Alma
30 verses
My son, listen to my words. I promise you that as long as you keep God's commandments, you will prosper in the land.
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.
I want you to do as I have done by remembering the captivity of our fathers. They were in bondage, and no one could deliver them except the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he truly delivered them in their afflictions.
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.
Now, my son Helaman, you are still young, so I ask you to listen to my words and learn from me. I know that anyone who puts their trust in God will be supported in their trials, troubles, and afflictions, and will be lifted up at the last day.
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.
I don’t want you to think that I know these things on my own—not from a worldly perspective, but from a spiritual one; not from my own understanding, but from God.
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.
I tell you, if I had not been born of God, I would not have known these things; but God has made them known to me through his holy angel, not because of any worthiness of my own.
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.
I went around with the sons of Mosiah, trying to destroy the church of God, but God sent his holy angel to stop us along the way.
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.
He spoke to us with a voice like thunder, and the whole earth trembled beneath our feet; we all fell to the ground because we were afraid of the Lord.
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.
The voice said to me, "Arise. " I got up and stood, and saw the angel.
But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.
He said to me, "If you want to destroy yourself, then keep trying to destroy the church of God.
And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God.
I fell to the ground, and for three days and three nights I couldn’t open my mouth or move my limbs.
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.
And the angel spoke more things to me, which my brothers heard, but I did not hear them; because when I heard the words—If you want to be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was so afraid and amazed that I might be destroyed, that I fell to the ground and didn’t hear anything else.
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.
I was tortured with endless torment, because my soul was deeply troubled and tormented by all my sins.
But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
I remembered all my sins and wrongdoings, and I was tormented with the pains of hell. I saw that I had rebelled against my God and had not kept his holy commandments.
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.
I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away to destruction; and in the end, my sins were so great that just the thought of coming into the presence of my God filled my soul with indescribable horror.
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.
I wished that I could be banished and cease to exist, both soul and body, so I wouldn’t have to stand before God to be judged for my actions.
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.
For three days and three nights I was tortured with the pains of a damned soul.
And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
As I was suffering in torment, troubled by the memory of my many sins, I remembered hearing my father prophesy to the people about the coming of Jesus Christ, a Son of God, who would atone for the sins of the world.
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.
As soon as I thought of this, I cried out in my heart, “O Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me. I am filled with bitterness and surrounded by the endless chains of death. ”
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.
And now, when I thought this, I couldn’t remember my pains anymore; I was no longer tortured by the memory of my sins.
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.
Oh, what joy and marvelous light I saw! My soul was filled with joy just as great as my pain had been.
And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
I tell you, my son, that nothing could be as intense and bitter as my pain. And again, I tell you, my son, that on the other hand, nothing can be as intense and sweet as my joy.
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.
I thought I saw, just as our father Lehi saw, God sitting on his throne, surrounded by countless groups of angels, singing and praising their God; and my soul longed to be there.
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.
My limbs regained their strength, I stood up, and I showed the people that I had been born of God.
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.
And from that time until now, I have worked tirelessly to help bring souls to repentance, so they can experience the great joy that I experienced, so they can also be born of God and filled with the Holy Ghost.
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.
And now, my son, the Lord gives me extremely great joy in the results of my work.
Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
Because of the word he has given me, many have been born of God and have experienced what I have experienced, and have seen as I have seen. So they know these things I have spoken about, just as I know them, and the knowledge I have comes from God.
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.
I have been supported through trials and troubles of every kind, and in all sorts of afflictions. God has delivered me from prison, from captivity, and from death. I put my trust in him, and he will continue to deliver me.
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.
And I know that he will raise me up at the last day to live with him in glory, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt and destroyed the Egyptians in the Red Sea. He led them by his power into the promised land, and he has delivered them from bondage and captivity many times.
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.
He has also brought our ancestors out of the land of Jerusalem, and by his everlasting power, he has delivered them from bondage and captivity, time after time, even up to today. I have always remembered their captivity, and you should remember it as I have.
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.
My son, this isn’t all; you should know, as I do, that as long as you keep God’s commandments, you will prosper in the land. You should also know that if you do not keep God’s commandments, you will be cut off from his presence. This is what he has said.
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.