Amulek's Answers
Book of Mormon Notes - Thursday, September 28, 2023, Alma 34
This is one of the greatest chapters in all of scripture, and it comes to us directly from Amulek.
Mormon quotes Amulek directly and extensively in what appears to be his complete sermon to the penitent and poor Zoramites on the heels of Alma’s great discourse on faith. Every missionary who has ever labored to reactivate members of the Church who had fallen away or become inactive finds great examples of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Alma and Amulek. This mission to the Zoramites was very different from the mission of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites, but the Gospel message was and is the same.
The main problem for the Zoramites was that they had been led away from Christ and His doctrine because of false religious teachings and practices. The essence of these false religious teachings and practices was to deny Christ and His coming. The Zoramite apostasy may foreshadow the anti-Christian and dogmatically atheistic and secular teachings of the 20th and 21st centuries. In any case, the penitent Zoramites had forgotten and denied the testimony of Jesus Christ that had been abundantly bestowed upon them not too long before Alma and Amulek were sent among them.
In his follow up sermon to Alma’s great discourse on faith in Christ, Amulek reminds the penitent Zoramites that they had been taught about Jesus Christ and His coming bountifully before their dissension from the Nephites. Amulek was prepared to answer the penitent Zoramites’ question after Alma had prepared their hearts and minds to receive the answer. Alma had taught the penitent Zoramites to plant the word of God in their hearts, to experience the goodness of the word of God, and to nourish the word of God with patience and faith. But the main question that troubled the Zoramites pertained specifically to Jesus Christ. After all, one of the main false doctrines that the apostate Zoramites preached in their synagogues was that there would be no Christ.
Thus Amulek perceived the main question that had troubled the penitent Zoramites:
And we have beheld that the great question which is in your minds is whether the word be in the Son of God, or whether there shall be ano Christ. (Alma 34:5)
This is a very important question. Elder Maxwell has even called this question the “great question”. (see also here):
The Book of Mormon provides resounding and great answers to what Amulek designated as “the great question”—namely, is there really a redeeming Christ? (Alma 34:5–6). The Book of Mormon with clarity and with evidence says, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Moreover, in its recurring theme, the book even declares that “all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of [Christ]” (2 Nephi 11:4). How striking its answers are, considering all that God might have chosen to tell us! He, before whom all things—past, present, and future—are continually (see D&C 130:7), has chosen to tell us about the “gospel” (3 Nephi 27:13–14, 21; D&C 33:12; D&C 39:6; 76:40–41)—the transcending “good news,” the resplendent answers to “the great question.”
Elder Maxwell helps us to understand that it was no accident that belief in Deity was the first thing to disintegrate among the apostate Zoramites, and that belief in Deity is often the first thing to disintegrate among us moderns. Thus it is crucial that we preserve in our hearts and minds the core of the Gospel of which the Book of Mormon testifies, namely, that Jesus is the Christ:
When, therefore, we know the affirmative answers to “the great question,” we can, in Amulek’s phrase, “live in thanksgiving daily” (Alma 34:38) with gratitude for the many special conditions which make daily life on this earth possible.
Amulek’s affirmative answer to the great question “is there a Christ” is a resounding “yes”:
And ye also beheld that my brother has proved unto you, in many instances, that the aword is in Christ unto salvation.
My brother has called upon the words of aZenos, that redemption cometh through the Son of God, and also upon the words of bZenock; and also he has appealed unto cMoses, to prove that these things are true.
And now, behold, I will atestify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the btransgressions of his people, and that he shall catone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. (Alma 34:6-8)
Amulek testified specifically regarding Christ’s coming and His Atonement. This is why Elder Maxwell considers Amulek’s teachings to be such a great answer to the great question:
The great answers to the “great question” repeatedly focus us, therefore, on the reality of the “great and last sacrifice.” “This is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal” (Alma 34:14). These great answers reaffirm that mortal melancholy need not be, however frequently and poignantly expressed.
Thus Amulek doesn’t simply testify that there is a Christ and that He will come, but he even more specifically testifies concerning the purpose of Christ’s coming. He testified that Jesus Christ would come to take upon Himself the btransgressions of his people, and that he would catone for the sins of the world.
But why did Jesus Christ do this? In one of the most beautiful and complete teachings on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Amulek explains:
For it is expedient that an aatonement should be made; for according to the great bplan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are cfallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
For it is expedient that there should be a great and last asacrifice; yea, not a bsacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an cinfinite and deternal esacrifice.
Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is ajust, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
But the law requireth the alife of him who hath bmurdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.
Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a astop to the shedding of bblood; then shall the claw of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.
And behold, this is the whole ameaning of the blaw, every whit cpointing to that great and last dsacrifice; and that great and last esacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, finfinite and eternal.
And thus he shall bring asalvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
And thus amercy can satisfy the demands of bjustice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of cjustice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal dplan of eredemption. (Alma 34:9-16)
Why did Jesus Christ atone for the sins of the world? Because it was expedient, or necessary for Him to do so, and because it was the great plan of the Eternal God that an Atonement must be made. Elder Callister has done great work to help us consider what it means for Christ’s Atonement to be infinite and eternal. But no matter how much we study and ponder and enjoy the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, as Jacob once put it, we will never get to the bottom of it:
Behold, great and marvelous are the aworks of the Lord. How bunsearchable are the depths of the cmysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man dknoweth of his eways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the frevelations of God. (Jacob 4:8)
Nevertheless, this is an invitation to learn more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, not less:
And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not aspeak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come? (Jacob 4:12)
Again, why did Jesus do it? Because He loves us and desires to bring asalvation to us. The purpose of this last sacrifice, this infinite and eternal sacrifice, is to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowers justice. The Atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to exercise faith unto repentance so that amercy can satisfy the demands of bjustice, and so that we may be encircled in the arms of safety.
As the great missionary and teacher that he was, after teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Amulek invited the humbled Zoramites to act, to exercise faith unto repentance, to pray for mercy, and to pray always and everywhere. He also invited them to be merciful and charitable toward others, particularly toward the poor, the needy, the afflicted, or in other words, toward those most in need. And remember, Amulek was speaking to a group of very poor people who had been cast out of the synagogues that they had build with their own hands. Amulek’s invitation to these poor Zoramites is Mormon’s invitation to us as well: to bring forth fruit unto repentance, and to do it now (see also here), because this life is the time to prepare to meet God. The day of cthis life is the day for men to perform their dlabors. This day of life is given to us to prepare for eternity.