Alma 41
Alma2 Elaborates his Doctrine of Restoration
Alma 41:1–2
1 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the restoration of which has been spoken; for behold, some have wrested the scriptures, and have gone far astray because of this thing. And I perceive that thy mind has been worried also concerning this thing. But behold, I will explain it unto thee.
2 I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself.
The doctrine of restoration was introduced in Alma 40:22-23. In verse 1 of this chapter, Alma2 indicates that he is presenting this information because “some have wrested the scriptures, and have gone far astray because of this thing.” It was also a topic that concerned Corianton, and by implication it was one of the ideas that had caused him to go astray. It should be reiterated that we must remember that this is a different use of the term restoration than what we typically hear. This is not the restoration of the gospel, but rather the restoration of the immortalized body and the deeds of mortality to the eternal soul.
In verse 2, Alma2 sets the stage for the discussion. Restoration is “requisite with the justice of God.” It is requisite, or required, by justice. In the first part of the argument, Alma2 begins with the restoration of the body to the spirit. This is the physical resurrection, where the spirit again becomes flesh, with all of aspects of the mortal body restored to the soul after the resurrection. They are restored, hence the doctrine of restoration.
Alma 41:3–5
3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.
4 And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other—
5 The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
The first aspect of the doctrine of restoration was that the body would be restored to the eternal soul. The idea of restoration is that something that was important in this earth life will also be important in the next life, and therefore they are restored to the soul after death. The body is one of those things, but the deeds we have done in this life are also important, and they also affect our next life. Therefore, deeds are also restored.
In Alma2‘s language, good works are restored to good works, and evil works are restored as evil. That language simply means that what we do in this life determines the type of person we are, what our character is like. The habits and inclinations to do good will rise with us. The habits and inclinations to do evil will rise with us. This earth is important in that it develops our characters, and what we learn is restored to us in the next life.
As with other aspects of the gospel, Alma2‘s discussion deals in two opposite absolutes; good and evil. We should not see this restoration as counting deeds, but rather as representing what we have become. Thus, in verse 5, “The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil.” What we have done in this life determines our desires, and we will have those same desires in the next life. That is the sense in which they are a restoration.
Alma 41:6–8
6 And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.
7 These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.
8 Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.
There is an important aspect of the restoration, and that is also part of the justice of God. It is just when the penalty is removed through the Atonement. Thus, repentance also places one in the position where they can have good restored to them. In verse 6, Alma2 notes that those who have repented and desired righteousness will, therefore, have righteousness restored to them.
Alma2 emphasizes his point about the repentant by listing them with the those who have desired good. While we understand that all must repent and none save Christ himself are sinless in this life—for his teaching purposes, Alma2 uses two categories. For his purposes, it is important to note that those who are repentant and learn to desire righteousness have the very same reward as those who have no need of repentance. To the Lord, there is no difference. To us, that makes all the difference, because we may understand that even through our mistakes we may progress and learn and still have the same reward as those whom we might see as more righteous than ourselves.
The end of verse 8 is significant, but easier to understand if a single comma is added: “the way is prepared that whosoever will[,] may walk therein and be saved.” All who learn to desire the good may learn of the path to God, and walk it successfully.
Alma 41:9–10
9 And now behold, my son, do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine, which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.
10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.
Corianton had gone astray. That does not mean that he was past salvation. Alma2 clearly believed that he could still repent. We will learn that he will indeed repent and become a faithful servant. Nevertheless, there is a conceptual problem with the true principle of repentance. While repentance can absolutely lead to the same blessings as those who had no need of repentance, there is a danger that one might justify oneself in continuing to commit sin with the expectation that we might simply repent in the future.
That very caution is manifested impactfully in verse 10: we cannot be restored from sin to happiness. The kind of happiness described is the kind of joy that was the result of eating the fruit of the Tree of Life in Lehi1’s dream. It is that kind of joy, or happiness, that is the goal. Sin simply cannot get us there. Some sins might temporarily be more enjoyable than righteousness, but their resulting happiness is temporary and artificial.
Alma2 cautions Corianton to take care to sin no more, else his process of repentance will be more difficult. If we put off our repentance too long, then our characters will be formed in such a way that divine happiness has not become our goal, and repentance will be that much more difficult; not impossible, but more difficult.
Alma 41:11–13
11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.
12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?
13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.
Alma2 describes mortality as “a state of nature,” “a carnal state,” and “without God in the world.” In his description of opposites, our mortality is opposite to immortality. Therefore, mortality is “naturally” given to being without God, where immortality is “naturally” the location and time being with God. Alma2 creates that particular duality to emphasize the problem of procrastinating our repentance.
In verse 12, he notes that what is not restored is the “natural state.” Thus, the state of being without God cannot exist when we are in the state of being where God is. It is simply impossible, and therefore, a person who does not desire God cannot be restored to a person who does desire God.
Verse 13 reiterates the meaning of restoration. It takes a state that we have learned to be in, in this life, and it is restored to us on the other side of death. What we become in this world is critical for what we will be in the next.
Alma 41:14–15
14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.
15 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.
The conclusion of this lesson is that our ultimate goal should dictate our current actions. We need to know what we want to become, and to learn in this life to develop those characteristics that will lead us there. Therefore, Alma2 tells Corianton that he should do those things that represent the good: “see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually.”
It is important to note that Alma2 doesn’t tell Corianton what he should believe, but rather what he should do. What we do is the best expression of what we truly believe.
There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition. The next chapter continues Alma2‘s counsel to Corianton, simply moving to a new, but related, subject.
