Comments on Alma 6

     This chapter is an abridgement by Mormon of historical
material which fills in the events between the contents of ch. 5
and 7.

     Alma ordains some new priests and elders in the church at
Zarahemla (v. 1).  Nonmembers who repent are baptized into the
church (v. 2) and members who fail to repent are excommunicated
from the church (v. 3).  Thus, Alma reestablishes the church in
Zarahemla (v. 4).
     The preaching of the word of God was available to all
people, none were excluded (v. 5).  And, furthermore, the church
members gathered together often to fast and pray for those who
were not members of the church (v. 6).
     After Alma had regulated the church in Zarahemla he moved on
to the visit the church in the land of Gideon (v. 7) where he
declared the word to them by the spirit of prophesy according to
his testimony in Christ (v. 8).

v1 "he ordained priests and elders", the church in Zarahemla is
the oldest one among the Nephites.  Alma senior established it
some 40 years earlier (cf. Mosiah 25:19-23) and Alma junior has
been maintaining.  It is plain from 4:7 that the order of priests
and elders is in practice, so why is Alma ordaining new ones here
in Zarahemla?  A close look at v. 4 and at 4:7 gives us the
answer.
     Verse 4 says Alma "began to establish the order of the
church in the city of Zarahemla".  If his father had done that
about 40 years ago, then what he is really doing is
reestablishing it, or as it says in v. 7 "regulati[ng]" it.  The
contentions and problems within the church had caused it to go
into disorder.  But why did it go into such disarray?
     We are informed in 4:7 that Alma is grieved over the
condition of the church, and so are many of the teachers,
priests, and elders.  "Many"?  Why are not all of them grieved as
is Alma?  Probably because some of them have gone bad (cf. D&C
121:34-40), and are among those whom Alma is calling to
repentance in ch. 5 (probably those he is referring to in v. 37
who "have professed to have known the ways of righteousness
nevertheless have gone astray").  If they've gone bad and don't
repent, then they end up being excommunicated.  So, new ones have
to be ordained in their place.
     Its also possible that Alma simply wanted more priests and
elders in the church so they could give more attention to the
individual members.  But, this cannot be the sole cause as it
doesn't answer why only "many" and not all of the priests were
grieved over the condition of the church and why the church had
to be reestablished.

v8 serves as an introduction to ch. 7 the same as 5:1-2 served to
introduce the quotation in 5:3-62.



Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller <kurtn@cybcon.com>.  All rights 
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