and it was not until after his death and resurrection that the title “Christ” was added by his apostles as a name-title.

So it seems safe to assert that “Christ” (Messiah) was not a part of Jesus’ given name, but is his royal name-title that signifies that he is the Anointed Son of His Father and heir to his Father’s throne. From that, I assume that the words “Jesus Christ” means “Jesus the Anointed One,” and is thus an acknowledgment of his earthly, and eternal, kingship and priesthood.

What I am now going to suggest is that while “Jesus Christ” is his name plus his title, that when the words are reversed – “Christ Jesus” – that combination is actually a different name-title. That is, that in the reversed “Christ Jesus,” the word “Jesus” is intended to convey the actual meaning of the word Joshua – “Jehovah saves” – and therefore the phrase “Christ Jesus” means “the Anointed Jehovah who saved” – and I suppose that, in turn, should be understood to mean “The anointed King and High Priest, Jehovah who saves” or more simply, “the Anointed Saviour.”

Now, having made that assertion, let me demonstrate by showing the context in which Alma, Paul, and Peter used the words in that reversed order.

As Kirt mentioned, the phrase “Christ Jesus” is found only once in the Book of Mormon. It is spoken by Alma, and its context is his first address to the saints at Zarahemla after he had given the powers of government to another Chief Judge, and so is now acting only as Prophet and President of the Church. This statement is his formal claim to authority:

44 For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God [a priesthood title that seems always to be associated with the pre-mortal Council, and therefore with a sode experience], which is in Christ Jesus [meaning “the anointed King and High Priest, Jehovah who saves”]; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come. (Alma 5:44.)

If I have read that correctly, “Christ Jesus” – a name-title which suggests eternal kingship and priesthood – would actually be more accurate than “Jesus Christ” because the latter is the name- title used to denote the resurrected Saviour.

At the beginning of Ephesians, Paul uses these name-titles the same way:

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ [Jesus who is anointed] by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus [the anointed King and High Priest, Jehovah who saves.” Paul uses that name-title the same way Alma does, for, as the next verses show, Paul’s context is also the pre-mortal Council.] :
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1-2)

Here Paul uses still a third name-title. “Lord” in the New Testament is always translated from Strong 3962 which means “supreme in authority” (the same connotation as “Jehovah”). So it appears that “the Lord Jesus Christ” is meant to be an abbreviated history of the Saviour and his authority: “The Supreme authority at the Council – Jesus the man who saved – who is the anointed heir to his Father.” The correctness of that interpretation seems to be reinforced in the next verse where Paul uses the name-title again to designate the Saviour’s relationship with his Father:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who [the Father] hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places [that is, at the Council in the temple on Kolob] in Christ [the Anointed One]:
4 According as he [the Father] hath chosen us in him [the Saviour] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1: 1-4)

 If I have read that correctly, Paul’s giving the Saviour the series of four different name-titles (Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ) is not just interesting, but the way Paul uses them is an important part of the message Paul has to convey.

Peter seems to be using the name-titles the same way, only we find his testimony at the conclusion of his letter rather than at the beginning.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

One might be able to read the whole history of mankind in that sentence: “But the God of all grace [the Father], who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus [that call occurred at the Council where the Savour was “Christ Jesus”], after that ye have suffered a while [this lonely world], make you perfect, stablish, strengthen [all in this world], settle (“consolidate” – Strong 2311) you [next world].

11 To him [the Father] be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-14.)

 In America, the President of the Church called a special assembly of extraordinary people and delivered a message about the eternal meaning of charity and its power to bind us to each other, to the Saviour, and to his Father. (Moroni 7) The way I read these words of Peter, they are written by the same authority, to the same audience, with the same message – illuminating that message by the words “Christ Jesus” at its beginning – and at its conclusion also.

 

Alma 5:41-49 — LeGrand Baker — Alma’s authority and testimony

There are three main themes in these verses:

v. 42: gives us a working definition of “good works”

v 43, 44, 49: defines Alma’s priesthood authority

v. 44-48: Alma’s powerful testimony.

I would like to discuss them in that order.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Definition of “good works”

42  And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works (Alma 5:42).

Here Alma is equating “things pertaining unto righteousness” with “good works.” Righteous is zedek, as in the name Melchizedek, it means the same as right: correct, square, precise. I understand righteousness to mean correct in temple things, whether that is correctness in performing the ordinances and covenants, or correct in living according to those covenants, both are righteousness. Thus, in Alma’s equation, good works means the same thing. That is consistent with James in the Bible and with what Alma says about “holy works” in Alma 12.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

This is a sermon delivered with all the priesthood authority of the president of the church. In that regard it is like Moroni 7, which Mormon introduces by clarifying the authority by which he spoke:

2   And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time.(Moroni 7:2)

The authors of the Book of Mormon assume the prophet’s priesthood authority, but rarely tell us how they got it. In Alma’s words to the people of Zarahemla he asserted his authority in an unmistakable way. His words are:

43  I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plainly that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God.
44  For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people
49  ….this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land… (Alma 5:43, 44, 49 )

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Bracketed by those declarations of authority, is Alma’s testimony, which I have written here as a paragraph rather than leaving it broken into verses:

45-48   … I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true…. they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God (That is an interesting phrase because of its ambiguity. It may be read “by the Holy Ghost,” or it may be read like the Ether 3 when the Saviour, as a spirit, visited the Brother of Jared). Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me….it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God….I know of myself that …I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name. (v 45-48)

It seems impossible to me that a prophet could make a speech more formal—and therefor more binding than Alma has done here. He is God’s prophet and is teaching what he has been instructed to teach! (Mormon does the same thing, and just as emphatically in Moroni 7.)

After again asserting his authority, “this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto [all],” he tells them what he has been instructed to preach. It is this: “that they must repent and be born again.” In the next few verses he explains how they are to achieve that end.