The Book of Mormon Part 60

Alma 11:31 31 And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me.

Alma 11:32 32 And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of G.o.d?

Alma 11:33 33 And he said unto him, Yea.

Alma 11:34 34 And Zeezrom said again: Shall he save his people in their sins? And Amulek answered and said unto him: I say unto you he shall not, for it is impossible for him to deny his word.

Alma 11:35 35 Now Zeezrom said unto the people: See that ye remember these things; for he said there is but one G.o.d; yet he saith that the Son of G.o.d shall come, but he shall not save his people--as though he had authority to command G.o.d.

Alma 11:36 36 Now Amulek saith again unto him: Behold thou hast lied, for thou sayest that I spake as though I had authority to command G.o.d because I said he shall not save his people in their sins.

Alma 11:37 37 And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven?

Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.

Alma 11:38 38 Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of G.o.d the very Eternal Father?

Alma 11:39 39 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

Alma 11:40 40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.

Alma 11:41 41 Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before G.o.d, and be judged according to their works.

Alma 11:42 42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

Alma 11:43 43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before G.o.d, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

Alma 11:44 44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and G.o.d the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal G.o.d, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

Alma 11:45 45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.

Alma 11:46 46 Now, when Amulek had finished these words the people began again to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble. And thus ended the words of Amulek, or this is all that I have written.

Alma 12 Chapter 12

Alma 12:1 1 Now Alma, seeing that the words of Amulek had silenced Zeezrom, for he beheld that Amulek had caught him in his lying and deceiving to destroy him, and seeing that he began to tremble under a consciousness of his guilt, he opened his mouth and began to speak unto him, and to establish the words of Amulek, and to explain things beyond, or to unfold the scriptures beyond that which Amulek had done.

Alma 12:2 2 Now the words that Alma spake unto Zeezrom were heard by the people round about; for the mult.i.tude was great, and he spake on this wise:

Alma 12:3 3 Now Zeezrom, seeing that thou hast been taken in thy lying and craftiness, for thou hast not lied unto men only but thou hast lied unto G.o.d; for behold, he knows all thy thoughts, and thou seest that thy thoughts are made known unto us by his Spirit;

Alma 12:4 4 And thou seest that we know that thy plan was a very subtle plan, as to the subtlety of the devil, for to lie and to deceive this people that thou mightest set them against us, to revile us and to cast us out--

Alma 12:5 5 Now this was a plan of thine adversary, and he hath exercised his power in thee. Now I would that ye should remember that what I say unto thee I say unto all.

Alma 12:6 6 And behold I say unto you all that this was a snare of the adversary, which he has laid to catch this people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.

Alma 12:7 7 Now when Alma had spoken these words, Zeezrom began to tremble more exceedingly, for he was convinced more and more of the power of G.o.d; and he was also convinced that Alma and Amulek had a knowledge of him, for he was convinced that they knew the thoughts and intents of his heart; for power was given unto them that they might know of these things according to the spirit of prophecy.

Alma 12:8 8 And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of G.o.d. And he said unto Alma: What does this mean which Amulek hath spoken concerning the resurrection of the dead, that all shall rise from the dead, both the just and the unjust, and are brought to stand before G.o.d to be judged according to their works?

Alma 12:9 9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of G.o.d; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

Alma 12:10 10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of G.o.d until he know them in full.

Alma 12:11 11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of h.e.l.l.

Alma 12:12 12 And Amulek hath spoken plainly concerning death, and being raised from this mortality to a state of immortality, and being brought before the bar of G.o.d, to be judged according to our works.

Alma 12:13 13 Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned.

Alma 12:14 14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our G.o.d; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

Alma 12:15 15 But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.

Alma 12:16 16 And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness.

Alma 12:17 17 Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will.

Alma 12:18 18 Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to G.o.d's justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption.

Alma 12:19 19 Now it came to pa.s.s that when Alma had made an end of speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished;

Alma 12:20 20 But there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them, came forth and said unto him: What is this that thou hast said, that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state that the soul can never die?

Alma 12:21 21 What does the scripture mean, which saith that G.o.d placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden, lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever.

Alma 12:22 22 Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain, now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of G.o.d; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.

Alma 12:23 23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making G.o.d a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die.

Alma 12:24 24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a s.p.a.ce granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet G.o.d; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

Alma 12:25 25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pa.s.s the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.

Alma 12:26 26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of G.o.d would have been void, taking none effect.

Alma 12:27 27 But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.

Alma 12:28 28 And after G.o.d had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;

Alma 12:29 29 Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory.

Alma 12:30 30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore G.o.d conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works.

Alma 12:31 31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as G.o.ds, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good--

Alma 12:32 32 Therefore G.o.d gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of G.o.d.

Alma 12:33 33 But G.o.d did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;