Life After Ministry

Studying the Book of Mormon 6b

The Confusion of Alma

When we left off in the first of three part series on the book of Alma we saw the king of the Lamanites promising up to half his kingdom if Ammon didn’t kill him.  But I have another question about this scenario. 

Why did Ammon cut off the arm of the king and threaten to kill him if he didn’t release his “brother from prison?  It doesn’t sound as if Ammon was patient as it claims if he was threatening to kill the king.  Isn’t the life of a true believer supposed to be totally sold out to God for the sake of the gospel, no matter the cost?  Why is your personal life more important than being a witness for God and His cause?  (See Alma 20:22, 29) 

Hebrews 11:35-37 tells us that people were sawn in half, put in animal skins with lions ready to tear them apart.  They were mocked, imprisoned, scourged, tormented, afflicted and went destitute, yet they didn’t fight back.  They knew that God would recompense them with a better country and an eternal salvation with Him.

With that in mind, we go into the next chapter where we find Ammon journeying towards the land of his fathers’ “nativity” which they called Jerusalem.  True story.  In case you’re wondering why the word “nativity” would be in the Book of Mormon, we just wanted to let you know, you’re not alone.  

Nativity is a French word which comes from Late Latin originating circa 1122 AD.  That would be700 years after the Book of Mormon people died.  So if this was a true translation written in Reformed Egyptian, how did this word make its way to those plates in 90 BC?  And why would they name their town Jerusalem?  Nothing they’ve done up to this point has indicated they were following the Law of Moses or anything Jewish for that matter. 

While Aaron was preaching to the Amulekites in their synagogues, they began asking him how he knew what God wanted.  He answered them in 21:9 by stating there could be no salvation if they didn’t believe in “the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood”.

A handful of verses later Aaron and his brethren were cast into prison, but later in the same verse Ammon and King Lamoni came and delivered them.  By verse twenty two King Lamoni decreed everyone had the liberty to worship as they please wherever they were in his province under his reign. 

While that sounds a lot like modern diplomacy, the real question that should be asked is what exactly Ammon taught the people of King Lamoni in the last verse of the chapter.  What exactly is righteousness to the Nephite people?  How do they define it and for what purpose does it serve? 

In the next chapter we find Aaron expounding to the king on the merits of believing in the Son of God and being forgiven for your sin.  Even though the king allowed synagogues to be built throughout his kingdom he was obviously unsure of how the whole thing seemed to work.  That’s rather odd… 

Alma 22:9 says the king is calling the God of the Bible “that Great Spirit” just as we saw several chapters earlier and worse yet, Aaron is agreeing with the king referring to God with the same name in 22:10.

 In 22:14 Aaron is plagiarizing the Apostle Paul’s defense of the resurrection to the Corinthians by telling King Lamoni about the fall of man.

Alma 22:14; “And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.”

1 Cor. 15:54-55; “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 

Now I hate to belabor our time in this chapter, but it’s worth pointing out verse eighteen.  It says King Lamoni prostrated himself on the ground and said in part the following;

“O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee,..” 

???????? 

How, why, or do I mean what?  What is this guy even saying?  He’ll give away all his sins?  Who would want them?  Why would God want your sins?  God doesn’t want your sins!  God sent His Son to die because of your sins.

We confess and repent of our sins because they’re ugly.  They’re a debasing thing when compared to the righteousness of God.  That verse is another proof this “scripture” is not from God.  My heart is sickened. 

Chapter twenty three is the story of how everyone but the Amalekites was converted.  Out of all the Amalekites who rebelled against the message of salvation, only one person believed (23:14).  In the last two verses of this chapter, we see a name change for their region and a curse of God taken away.  Notice the grammar.

Alma 23:17-18; “And it came to pass that they called their names Anti-Nephi-Lehies; and they were called by this name and were no more called Lamanites.  18 And they began to be a very industrious people; yea, and they were friendly with the Nephites; therefore, they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them.” 

My question about this is probably too simple, but here it is.  Did they turn white? 

Alma 24:10 is proclaiming a gospel again that is foreign to people like my mother who is a very dedicated member of the LDS Church.  D&C 42:79 says that murderers cannot receive forgiveness because they’ve shed innocent blood.  I recently wrote an article on blood atonement and the Mormon Church you can access here.  http://www.lifeafter.org/firingsquad.asp 

Alma 24:10; ““And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders whichwe have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.” 

D&C 42:79; “And it shall come to pass, that if any persons among you shall kill they shall be delivered up and dealt with according to the laws of the land; for remember that he hath no forgiveness; and it shall be proved according to the laws of the land.” 

Just when you thought you could get through the rest of the chapter without any other incidents, plagiarisms or contradictory teachings, we come upon the very last verse in Alma chapter twenty four. 

As Aaron was going along telling of all the people that were murdered for believing in Christ, we find that he’s plagiarized the author of Hebrews.

 Alma 24:30; “And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.” 

Hebrews 6:4-6; “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” 

Also, in the middle of Alma chapter twenty five, you can see how Aaron doesn’t discriminate against those he plagiarizes.  Here’s what he says in 25:6;

“For many of them, after having suffered much loss and so many afflictions, began to be stirred up in remembrance of the words which Aaron and his brethren had preached to them in their land…”

Compare his words with what the Apostle Peter said in his second epistle to the Jewish believers not long before his death in 64 AD. 

2 Peter 1:13; “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” 

In Alma 25:16 we find a classic example as to why the people of Mormonism are so confused.  If this was truly the way God operated I wouldn’t want to be a believer.  Aaron is explaining the everyday life of a Lamanite.  Imagine the frustration and confusion of these people!

 “Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come.” 

In Alma twenty six we find Ammon rejoicing for the many blessings incurred because of the conversions of the Lamanites and again more plagiarisms (this time of the Apostle John) in verses five and seven respectively; 

“Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted.” 

“But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.” 

What’s so sad about this example is that the phrase “thrust in your sickle” is from something that still hasn’t happened yet.  See Revelation 14:5.  The next one is from John 6:40 and how Jesus will raise up the believer on the last day.  Why are they using this terminology in Mesoamerica between 90 and 77 BC?

 As the chapter rolls along Ammon also picks up phrases from Paul about doing all things, his joy is full, and it is given to know the mysteries of God.  His spiritual high seems to be so grandiose that it overshadows the true message of the gospel.

The next chapter begins by telling us the Lamanites returned to the land of Nephi and this angered the Amalekites.  They apparently laid down their lives as the awful Amalekites came in to destroy them.

In 27:5 Ammon tries to tell the king they need to go to the Nephites for protection, but the king said the Nephites would destroy them.  After Ammon goes to the Lord for direction it is decided it’d be best if they go back to the Nephites.

As they get moving, Ammon literally passes out from so much joy in the Lord (27:18).   The people of God begin to make encampments to protect each other from the coming onslaught of the Amulekites.  At this time the new found believers in God (Lamanite believers) wouldn’t fight with swords because of their previous sin of murder so they protected themselves and others by fighting in the battle.

 The beginning of chapter twenty eight tells us there were more people killed in this battle than ever before.  In 28:11 it tells us that thousands were killed and heaped upon the earth, but people looked to Christ for their hope.  It was 76 BC.

 Interestingly, no archaeological evidence has ever been found of any civilization existing that these texts speak of.  There are no buttons, no pottery shards, no human or animal bones; nothing.  If thousands upon thousands of people died in a battle fought with swords of steel, horses and chariots, you’d think the archaeologists would find something. 

 Chapter thirty tells a story of an anti-Christ named Korihor roaming the earth in 74 BC.  (vs. 12)  Korihor tells the people they are delusional to believe in a coming Christ and led many away from their faith (vs. 18).  In 30:25 Korihor tells the high priest Giddonah, he and others were foolish to teach people they were “a fallen people because of the transgression of a parent”.

 I wonder if any Mormons have thought about this.  The LDS Church basically believes the same thing.  Does this mean they’re an anti-Christ?  The 2^nd Article of Faith says;

 “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.”

 And what about Joseph Smith?  According to Brigham Young anyone not professing Smith has been sent of God is the anti-Christ.  If the Nephites were so descriptive about Jesus in the BC era, shouldn’t they have been as knowing of Smith as well?  Discourses of Brigham Young, pg. 435;

 “Whosoever confesseth that Joseph Smith was sent of God to reveal the holy Gospel to the children of men, and lay the foundation for gathering Israel, and building up the Kingdom of God on the earth, that spirit is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that God has sent Joseph Smith, and revealed the everlasting Gospel to and through him, is of Antichrist, no matter whether it is found in a pulpit or on a throne. 8:176.”

 Two thirds through this chapter Alma is still having a conversation with Korihor trying to convince him there is a god and in 30:46 he tells Korihor he’s “grieved because of the hardness of your heart…”  Pulling these sayings out of the Bible makes me believe they do this intentionally in order to confuse the Mormon people.  See Mark 3:5.

 Also, why is the Book of Mormon filled with so many scriptures from the Bible if the Bible has been mistranslated?  See the 8^th Article of Faith.

 After not accepting God into his heart, Korihor was struck dumb, was cast out and went from house to house begging for food (vs. 56).  Those who believed Korihor separated themselves and from then on known as Zoramites, led by a man named Zoram.  Korihor was eventually killed.

 Alma received “tidings” that the Zoramites were spreading a false gospel and the Nephites worried they would spread their lies to the Lamanites in Alma chapter thirty one.

 First of all, the word “tidings” is an Old English word from the twelfth century which means it was impossible for it to have been in the original writings of the Book of Mormon.  Secondly, if the Lamanites really were saved, God’s Holy Spirit would’ve prevented them from going into apostasy.

 But this is the problem with Mormonism.  They don’t understand how God works so they are left to an awful manmade speculation.  The Lord does a supernatural work in your heart when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior.  His Spirit protects you from desiring that which is not righteous.  He convicts us of sin, leads us to all righteousness and opens our eyes to truth.  (John 16:7-11)

 The Bible says that Jesus promised us He would send another Comforter who would live in our hearts forever (John 14:6).  He was given to us as compensation, until His return. 

 The Holy Spirit is a fruit-producer in our lives, prompting us to do good works.  Mind you, we are not doing this out of a need for salvation or to bring glory to ourselves.  Whatever “works” we do in this life are a result of His promptings in our heart and the result or the glory, if you will, is a proof to unbelievers that God exists.  God gets all of the glory, not man.

 The Holy Spirit can be lied to (Acts 5:3), tested (Acts 5:9), resisted (Acts 7:51), grieved (Ephesians 4:30), outraged (Heb. 10:29) and called upon (Ezek. 37:9).  He is God and knows the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10-11 and can pray for you (Ro. 8:26).  He teaches us to bring all things to remembrance (John 14:26). 

 (I retrieved the information for that paragraph from the God and Science website you can access here http://www.godandscience.org/discovery/chapter5.html)

 In addition to all these things and more, there is the one most important thing to remember about Him.  He will never leave you once you’ve invited Him into your heart.  (John 14:23)  If you say you’re saved and then turn the way the Book of Mormon claims the Lamanites did then you weren’t saved and you never knew the Father.  See John 14:17.

 This doesn’t mean the Christian is perfect.  You can be saved and still sin, but murdering, plundering, raping, etc isn’t going to be part of your repertoire.  When we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us and we repent, we’re forgiven and we go on.

 This Book of Mormon business of churches and Christians existing in the BC era and then turning on each other with viciousness is not possible and not true.  When a person gets saved there is a marked difference in his/her life. 

 Before I got saved I was scum.  I wanted to be a good person – sometimes I tried, but not usually.  I really didn’t care about my fellow man, nor did I care about myself.  I thought I knew everything and truly believed I was a decent person.  I couldn’t understand why everyone in the world wouldn’t believe as I did and really didn’t give a hoot about your feelings, especially if you were a so-called “Christian”.

 The first thing I did as a born-again believer after repenting for my lack luster disposition was to repent for hating God’s people; the body of Christ.  From that day forward I have had the Holy Spirit’s direction in my life.  I can honestly say there hasn’t been a day in almost eighteen years that I haven’t heard His voice or felt His promptings in my life.  Every single day is new.  Every single day He shows me another truth of His and I am purposefully moving towards righteousness because of the supernatural work He performs in and through me.

 Every person that receives salvation from God on High can attest to the same thing.  Our stories are all different but that one denominator.  Where in the Book of Mormon can you find such a thing?  Sadly you can’t, because it’s not there.

 The rest of Alma chapter thirty one is the story of how the Zoramites had built synagogues proclaiming the coming Christ was a lie, yet with all the opposition facing him, that doesn’t deter Alma.  Once a week they went up in their towers to proclaim the same message to not believe in Christ.

 There are a few times they’ve plagiarized the Bible again.  Compare Alma 31:11 with Acts13:10; Alma 31:17 with Hebrews 13:8 and Alma 31:37 with Matthew 6:25.

 Chapter thirty two uses the term “poor in spirit” and its synonyms way too many times.  Basically, they’re trying to emphasize that because they were poor monetarily speaking, it caused them to become poor in spirit.  Alma introduces the idea they don’t have to go to the synagogues to worship their god and they don’t have to do this only once a week.

 In Alma 32:13, 15 Alma tells the people because they are compelled to be humble that sometimes it may cause you to repent and this is good because you’ll be blessed.  Aside from lifting Matthew 24:13 (enduring to the end) to fill in the empty pages of the Book of Mormon, I thought it less than inspiring for Smith to use the phrase “And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance…”

 If a man is humble they sometimes seek repentance?  Really?  I’m in the middle of studying the Sermon on the Mount and part of this study is to dissect the Beatitudes.  This has been a real eye-opener for me personally.  It’s taken me on a journey into the Old Testament which I’ll be doing an article on after the study is completed.

 The term “humble” can be found in Matthew 5:5; “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”.  The word “meek” in the Greek means to be humble.  It is the Greek word “praus” and it implies “to be gentle or humble”.

 Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit.  It produces a gentleness and respect towards others while having a total dependence on God.  Besides just using vocabulary from the New Testament, what else do you find in the textual content to show what they were specifically doing to be humble?  

 It is highly improbable these people were being baptized in 74 BC (Alma 32:18).  In 32:21 they take another try at using New Testament vocabulary this time from Hebrews 11:1, giving it a whole new meaning on having faith on things not seen…the rest of the chapter is filled with more plagiarisms, a too lengthy story of the seed that is good and how it can grow…

 The worst of their mistakes while plagiarizing came with the incongruous mixture of various verses and stories from the Bible they tried to put all together; all in Alma 32:41.  The fruit that supposedly is produced by your works was mixed with a statement by Jesus telling the woman at the well that He is the well of water that springs up into everlasting life.  See John 4:14.

 Apparently the Mormons can’t stand to think of anyone, let alone Jesus Himself, being the one that gives them salvation.  Their own works based righteousness and road to heaven will not and must not be paved with the mercy of God.

 Throughout chapter thirty three Alma preaches about the Son of God, his resurrection and asked his audience if they believed what the “prophets of old had written about” without going into any detail of what he was referring to.  In 33:23 he again used the phrase “springing up in you into everlasting life” with the wrong application.  John 4:14 says;

 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

 Alma 34:15 actually preaches salvation because of Jesus’ spilled blood.  I can only imagine how much confusion this must cause those who have to read this.  I remember that as a Mormon I wanted so badly to believe in the Jesus of the Bible with the Jesus from the Book of Mormon and was never able to reconcile the two.

 Verse twenty eight is another proof Joseph Smith didn’t know the Holy Spirit.  It basically says that after you’ve prayed, etc and turn away the needy, your prayers are in vain.  If you’re truly following Him, you wouldn’t do this.  Verse thirty three tells the reader there are no works after death so I have to wonder why the Church says “you can’t be saved without your dead”.  (Doctrines of Salvation 2:145)

 Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 says; “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.  6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”

 Alma 34:36, 37, 38 each have plagiarized Rev. 7:14, Phil.2:12 and John 4:24 respectively.

 In Alma 35 it says the Zoramites became angry with the Nephites and basically talked the Lamanites into being angry with them as well.  Soon all the missionary work that Alma and the others did was all for naught.

 Alma recounted his conversion experience to his son Mosiah in vs. 6-10.  Again, this story is so similar to Paul’s that it’s very suspicious it could be truth.

 In Alma 36:17 we are given another example that Mormonism is not a Christian organization, nor is the Book of Mormon an inspired work of God.

 “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.”

 Jesus isn’t just a Son of God.  He is the Son of God!

 Alma 36:18 has copied two authors from the New Testament.  See Mark 10:47 and Luke in Acts 8:23.  And in Alma 36:28 I have to wonder if they ever get tired of inserting New Testament phrases into their text.  This time it comes from John 6:40.

 In Alma 37, Alma tells his son Mosiah to keep the brass plates safe and to be sure they are handed down to the next generation and while so doing he just had to quote Revelation 14:6.  Alma 37:13 is just one example that I’m convinced is the theme of the Book of Mormon.  If you don’t behave, God cuts you off from his presence.  This theme runs throughout the whole of the Book of Mormon and as you read through it you can understand why the Mormons have an unhealthy fear of God.

 In the 1830 version of the Book of Mormon Alma 37:21 used the word “directors”, but today’s version says “interpreters”.

 Later in the chapter (vs. 23-25), Alma warns that nothing should be held in secret.  If Alma was a real person in history I wonder what he’d think of the temple ceremonies that take place today.  In vs. 38 we’re told of a compass their fathers sought direction from. 

 Two things bother me about this particular subject.  One – this “ball” or compass sounds a lot like a magical charm if it ever existed.  Two – compasses weren’t invented at the time of this writing.  See our article here about the archaeology problem in the Book of Mormon.  http://www.lifeafter.org/artifacts.asp

 The opening verse in chapter thirty eight gives us the theme of the Book of Mormon again.  This time Alma’s giving directions to his son Shiblon.  If you don’t obey, God cuts you off.  Acts 4:12 somehow makes its way to 38:9 – remember, it’s 73 BC.  Amazingly, he quotes the Apostle John twice in this one verse.  See John 1:4 and 8:12.

 He briefly shared his conversion story with his son and told him that the only way we can be saved is to be born of God.  In verse thirteen he reminded him not to pray as the Zoramites do.

 Alma chapters thirty nine through forty two are an exhortation to his son Corianton to shape up.  Apparently he didn’t behave as well as his brothers did and forsook the ministry.

 Alma 39:3 uses a phrase that sounds a lot like the words God used to describe Israel in the book of Jeremiah just before they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians.  Additionally, the phrase “lust of the eyes” from 1 John 2:16 shows up in Alma 39:9.  What does it mean to cross yourself?  Is he referring to what the Catholics do when they’re done praying?

 The rest of Alma 39 is filled with non-descriptive commands “concerning the coming of Christ” as in vs. fifteen and more pleading with Corianton.  We’re still left to wondering how all these people received the gift of the Holy Ghost in 73 BC and why the word “tidings” shows up two more times in verses sixteen and nineteen.

 Chapter forty would be laughable if it weren’t so sad for the Mormon people who trust this today.  In this chapter alone the word “resurrection” is used 24 times.  Alma sees a need to explain why he’s using this particular phrase and seems a little too worried that he’s teaching something that hasn’t even happened yet.  Maybe he’s making excuses for the lies he’s telling???

 In 40:3 he’s explaining to his son that no one on earth knows about the resurrection except God and Alma of course.  He mentions that the only reason he knows about it is because he “inquired diligently of God that I might know…” 

 This chapter is so confusing because of the apparent lies and stories Smith made up along the way that it’s difficult at best to try and decipher the meaning of even one verse Alma tried to spew forth.

 The one thing that is discernible through this chapter is the number of times Alma lifted scripture from people who weren’t born yet.  Compare the following:

 Alma 40:2 & 1 Cor. 15:53

Alma 40:13 & Matt. 22:13

Alma 40:14 & Heb. 10:27

Alma 40:22 & Acts 3:21

Alma 40:25 & Matthew 13:43

 In the next chapter Alma’s moved on from resurrection to the “restoration”.  The restoration Alma’s speaking of in this chapter is the restoration of a man’s soul to his body at the time of judgment, so it’s not necessarily the restoration of the Church.

 Alma 41:3 poses a very interesting topic for discussion.  Alma said that men will be judged by their works and the intents of their hearts. 

 One of our volunteers, Melissa Grimes, reminded me of a quote by Brigham Young that contradicts what Alma said in this verse.  Brigham was giving a sermon on the gospel in addition to embracing the principles of Mormonism instead of the character of men on November 9, 1856 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Tabernacle.

 Journal of Discourses 4:78; “I never preached to the world but what the cry was, “that damned old Joe Smith has done thus and so.” I would tell the people that they did not know him, and I did, and that I knew him to be a good man; and that when they spoke against him, they spoke against as good a man as ever lived.  I recollect a conversation I had with a priest who was an old friend of ours, before I was personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph. I clipped every argument he advanced, until at last he came out and began to rail against “Joe Smith,” saying, “that he was a mean man, a liar, money-digger, gambler, and a whore-master;” and he charged him with everything bad, that he could find language to utter. I said, hold on, brother Gillmore, here is the doctrine, here is the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the revelations that have come through Joseph Smith the Prophet.

I have never seen him, and do not know his private character. The doctrine he teaches is all I know about the matter, bring anything against that if you can. As to anything else I do not care. If he acts like a devil, he has brought forth a doctrine that will save us, if we will abide it. He may get drunk every day of his life, sleep with his neighbor’s wife every night, run horses and gamble, I do not care anything about that, for I never embrace any man in my faith. But the doctrine he has produced will save you and me, and the whole world; and if you can find fault with that, find it.”

 With all that in mind let’s turn to what God says about these matters.  Matthew 7:13-23 says to watch out for false prophets and that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will be saved.  A good tree can’t bring forth evil fruit and neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  If Brigham had known the word of God, he wouldn’t have been fooled with the likes of Joseph Smith.

 In 41:8 Alma declares that the laws of God are unchangeable.  If this is true, then Mormonism is false.  The Mormon god has changed his mind on several occasions.  In verse eleven he’s found quoting from the New Testament again.  See Acts 8:23 and Ephesians 2:12.

 The last verse in chapter forty one is very sad.

 “For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.”

 Alma 42:3 is a lie from the pit of hell.  The truth in the Garden of Eden is that Adam had a choice.  He could eat from the tree of knowledge or the tree of life.  Adam chose to sin and partake of the tree of knowledge.  God did not take Adam out of the Garden after he became “like God” in case he’d live like that forever.  His lot was already cast and God tossed him out based upon his sinful desire.

 In verse five it goes on to lie saying that if Adam would’ve just taken from the tree of life he wouldn’t have had opportunity to repent and the word of God would be void.

 Truth:  if Adam had taken from the tree of life there would be no sin, no death and no need for repentance.

 Alma 42:8 is subjective reasoning.  God gave Adam a choice and there are consequences based on the choice made.  That still hold true for us today.

 If Alma 42:23 is true, then Mormonism is a lie.  It claims that men are judged when they’re resurrected according to their works.  How can they be judged according to their works here on earth when Mormons can do proxy work for them after they die?

 Alma 42:27 is quoting the words of Jesus in Revelation 22:17 when Alma told his son to drink of the waters of life freely.  It seems Alma is making a last ditched effort to get Coriantor to behave and repent.

 The only thing I really learned from those 22 chapters of Alma was that events were taking place before they were supposed to which makes God out to be a liar.  If these things really did take place; knowing about the resurrection, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, salvation through the merits of Jesus’ spilled blood, etc., then the entire Bible is a lie. 

 The more we read and learn from the Book of Mormon the sadder we become.  Pray that God will open the eyes of the Mormon people and they’ll be set free!

 With Love in Christ;  Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

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