Alma 13-16

Today we're going to be talking some priesthood and point out some poetic ironies found in these chapters. 

Ch 13

V1-2

Notice how many times "order" is used in these verses. Dictionary definition:

Order: "to establish in or set apart for a particular office or order"

Ordinance: "a rule established by authority" ; "an established rite or ceremony"

An example you might be familiar with, is orders set by the Catholic church. The Benedictines order,

Franciscan order, Dominican order, Augustinian order, Jesuits order, and the Carmelite order. 

These religious orders were set apart for a certain purpose, each focusing on different things such as study, service, prayer, etc. 

Jon Wesley really wasn't trying to create a new religion when the Methodist Church began, but was trying to provide a method of righteousness that we could follow. 

An order is meant to provide a method to channel our desires and point us towards righteousness. 

That's what the priesthood is. 

V2 "priests were ordained after the order of his Son in a manner that the people might know in what manner to look forward to [Christ]"

The priesthood could and should be a preview of what Christ will be like when He is among us.  

I love how Abraham describes why he sought out the priesthood of God. Go read Abraham Chapter 1 verse 2, and I'm going to paraphrase it as if he were speaking when he was younger and about to receive the priesthood. 

"I have found a greater happiness, peace, and rest for me. Now i seek to be ordained with the priesthood, so i can share this happiness/peace/rest with others. I seek the priesthood so I can be a greater follower of righteousness and possess even greater knowledge. I want to father nations, publish peace, and become a rightful heir of everything God has to offer."

It is such a blessing that this Holy Priesthood has been restored on earth!!

V3. chosen "on account of their exceeding faith and good works". 

You and I had faith & good works in the spirit world. Maybe not faith in God's existence, because we could see Him clear as day, but faith in His plan. 

On the flip side, if I had good works, i probably had bad ones too. (D&C 93:38 "men became again innocent")

Ch14

V1 they "began to repent". It's a process & it might take a while. A heartfelt prayer on your knees is a great place to start, but repentance is changing your behavior, turning back to God, letting Him empower you forward on the right course. 

V4 There's a lot of poetic irony in these chapters. Those who are wearing the chains of Hell, bind the righteous with strong chords.

V6-7 If Zeezrom really had been an influential man, his followers may have listened to him when he had his change of heart. But because they rejected him, maybe they were never listening to him at all, just listening to the natural man inside them. 

V8 truly one of the more horrific scenes in the book of Mormon. Don't forget that Amulek was a man of great reputation, he probably knew the faces of everyone in the fire. 

You might wonder how is it possible that God allowed this to happen.. but even God respects the agency of those who misuse it. If he didn't, agency would be over and satan's plan would win. 

V11 "he doth suffer that they may do this thing". The use of suffer here is one of my favorite dual meanings. Christ suffers me to learn and make mistakes, he then in turn suffered for those mistakes. 

V14 more poetic irony. those headed to a lake of fire and brimstone, throw the righteous into a fire. 

V15-20 Alma and Amulek experience some foreshadowing of what is to come.

"smote them again upon their cheeks"

"answered him nothing"

"if you have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?"

V21 Joseph Smith experienced something similar while in jail... "How shall we look when we are damned?"

V22 poetic irony. These men are doing to Alma and Amulek, what they have done to themselves spiritually for years. Making them hunger, thirst, be naked, bound, confined in prison. 

• hunger? they receive no bread of life
• thirst? no living water
• naked? they shook off the all encompassing atonement
• bound? by the chains of hell
• prison? held captive by their own sins

V24 their chief: "If ye have the power of God, deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe"

Unfortunately for them, it will mean nothing to bend the knee before Christ, when you are no longer able to stand. 

V27 poetic irony. They were killed by the prison that they used to imprison others. 

There is a similar story in Acts 16 that makes you wonder who was really imprisoned all along..

 

Acts 16. Paul and Sylus were in prison, singing hymns praising god, then there was an earthquake that cause the walls to come tumbling down.

The guard knew that escaped prisoners meant he would face a shameful death as punishment. Ready to fall on his sword, he hears Paul's voice, and a conversation something like this unfolds -  

Paul: Jailor, do thyself no harm, we are all here.

Jailor: the walls just fell! You could escape!

Paul: we've never been the ones who are imprisoned. You are on the wrong side of the bars.

The prisoners taught the jailor what real freedom is, and what real captivity looks like. Paul later baptizes the jailor.

Ch 15 

V17. When pride is checked, humility has space to grow. you have to stop the growth of the natural man before the saint can flourish. Very hard for those two things to grow together. 

V18. The person you help today, may help you tomorrow. Just a reminder to do good and plant seeds, the fruit may end up saving your life one day. 

Ch16

V11. Poetic irony: to the people of Ammonihah who say there is no consequence for sin, here is a monument to the consequence of sin. 

V16. Another example of how those with soft hearts will receive the greater portion of the word. If you go to church or even approach personal scripture study without first having "prepared the heart", then you will receive the lesser portion of the word. 

Thanks for reading!

Ryan