Evidence #428 | November 15, 2023
Book of Mormon Evidence: Alma 26 Intertextuality
Post contributed by
Scripture Central
Abstract
Alma 26 features a large number of textual relationships with both biblical and Nephite texts. These include quotations, paraphrases, allusions, and other consistencies, some of which cluster together.Ammon’s bold speech recorded in Alma 26 was given in the aftermath of the conversion of many Lamanites. Previous studies have demonstrated that it has numerous textual and thematic relationships with other Nephite and biblical texts.1 This article provides a new comprehensive intertextual analysis which expands upon and helps clarify prior research. (Note that some of the proposed textual relationships outlined below may be chronologically difficult to explain. Such issues are addressed near the conclusion of this article.)
Quotations
In several instances, Ammon’s speech directly quotes other texts. One clear example can be seen in Ammon’s use of Alma’s conversion language from Mosiah 27:29 (parallel elements color coded for easier identification):
Mosiah 27 | Alma 26 |
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. | 3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! |
This four-word match (“in the darkest abyss”) followed closely by a six-word match (“behold the marvelous light of God”), each of which are exclusively unique in the Standard Works and utilize fairly distinctive concepts, renders the intentionality of this relationship as virtually certain.2
A shorter quotation can be seen in the phrase “sing redeeming love” from Alma 26:13. The only other known use of this phrase comes from Alma 5:9 (cf. v. 26) in Alma’s sermon to the people of Zarahemla:
Alma 5 | Alma 26 |
9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved. | 13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice? |
The use of biblical language can be seen in the phrase “Lord of the harvest,” found in Alma 26:7. The only other place this unique name-title can be found is in related passages from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 9:38 and Luke 10:2):
Matthew 9 | Luke 10 | Alma 26 |
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. | 2 … pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. | 7 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. |
Paraphrases and Allusions
Ammon’s discourse is also filled with paraphrases and allusions to other texts. One notable example can be seen in Psalm 44:8:
Psalm 44 | Alma 26 |
8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. | 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. |
Not only is each phrase from Psalm 44 (“in God we boast”; “praise thy name for ever”) close to the wording in Alma 26:12, but it is the only other place in the scriptures where these ideas show up in close proximity.
Here are several similar interactions with New Testament texts, each with exclusively similar phrasing or combinations of ideas:
James 3:4 | Alma 26 |
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. | 6 … neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. |
Philippians 4 | Alma 26 |
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. | 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; |
1 Corinthians 2 | Alma 26 |
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. | 21 And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent. |
And here are some comparably close paraphrases or allusions to Nephite texts:3
Alma 38 | Alma 26 |
11 See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. | 11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; |
Alma 5 | Alma 26 |
7 … Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. | 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love |
Mosiah 4 | Alma 26 |
9 … believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. | 35 … for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. |
Consistencies
The contents of Ammon’s discourse are often consistent—sometimes precisely so—with historical and narrative details reported both before and after Alma 26. In such cases, it is difficult to tell whether the similarity is due to intentional quoting or paraphrasing of known texts, or whether it is simply a matter of Ammon accurately reporting events or details with which he was intimately familiar. Either way, such consistencies add to the historical realism of Alma 26, as well as to Ammon’s status as its primary author. Here are a variety of examples:
Mosiah 27 | Alma 26 |
10 … for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, 28 … the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. | 17 Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? 18 Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church. |
Mosiah 28 | Alma 26 |
1 … and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites | 23 Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn? |
Alma 17 | Alma 26 |
10 And it came to pass that the Lord … said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. 11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. | 27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. |
Alma 23 | Alma 26 |
2 Yea, he sent a decree among them, that they should not lay their hands on them to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should they spit upon them, nor smite them, nor cast them out of their synagogues, nor scourge them; neither should they cast stones at them, but that they should have free access to their houses, and also their temples, and their sanctuaries. | 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; |
Clustering
When viewed collectively, it is clear that Ammon’s discourse interacts with some textual units more frequently than others. Instances of such clustering are noteworthy because they considerably strengthen the case for each individual proposal in the cluster. Sometimes, what may be a weaker parallel on its own becomes much more persuasive when it is accompanied by other distinctive conceptual or phrasal matches.
As for book-level parallels, Ammon’s speech regularly interacts with language from the Psalms. Sometimes fairly exclusive parallels with specific passages can be found, but in other cases many different Psalms (or even other books which may be quoting the Psalms) may have the same or similar language. Whether generically or exclusively similar, the way that Ammon repeatedly draws upon the language from this specific book of scripture makes a strong collective case for textual influence:
Psalms | Text | Alma 26 |
Psalm 44 | 13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets | 4 Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God.
5 … and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted. |
Psalm 106 | 47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. 48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. | 8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. |
Psalm 149 | 3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. | 8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise |
Psalm 15 | 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. | 8 … let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. |
Psalm 39 | 12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. | 9 For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren … would also have been strangers to God. |
Psalm 16 | 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. | 11 … but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. |
Psalm 44 | 8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. | 12 … therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. |
Psalm 22 | 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: | 23 … and they laughed us to scorn? |
Psalm 115 | 12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; | 36 Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. |
Psalm 136 | 1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. | 37 … yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen. |
Another example of clustering can be found in Mosiah 27. When describing the conversion of the Lamanites, Alma 26 repeatedly draws upon the language previously used to describe the conversion of Alma and the sons of Mosiah, after their miraculous encounter with an angel of God:
Topic | Mosiah 27 | Alma 26 |
Darkest Abyss | 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. | 3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! |
Marvelous Light | 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. | 3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! |
Racked | 29 … My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more. | 9 … these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us |
Snatched | 28 … the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. | 17 Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? |
Destroy Church | 10 … for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church | 18 Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church. |
Another interesting set of parallels can be seen in the use of Alma’s language as recorded in Alma 5. Multiple textual similarities cluster together in close proximity in this chapter and in Alma 26:
Topic | Alma 5 | Alma 26 |
Sing Redeeming Love | 9 …Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. | 13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love |
Power of His Word | 5 … and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word | 13 … and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice? |
Chains Loosed | 9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed | 14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell. |
Encircled About | 7 .. yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell 9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? | 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love |
Everlasting | 7 … nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. | 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love |
In Darkness | 7 Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; | 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; |
Everlasting Light | … Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word | 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light |
Assessing Textual Dependencies and Influence
One may wonder how all of these relationships were produced by Ammon himself, in what appears to be a spontaneous speech. It is important to recognize that the precise history of Ammon’s words, from his initial utterance to their final recorded form, isn’t known. It is possible that edits and alterations of various kinds—including those which added or strengthened intertextual relationships—were made at different stages of this text’s production and transmission, either by Ammon himself or by later editors such as Alma or Mormon.
Further redaction or refinement could have been introduced in the English translation that was revealed to Joseph Smith. This is probably the best explanation for the presence of New Testament language found throughout Alma 26, as such texts would have been temporally and geographically inaccessible to a Nephite author like Ammon.4 However, Joseph Smith’s translation could account for other similarities as well.
On the other hand, a number of textual relationships make sense, both narratively and historically, as being introduced in the initial stages of this text’s production, either through Ammon’s initial utterance or in the subsequent shaping of his words by editors into a polished and memorable Nephite document.
For instance, many parallels between the writings of Ammon and Alma are understandable. As young men, these individuals grew up together. Both had fathers who were prominent Nephite leaders, both of them persecuted the Church of Christ, both were converted, and then both spent their days preaching the gospel. Thus, through multiple channels of influence, they would likely have been familiar with many of the same doctrinal concepts, teachings, and events. It is also possible that Alma was responsible for recording and abridging Ammon’s words before Mormon included them into his final abridgment. Such editorial influence might reasonably account for the close quotations and paraphrases of Alma’s sermons and writings (such as Alma 5) which were given while the sons of Mosiah were on their mission to the Lamanites.5
Ammon’s repeated use of the Psalms is also quite fitting. Although we don’t know precisely what was on the brass plates,6 the fact that numerous Nephite passages appear to quote or allude to various Psalms suggests that the Nephites possessed a psalter similar to the one found in the Old Testament.7 Since the psalms referenced in Alma 26 may have been songs that the Nephites sung as part of their regular worship, the plausibility of Ammon producing such language spontaneously is enhanced.8
Finally, it should be remembered that Ammon was the son of a Nephite king/prophet and therefore would surely have been “taught in all the language of his fathers,” just like his father Mosiah (Mosiah 1:2). After preaching the gospel for many years, first among his own people and then among the Lamanites, Ammon fits the profile of a person who might have been able to produce a substantial number of quotations, paraphrases, and allusions via spontaneous discourse. This would especially be so if his culture highly valued memorization and recitation of the scriptures.9 And, of course, his first-hand knowledge of his own lived experiences would help account for the many narrative and historical consistencies found throughout this chapter.
Conclusion
In dozens of instances, Alma 26 appears to interact with other texts. These proposed relationships include quotations, paraphrases, allusions, and nuanced textual consistencies—some of which cluster together in ways that mutually strengthen the case for their intentionality. A comprehensive chart of these relationships (including those listed in the body of this article, as well as many more) can be found in Appendix 1.
As another viewing option, Appendix 2 presents the entirety of Alma 26 in a central column, with selected relationships highlighted to the right and left. Although not all proposed relationships could be included in this format, this chart is helpful for getting a feel of how often Ammon’s words are interacting with passages from diverse locations, as well as the complex manner in which they are integrated into his discourse.
Overall, the degree of intertextual complexity and sophistication found in Alma 26 is quite impressive. In addition to possessing a keen familiarity with many Old and New Testament passages, whoever produced this text must have been intimately aware of particular phrases and details found in numerous Nephite texts. A capacity to then cogently weave content from such passages into a new document with its own rhetorical aims and purposes would also be required.
As discussed earlier, those who view the Book of Mormon as a miraculous translation of an ancient record have multiple viable options to explain this remarkable concentration of textual relationships. Many of them could have been introduced by Ammon himself in his initial remarks, or later as he recorded them. Or they could have been introduced by a subsequent editor, such as Alma or Mormon. Or they could have been introduced as part of the English text revealed to Joseph Smith. Or they could be a product of some or all of these possibilities simultaneously.
In contrast, such options aren’t tenable for Joseph Smith’s dictation of Alma 26 in 1829. He—and he alone—is reported as being responsible for the text,10 and we know that it didn’t go through a long history of editing, redaction, and translation. Instead, we have much of this document preserved in the Book of Mormon’s original manuscript, as it first fell from the Prophet’s lips and was recorded by his scribe.11 Because the earliest manuscripts don’t show any evidence of content editing or alteration, one would have to assume that Joseph Smith—in what was essentially a first and final draft—was able to generate and integrate this profusion of intertextual relationships using his own memory and creative talent.
That, however, places a substantial burden on naturalistic explanations of the Book of Mormon’s origins. In 1829, Joseph Smith had a limited education, limited literary skills, and limited experience with preaching.12 Considering his specific background and circumstances, his dictation of Alma 26 offers extraordinary evidence for his miraculous claims.13 This text truly does look like it was translated by the gift and power of God.
Brian C. Hales, “Joseph Smith’s Education and Intellect as Described in Documentary Sources,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 59 (2023): 1–32.
Brian C. Hales, “Joseph Smith as a Book of Mormon Storyteller,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 46 (2021): 253–290.
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Ammon Borrow So Much from Tradition in Alma 26? (Alma 26:8; cf. Psalm 106:47; Nehemiah 9:5; Daniel 2:20),” KnoWhy 133 (June 30, 2016).
Topic | Alma 26 | Related Passages | Reference |
Great Reason to Rejoice | 1 … My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice 35 … Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; | 23 … And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn. 24 Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; | Mosiah 7 |
Darkest Abyss / Marvelous Light | 3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! | 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. | Mosiah 27 |
Instruments and Glory | 3 … that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. 15 … yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. 16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; | 10 … the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. 11 Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself. | Mosiah 23 |
3 … that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God 15 … yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. 16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord | 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. | Alma 29 | |
Thousands Rejoice | 4 Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God. | 12 While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice | Alma 28 |
Sheep and Garners | 4 Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God.
5 … and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted. | 13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: | Psalm 144 |
Harvest Imagery | 5 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. | 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. | Joel 3 |
5 Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might | 15 … Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. | Revelation 14 | |
Fierce Winds | 6 … neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. | 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. | James 3 |
Lord of the Harvest | 7 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. | 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. | Matthew 9 |
7 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. | 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. | Luke 10:2 | |
Raise Up at the Last Day | 7 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. | 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. | John 6 |
Sing to His Praise | 8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. | 47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. 48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. | Psalm 106 |
8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, | 3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. | Psalm 149 | |
8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, | 30 Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever. | Mosiah 18 | |
Worketh Righteousness | 8 … let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. | 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. | Psalm 15 |
8 … let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. | 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: | Isaiah 64 | |
Righteousness Forever | 8 … let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever. | 19 … But behold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever. | 2 Nephi 1 |
Racked | 9 … these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us | 29 … My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more. | Mosiah 27 |
Strangers to God | 9 For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren … would also have been strangers to God. | 12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. | Psalm 39:3 |
Boast in Strength and Wisdom | 11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; | 11 See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. | Alma 38:11 |
Joy Is Full | 11 … but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. | 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. | Psalm 16 |
Boast in God | 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. | 8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. | Psalm 44 |
Strength in Christ | 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; | 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. | Philippians 4 |
Praise Him Forever | 12 … yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. 14 14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever | 30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. | 2 Nephi 4 |
Loose from Hell | 13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell | 11 … shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death; and loose yourselves from the pains of hell that ye may not become angels to the devil | Jacob 3:11 |
Sing Redeeming Love | 13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice? 14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell. 26 and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? | 5 … and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; 9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved. | Alma 5 |
Encircled by Light and Darkness | 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love | 7 … Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. | Alma 5 |
Power, Mercy, Longsuffering | 16 … Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? | 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression | Numbers 14 |
Snatched | 17 Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? 18 Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church. | 10 … for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, 28 … the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. 29 … but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more. | Mosiah 27 |
Sinful and Polluted State | 17 Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? | 11 And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls. | Mosiah 25 |
Consigned | 19 Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair? 20 Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls. | 25 And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls. | Mosiah 3 |
Everlasting Gulf of Misery | 20 … Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls. | 29 … and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked— | Helaman 3 |
Natural Man | 21 And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent. | 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. | 1 Corinthians 2 |
Faith, Repentance, Good Works | 22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works | 12 and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works. | Alma 12 |
Pray Continually | 22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing | 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. | Acts 12:5 |
22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing | 24 and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; | 3 Nephi 19 | |
Know Mysteries | 22 unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; | 11 Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: | Mark 4 |
22 unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; | 2 Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God | Luke 8 | |
22 unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; | 9 It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; 10 … … until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. | Alma 12 | |
Bring Thousands to Repentance | 22 … unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance. | 4 … they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things … Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance | Alma 37 |
Go Up to Preach | 23 Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn? | 1 … and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites | Mosiah 28 |
Laugh to Scorn | 23 and they laughed us to scorn? | 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn | Psalm 22:7 |
Incorrect Traditions | 24 For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? | 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. 10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer? | Alma 37 |
Way of Transgressor | 24 … whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? | 15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. | Proverbs 13:15 |
Lord’s Words of Comfort | 27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. | 10 And it came to pass that the Lord … said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. 11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. | Alma 17 |
Patience and Afflictions | 27 … and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. | 29 … And they also had suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; nevertheless they were patient in all their sufferings. | Alma 20 |
House to House | 27 … the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. 28 … yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God. | 4 … Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, and from one house of worship to another … and thus they began to have great success. | Alma 23 |
28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God. | 29 … And they also had suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; nevertheless they were patient in all their sufferings. | Alma 20:29 | |
Stoned and Spit Upon | 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; | 2 Yea, he sent a decree among them, that they should not lay their hands on them to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should they spit upon them, nor smite them, nor cast them out of their synagogues, nor scourge them; neither should they cast stones at them, but that they should have free access to their houses, and also their temples, and their sanctuaries. | Alma 23 |
Taken and Bound | 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; | 30 And, as it happened, it was their lot to have fallen into the hands of a more hardened and a more stiffnecked people; therefore they would not hearken unto their words, and they had cast them out, and had smitten them, and had driven them from house to house, and from place to place, even until they had arrived in the land of Middoni; and there they were taken and cast into prison, and bound with strong cords | Alma 20 |
Mocked | 29 … and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, | 10 … they were angry with him, and began to mock him; and they would not hear the words which he spake. 13 Nevertheless, Aaron and a certain number of his brethren were taken and cast into prison, and the remainder of them fled out of the land of Middoni unto the regions round about. 14 And those who were cast into prison suffered many things | Alma 21 |
All Manner of Afflictions | 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions | 38 And now all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do … suffering all manner of afflictions | Mosiah 26 |
Means of Salvation | 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some. | 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. | Romans 11 |
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some. | 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. | 1 Corinthians 9 | |
Many Fruits | 31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many | 25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors; 26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, | Alma 36 |
Rather Sacrifice Lives | 32 For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren. | 17 … they took their swords, and all the weapons … and they did bury them up deep in the earth. 18 and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives | Alma 24 |
Hatred to Sin | 34 … and we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred to sin. | 32 … but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity. | Alma 37 |
All Power and Wisdom | 35 … for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. | 9 … believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. | Mosiah 4 |
Life, Light, and Joy | 36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. | 6 … and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul | Alma 19 |
36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. | 14 … and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life. | Alma 28 | |
36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. | 22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people 23 … And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen. | Alma 33 | |
Branch of Israel | 36 Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel | 12 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive tree, whose branches should be broken off and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth. | 1 Nephi 10 |
Mindful of Us | 36 Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. | 12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; | Psalm 115 |
Wanderers in Strange Land | 36 … Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. | 23 … and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard. | Alma 13 |
Give Thanks | 37 … yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen. | 1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. | Psalm 136 |
- 1. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Ammon Borrow So Much from Tradition in Alma 26? (Alma 26:8; cf. Psalm 106:47; Nehemiah 9:5; Daniel 2:20),” KnoWhy 133 (June 30, 2016); Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Songs of Moses and Ammon,” Evidence# 0236, September 7, 2021, online at evidencecentral.org; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Ammon and Moses,” Evidence# 0231, August 31, 2021, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 2. Whether Ammon was quoting directly from Alma’s record, which is now found in Mosiah 27, or whether he was quoting from some other source of Alma’s statements can’t be known. What seems certain is that Ammon’s and Alma’s words share some type of intertextual dependency.
- 3. Note that in the first instance (Alma 38), Alma seems to be paraphrasing Ammon’s language, rather than the other way around. However, it is possible that the similarity comes from them both interacting with another unknown source.
- 4. For helpful information on various possible reasons for New Testament intertextuality, see https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/tags/new-testament-intertextuality.
- 5. It is also possible that Ammon recorded or edited his own speech sometime after his reunion with Alma (Alma 27). If so, he may have then had access to a record of Alma’s sermons and teachings which transpired while the sons of Mosiah were on their mission to the Lamanites. And that record may have shaped his own presentation of his speech.
- 6. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Brass Plates Consistencies,” Evidence# 392, February 2023, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 7. See, for example, Stephen D. Ricks, “Psalm 105: Chiasmus, Credo, Covenant, and Temple,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 45 (2021): 371–384; Janet Ewell, “Seeing Psalms as the Libretti of a Holy Drama,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 31 (2019): 259–276; John Hilton III, “Old Testament Psalms in the Book of Mormon” in Ascending the Mountain of the Lord: Temple, Praise, and Worship in the Old Testament (2013 Sperry Symposium), ed. Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Matthew J. Grey, and David Rolph Seely (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 291–311; Kenneth L. Alford and D. Bryce Baker, “Parallels between Psalms 25–31 and the Psalm of Nephi,” in Ascending the Mountain of the Lord, 312–328; Matthew Nickerson, “Nephi’s Psalm: 2 Nephi 4:16–35 in the Light of Form-Critical Analysis,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6, no. 2 (1997): 26–42. See also, https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/tags/psalms.
- 8. See J. Arden Hopkin and Shon D. Hopkin, “The Psalms Sung: The Power of Music in Sacred Worship,” in Ascending the Mountain of the Lord, 329–48.
- 9. See Brant A. Gardner, “Literacy and Orality in the Book of Mormon,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 9 (2014): 29–85; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Quoting Long Passages of Scripture,” Evidence# 0070, September 19, 2020 (updated February 2, 2023), online at evidencecentral.org.
- 10. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Witnesses of the Translation,” Evidence# 0280, December 6, 2021, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 11. See Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, circa 12 April 1828–circa 1 July 1829, p. 269, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed November 14, 2023, online at josephsmithpapers.org.
- 12. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Joseph Smith’s Limited Education,” Evidence# 0001, September 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Joseph Smith Compared with Contemporary Authors,” Evidence# 0106, November 2, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org. See also, Brian C. Hales, “Joseph Smith’s Education and Intellect as Described in Documentary Sources,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 59 (2023): 1–32; Brian C. Hales, “Joseph Smith as a Book of Mormon Storyteller,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 46 (2021): 253–290; Brian C. Hales, “Theories and Assumptions: A Review of William L. Davis’s Visions in a Seer Stone,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 39 (2020): 151–190.
- 13. For various articles on the unique constraints involved in Joseph Smith’s dictation of the Book of Mormon, see Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Translation (Main Category),” online at evidencecentral.org.