Alma Chapter 36

The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman. Comprising chapters 36 and 37.

Scripture Mastery

Alma 36-37 Alma counsels his son Helaman

Alma 36:3 Alma to his son Helaman: I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Alma 36:17-21 Alma recalls for his son Helaman the account of his conversion. There could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains and nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

Chapters 36 through 42 consist of Alma's counsel to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton following his return from preaching to the Zoramites. Chapters 36 and 37 are directed to his eldest son Helaman.

Chiastic parallelism or chiasmus is a form of Hebrew poetry. For a review of this and other types of Hebrew poetry see the supplemental article The Hebrew Language and the Book of Mormon. Basically it consists of arranging a series of words or ideas in one order, and then repeating them in reverse order. The central idea of the passage is placed at the turning point where the first half ends and the second half begins.

John W. Welch has pointed out that verses 1 through 30 of this chapter contain a "masterfully crafted chiasm . . . which centers on the turning point of Alma's life, which was when he called upon Jesus Christ for forgiveness." He also commented, "Alma 36 was one of the first chiasms I discovered within the Book of Mormon in 1967. Many years later, it still remains one of my favorites. It is a masterpiece of composition, as good as any other use of chiasmus in world literature, and it deserves wide recognition and appreciation. I cannot imagine that its complex and purposeful structure happened unintentionally. Its sophistication as a piece of literature definitely shows Alma's skill as a writer." Commenting further on Alma's writing skill, Brother Welch opined, "If an author uses chiasmus mechanically, it can produce rigid, stilted writing. . . . Alma, however, does not simply stick a list of ideas together in one order and then awkwardly and slavishly retrace his steps through that list in the opposite order. His work has the markings of a skillful, painstaking writer, one completely comfortable with using this difficult mode of expression well." Undoubtedly Alma learned the use of chiasmus as part of a long literary tradition which began with Old Testament prophets.

If the reader wishes to read a charming summary of Brother Welch's first discovering the chiastic poetry form in the Book of Mormon while he was serving a mission in Regensburg, Germany in 1967, please see "The Book of Mormon" in Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 2, chapter 20, Joseph Smith.

This writing style was first discovered in the 1820s by two British scholars (John Jebb in 1820 and Thomas Boys in 1824 and 1825). They both published books about their new recognition of this form of parallelism in the Bible. There is little reason to believe that the young and unlettered Joseph Smith was aware of these books or, even if he were, that he would have been sufficiently equipped to create elaborate and meaningful passages utilizing a form rather foreign to his own culture's way of thinking and writing.

I will make no effort to report here Doctor Welch's complete analysis of the chiastic structure of Alma 36. However, I thought it might be of interest to the reader to illustrate the general structure of this fascinating chapter. There are seventeen key elements, each repeated twice. The verse numbers are indicated in parentheses:

a My son give ear to my words (1)

b Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (1)

c Do as I have done (2)

d Remember the captivity of our fathers (2)

e They were in bondage (2)

f He surely did deliver them (2)

g Trust in God (3)

h Supported in trials, troubles, and afflictions (3)

i Lifted up at the last day (3)

j I know this not of myself but of God (4)

k Born of God (5)

l I sought to destroy the church (6-9)

m My limbs were paralyzed (10)

n Fear of being in the presence of God (14-15)

o Pains of a damned soul (16)

p Harrowed up by the memory of sins (17)

q I remembered Jesus Christ, a son of God (17)

q' I cried, Jesus, a son of God (18)

p' Harrowed up by the memory of sins no more (19)

o' Joy as exceeding as was the pain (20)

n' Long to be in the presence of God (22)

m' My limbs received strength again (23)

l' I labored to bring souls to repentance (24)

k' Born of God (26)

j' Therefore my knowledge is of God (26)

i' and raise me up at the last day (28)

h' Supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions (27)

g' Trust in him (27)

f' He will deliver me (27)

e' As God brought our fathers out of bondage and captivity (28-29)

d' Retain in remembrance their captivity (28-29)

c' Know as I do know (30)

b' Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (30)

a' This according to his word (30)

The reader should particularly note the repetition of Jesus Christ as the Son of God at the precise center of the chapter. Note also that elements h and h' are both marked by the same triplet "supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions." Most dramatically, n and n' contrast the agony of Alma's suffering (verse 12) with his joy following his conversion (verse 20). Indeed, he makes the contrast very explicit: "Yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain" (verse 20, italics added). This overt comparison strongly supports the idea that Alma consciously created the chiastic structure of this chapter in order to strengthen these linkages.

Chiasmus can occur in any literature, but it only becomes meaningful when its degree of chiasticity, to coin a phrase, is high. When the chiastic format is truly complex and concise, we are most justified in supposing that the author intentionally followed the pattern. At least fifteen criteria, including objectivity, purposefulness, climax, centrality, boundaries, length, density, and balance as described here, demonstrate that the chiasmus in Alma 36 can best be explained only if Alma learned it as part of a long literary tradition extending back to Old Testament prophets.

For a complete analysis of this chiastic composition, see Brother Welch's article "A Masterpiece: Alma 36" in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, 114-31.

1 My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.

verse 1 "inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land" Alma apparently intends that this prospering "in the land" is both a temporal and a spiritual prospering. Evidence for this is seen in verse 30 where he uses antithetical parallelism to emphasize this concept. There he says, "inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence."

2 I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.

verse 2 Shouldn't this verse say, "he surely did deliver them from their afflictions" rather than "in their afflictions. The chiastic structure of this verse suggests that "in their afflictions" refers to the Israelites' captivity or bondage. They were in bondage and none could rescue them save God himself. Similarly, they were afflicted and none other than God could save them.

3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

verse 3 To be "lifted up at the last day" is to be exalted in the celestial kingdom.

verses 4-26 These verses contain the Book of Mormon's second of three accounts of the story of the conversion of Alma. The first was found in Mosiah 27:8-37 and the third will be found in Alma 38:6-8. For a comparison of these three accounts, see the commentary for Mosiah 27:8-37.

4 And I would not that ye think that I know of myself-not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.

verse 4 Alma emphasizes that his faith in God and his knowledge of the truth of the gospel is not knowledge acquired by temporal means. It is rather personal revelation through the medium of the Spirit of God.

5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself.

verse 5 "not of any worthiness of myself" Alma acknowledges that his own miraculous conversion, and that of the sons of Mosiah, was not the result of their own worthiness. Rather it was brought about by an all-knowing God for reasons perhaps known fully only to God himself. Certainly, at least in part, it was to further his work among the Nephite and Lamanite peoples.

6 For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way.

7 And behold, he spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet; and we all fell to the earth, for the fear of the Lord came upon us.

8 But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.

9 And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God.

verse 9 Here is a most solemn warning given by the angel. The exact meaning of his warning, however, is not entirely clear from this verse. Verse 11 suggests that Alma took from the angel's warning the meaning that if he did not desist in his efforts to destroy the church he would be destroyed-either temporally or spiritually. If the verse is read carefully, however, this is not quite its meaning. An alternative meaning is: Cease immediately in your efforts to destroy the church of God, even if it means being destroyed yourself. This latter meaning is corroborated by Mosiah 27:16 which contains another account of the angel's issuing this warning: "I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off."

10 And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs.

11 And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words-If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God-I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.

verse 11 "seek no more to destroy the church of God" This is the third mention of this command given to Alma by the angel of God (see also verses 6 and 9). This three-fold repetition creates a powerful emphasis.

12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.

verse 12 "Eternal torment" is not torment that goes on forever. Rather Eternal is a name for God. Eternal torment is God's torment.

To be "racked" is to be severely afflicted. To be "harrowed up" means to be vexed, tormented, distressed, afflicted, or tortured.

13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.

verse 13 "I did remember all my sins and iniquities" We have learned that in the day of judgment, we "shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt" (2 Nephi 9:14).

14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.

verse 14 "In fine" means in summary or in conclusion.

"the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror" To rack is to torment; to torture; to affect with extreme pain or anguish. This was Alma's expression before completion of the conversion process. After his conversion, his feelings were quite the opposite: "I saw . . . God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels . . . and my soul did long to be there" (verse 22).

15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.

verse 15 "Soul and body" means spirit and body. Alma was so chagrined over his previously sinful ways, that he wished he might be annihilated and thus avoid having to stand before God to be judged for his misdeeds.

16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.

verse 16 Guilt is that emotional and spiritual anguish experienced by mankind because of having "set at defiance the commandments of God" (Alma 5:18). Guilt is to the spirit what physical pain is to the body. For another scriptural description of guilt, see Mosiah 2:38. The divine form of guilt is termed "godly sorrow" and is a gift of the Spirit which God intends as a motivator toward repentance and obedience. For a discussion of godly sorrow, see the commentary for Mosiah 26:29. See also Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 3, chapter 3, Godly Sorrow.

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.

verse 17 For the meaning of "harrowed up" see the commentary for verse 12.

"Jesus Christ, a Son of God" Alma was tormented by his sins. Only when he remembered that his father had spoken of the atonement of Christ and then called upon Jesus Christ did his agony begin to change.

In the introduction to this chapter the fascinating work of John Welch on the poetic structure of Alma 36 was mentioned. Brother Welch commented upon this verse and verse 18 as follows: "I am especially impressed with the repetition of the name "Jesus Christ, Son of God" at the very center of the chapter. This unquestionably had deep significance for Alma. It is one of the best examples of any ancient author succeeding in placing the most important concept at the central or turning point of his passage. By this, the structure of the chapter powerfully communicates Alma's personal experience, for the central turning point of his conversion came precisely when he called upon the name of Jesus Christ and asked for mercy. Nothing was more important than this in Alma's conversion-neither the appearance of the angel, nor the prayers of his father and the priests. Just as this was the turning point of Alma's life, he makes it the center of his magnificent composition" (Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, 118).

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.

verse 18 "in the gall of bitterness" Gall is a bitter and poisonous herb. "Its juice is commonly thought to be the "hemlock" poison which Socrates drank" (Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible). When the word is used in the Bible, it is usually interpreted to mean poison. In the Old Testament, gall is often mentioned in association with wormwood which a plant with a bitter taste. It is interesting that the specific phrase "gall of bitterness" is found in only one scriptural verse outside the Book of Mormon-Acts 8:23. Perhaps both Alma and Paul were quoting the phrase from an unknown Old Testament period source.

verses 17-18 Brother John W. Welch comments further: "At the absolute center [of this chapter] stand the words 'atone,' 'mind,' and 'heart,' bordered by the name of Jesus Christ. The message is clear: Christ's atonement and man's responding sacrifice of a broken heart and willing mind are central to receiving forgiveness from God" (Ibid., 127).

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.

verse 22 "saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God" John W. Welch has pointed out that this phrase and others in the Book of Mormon text provide a remarkable example of internal textual consistency in the Book of Mormon (Reexploring the Book of Mormon, 21-23). In this verse, Alma is quoting father Lehi. Some twenty-one words are quoted verbatim from 1 Nephi 1:8. This is not surprising since Alma had charge of the small plates of Nephi and thus had ready access to Lehi's words (see Alma 37:2). In describing his joy, Alma thought of Lehi's experience in 1 Nephi 1:8 and quoted verbatim these twenty-one words. It is interesting, in this context, to recall the method of translation used by Joseph Smith as he brought forth the book of Mormon. He dictated his translation to a scribe pausing only to allow the scribe to complete the recording. Once recorded, he did not go back and review or revise the text. At the beginning of each translation session, he simply began exactly where he had left off in the previous session without going back to review.

How then might we explain the twenty-one word phrase that is shared by these two verses, particularly since they are separated by hundreds of pages of text, and they were dictated weeks apart? The answer is that it was Alma who looked back in the record and found the quote of father Lehi. It was not Joseph Smith. Joseph was merely the translator and not the writer or editor. There are other examples of this same phenomenon in the Book of Mormon. For example, compare Helaman 14:12 with Mosiah 3:8. Also compare 3 Nephi 8:6-23 with 1 Nephi 19:11-12. Perhaps this observation has not struck you as very interesting. If it has not, then just try quoting any twenty-one words of Lehi without looking!

In a similar manner King Benjamin established a law containing five proscriptions: murder, plunder, theft, adultery, and any manner of wickedness. This list which first appears in Mosiah 2:13 reappears in seven other verses in the Book of Mormon: Mosiah 29:36; Alma 23:3; Alma 30:10; Helaman 3:13; Helaman 6:23; Helaman 7:21; and Ether 8:16.

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.

verse 23 "Born of God" means thoroughly converted.

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.

verse 26 Verse 4 above indicates that Alma's testimony is not of man, but rather is of the Spirit. This verse refers to Alma's converts: "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." Alma's converts also have a testimony born of the Spirit of God.

27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.

28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.

verse 28 "I know that he will raise me up at the last day" Alma has a "perfect brightness of hope" (2 Nephi 31:20) which is a gift of the Spirit given to those who are worthy. It is likely that he has had his "calling and election made sure." For a discussion of the concept of having one's calling and election made sure, see the commentary for Helaman 10:4-7, and see also Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 2, chapter 16, Calling and Election Made Sure.

29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.

verses 28-29 The angel who orchestrated the miraculous conversion of Alma told him never to forget the captivity of his fathers and the Lord's goodness in delivering them: "for they were in bondage and he has delivered them" (Mosiah 27:16).

30 But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.

verse 30 "inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land" This statement had practical and temporal implications for the Nephites. Their continued survival in the land depended on their strict adherence to the laws of God.

The structure of this verse additionally suggests that if a man prospers "in the land," he prospers both temporally and spiritually.