After Ammonihah – Alma 15:1-19

1 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek were commanded [by the Lord] to depart out of that city; and they departed, and came out even into the land of Sidom; and behold, there they found all the people who had departed out of the land of Ammonihah, who had been cast out and stoned, because they believed in the words of Alma.

2 And they related unto them all that had happened unto their wives and children, and also concerning themselves, and of their power of deliverance.

3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat.

4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.

5 And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and they found him upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him.

6 And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation? [It is always best when performing a healing blessing to have the person seeking the blessing to do or say something as an expression of their faith. This increases their faith unto healing.]

7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.

8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.

9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words. [These words were given to Alma by the Spirit of prophecy.]

10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ. [Combining the faith of the afflicted with the faith of the healer contributes to the gift of healing. By crying out his intentions, Alma was able to witness to those around what was about to occur.]

11 And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom.

12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people.

13 And Alma established a church in the land of Sidom, and consecrated priests and teachers in the land, to baptize unto the Lord whosoever were desirous to be baptized.

14 And it came to pass that they were many; for they did flock in from all the region round about Sidom, and were baptized. [Out of the horrors of Ammonihah came the saving of many souls.]

15 But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins. [They believed that it was not necessary, because all were saved.]

16 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred; [Like Paul of Taursus, Amulek lost his family’s respect and all his possessions by choosing the Lord.]

17 Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great check [change in their standing with God], yea, seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to humble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction—

18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord. [The sorrow of Amulek required  attention from Alma.]

19 And thus ended the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

I have many questions from this and the proceeding chapter regarding Amulek and some other things. I often will add edits to what I write in these annotations after the Lord shows me something, so in a week or so I may be adding more comments here as I have in previous chapters.

The Lord will reveal to us according to our faith, according to the questions we ask Him. When I write a detailed description included from my journal it is not simply words that are given, but my description of what has been shown to me by the Lord. I usually cut out the before and after and only include the pertinent information in what I write here. If I was to include the entire experience you would see that the Lord’s mercy in how he interacts with us and answers our questions. I hope that you will have these experiences for yourself, hopefully while you are living this world. The angels of God have full access to these events and are taught and experience all things by the Spirit of God in the Heavenly Realm.

Torture of the Innocents – Alma 14:1-29

1 And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures. [It was a big event for the city of Ammonihah, and many talked about the famous exchange between Alma and Amulek, and the leaders in the city.]

2 But the more part of them were desirous that they might destroy Alma and Amulek; for they were angry with Alma, because of the plainness of his words unto Zeezrom; and they also said that Amulek had lied unto them, and had reviled against their law and also against their lawyers and judges. [To lie about one’s beliefs was a criminal offense in the Nephite culture.]

3 And they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily. [without anyone noticing]

4 But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land. [An excessive use of force.]

5 And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of the land. [the land of Ammonihah]

6 And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell. [Similar to Alma the Younger, but without the angelic encounter.]

7 And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. And he began to plead for them from that time forth; but they reviled him, saying: Art thou also possessed with the devil? And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them. [Accusing of devil possession, spitting upon, and throwing stones is a traditional way the Jews dealt with criminals.]

8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire. [Such capital punishment was usually after being convicted of murder or treason in the highest court. This was mob violence from a people overcome by the adversary.]

9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. [Satan uses fear, discouragement, and violence to manipulate his followers. Here he would test the righteous in the city of Ammonihah.]

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

This is a powerful story to include in the Book of Mormon. Here we have two prophets of the Lord, forced to witness the horrific murder of women and children, whose only crime was worshipping our Lord. Amulek wanted to exercise the faith to save them, and God would surely save them! Why wouldn’t He? There are many instances in history and in even our own lives where we wonder why God does not intervene when we could have used Him the most. 

Last week I attended a funeral of a young man who had been killed in a car accident. He had just repented of a life of sin and abuse. His future was looking good, when suddenly his life was taken. The mother was distraught, as you can imagine, and she was angry at God. 

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth [To experience this is have the Spirit come upon you in a way that you cannot prevent yourself from taking action or inaction. The power of God moves upon you to do the Lord’s will.] me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

In the case where we see horrific murder, genocide, abuse, and wickedness amongst a people and we wonder why the Lord allows such things, we must remember that justice requires that a people become ripe in iniquity before the Lord allows the floodgates of His wrath to come upon them. Those of His followers who perish under this evil are brought home to Him. 

Today I consider the many lives that are taken around the world. The tens of thousands of innocents killed by radical Muslims. The tens of millions of babies killed in the womb. The millions of slaves, women and children, human trafficking that is far greater now than any time in the recorded history of the world.

12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.

13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not. [Alma was not afraid to die. He trusted in the Lord, which is the key to enduring all things.]

14 Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone? [Words put directly into his mouth by the adversary. Fire and brimstone is a great description of the kind of light and matter that exists in outer darkness. More importantly, the misery represented by the uncomfortable anguish of soul.]

15 Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thy faith. And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves? [Satan’s main tactic is to use fear to prevent people from coming to Christ. This is why he attempts to torture and brutalize the followers of Christ, so that all people on the other side of the veil will be afraid to make the Everlasting Covenant. If you want to see where Satan’s kingdom is today on earth, only look as far as those using fear to crush Christians and anyone seeking Jesus.]

16 Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who slew Gideon. [They believed all men were saved and that preachers should be rewarded for their good words.]

17 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered him nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison. [Do not ever attempt to speak or converse with a devil, unless the Lord constrains you to do so.]

18 And when they had been cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers, and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words; but they answered them nothing. [These would be the equivalent of today’s politicians.]

19 And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames? And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.

20 And it came to pass that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks. And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves? [They had been commanded by revelation to hold their responses from these people.]

21 And many such things did they say unto them, gnashing their teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are damned? [These individuals were literally possessed by evil spirits.]

22 And many such things, yea, all manner of such things did they say unto them; and thus they did mock them for many days. And they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst; and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked; and thus they were bound with strong cords, and confined in prison. [This is similar to conditions of prisoner of war: torture, starving, confinement, bindings, and psychological manipulation.]

23 And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for many days, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, [middle of winter ] in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.

24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words. [This reminds me of the priests of the Sanhedrin who smote Christ in the House of Caiaphas before He was sent to Pilate.] 

25 And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet. [This must have been a shock to those witnessing, considering the weakened condition of their prisoners.] 

26 And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them. [Such super-human strength was beyond anything these evil men had seen before.]

27 And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.

28 And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway [without hesitation] came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city. [Had a person’s spiritual eyes been open they would have seen the angels of the Shahophalim, the great warriors of God, shaking the earth and loosing the bands of Alma and Amulek. Their bodies were healed and invigorated, so that they could go forth and preach to the people.]

29 Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.

Foreknowledge of God – Alma 13:1-31

1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds [as an example] forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children [the followers of Christ]; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.

2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption. [The actual manner in which these priests were called and chosen is the same manner in which we receive redemption through Christ.]

3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained [set apart and chosen]—being called and prepared [chosen] from the foundation of the world [before Adam came to this earth] according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works [as a second and third estate]; in the first place [in mortality] being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith [sought the Lord’s will in all things], are called with a holy calling [from God], yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such [They belong to Christ from before the world was.].

This verse is specifically referring to the 4th estate, the Just Men and Women made perfect through that which they suffer as they condescend for God to help save the souls of the House of Israel. These are the Saviors on Mount Zion, the prophets and prophetesses, priests, and priestesses of the Highest, the Anointed Ones, the angels of the Dominions, and the Gatherers in the last days.

4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren. [Referring to a time before the foundation of this world.]

5 Or in fine, in the first place [In mortality] they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared— [The Atonement of Christ, from before this world, made it possible for these to be exalted, and then to be called with this holy calling because “they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.”]

6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God [Melchizedek or priesthood of the Son of God], to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

7 This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—[The pattern that is without beginning or end, an eternal round of ascension, which is the Everlasting Covenant.]

8 Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end— [This event took place after the Grand Council at the end of the Millennium in the previous world. Their ascension was sealed upon them as they chose to give up all things to gain all things. To sacrifice their glory to save souls, to bring them to the Only Begotten and thereby prepare all to ascend again according to the grace and mercy of the Father.]

9 Thus they become high priests [and priestesses] forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. [fullness of glory, perfection of His word, and complete understanding] And thus it is. Amen.

10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God [144k]; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

Faith is the most powerful principle of the universe. The desire to seek the Lord’s will and then to act upon it. Many angels of the 3rd estate after they leave this life do not move forward for a long time. It is difficult to give up one’s glory to sink back into the hell hole of mortality, but the greatest of all do this because of their love for the Father and desire to save the House of Israel.]

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

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God. [This is a reference to the gift of the Holy Ghost, the ascension to the third estate.]

13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest. [Eternal Life in the world to come.]

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

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

Why would Abraham give a tenth of all his possessions to the King/Priest of Salem? Because God commanded it for the sacrifices.

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord. [Here, we are given the purpose of temple work: to learn the pattern by which we are made clean and become like Him.]

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

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

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

20 Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction. [The Nephite scriptures and the Jaredite records had more information regarding the city of Salem than exists in our scriptures today.]

21 And now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words unto them, he stretched forth his hand [sign of a servant]unto them and cried with a mighty voice, saying: Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth nigh; [coming of Christ]

22 Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations; yea, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people, yea, even to them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth; wherefore they have come unto us. [the angels]

23 And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard.

We are also tremendously blessed in our day, as angels visit us and bring good tidings regarding the gathering of the Elect and the establishment of Zion.

I once asked the Lord if there were many having these experiences like me. He said there were more now than there has been in a long time. But they all see different things depending upon the questions they ask.

24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

Ministering angels come to us in different ways. Some speak to our hearts and minds, some come in vision or dreams, or other ways. Often we dont realize the souce of these messages.

25 And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice. [Joseph Smith would speak like this, hoping the Second Coming would be in his day. We dont know exactly when He will come, but the angels are busy preparing us and we look for the signs.]

26 And it shall be made known unto just and holy men [prophets], by the mouth of angels, at the time of his coming, that the words of our fathers may be fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.

27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; [To “watch and pray continually” is the key to opening your spiritual senses; to hear, see, and exercise the gifts of the Spirit. When we are close to the Lord we can overcome every trial or temptation we face. A daily walk with God is a state of holiness that opens every door to heaven.]

29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

30 And may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death.

31 And Alma spake many more words unto the people, which are not written in this book. [Mormon edited out much that was written in the record. The words of Alma are rich with nuance and deep into the mysteries of God. I hope these annotations I have included for this chapter will help you to formulate questions to seek further revelation for yourself.]

Open the Mysteries – Alma 12:1-37

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 [Sometimes we just need to open our mouth and speak when the Spirit tell us.], and to establish the words of Amulek, and to explain things beyond, or to unfold the scriptures beyond that which Amulek had done.

2 Now the words that Alma spake unto Zeezrom were heard by the people round about; for the multitude was great, and he spake on this wise: [Its not every day that the former Chief Judge of the land and leader of the church of Christ speaks in your town, and that a prominent citizen of the town claims an angel taught them, and at the same time they silence the most ruthless lawyer that the town knows. This is alarming to them.]

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 God; for behold, he knows all thy thoughts, and thou seest that thy thoughts are made known unto us by his Spirit;

The spirit of discernment is where we are given clarity regarding another’s thoughts, intentions, or even the dynamics of a situation, so that we may be a servant of the Lord for others, or be protected ourselves from the scheming of the adversary.

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— [As I read this I think of the many social issues in America today, and the many who work to lie and deceive the people.]

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.

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. [There are three things that easily bind a people down to destruction: a passionate false belief in something that is contrary to God’s laws, an addiction that is not thought to be harmful, and idolatry for someone or something. All of these are the result of pride, where we place personal gratification above our faith in God.]

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 God; 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. [The difference between the spirit of discernment or revelation, and the spirit of prophecy, is that prophecy means you are commanded to speak what the Lord has given to you.]

8 And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God. 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 God to be judged according to their works? [Asking questions is a sign of a repentant heart.]

9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; 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.

This is one of my favorite scriptures. Here, Zeezrom begins to ask questions regarding something that is considered part of the mysteries, the truth regarding the resurrection of the dead. There are rules regarding how the Lord imparts this knowledge to us. Many are given the mysteries and receive according to their faith and the questions they ask. The “heed and diligence” that Alma is referring to is another way to describe faith – seeking revelation and acting upon it.

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 God until he know them in full.

What does it mean to “harden his heart?’ Our heart is the foundation of our desires and willingness to believe. When we place stakes in the ground and our unbelief is rigid we prevent the Lord from giving us His revelations. When we have a “broken heart” we are willing to hear and see all things without limitations. From there, depending upon the questions we ask (a sign of our faith), we are taught line upon line until we know all things.

What are the mysteries? All things which are kept from the world. These begin with an understanding of the Everlasting Covenant and God’s dealings with men. They encompass his creations, both of heaven and earth and all things associated with them. The mysteries of heaven are the most beautiful and sacred of the Lord’s word to us and should be sought with all one’s heart and mind until you are able to stand in the presence of God and ask questions uninhibited. This is His desire for you when you have reached that level of faith and holiness.

In my writings I have touched upon many mysteries, which the Lord has allowed me to share. However, it only scratches the surface and you are invited to come to Him and drink of the living Waters of Life and partake of the Fruit yourself.

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 hell. [The vast majority of those who live upon this earth believe only the lesser portion of the word, and some are taken captive by Satan because they seek to know him more intimately.]

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 God, to be judged according to our works. [The nature of a telestial realm is that we endure mortality. The higher realms are immortal, where death does not exist. To say we are judged, is to mean we are separated and organized according to the intelligence or glory which we possess, and sent to a sphere where we may abide.]

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. [When we are bathed in the fire of God’s glory our hearts are made pure and white, which is a sign of our standing before God.]

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 God; 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. [Our words, works, and thoughts are a record of who we are. When we repent and come unto Christ we begin to acquire the virtues of godliness until the Father declares that we are worthy, and the virtue of charity is bestowed upon us, and the baptism of fire makes us clean. Then the blood of the Lamb makes us holy as we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost and born again as a Son or Daughter of Christ, worthy to stand in His presence.]

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. [We are all standing before God every day as we make choices of what we desire and whom we serve. His all-seeing-eye knows all things. There is a day of judgment for all men and women, which is according to our day of reckoning in this life or the next.]

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. [Death of the physical body is where we see our immediate standing with God. To be prevented from entering His presence is to know we have not yet been washed clean from the blood and sins of our generation.]

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. [These are those who have chosen the adversary. They have received the baptism of darkness, which is an oath like covenant to seek that which Satan would give them in exchange for their love.]

18 Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God’s justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption. [They cannot try again, because they will not be allowed to inherit a body. These shall be sent to Outer Darkness.]

19 Now it came to pass that when Alma had made an end of speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished; [To hear the highest authority of the church preach such divisive (true) doctrine with such an authoritative way must have both shocked and angered the proud people of Ammonihah.]

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?

21 What does the scripture mean, which saith that God 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. [a beautiful mystery]

Cherubim are the angels that guard the gates, particularly the gates to the Throne of Heaven where God dwells. There is an actual Tree of Life there, but the flaming sword is the glory of God that prevents all things unclean and unholy from entering. When Adam and Eve condescended they were clothed in skins (mortal flesh) and began the process of redemption for themselves and their posterity. 

22 Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain. Now we see that Adam did fall [required to condescend] by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word [commandment] of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind [seed of Adam] became a lost and fallen people. [was separated from God]

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 [chosen to remain in the presence of God], there would have been no death [mortality in the second estate for his posterity], and the word [commandments of the Elohim] would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die. [This would have thwarted the work of the Lord.]

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 space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life [mortality] became a probationary [transitional] state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead. [The purpose of life is to learn how to have faith sufficient to stand in the presence of God. Our resurrection is when our spirit bodies are made holy and capable of this ascension.] 

25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption [Everlastng Covenant], 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 pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.

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 God would have been void, taking none effect. [They would have never progressed, and all creation would cease to move forward.]

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. [This is the final judgment at the end of the Millennium where all people are separated according to their glory.]

28 And after God 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;

29 Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men [and women] to behold of his glory. [Angels converse with us often, especially when we are awakening to the Lord, or have made previous covenants.]

30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God 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. [Adam and Eve went through this same process. Your faith, repentance, and holy works will open unto you the mysteries of Heaven as the angels prepare you to receive all things.]

31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they [Adam and Eve] having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal [required to condescend to enter mortality], and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil [learning to have great faith], 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—

Faith is the greatest principle which we learn in this life. It is the power of creation, according to the Spirit of Truth which is in us, to see in our mind’s eye the reality of what must be, and power of God to its fulfillment.

32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil [follow Satan], the penalty thereof being a second death [separation from the dominion of God], which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness [Outer Darkness in the Dominion of Lucifer]; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice [dividing of glory] could not be destroyed [altered], according to the supreme goodness of God.

33 But God 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;

34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest. [The Atonement]

35 And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.

The Atonement is the link between Father and Son, Mother and Daughter, an eternal sealing that allows for the raising of our glory through the graces (estates), according to His word.

36 And now, my brethren, behold I say unto you, that if ye will harden your hearts [not repent] ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord; therefore your iniquity provoketh him that he sendeth down his wrath upon you as in the first provocation [testing], yea, according to his word in the last provocation as well as the first, to the everlasting destruction of your souls; therefore, according to his word, unto the last death, as well as the first. [Our first death was when we were required to enter our second estate and leave the presence of God. The second death is for those who choose in the second estate to follow Satan and are permanently disconnected from the Father.]

37 And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments [revelations] which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word.

The people of Ammonihah were after the order of Nehor, which means they believed that all men were saved equally. To hear this new doctrine regarding the justice of God must have been shocking to their current beliefs; therefore, Alma emphasized that if their hearts were hard they would not accept it.

It is not a sin to share the mysteries of God when the Lord requires it. Usually, the Lord opens these things when there is a purpose. For those who read my comments, understand that there is a purpose to these mysteries, which is to inspire your faith to seek the Lord for yourselves. I have only exposed a tiny portion of these mysteries in my writing. You must come to the Lord and ask questions so that He may teach you all that you need to know.

Amulek Confronts Zeezrom – Alma 11:1-46

During these chapters when you read narration in the third person it is the words of Mormon condensing and adding context while abridging the plates.

1 Now it was in the law of Mosiah that every man who was a judge of the law, or those who were appointed to be judges, should receive wages according to the time which they labored to judge those who were brought before them to be judged. [paid by the hour]

2 Now if a man owed another, and he would not pay that which he did owe, he was complained of to the judge; and the judge executed authority, and sent forth officers that the man should be brought before him; and he judged the man according to the law and the evidences which were brought against him, and thus the man was compelled to pay that which he owed, or be stripped [removal of his possessions], or be cast out from among the people as a thief and a robber.

3 And the judge received for his wages according to his time—a senine of gold for a day, or a senum of silver, which is equal to a senine of gold; and this is according to the law which was given. [In today’s currency we float “treasury notes” that have little or no value. There have been times in America’s past where a portion or all was attached to gold or silver redemption, but it was so constricting to the US that the laws were changed in 1933 and became progressively less gold standard. The Nephite currency was very straight forward and consistent with ancient currency standards.]

4 Now these are the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their silver, according to their value. And the names are given by the Nephites, for they did not reckon after the manner of the Jews who were at Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews; but they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of the people, in every generation, until the reign of the judges, they having been established by king Mosiah. [Over five hundred years of currency evolution since the days of Nephi.]

5 Now the reckoning is thus—a senine of gold, a seon of gold, a shum of gold, and a limnah of gold. [from least to greatest in value]

6 A senum of silver, an amnor of silver, an ezrom of silver, and an onti of silver. [from least to greatest]

7 A senum of silver was equal to a senine of gold, and either for a measure of barley, and also for a measure of every kind of grain.

8 Now the amount of a seon of gold was twice the value of a senine.

9 And a shum of gold was twice the value of a seon.

10 And a limnah of gold was the value of them all.

11 And an amnor of silver was as great as two senums.

12 And an ezrom of silver was as great as four senums.

13 And an onti was as great as them all.

14 Now this is the value of the lesser numbers of their reckoning—

15 A shiblon is half of a senum; therefore, a shiblon for half a measure of barley.

16 And a shiblum is a half of a shiblon.

17 And a leah is the half of a shiblum.

18 Now this is their number, according to their reckoning.

19 Now an antion of gold is equal to three shiblons.

20 Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their employ, therefore, they did stir up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might get money according to the suits which were brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek. [The Nephite lawyers were literally the wolves amongst the people, creating contention where possible within the contsraints of their laws.]

21 And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek, saying: Will ye answer me a few questions which I shall ask you? Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the devices of the devil, that he might destroy that which was good; therefore, he said unto Amulek: Will ye answer the questions which I shall put unto you? [A device of the devil is a strategy to deceive and change others to transgress the laws of God. Today such devices are rampant in our media and education as people are taught and compelled to rethink their beliefs of God and His commandments.]

22 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord. And Zeezrom said unto him: Behold, here are six onties of silver, and all these will I give thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being. [An incredible sum of money, enough to tempt most people.]

23 Now Amulek said: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?

24 Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him. [gift of discernment]

25 And now thou hast lied before God unto me. Thou saidst unto me—Behold these six onties, which are of great worth, I will give unto thee—when thou hadst it in thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy desire that I should deny the true and living God, that thou mightest have cause to destroy me. And now behold, for this great evil thou shalt have thy reward.

26 And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God?

27 And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God.

28 Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God?

29 And he answered, No.

It is unclear how much Amulek knew of the mysteries of God. To our purposes in this 2nd estate, there is only one God to whom we must know to be saved.

30 Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things?

31 And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me. [Amulek had been not only alerted to Alma’s coming, but taught pure doctrine from an angel of the Lord.]

32 And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God?

33 And he said unto him, Yea.

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. [This would be like asking: “Shall the Son of God save people without removing their sin?”]

35 Now Zeezrom said unto the people: See that ye remember these things; for he said there is but one God; yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but he shall not save his people—as though he had authority to command God. [A clear twisting of Amulek’s words.]

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

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. [Must receive the baptism of fire, made possible because of Jesus Christ.]

38 Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?

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;

There are some that use these scriptures to teach that Jesus is the Father and that there is no hierarchy of heavenly beings in the Elohim. The “Eternal Father of heaven and earth” is a true description of Jesus Christ, as he is both the creator of this earth and all things around it, as directed by the Father. He is one with God, and is the beginning and end of our salvation. 

40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people [those of the covenant]; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life [The gift of the Holy Ghost and the resurrection of light which manifests itself in the world to come.], and [this] salvation cometh to none else.

41 Therefore the wicked remain [telestial] 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 God, and be judged according to their works.

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. [Lose the bands that bind us to this world.]

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 God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt. [The resurrection of the just is where our spirit and bodily form are united permanently in perfection, which means in its state of light or glory.]

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 [its visage and form without corruption], and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. [Every soul in one manner or another, depending upon the glory in which they abide, shall be judged of the Lord and sent to their place of glory. ]

45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. [What kind of life is a resurrection in relation to 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 [without death], that they can no more see corruption [decay].

The key words to consider, “the whole becoming spiritual.” The resurrection is a spiritual manifestation of the glory in which we reside, where our bodies and spirit are combined to a perfection of light and substance that cannot be taken away.

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.

The power of the Spirit of God had overwhelmed Zeezrom that he was overcome with fear and began to tremble. It was clear to Zeezrom that he was out of his league as he stood before a prophet of God.