Alma the Elder

An article on Alma the Younger by Elder Holland referenced this article on Alma the Elder by Arthur Bassett

In attempting to reconstruct Alma’s life, it would be helpful to determine, if possible, how old he was when various significant events transpired in his life. Age brings a change in the attitudes of most of us. We view life from a different perspective when we are young than we do in middle age or in our more mature years. Knowing Alma’s age enables us to empathize more accurately with his feelings.

We know from the scriptures that Alma lived to be eighty-two years of age. (Mosiah 29:45.) If we assume that Alma died the same year as Mosiah—which one way of reading Mosiah 29:45–46 would suggest—this would place Alma’s birth at 173 B.C. If we can also assume that the dates at the bottom of the pages of the Book of Mormon are somewhat accurate (they were added after the Saints came to Utah) we can surmise that Alma was about twenty-three years old when Abinadi was first sent by the Lord to the priests of Noah and twenty-five when Alma was forced to flee into the wilderness. He is spoken of as a “young man” at that time.

It would also be interesting to know something about Alma’s parents. Knowing parents often provides important clues to understanding a child. Unfortunately we know nothing about Alma’s, but we might assume they were part of the original group that left the land of Zarahemla to return to the land of Nephi as recorded in Omni, verses 27–30, and Mosiah, chapter 9. [Omni 1:27–30; Mosiah 9] The current dating in the Book of Mormon places that expedition at about the year 200 B.C., or about twenty-seven years before the birth of Alma.

By the time that Alma had grown to young manhood and become a priest of Noah, the people of Limhi had been away from Zarahemla nearly fifty years and had severed themselves entirely from the main body of the Nephites. They appear not even to have been able to find their way back to Zarahemla, and the Book of Mormon gives no indication of contact between the two lands after the expedition left for the land of Nephi.

If our assumptions are correct, Alma was a relatively young man when he first came under the influence of Abinadi. Perhaps Alma had not become fully steeped in the self-centered iniquities of Noah’s priests. When Abinadi came among them preaching repentance, that prophet was driven from their midst and went into hiding for two years before returning to meet his death by fire.

It is interesting to drill down into the detailed timeline and get a real feel for what a young man Alma was when he risked everything to preach the good news he had heard from Abinadi.

Perhaps in an effort to discredit Abinadi, one of the priests quoted from Isaiah concerning the blessedness of those who published good tidings and peace, who brought a message of salvation, joy, comfort, and singing because of the power of God and his protection of his people. The implication of the thrust was clear. The message of God’s prophets is one of good tidings and comfort. Abinadi was bringing bad tidings and discomfort to the people of the Lord. Therefore he did not fit the mold of a true prophet of God.

Abinadi countered with one of the most beautiful sermons in all of the scriptures concerning the mission of the Master. (See Mosiah 12–16.) That sermon was, in all probability, recorded by Alma. More was said than was recorded, but the part that has been retained is probably that which struck Alma with the greatest impact. Studying the content of the sermon can show us the gospel truths that touched Alma’s heart. Knowing full well the iniquity testified to by Abinadi, Alma pleaded with Noah for the preservation of the prophet’s life. In doing so he incurred the wrath of Noah and was forced to flee for his own life.

I have always thought that the question was likely put forth by Alma and while I think he expected it to be a trap for Abinadi I can’t speculate on how genuine his interest was when the question was first asked. Clearly it was fully genuine by the conclusion of Abinadi’s answer.

Nephite priesthood organization from that time until the time of Christ is traceable to Alma’s group. Priests were ordained to be in charge of each group of fifty, and, unlike the priests of Noah, they were instructed to earn their own living and to seek diligently for the guidance of the Lord rather than for the desires of their own appetites. Each member of the group was admonished to impart of his goods, according to his ability, to the general welfare of the group.

I never thought about the fact that the priesthood organization of the church among the Nephites was established by Alma up until the coming of Christ.

Amulon, the leader of this group, had known Alma when both were with the priests of Noah. His hatred for one who had formerly been a fellow priest was intense. Not only did Amulon persecute those who had joined the church, but he also instructed the children of his people to persecute the children of the saints. One wonders again if Alma the Younger was among the persecuted. Assuming that he was alive at this time, did his bitterness against the church have roots in this experience?

Many times I have wondered how much time (if any) Alma the younger lived before coming to Zerahemla. I always assumed that he lived some amount of time before coming to Zerahemla but I had never considered the possibility that he was directly (possibly even aggressively) persecuted in his youth by Amulon and his children.

Because Alma and his people were forbidden to pray vocally, their prayers became silent petitions to the Lord. As they prayed for deliverance, the Lord responded, but with a different solution. Rather than removing the burdens that they had covenanted to bear many years before, the Lord helped them to become equal to the burdens placed upon them. Perhaps this contains a lesson for us—not to petition for the removal of the burden, but to pray to grow in strength; not to make the burden the size we can carry, but to make us equal to the load to be borne.

I wonder about applying that to my current load.