Alma 7 - There Is One Thing Which Is of More Importance Than They All

After preaching to the people of Zarahemla, Alma travels to the land of Gideon to teach the people about the mission of Jesus Christ and encourage them to have faith in Him. Alma explains that the most important thing he could say to them, and the most important thing to happen upon the earth, is the birth of Jesus Christ. "For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people" (Alma 7:7). Why is the birth of Christ the "one thing which is of more importance than they all?" His birth and life are so essential because of the transformative effect His atonement can have on each person. Alma explained what Christ would do during His mortal ministry, and the corresponding effects:

• he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind
• that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people (Alma 7:11)
• he will take upon him death
• that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people (Alma 7:12)
• he will take upon him their infirmities
• that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh (Alma 7:12)
• that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities (Alma 7:12)
• the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh 
• that he might take upon him the sins of his people
• that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance (Alma 7:13)

Christ's purposes for coming to earth included fulfilling prophesy, overcoming death, learning first hand to have mercy and empathize, and overcoming sin. Generally when we talk about Christ's mission and atonement we focus on His victory over death and sin, but may not consider the nuance that Alma presents here. Christ came to fulfill prophesy, and He came to have temporal experiences to increase His capacity for empathy and service. 

As we seek to emulate Christ, how can we strive to fulfill promises and prophecies that have been made about us (perhaps in a Patriarchal Blessing) or involve us (like general prophecies about the destiny of the church)? God's word is absolute and eternal. It is the mechanism by which the worlds were formed, and it is the standard by which we will all be judged. All of His promises are sure, and His perfect integrity is part of His divine nature. For this reason "fulfilling prophesy" is an end in and of itself. Christ needed to come for all of the reasons that naturally come to mind, but also to maintain the perfect congruence between what God had spoken through His prophets since Adam, and what happened. What commitments have we made, or what words have we spoken? What actions are we taking to make sure that these "word[s] [are] fulfilled" in our own lives?

Christ had earthly experiences to reinforce His already perfect spiritual knowledge. Alma explained that even though "the Spirit knoweth all things" Christ came and took upon himself our infirmities--the weakness, frailty, and complexity of mortality--things like chemical emotion, hunger, fatigue, sexual desire, etc. The importance of joining physical and spiritual elements together is an eternal principle that resonates through the doctrine of the resurrection (joining our spirit with a perfected physical body forever), the spiritual creation of the earth that preceded its physical rendering, and physical ceremonies or ordinances that accompany spiritual covenants. Only when physical and spiritual elements are combined are they hole and complete. Even though Christ could know everything he needed to know to succor His people, He still chose to undergo the visceral, first-person experience of living a life on earth in an imperfect body. While Christ is perfect and lived a perfect life, that does not imply that the physical body He inhabited on earth was perfect, or that his familial circumstances were perfect, or that His socioeconomic conditions were ideal.  His ability to make perfect choices amid this "infirmity" makes His perfect life and sacrifice even more significant. 

Alma's purpose in teaching the doctrine of Christ's atonement was to inspire the people to live righteously and covenant with God. "I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received" (Alma 7:22). He also instructed them to "come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you ... come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism" (Alma 7:15). Making covenants such as baptism is the culmination and the commencement of a good life. Alma remarked, "I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight" (Alma 7:19). Our desires to make promises to God to follow His commandments do not come from a place of lack and self-loathing, but a bright confidence in the path ahead and our prospects for improvement. 

Alma concludes his remarks with an inventory of virtues that define the disciples of Christ. He longs for the righteousness of the people of Gideon and pleads with them, "And now I would that ye should 

• be humble (Alma 7:24)
• be submissive and gentle (Alma 7:24)
• [be] easy to be entreated(Alma 7:24)
• [be] full of patience and long-suffering (Alma 7:24)
• [be] temperate in all things (Alma 7:24)
• [be] diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times (Alma 7:24)
• [ask] for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal (Alma 7:24)
• always [return] thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive (Alma 7:24)
• see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works" (Alma 7:24)

The last instruction that Alma gives the people in the land of Gideon is to have faith hope and charity with the promise that if they foster and cultivate those emotions within themselves, they will naturally be inclined to do good works. Alma does not include doing good works as the last item in a list of attributes, but instead explains the causal relationship between our inner character and our actions. Our thoughts create our feelings and drive our actions. When we choose to embrace and cultivate faithful, hopeful, and charitable thoughts, we will experience positive emotions of love, determination, and optimism, which translate into abundant good works. If our natures have been truly changed in this way, instead of compelling ourselves to of good things by the force of will power, our works will naturally be good and spring forth from us. 

Application Questions: 

As we seek to emulate Christ, how can we strive to fulfill promises and prophecies that have been made about us (perhaps in a Patriarchal Blessing) or involve us (like general prophecies about the destiny of the church)?

What can we do to increase the amount of mercy and empathy that we feel for other people?

Image Credit: Brian Kershisnik