Corianton Corrected
Book of Mormon Notes - Thursday, October 12, 2023, Alma 39 (continued)
One thing that occurred to me while pondering Alma’s counsel to his son Corianton is that Alma, as a father, had learned from his own mistakes as well as from his son Corianton’s mistakes when he counseled his other sons. I noticed in particular that Alma warned Shiblon against the very things that had caused Corianton’s downfall, at least before his repentance. Alma warned Shiblon against those things that had troubled Corianton so that Shiblon would not fall into the same errors as his younger brother.
After commanding Corianton to repent, to go no more after the lusts of his eyes, and to cross himself, Alma also commands Corianton to counsel with his older brothers and to allow them to help strengthen him in the Lord. I imagine that Helaman and Shiblon were present when Alma gave these commandments and this counsel, but perhaps not. Apparently Isabel was only one among many wicked harlots in the land of Siron. The land of Siron was “among the borders of the Lamanites,” which sounds to me like it was on the outskirts of Lamanite territories, in which case Isabel and her fellow floozies may have been Lamanites. Wicked foreign women have caused so many problems throughout Israelite and Lehite and world history. Joseph in Egypt escaped from one, Sampson was destroyed by one, Solomon was lead away by more than one, and Corianton had been led away by one, and perhaps by others. Alma firmly rebukes and warns his son not to let the devil lead away his heart again after those wicked harlots. Alma does this not because of his love and concern for his son’s salvation, and not only because of his love and concern for the Zoramites and the rest of the Nephites, but primarily because the Lord commanded him to do so:
And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me: aCommand thy children to do good, lest they blead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye crefrain from your iniquities;
That ye turn to the Lord with all your mind, might, and strength; that ye lead away the hearts of no more to do wickedly; but rather return unto them, and aacknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done. (Alma 39:12-14)
Corianton was an influential missionary and member of the Church, and the Lord would could not look upon his sin with the least degree of allowance. Alma also commanded his son not to seek after riches or the vain things of the world. That reminds me of the story of the wealthy man who died, and when neighbors asked how much wealth he left behind, another simply replied “all of it”.
By inspiration and by the gift of discernment, Alma knew that Corianton was worried or concerned about a couple of things in particular: the coming of Christ and the early prophesies of the coming of Christ, and the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, after chastening and correcting the son that he loved, Alma began to teach him more about Jesus Christ and the Resurrection. Notice that Alma shares a simple and direct testimony of Jesus Christ without delving too much into the details of his own conversion and repentance. Perhaps Corianton had already heard the story at least twice, and probably many more times. Perhaps Alma wanted to avoid any possible push back from Corianton who may have been tempted to remind his father that he was not perfect either. But Alma had sincerely and thoroughly repented, and it was Corianton’s turn to do the same.
When Corianton marveled that the prophesies of the coming of Christ should be known so far in advance, Alma responded with a few of the most beautiful rhetorical questions in all of scripture:
Behold, I say unto you, is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming? (Alma 39:17)
Is it not as necessary that the plan of redemption should be amade known unto this people as well as unto their children? (Alma 39:18)
Is it not as easy at this time for the Lord to asend his angel to declare these glad tidings unto us as unto our children, or as after the time of his coming? (Alma 39:19)
These are great questions for us to ponder today, and Mormon certainly meant for us to ponder them, even as Corianton must have pondered them while his dad continued to teach him about Jesus Christ and the Resurrection.