Book of Mormon Evidence: Alma’s Recommission

In a study published in 2002, biblical scholar Brian Britt identified 25 Old Testament texts that have a four-part core pattern attended by a handful of other common elements.¹ The core elements of the pattern are:²

1. Crisis or Danger

2. Theophany or Hierophany

3. Commission or Recommission

4. New Divine Plan

The additional elements include:³

5. Food or Fasting

6. Successor or Assistant

7. Rival Prophets

8. Use of the Hebrew Term Abar (to cross/pass over)

9. Mention of the Prophet’s Death

10. Rock, Cleft, or Place of Hiding

11. Prophetic Silence, Concealment, or Restraint

With these elements identified, Britt reassessed the well-known similarities between Exodus 32–34 and 1 Kings 18–19. Rather than concluding that one story was directly modeled upon the other (as is often assumed by biblical scholars), Britt proposed that they “both come from a variable-type scene in which the prophet is concealed or restrained at a moment of danger and theophany.”⁴

Remarkably, the account of Alma’s prophetic mission to reclaim the apostate inhabitants of Ammonihah features the same core pattern, as well as most (and perhaps all) of the additional elements. It is thus an exceptional example of the type-scene identified by Britt.⁵ For an overview of how Alma’s account compares alongside the others, see the chart in Appendix 1 . The following sections explore each element of the type scene in relation to the account in Alma 8–14.

1. Crisis or Danger

According to Britt, “The prophet faces a crisis and danger because of a rebellious people.”⁶ In many narratives, this crisis relates to a significant breach of the Lord’s covenant. When Moses was conversing with the Lord on Mount Sinai, the Israelites began to worship a false idol (Exodus 32:8). Similarly, the rulers in Elijah’s day were turning the people to worship false gods (1 Kings 16:30–33).

Alma’s crisis came as he preached to the people of Ammonihah. Unlike the people of other lands and cities on his preaching tour, they thoroughly “hardened their hearts” against Alma’s message (Alma 8:11), insomuch that they “withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city” (v. 13). Alma later warned that they had broken the covenantal promise given to Lehi and that instead of being blessed and prospered, they would be destroyed (Alma 9:13–25). 

Throughout the narrative, Alma and his companion Amulek face intense danger, duress, and physical abuse (Alma 14). The threat was not only to them personally, but to the Nephite nation as a whole (Alma 8:17; 10:27). It was thus a covenantal crisis of significant proportions.

2. Theophany or Hierophany

The type scene involves either a formal theophany (a direct vision or encounter with God) or some type of hierophany (involving a broader range of divine manifestations). Moses beheld the Lord’s “back parts” as his divine presence passed by (Exodus 33:23). And in the account in 1 Kings 19, Elijah was attended by a series of seemingly supernatural phenomena (earthquake, wind, fire) followed by a “still small voice” (vv. 11–12).⁷

In Alma’s account, he encountered an angel after leaving the city of Ammonihah: “And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow… an angel of the Lord appeared unto him” (Alma 8:14). This was the same angel, in fact, that first appeared to Alma, leading to his conversion and initial prophetic calling (v. 15).⁸ Additional themes of hierophany play out in more subtle ways throughout the rest of the narrative.⁹

3. Commission or Recommission

As explained by Britt, “The third main element is the commissioning or recommissioning of the prophet. The moment of negativity … must be overcome. This requires not only the theophany … but also a dialogue between God and the prophet. This dialogue, repetitive and brief, leads to a new affirmation of the prophet’s task and an immediate plan of action.”¹⁰

While a formal dialogue between Alma and the angel isn’t recorded, the angel did briefly give him a clear recommission with an immediate plan of action: “I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them” (Alma 8:16).

4. New Divine Plan

Britt writes,

Immediately following the third element is the enactment of the new divine plan. Without delay, steps are taken to return the prophet to the role as mediatory between God and people, and the narrative moves on. This sometimes involves the continuation of a physical journey: back to Israel, back into battle, or back to the work of mediating between God and people.¹¹

Alma’s experience precisely matches this element, both in the immediacy of his action and in his returning to a location after a journey away from it: “Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah” (Alma 8:18).

5. Food or Fasting

Britt writes,

Mentions of food in the type scene can relate to fasting, sacrifice, divine provision, or divine displeasure. … In some cases, the prophet is fed miraculously (Judges 6; 1 Kings 18; Ezekiel 3–4), at other times after a fast (1 Samuel 28; 1 Kings 13), and sometimes as part of a symbolic action (Ezekiel 12:18–19).¹²

The element of fasting arises immediately upon Alma’s return to Ammonihah: 

And as he entered the city he was an hungered, and he said to a man: Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat? And the man said unto him: I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house. (Alma 8:19–20)

Not only was Alma fed miraculously (due to an angelic visit to a man with whom he wasn’t previously acquainted), but he directly described his hunger as being due to fasting (Alma 8:26; 10:7). The element of food resurfaces at the end of the narrative when Alma and Amulek were thrown into prison. Their captors “did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst” (Alma 14:22).¹³

6. Successor or Assistant

In many examples of the type scene, the prophet is assisted by a companion or successor. In the account in 1 Kings 19, for example, Elijah was instructed by the Lord to meet Elisha and anoint him to be Elijah’s prophetic successor (1 Kings 19:16). In Exodus 3–4, the Lord told Moses that Aaron had been appointed to be his spokesman and that “he cometh forth to meet thee” (Exodus 4:14). Aaron then played a supportive role throughout the Exodus narrative as Moses confronted Pharaoh and freed the children of Israel from Egypt.

Much like Aaron’s meeting with Moses and Elijah’s meeting with Elisha, Amulek’s meeting with Alma was no accident (Alma 8:20). Amulek played the role of Alma’s prophetic assistant or companion. As a native of Ammonihah, Amulek offered a powerful and persuasive second witness of the people’s wickedness.¹⁴

7. Rival Prophets

Moses confronted idol worshipers among the children of Israel (Exodus 32:23), Elijah sparred with the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18), and Alma faced the rulers and lawyers at Ammonihah who were “after the order and faith of Nehor” (Alma 14:16; cf. v. 18).¹⁵ As in the biblical examples, the confrontation and debate at Ammonihah was very public and revolved around the prophet’s authority and power, as well as the commandments, doctrine, and authority of the true God.¹⁶

8. Use of the Hebrew Term Abar (to cross/pass over)

Britt noticed that the Hebrew term abar shows up in a number of narratives featuring this type scene.¹⁷ This verb has several meanings, most of which involve some type of transitory motion (typically to “pass” or “cross” over or through something).

Although we can’t be certain, several passages in Alma’s recommission narrative may correlate with this Hebrew term.¹⁸ One good candidate is Alma’s use of the verb “transgress.” After quoting Lehi’s covenantal blessing and curse upon the land (Alma 9:13), Alma reminded his listeners that the Nephites “have been prospered until they are rich in all manner of things” (v. 22). Immediately afterward, however, Alma warned them to not “transgress contrary to the light and knowledge” which they have been given (v. 23).¹⁹

This use of “transgress” in connection with “prospered” is noteworthy because several biblical passages similarly join these ideas together (with “transgress” in each instance deriving from the Hebrew verb abar):

• “And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress [abar] the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper.” (Numbers 14:41)²⁰
• “Thus saith God, Why transgress [abar] ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper?” (2 Chronicles 24:20)²¹

For additional proposals, see the chart in Appendix 2. In each case, the wording from the account in Alma is shown side-by-side with biblical passages that invoke the Hebrew verb abar. 

9. Mention of the Prophet’s Death

In many narratives, the prophet contemplates his own demise. When dealing with the Israelite rebellion, Moses exclaimed, “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand” (Numbers 11:14–15). And when Elijah’s life was threatened by Jezebel, he “went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die” (1 Kings 19:4).²²

Alma and Amulek likewise contemplated their own deaths after being forced to watch women and children being burned to death. Amulek asked, “How can we witness this awful scene?” (Alma 14:10). After Alma explained why they couldn’t use divine power to intervene, Amulek speculated that “perhaps they will burn us also. And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not” (vv. 12–13).

This dialogue is interesting in that Amulek posed the question about their possible execution while Alma gave the answer that is essentially true of all the biblical examples that came before them: no, it wasn’t yet time to die. In several narratives, the contemplation of death is due, at least in part, to the prophet feeling that something about his commission had become unbearable.

10. Rock, Cleft, or Place of Hiding

The accounts in Exodus 33:22 and involve the prophet hiding in a cave or rock in order to avoid danger. Yet not all places of prophetic concealment were so comfortable. Jonah, for instance, was swallowed up “for three days and three nights” in the belly of a whale.23 Alma and Amulek never hid in a cave, nor were they swallowed up by a beast of the sea. But they were cast into prison. And like Jonah, they stayed there for “three days” (Alma 14:18). This imprisonment helps facilitate the element of concealment discussed below.²⁴

Also present in the narrative is Amulek’s statements (speaking from the perspective of the wicked at the judgment day) that “we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence” (Alma 12:14).²⁵ This verse closely invokes the imagery from Exodus 33:22 and 1 Kings 19:9, in that the rock/cave is needed to hide specifically from the presence of the Lord. Amulek’s words also closely corelate to a passage in Isaiah 2:10: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.” Isaiah 2 is one of the 25 examples of the type scene identified in Britt’s analysis, and his chart indicates that he sees this Isaiah 2:10 as a viable instance of the cave/rock element.²⁶ The same logic would validate the element in Alma 12:14.²⁷

11. Prophetic Silence, Concealment, or Restraint

As noted by Britt, “the concealment, restraint, or silence of the prophet is an important and distinctive element of the type scene.”²⁸ In fact, it is the only feature that all 25 of the analyzed narratives share and therefore that binds them together. As might be expected, this element is manifested in various ways throughout these texts. In many narratives, prophetic concealment is facilitated by some type of garment. Moses wore a veil (Exodus 34:33–35), Elijah donned a mantle (1 Kings 19:13, 19), and other stories feature a disguise of some sort.²⁹ In the account of Ezekiel, he was bound with bands (Ezekiel 3:25).³⁰

The first instance of concealment in Alma’s story pertains to the manner in which he reentered Ammonihah: “And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah” (Alma 8:18). The text doesn’t say he was in disguise, per se, but it does imply he was purposefully avoiding notice, somewhat like Abinadi’s return to the people of King Noah (Mosiah 12:1) or Samuel the Lamanite’s return to Zarahemla (Helaman 13:4). It is possible that Alma remained essentially incognito (or at least elusive to the public) until he and Amulek formally began their preaching mission to the people (Alma 8:27). 

The theme of clothing turns up in several places. Alma taught that the righteous who belong to the “holy order”³¹ of God would have “their garments … washed white through the blood of the Lamb” (Alma 13:11). Perhaps in retaliation for this teaching,³² and certainly to cause shame and discomfort, Alma and Amulek were later stripped of their clothing when they were cast into prison (Alma 14:22).³³

The theme of prophetic restraint surfaces when Alma and Amulek were forced to view the martyrdom of women and children. Amulek proposed that they use the power of God to deliver the innocent, but Alma responded: “The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand” (Alma 14:11). The time for a manifestation of divine power hadn’t yet arrived, and the prophets had to restrain their impulses until it did.³⁴ Alma and Amulek were also restrained by “strong cords, and confined in prison” (v. 22).

As for the theme of silence, the prophet is sometimes ironically speechless. When Moses wore his veil, for instance, he ceased to act and speak as a prophet. As Britt describes it, “A covered prophet is a silent prophet.”³⁵ After openly preaching for days to the people of Ammonihah, Alma and Amulek suddenly turned mute once they were put into prison by their captors. Despite repeated attempts to get them to talk, the account states that they consistently “answered them nothing” (Alma 14:17–19). Their silence thus coincided with their concealment in prison and the replacement of their clothing with bonds.³⁶

Concerning its symbolic meaning, the silence in this narrative seems to represent divine displeasure for the rulers of Ammonihah.³⁷ “When Israel turns away from God,” explains Britt, “the prophets of God withdraw.”³⁸

Eventually, though, God always reveals himself and his prophets anew, sometimes with fierce retribution for those who have broken the covenant. In a sudden burst of action, “the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek” (Alma 14:25).³⁹ They rose to their feet, pled for deliverance, and burst the cords with which they were bound, revealing themselves to be the very prophets that their captors refused to accept (v. 26). A miraculous earthquake shook the prison walls so that they fell upon Alma and Amulek’s captors while preserving Alma and Amulek.⁴⁰

This moment of divine punishment can be compared to the slaying of “three thousand” Israelites when Moses returned from Mount Sinai, due to their worship of a false idol (Exodus 32:28). It also mirrors the slaying of the priests of Baal in the story of Elijah (1 Kings 18:40). Each of the accounts also mentions the fear that the prophet evoked.⁴¹ For the wicked, an unconcealed prophet—one who is filled and speaks authoritatively with the power of God—is a truly terrifying spectacle.⁴²

Conclusion

In the 25 narratives identified by Britt, the elements of the type scene “are mixed and matched with various uses and meanings.”⁴³ Some narratives even “invert the elements for new purposes.”⁴⁴ They thus do “not match in lockstep, but they form a constellation-like pattern that adds interpretive value because of their associations.”⁴⁵

The account of Alma’s mission to reclaim the apostate city of Ammonihah can be seen as a fitting addition to this constellation-like pattern. It may even be one of the most complete examples of the type scene, as it complies with most (and perhaps all) of the 11 elements identified by Britt. The emphasis in the Ammonihah narrative on prophetic silence, restraint, and concealment is especially strong and multi-faceted, which is noteworthy considering how crucial and pervasive that element is in the type scene.

Britt’s identification of this pattern was informed by various literary studies of prophetic commission scenes that were published in the 20th century.⁴⁶ Joseph Smith wouldn’t have had such studies to draw upon in 1829 when biblical scholarship was still in its infancy, nor was he well-educated at that time.⁴⁷ How he could have identified this biblical pattern and convincingly wove its various threads into a new, sophisticated narrative is difficult to explain under the theory that he simply fabricated the Book of Mormon.

In contrast, the account comes across convincingly as having been written by an ancient writer trained in the Israelite literary tradition, which Alma surely would have been. As a high priest, former chief judge, and son of a prophet, Alma would understandably have had the experience and literary ability to emphasize the aspects of his lived experiences that conform to the biblical type scene.⁴⁸