< Mosiah 27 >
v. 1 And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma.
The danger of murmuring: Persecution won't destroy the Church - murmuring from within is what threatens it.
Murmuring is often the first sign of faith under strain and often proceeds apostasy more than outright rebellion. In the scriputres this happen over and over...External persecution leads to internal murmuring. Pressure from enemies leads to fractuce among believers. Fear and fatigue lead to complaints against leaders.
Gratitude is the direct antidote. Murmuring occurs when we forget what God has already done, gratitude restores memory. Forgiveness is also key. Unforgiveness fuels murmuring because it keeps the offense alive. Humility. Murmuring assumes you see the whole picture, humility says I see in part, God sees the whole. Remember. When we remember who we are, where we are trying to go, murmuring loses traction.
The danger of murmuring: Persecution won't destroy the Church - murmuring from within is what threatens it.
Murmuring is often the first sign of faith under strain and often proceeds apostasy more than outright rebellion. In the scriputres this happen over and over...External persecution leads to internal murmuring. Pressure from enemies leads to fractuce among believers. Fear and fatigue lead to complaints against leaders.
Gratitude is the direct antidote. Murmuring occurs when we forget what God has already done, gratitude restores memory. Forgiveness is also key. Unforgiveness fuels murmuring because it keeps the offense alive. Humility. Murmuring assumes you see the whole picture, humility says I see in part, God sees the whole. Remember. When we remember who we are, where we are trying to go, murmuring loses traction.
v. 8 Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma...
Two very different groups of people. The sons of Mosiah and Alma go through a radical shift in who they were.
Group #1:
Mosiah 27:8-11, 28:4
1) Wicked and idolatrous
2) Led people to do iniquities
3) Great hinderment to the prosperity of the church
4) Giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise power over them
5) Going about to destroy the church
6) Rebelling against God
7) Vilest of sinners
Group #2:
Mosiah 27:32-37 and Mosiah 28:3-4
1) Teaching the people
2) Preaching the word of God
3) Did impart much consolation
4) Instruments in the hands of God
5) Blessed are they because they did publish peace
6) They were desirous that salvation should come to every creature
Two very different groups of people. The sons of Mosiah and Alma go through a radical shift in who they were.
Group #1:
Mosiah 27:8-11, 28:4
1) Wicked and idolatrous
2) Led people to do iniquities
3) Great hinderment to the prosperity of the church
4) Giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise power over them
5) Going about to destroy the church
6) Rebelling against God
7) Vilest of sinners
Group #2:
Mosiah 27:32-37 and Mosiah 28:3-4
1) Teaching the people
2) Preaching the word of God
3) Did impart much consolation
4) Instruments in the hands of God
5) Blessed are they because they did publish peace
6) They were desirous that salvation should come to every creature
v. 23 And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort:
How did Alma feel Before and After Forgiveness?
v. 23-31
Before:
v. 28: wading through much tribulation
v. 28: repenting
v. 28: nigh unto death
v. 28: everlasting burning
v. 29: gall of bitterness
v. 29: bonds of iniquity
v. 29: darkest abyss
v. 29: racked with eternal torment
After:
v. 24: redeemd of the Lord
v. 24: born of the Spirit
v. 24: born of God
v. 29: sould hath been redeemed
v. 29: now I behold the marvelous light
v. 29: soul is pained no more
Alma 36:11-24 describes the same thing and has more descriptors
How did Alma feel Before and After Forgiveness?
v. 23-31
Before:
v. 28: wading through much tribulation
v. 28: repenting
v. 28: nigh unto death
v. 28: everlasting burning
v. 29: gall of bitterness
v. 29: bonds of iniquity
v. 29: darkest abyss
v. 29: racked with eternal torment
After:
v. 24: redeemd of the Lord
v. 24: born of the Spirit
v. 24: born of God
v. 29: sould hath been redeemed
v. 29: now I behold the marvelous light
v. 29: soul is pained no more
Alma 36:11-24 describes the same thing and has more descriptors
v. 25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
Born again
This phrase may not be in the Old Testament, but the idea is there.
When Jesus says in John 3:5 "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God", He then rebukes Nicodemus for being stunned at this saying. In John 3:10 he notes, "art thou a master of Israel, an knowest not these things?" This idea of being boran again or changed was not a new teaching.
Ezekiel 36:26 - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 11:19 - And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you.
Deuteronomy 30:6 - And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart....to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart.
Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me
Born again
This phrase may not be in the Old Testament, but the idea is there.
When Jesus says in John 3:5 "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God", He then rebukes Nicodemus for being stunned at this saying. In John 3:10 he notes, "art thou a master of Israel, an knowest not these things?" This idea of being boran again or changed was not a new teaching.
Ezekiel 36:26 - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 11:19 - And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you.
Deuteronomy 30:6 - And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart....to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart.
Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me
v. 26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
New Creatures
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Galatians 6:15
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
The Greek phrase is καινὴ κτίσις (kainē ktisis)
→ literally “new creation.”
That wording is distinctively Christian and post-resurrection.
Paul is saying:
You are not just restored — you are re-created.
“Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.”― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man.”― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
New Creatures
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Galatians 6:15
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
The Greek phrase is καινὴ κτίσις (kainē ktisis)
→ literally “new creation.”
That wording is distinctively Christian and post-resurrection.
Paul is saying:
You are not just restored — you are re-created.
“Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.”― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man.”― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
v. 28 Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out off an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
New Testament phrases in the Book of Mormon (especially before Christ was born) kind of bug me sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love how Christianity based the Book of Mormon is through and through. It takes Paul's teachings and just expounds upon them so clearly and eloquently. There is no doubt in my mind that studying the Book of Mormon intently has made me a better person, a better Christian, and a better disciple of Jesus Christ. I could talk about that for days, and that should probably be enough for me to say that this doesn't matter, but at the end of the day, I'm still prone to wonder about how things work and sometimes, they are a little hard to swallow for scientific minds like mine.
If I take a step back, it's startling to see people talking like this before Christ lived, using the same phrases and terminology as Paul. This intertextuality seems fine when New Testament authors quote Old Testament authors, but seems somewhat harder to digest when people are quoting people who haven't lived yet. I found this list of ideas on a reddit sub of all places and it links back to Book of Mormon Central and I thought it was helpful to sort through this idea. At the end of the day, if you believe Jesus rose from the grave after being dead, then anything is possible. Seems harder to make a blind man see by spitting in the mud than inspiring people to use the same language to talk about God, even if they lived worlds apart.
New Testament phrases in the Book of Mormon (especially before Christ was born) kind of bug me sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love how Christianity based the Book of Mormon is through and through. It takes Paul's teachings and just expounds upon them so clearly and eloquently. There is no doubt in my mind that studying the Book of Mormon intently has made me a better person, a better Christian, and a better disciple of Jesus Christ. I could talk about that for days, and that should probably be enough for me to say that this doesn't matter, but at the end of the day, I'm still prone to wonder about how things work and sometimes, they are a little hard to swallow for scientific minds like mine.
If I take a step back, it's startling to see people talking like this before Christ lived, using the same phrases and terminology as Paul. This intertextuality seems fine when New Testament authors quote Old Testament authors, but seems somewhat harder to digest when people are quoting people who haven't lived yet. I found this list of ideas on a reddit sub of all places and it links back to Book of Mormon Central and I thought it was helpful to sort through this idea. At the end of the day, if you believe Jesus rose from the grave after being dead, then anything is possible. Seems harder to make a blind man see by spitting in the mud than inspiring people to use the same language to talk about God, even if they lived worlds apart.
- Introduction and Summary: There are four main plausible sources for the intertextuality between the Book of Mormon and New Testament: Revelation to Ancient Prophets (articles 3 & 4), Older, undiscovered records (articles 5 & 6), Mormon & Moroni's compilation (articles 2 & 7), and Joseph Smith's Translation (articles 8 & 9).
- The Resurrected Jesus as the Source: There should be no issue with Mormon and Moroni quoting the Four Gospels, since we know they had access to accounts of Christ's visit to the Americas. Although not all of the phrases come from 3 Nephi, Mormon says that he could not record “even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people”. Naturally, some of Jesus' other teachings in the Americas would be similar to what he said in the New Testament.
- Revelations to Nephite Prophers as a Source: Alma, before quoting John the Baptist's invitation to repent, says that the words were given to him by the Spirit. Alma's descendants, Nephi and Lehi, hear similar phrases in the voice from the pillar of fire. Amulek and Samuel likely use the same phrase by quoting these original prophets. Even the original Nephi, (who also had a vision with John the Baptist), uses a similar phrase.
- Revelations can be given to Multiple Prophets: We know that Nephi saw much of the New Testament, including John the Beloved's vision of the last days. Alma may have also seen a vision that included the parable of the sower, which he seems to quote in his allegory of the seed. There is evidence of prophets in the Bible, such as Micah and Isaiah, receiving similar visions, which fulfills God's promise that "in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will [God] establish his word. "
- The Plates of Brass as a Common Source: We don't always realize that similarities between two books come from a third source. Abinadi uses the phrase "death should have no sting," which seems to be borrowed from Paul, but actually comes from Hosea. With over 10% of the New Testament comprising references to the Old Testament, we can suppose that other ancient scriptures (like those found on the brass plates) may be the source for more New Testament phrases. The same goes for post-exilic scripture (Old Testament books that were written after Lehi left Jerusalem). The parables in Ezekiel 17 and Romans 11 seem like they could have drawn inspiration from Zenos's allegory, quoted in Jacob 5.
- More evidence of a Common Ancient Source: Similar phrases from various Old Testament books are often "clustered" together. Jacob 4:15-17 quotes Psalm 118, Isaiah 8 and 28 to describe Christ as the stumbling block and foundation. Peter, Paul, and Luke also quote this same cluster of passages. In many scriptures, such as Romans 3, the New Testament author makes it clear that they are quoting several scriptures, but we do not have references for all their quotes, leading to the conclusion that there are more sources than we have access to. Many scholars agree that the common use of an assemblage of phrases in both Christian and Jewish literature is evidence that they were referencing a shared source, rather than each other.
- Mormon and Moroni's Abridgment as a Source: Mormon was writing centuries after the records he was abridging, and he likely had to update the phrases that were being used. For example, when describing missionaries in Alma 31 who took "no thought for themselves what they should eat," he was quoting 3 Nephi 13:25, a New Testament reference. Mormon may have done the same thing when he attached the small plates to his record, copying them with a more contemporary language. Moroni also seems to insert many Christian phrases into his abridgment of the ancient book of Ether. This is in line with the Book of Mormon's main purpose, to testify of Christ.
- Joseph Smith's Translation as a Source: Many scholars believe that Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon was a "loose" translation, meaning that he was given the ideas, and then he put them into his own word. Biblical phrases were a major part of Joseph's world, which could explain why variations of New Testament phrases are so prevalent. But with the number of word-for-word King James Version passages, some faithful scholars believe Joseph used a Bible to help him translate. However, there is no evidence of Joseph using a Bible in historical records.
- Divine Translation as a Source: The historical evidence shows that Joseph Smith received the words for translation directly from a seer stone, which he dictated to a scribe. In the original manuscripts, there are no signs of revising or compiling. Even the passages that reference the Bible follow the pattern of dictation. Likewise, the complexity of long passages interwoven with new ideas make it unlikely Joseph was simply writing copied or memorized Bible verses. God may have given Joseph this version of the Book of Mormon to show that "I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another" and that he speaks “according to their language, unto their understanding.”
v. 29 My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss, but now I behold the marvelous light of God.
Acts 8:23
Peter to Simon Magus: For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Gall = poison, bile
Bitterness = moral corruption, resentment
This is describing someone who wants spiritual power but whose heart is still ruled by pride and self-interest.
Deuteronomy 29:18, Jeremiah 9:15, Lamentations 3:19 talk about gall.
It really means a poisoned desire, corrupted motivation, unforgiven grievance, self-justifying pride.
Simon Magus wanted to buy the power and authority the Apostles had (Acts 8) which is how we got the term simony - the sin of buying or selling spiritual office or power.
The same can be said of it representing a transactional faith: If I do X God owes me Y. It shows up as: prosperity logic (the dreaded prosperity gospel), checklist spirituality, moral bargaining. Faith becomes leverage not trust.
Acts 8:23
Peter to Simon Magus: For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Gall = poison, bile
Bitterness = moral corruption, resentment
This is describing someone who wants spiritual power but whose heart is still ruled by pride and self-interest.
Deuteronomy 29:18, Jeremiah 9:15, Lamentations 3:19 talk about gall.
It really means a poisoned desire, corrupted motivation, unforgiven grievance, self-justifying pride.
Simon Magus wanted to buy the power and authority the Apostles had (Acts 8) which is how we got the term simony - the sin of buying or selling spiritual office or power.
The same can be said of it representing a transactional faith: If I do X God owes me Y. It shows up as: prosperity logic (the dreaded prosperity gospel), checklist spirituality, moral bargaining. Faith becomes leverage not trust.
v. 29 ... My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.
The Pain of Sin
Repentance and forgiveness remove the pain of sin because redemption removes the source of the pain, not just the punishment. The pain is not fear of punishment — it’s memory under condemnation.
Alma is explicit about what hurts:
“I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins.”
— Alma 36:12
The torment is not flames. It’s the soul seeing itself truthfully while still condemned. That’s crucial.
The pain comes from:
Notice what Alma says next:
“I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.”
— Alma 36:19
He does not say:
Why guilt hurts the soul:
Guilt is painful when:
That’s why scripture pairs guilt with:
What redemption actually does:
Redemption does three things simultaneously:
1) Justice is satisfied: The soul no longer expects punishment.
2)Identity is restored: The person is no longer defined by the worst thing they did.
3) Relationship is repaired: God is no longer perceived as enemy or judge, but as reconciled. When those three align, the pain collapses instantly.
Why the relief is immediate
This is key.
Alma doesn’t heal gradually because:
That’s why redemption feels like:
This explains unforgiveness too
Unforgiveness keeps the soul:
Forgiveness (received or given) always ends pain because it ends the trial.
The soul is pained no more when redeemed because condemnation is replaced by reconciliation, and mercy instead of judgment.
The Pain of Sin
Repentance and forgiveness remove the pain of sin because redemption removes the source of the pain, not just the punishment. The pain is not fear of punishment — it’s memory under condemnation.
Alma is explicit about what hurts:
“I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins.”
— Alma 36:12
The torment is not flames. It’s the soul seeing itself truthfully while still condemned. That’s crucial.
The pain comes from:
- Moral clarity without mercy
- Memory without forgiveness
- Truth without atonement
Notice what Alma says next:
“I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.”
— Alma 36:19
He does not say:
- “I forgot my sins”
- “They never happened”
- The memory no longer wounds
Why guilt hurts the soul:
Guilt is painful when:
- Justice is still unpaid
- The self is still accused
- There is no advocate
That’s why scripture pairs guilt with:
- Chains
- Fire
- Bondage
What redemption actually does:
Redemption does three things simultaneously:
1) Justice is satisfied: The soul no longer expects punishment.
2)Identity is restored: The person is no longer defined by the worst thing they did.
3) Relationship is repaired: God is no longer perceived as enemy or judge, but as reconciled. When those three align, the pain collapses instantly.
Why the relief is immediate
This is key.
Alma doesn’t heal gradually because:
- The problem was not time
- The problem was not suffering
- The problem was not education
That’s why redemption feels like:
- Light
- Joy
- Expansion
- Peace
This explains unforgiveness too
Unforgiveness keeps the soul:
- Prosecuting
- Rehearsing
- Carrying judgment
Forgiveness (received or given) always ends pain because it ends the trial.
The soul is pained no more when redeemed because condemnation is replaced by reconciliation, and mercy instead of judgment.
v. 31 Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God.
Isaiah 45:23: YHWH himself is speaking, and Paul applies that to Jesus in Philippians 2:10-11. It is not forced worship, rather it is universal recognition of truth. No more room for denial. Reality is seen clearly.
Isaiah 45:23: YHWH himself is speaking, and Paul applies that to Jesus in Philippians 2:10-11. It is not forced worship, rather it is universal recognition of truth. No more room for denial. Reality is seen clearly.
v. 37 And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.
Publishing peaceHow beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation.
Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15
Publishing peaceHow beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation.
Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15