Comments on Alma 29 This chapter is a lengthy quotation of Alma both lamenting (v. 1-8) and rejoicing over (v. 9-17) his missionary efforts. Mormon gives us no background on why Alma wrote this or if it was intended for publicly presentation or privately composed for catharsis. The lack of any opening or closing address suggests it was a private composition. We would assume its placement in the text dictates it's chronology as far as when it was composed, but this isn't necessarily the case. The text of Alma's composition can be arranged in two parts, the lament (v. 1-8) and the rejoicing (v. 9-17) each with its own structure, as follows: Note Alma's statements in v. 9-17 are quite similar to those of Ammon in ch. 26. However, where Ammon's comments are pure praise over their success with the Lamanites, Alma's statements are mixed. The difference is Ammon is rejoicing over the repentance of many of the Lamanites, while Alma is lamenting over the apostasy among the Nephites. Alma has labored diligently to keep the Nephites in line with the Lord, and yet they still rebel. The result is both Nephites and Lamanites suffer as the apostate Nephites (e.g., the Amulonites, Amalekites, Zoramites) incite the Lamanites to attack the Nephites. Lament (v. 1-7) A - 1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, B - and cry repentance unto every people! C - 2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, D - that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. E - 3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; F - for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. E - 4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires, D - the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. C - 5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience. B - 6 Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? A - 7 Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? Lament Conclusion (v. 8) 8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. Rejoicing (v. 9-16) A - 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. B - 10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me. C - 11 Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; D - yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage. C - 12 Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage. A - 13 Yea, and that same God did establish his church among them; yea, and that same God hath called me by a holy calling, to preach the word unto this people, and hath given me much success, in the which my joy is full. B - 14 But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi. 15 Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward! 16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy. Rejoicing Conclusion (v. 17) 17 And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen. In reviewing the two sections it is interesting to note the source of Alma's lament is his own failure to acknowledge what he wants is not according to the Lord's plans. Thus, what is making him unhappy is not the Lord's fault for not making him an angel, but his own fault for wanting something that isn't wise, just, and true. Then in the rejoicing Alma is careful to shift the focus away from his personal successes in the ministry. Instead, he notes he acted according to his calling, and it is the repentance of the people in which he rejoices. And, beyond this, he acknowledges it was the sons of Mosiah who did an even greater work in preaching to the Lamanites, which causes him even greater joy than anything he accomplished. v1 The only angel Alma appears to have come into contact with, or at least the text makes any reference to, is the one who called him to repentance (cf. Mosiah 27:11). This is the same angel who later visits him and tells him to return to Ammonihah (cf. 8:15). Alma wishes he could bring the message of repentance to people as powerfully as did this angel bring it to him and the sons of Mosiah. Alma has had to deal with a lot of unrepentant Nephites and he is wishing he could have brought about their repentance even as the angel brought about his. The problem with this is the messenger doesn't force the message on people, its still up to the people to decide to accept or reject what the messenger says. Laman and Lemuel saw an angel (cf. 1 Ne. 3:29) and they later rationalized it away (cf. 1 Ne. 16:38), and so would others as well. The people at Ammonihah were murderous, as was Laman and Lemuel, so chances are even if an angel did appear to them they would respond in the same way as did Laman and Lemuel. Alma and the sons of Mosiah chose to repent when confronted by the angel, they didn't have to. They could have ended up like Nehor, Sherem, or Korihor. v2 "the voice of thunder", cp. Mosiah 27:9 where it says "and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder". v8 The conclusion to the lamentation section is the answer to the two questions Alma asks in v. 6-7. Alma knows he shouldn't be asking these questions (v. 3) because the Lord has decided in His wisdom and justice to grant His word to each nation in their own tongue. v9 Notice Alma sidesteps vanity in the same manner Ammon does in 26:10-15. v11 "I also remember the captivity of my fathers", cp. 5:6, Mosiah 27:16. v12 Alma is drawing a parallel between the Lord's deliverance of ancient Israel and His delivery of present Israel to show the consistency of the Abrahamic Covenant. v16 "my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body", it isn't clear what Alma is referring to. Given the qualifying statement "as it were" we would have to assume he is speaking poetically and not literally. I would assume he is referring to wishing he could flee mortality to enter into the kingdom of God to praise Him as is spoken of in the next verse. v17 Alma hopes the sons of Mosiah and those among the Lamanites who were converted through their preaching will all land themselves in the kingdom of heaven. Alma, being the high priest, was to make intercession on behalf of his people, and he does so here. Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.