![\"Thomas](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/408\/2016\/07\/Orphan-221x300.jpg\")
Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
First, the structure of the text. Alma 30-34 are really one unit, which we break up. In the 1830, they constitute one chapter (Alma XVI). Presumably, we\u2019re breaking these up because\u00a0of their doctrinal nature.<\/p>\n
Today we cover Alma 32-34, which looks like thisin the rough big-picture outline.<\/p>\n
32<\/strong>\u2013 Alma continues preaching at Antionum; \u201cfaith sermon\u201d on the hill Onidah.<\/p>\n
33<\/strong>\u2013 Crowd\u2019s negative response; Alma continues his sermon.<\/p>\n
34<\/strong>\u2013 Amulek takes over, and preaches to\u00a0the crowd on\u00a0the hill.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Surprisingly, not a ton has been written about Alma 32 from an analytical (as opposed to devotional\/Ensign-style) perspective.<\/p>\n
\n
- In this\u00a0post, I provide a close-reading\/paraphrase of part of the chapter.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Feast Upon the Word<\/a> (a Mormon Theology<\/a> Seminar devoted to Alma 32, now hosted by the\u00a0Maxwell Institute)<\/li>\n
- \u201cWatermelons, Alma 32, and the Experimental Method\u201d BYU Studies 23:4<\/a><\/li>\n
- This chapter from the RSC at BYU<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- David Bokovoy\u2019s \u201cThe Word and the Seed: The Theological Use of Biblical Creation in Alma 32\u2033<\/a> in JBMS, summarized by\u00a0Book of Mormon Central here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A few notes, then, on Alma 32-<\/p>\n
First, a comment based on Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible. There, \u201cfaith\u201d and a whole series of words come from the same root, \u2018mn (aleph, mem, nun). In the KJV, those words would include faith<\/em>, faithful<\/em>, trust<\/em>, trustworthy<\/em>, reliable<\/em>, truth<\/em>,true<\/em>, to believe<\/em>,), to establish<\/em>, assurance<\/em>, to verify or be verified<\/em>, pillar\/support<\/em> (apparently in 2Ki 18:16) and amen<\/em>\u00a0or more accurately, \u2018am\u0113n<\/em>, transliterated into English directly from the Hebrew. \u00a0Note all of these seem to get at ideas of reliability, certainty, firmness.<\/p>\n
When the KJV reads \u201cverily verily\u201d (unique to John\u2019s gospel) what Jesus is saying is \u201camen amen,\u201d which other translations read as \u201cmost assuredly,\u201d \u201cvery truly,\u201d \u201cI assure you,\u201d \u201cI can guarantee this truth\u201d and \u201cyes indeed!\u201d<\/p>\n
Isa 7:9 uses two forms of \u2018mn to make a wordplay of sorts.<\/p>\n
KJV \u201cIf ye will not believe (\u2018mn), surely ye shall not be established (i.e. made firm, \u2018mn)\u201d<\/p>\n
NRSV-\u00a0\u201cIf you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prophet calls for the king to \u201cpull himself together,\u201d to strengthen his faith, as a necessary condition to being confirmed in office by the Lord and by his people. \u2013 Word Biblical Commentary<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Is this the concept of faith that Alma understands? He\u2019s several hundred years removed from native Israelite Hebrew speakers, and we don\u2019t know what language he\u2019s speaking. Alma distinguishes between knowledge and certainty in chapter 32. Knowledge has to do with seeing, as is also backed up by the mention of the unseen in Heb 11:1 and the connection with seeing in Eth 3:19. Is faith, for Alma, certainty without demonstrable proof? This was the question I tried to answer in my smpt presentation<\/a>, but I found it too ambiguous to conclude one way or the other. I strongly suspect, however, that the conception of faith varies throughout our scriptures, differing from our modern conception as well.<\/p>\n
\nTwo things about this chapter are almost funny to me. Remember that the people come to him with a problem, that they can\u2019t get in to the synagogue. You would expect the high priest and prophet to solve the problem\u2026 but he doesn\u2019t. After Alma finishes, the people are still poor, still not permitted in the synagogue, and moreover, they\u2019re confused. We really elevate Alma 32, but when you try to read it as The Solution to their problem (as they understand it), the solution doesn\u2019t work very well. Alma finishes preaching and the response of the crowd is, paraphrased, \u201cuh, ok. That\u2019s great and all about faith, but what should we do?\u201d<\/p>\n
they sent forth unto him desiring to know whether they should believe in one God, that they might obtain this fruit of which he had spoken, or how they should plant the seed, or the word of which he had spoken, which he said must be planted in their hearts; or in what manner they should begin to exercise their faith. (Alma 33:1)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In other words, Alma doesn\u2019t answer the question they ask in 32:5 Instead, he questions the assumptions the question is founded on.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the answer to a problem is to question and rethink why we consider it a problem.<\/p>\n
\nAlma says,<\/p>\n
now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need\u2013 I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith. Alm 34:27-28<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But remember who he\u2019s talking to! These are the poor<\/em> people in town, kept out because they can\u2019t afford the \u201cright\u201d clothes for synagogue worship! In essence, Alma says righteousness doesn\u2019t come from a\u00a0to Church every attending the synagogue\u00a0and wearing a white shirt. It comes in keeping the commandments as part of our covenantal relationship with God. (See here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
Our relationship with God (which, again, in some sense is what \u00a0\u201crighteousness\u201d is, a right-relationship with God) is often most visible in our relationships with people. How do we treat the poor, sick, and afflicted? How do we treat our enemies? Are we generous with our offerings? Alma reminds me here both of Deuteronomy<\/a>, which nails this topic repeatedly, but also James.<\/p>\n
NRSV\u00a0<\/sup>James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress<\/em>, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nTidbits<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
- When Amulek preaches about the death of Jesus as atonement in Alma 34:10, he says
\nit is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man<\/em>, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice<\/em>; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
One of BYU\u2019s resident Mesoamericanists<\/a> reads this and verse 11 in terms not of the Law of Moses, but of Mesoamerican bloodletting by divine kings and sacrifice of actual humans<\/a>.<\/p><\/li>\n
- Alm 34:15 uses the phrase \u201cbowels of mercy.\u201d Again, while we don\u2019t know about the language or translation, the idea of bowels as deep-seated feelings is a Hebrew bible cultural assumption. A serious of related words that originally meant \u201cinner organs\u201d came to mean the inner self, womb, mercy\/love\/compassion. \u00a0See Gen. 43:30, 1 Kings 3:26. Jeremiah 4:19. Jeremiah 31:20.<\/li>\n
- Alm 34:34 continue reading to v. 35 &36 to understand what spirit is mentioned in 34.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As always, you can help me pay my tuition here<\/a>, or\u00a0you can support my work through making your regular Amazon purchases through this Amazon link.<\/a> You can also get updates by email whenever a post goes up (subscription box on the right). If you friend me on Facebook, please drop me a note telling me you\u2019re a reader. I tend not to accept friend requests from people I\u2019m not acquainted with.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
First, the structure of the text. Alma 30-34 are really one unit, which we break up. In the 1830, they constitute one chapter (Alma XVI). Presumably, we\u2019re breaking these up because\u00a0of their doctrinal nature. Today we cover Alma 32-34, which looks like thisin the rough big-picture outline. 32\u2013 Alma continues preaching at Antionum; \u201cfaith sermon\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1720,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-of-mormon","category-gospel-doctrine","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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