Alma 45
Alma 45: Header
The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars and dissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman, which he kept in his days.
This is the only time there is a change in official record keeper that is declared in a header. The book of Mosiah had three official record keepers: Mosiah, Benjamin, and Mosiah. The loss of the beginning of the book of Mosiah means we can’t say if there might have been a header noting the change from Mosiah to his son, Benjamin, but we do know that there was no header marking the change from Benjamin to his son, Mosiah.
The evidence for why books are named for specific individuals suggests that it is due to the creation of a new dynastic record. There may be multiple kings’ histories included in a single book, but only when those kings are part of the dynasty of the king for whom the book was named. In this book, the book of Alma, Alma2’s eldest son Helaman1 becomes the new recordkeeper (he is not a king). We will eventually see a name change when moving from the book of Alma to the book of Helaman2, but Helaman2 is the grandson of Alma2.
This header indicates the shift in the original recordkeeper, rather than a change in dynasty. The next verses will explain why Alma2 is no longer the recordkeeper. Even though the header appears at this point, some of the events of the next verses precede the change of recordkeeper, which required this header. This header may have been on the large plates, unlike other chapter headers which are more clearly Mormon’s additions.
Alma 45:1
1 Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy.
Following the header that introduced Helaman1 as the new record keeper, we have a verse that is certainly from Mormon. Mormon is pulling information from the large plates and creating a much smaller text. That means that there are times when he must create linking text to move from one story to the next, perhaps skipping a number of stories that were on the large plates, but which Mormon declined to add to his own book.
Verse 1 is just such a transitional narrative. Mormon told the story of the eighteenth year, and now moves to a new story. However, he finishes that previous story at the beginning of this chapter. Of course, the Nephites celebrated winning the war. Mormon describes the celebrations as having much fasting, praying, and worship. Doubtless there were more boisterous celebrations as well, but Mormon’s point is that God won the victory, and therefore the Nephites gave glory to God.
Alma2’s Final Counsel
Alma 45:2–8
2 And it came to pass in the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma came unto his son Helaman and said unto him: Believest thou the words which I spake unto thee concerning those records which have been kept?
3 And Helaman said unto him: Yea, I believe.
4 And Alma said again: Believest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?
5 And he said: Yea, I believe all the words which thou hast spoken.
6 And Alma said unto him again: Will ye keep my commandments?
7 And he said: Yea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.
8 Then Alma said unto him: Blessed art thou; and the Lord shall prosper thee in this land.
The chapters had been separated at the division of the years, and these events took place in the nineteenth year. Alma2 comes to his son and prepares to commission Helaman1 to take the records. Therefore, the first question is whether Helaman1 believed what he had been told about the records when Alma2 gave him his specific counsel and blessing (see Alma 37).
Helaman1 does believe what he was told. The next question is equally important for a Nephite recordkeeper: “Believest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?” This is one of the pillars of Nephite belief. In part, the records are kept in order to continually testify of that coming Messiah.
Next, the question is whether Helaman1 will keep Alma2’s commandments. These commandments were the instructions for keeping and caring for the records. Helaman1 will. As a result of Helaman1’s faithfulness, “the Lord shall prosper [him] in this land.” That was one of the subjects of the blessing recorded in Alma 36.
Alma 45:9–10
9 But behold, I have somewhat to prophesy unto thee; but what I prophesy unto thee ye shall not make known; yea, what I prophesy unto thee shall not be made known, even until the prophecy is fulfilled; therefore write the words which I shall say.
10 And these are the words: Behold, I perceive that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of revelation which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief.
As the official recordkeeper, Alma2 gives Helaman1 a new command. He is to write a prophesy but to keep that prophecy from the people until it is fulfilled. One of the reasons is that the prophecy is quite time specific. Four hundred years from the time that the Messiah will show himself to the Nephites, the Nephite nation will dwindle in unbelief. Although Alma2 will be explicit that this will lead to their destruction, Helaman1 might have already surmised that much, because the promise of the land depended upon continued righteousness. Dwindling in unbelief surely would lead to some kind of destruction.
We cannot know how this prophecy was kept from general knowledge, but if it was to wait to be known until its fulfillment, then Mormon would be the first to publish it widely. It would not have been earlier, since it was Mormon who lived in the time of its fulfillment.
If the Book of Mormon is set in a Mesoamerican location, the very fact that this destruction comes four hundred years after the manifestation of Christ is significant. Rather than simply be a prophecy of a particular time, it was a very significant time. The Mesoamericans used counting system based on 20 rather than 10. For them, a four-hundred-year period carried much the same kind of cognitive significance as a thousand years in our decimal system. The Maya named that period a baktun, just as we name our significant period a millennium.
Alma 45:11–14
11 Yea, and then shall they see wars and pestilences, yea, famines and bloodshed, even until the people of Nephi shall become extinct—
12 Yea, and this because they shall dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness, and all manner of iniquities; yea, I say unto you, that because they shall sin against so great light and knowledge, yea, I say unto you, that from that day, even the fourth generation shall not all pass away before this great iniquity shall come.
13 And when that great day cometh, behold, the time very soon cometh that those who are now, or the seed of those who are now numbered among the people of Nephi, shall no more be numbered among the people of Nephi.
14 But whosoever remaineth, and is not destroyed in that great and dreadful day, shall be numbered among the Lamanites, and shall become like unto them, all, save it be a few who shall be called the disciples of the Lord; and them shall the Lamanites pursue even until they shall become extinct. And now, because of iniquity, this prophecy shall be fulfilled.
Dwindling in unbelief will remove the protection of the covenant of the land. That will lead directly to “wars and pestilences . . . even until the people of Nephi shall become extinct.” Verses 12 and 13 repeat the basic information. This is a repetition of emphasis. This will really happen. The Nephites will be destroyed.
Also important in this prophecy is the recognition that it is the political destiny of a Nephite that is destroyed, not every person who had been called a Nephite. Verse 14 points out that those Nephites who remain after the destruction will be numbered among the Lamanites, “and shall become like unto them.” The exception is the three disciples who are granted permission to remain on this earth. Their story is told in 3 Nephi 28:4–10.
Alma 45:15–17
15 And now it came to pass that after Alma had said these things to Helaman, he blessed him, and also his other sons; and he also blessed the earth for the righteous’ sake.
16 And he said: Thus saith the Lord God—Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall it be; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.
17 And now, when Alma had said these words he blessed the church, yea, all those who should stand fast in the faith from that time henceforth.
Even though Alma2 had already given counsel to his sons, he gives them a final blessing, as well as giving the earth a general blessing. The “blessing,” recorded in verse 16, is more of a curse. It is the declaration of the negative aspect of the covenant of the land. The land will be cursed for those who do wickedly. Perhaps some of that sentiment was based on the destruction of the war of the eighteenth year. Perhaps, even more, it was based upon his prophetic vision of the ultimate destruction of the Nephite people.
Mormon doesn’t record Alma2’s blessing on the church, but it surely was not as gloomy as verse 16. Nevertheless, for Mormon’s purposes, it was the penalty of verse 16 that he was living through, and therefore that cursing would have been most poignant for him as he wrote.
Alma 45:18–19
18 And when Alma had done this he departed out of the land of Zarahemla, as if to go into the land of Melek. And it came to pass that he was never heard of more; as to his death or burial we know not of.
19 Behold, this we know, that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, the scriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself; therefore, for this cause we know nothing concerning his death and burial.
Alma2 departs and is never seen again: “as to his death or burial we know not of.” Verse 19 suggests that Alma2 was “taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses.” This statement appears to refer to Deuteronomy 34:5–6: “So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.”
Since no one knew what happened to him, they surmised that because Alma2 was a righteous man that his death would have been similar to another righteous man: Moses.
Amalickiah Leads a Rebellion
Alma 45:20–24
20 And now it came to pass in the commencement of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Helaman went forth among the people to declare the word unto them.
21 For behold, because of their wars with the Lamanites and the many little dissensions and disturbances which had been among the people, it became expedient that the word of God should be declared among them, yea, and that a regulation should be made throughout the church.
22 Therefore, Helaman and his brethren went forth to establish the church again in all the land, yea, in every city throughout all the land which was possessed by the people of Nephi. And it came to pass that they did appoint priests and teachers throughout all the land, over all the churches.
23 And now it came to pass that after Helaman and his brethren had appointed priests and teachers over the churches that there arose a dissension among them, and they would not give heed to the words of Helaman and his brethren;
24 But they grew proud, being lifted up in their hearts, because of their exceedingly great riches; therefore they grew rich in their own eyes, and would not give heed to their words, to walk uprightly before God.
There is no chapter ending at this point in the 1830 edition. After telling the story of Alma2’s disappearance, Mormon moves to his next story, which will yet again be one of internal dissention and conflict.
The new story begins with a missionary journey that was required to “regulate” the church (verse 21). The second meaning of “regulate” from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is: “To put in good order; as, to regulate the disordered state of a nation or its finances.” Helaman1 and his brothers attempt to put the Nephite people, particularly those in the church, in “good order.”
The response to the devastation of the war was to increase the efforts to spread the church through the land, and to appoint priests and teachers to help maintain that “good order.” Nevertheless, we are told that “they grew proud, being lifted up in their hearts.” That kind of pride was always one of thinking one person better than another, and most often expressed by costly apparel or other demonstrations of wealth.
