Mormon's Inspiration for Future Missionaries
Book of Mormon Notes - Thursday, August 24, 2023, Alma 15
Sidom? Zeezrom? Amulek? Zarahemla? Ammonihah? How did Joseph Smith come up with these names? Simple. He didn’t. He translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. Only when we study the Book of Mormon with the same Spirit by which it was translated can we begin to understand and plumb the depths of this most correct of any book.
Many of the people who had believed Alma and Amulek had been cast out of Ammonihah or fled to safety in the city of Sidom. Since we know that the custom of the Nephites was to name their cities after the pioneer who first settled the city, there must have been a man named Sidom who first settled the city. Sidom sounds very similar to the name of the great river that is mentioned in the Book of Mormon frequently, namely Sidon. And neither of these names sounds anything like the names that were and are prevalent in the north-eastern United States.
After Alma and Amulek had recounted the sad news about the martyrs in Ammonihah, and the miraculous news of their deliverance to the rest of the people who had been cast out into Sidom, Alma and Amulek learned that Zeezrom was also in Sidom, and that he was very sick. If anyone knew how Zeezrom felt, it would be Alma the Younger. Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever. His fever was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his awickedness. Remember how Alma the Younger felt because of his sins?
But I was racked with aeternal btorment, for my soul was charrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was atormented with the bpains of hell; yea, I saw that I had crebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
Yea, and I had amurdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
Oh, thought I, that I acould be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my bdeeds.
And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the apains of a bdamned soul.
And it came to pass that as I was thus aracked with torment, while I was bharrowed up by the cmemory of my many sins, behold, I dremembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. (Alma 36:12-17)
Similarly, Zeezrom’s mind was harrowed up because of his iniquity, his great sin, and his many other sins, to the point that it became exceedingly sore, having no deliverance. Zeezrom even began to be scorched with a burning heat. In short, Zeezrom was not doing well at all. But when he learned that Alma and Amulek were still alive and that they were also in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage, and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.
Alma’s and Amulek’s response to a man who had been their mortal enemy and whose wickedness had led to much death and destruction is remarkable. Mormon informs us that Alma and Amulek went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them. How much easier it would have been just to let Zeezrom burn up with fever and whither away. Alma and Amulek could have easily rejected Zeezrom’s request and let him suffer the consequences of his iniquities. Why did Alma and Amulek so swiftly respond to Zeezrom’s request?
Zeezrom was practically on his death bed, so sick and low, and burning with fever. His mind also was aexceedingly sore because of his iniquities. If anyone understood how Zeezrom felt it was Alma the Younger. Amulek had similar compassion, because he too had experienced a mighty change of heart. In this tender scene of the tender mercies of the Lord, we see how our Merciful Lord used Alma and Amulek - men who were once vile sinners themselves - to heal a man whom many probably supposed, and not with out reason, didn’t deserve to be healed. But the Lord knew Zeezrom’s heart and the good that was in him, and in His Infinite Mercy He had prepared a way of deliverance for Zeezrom:
And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: aBelievest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?
And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.
And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be ahealed.
And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.
And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have amercy on this man, and bheal him according to his faith which is in Christ.
And when Alma had said these words, aZeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom.
And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people. (Alma 15:6-12)
Faith in Christ precedes the miracle. Because Zeezrom believed in the power of Christ unto salvation, because Zeezrom believed all the words that Alma had taught, and because Zeezrom believed in the redemption of Christ according to the words of Alma, Alma had power to heal Zeezrom according to his faith. Thus we see the gifts of the Spirit at work in the Church that Alma had worked so hard to establish, in this case the gift to heal and the gift to be healed.
Alma’s prayers were powerful. Because he was on the Lord’s errand, the Lord answered Alma’s prayers in remarkable ways. Remember the prayers of Alma the Younger that the Lord answered?
Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. (Mosiah 27:28)
And,
And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much afaith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and bspare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.
Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword. (Alma 2:30-31)
And,
Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance. (Alma 8:10)
And,
And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them. (Alma 14:26)
And these are just a few examples of Alma’s prayers and how the Lord answered those prayers. Some of those prayers the Lord answered immediately, on the spot as it were. Other prayers the Lord answered only after much struggle. The Lord also answered his father’s prayers. But what I read in this episode of the healing of Zeezrom is that Alma had grown so mighty in his faith that he was also endowed with the gift to perform miracles. The Lord answered Alma’s original prayer for repentance and forgiveness, He answered Alma’s prayer to be preserved in battle against Amlici, He answered Alma’s prayer to become an instrument in the hands of God to save and preserve his people, and he answered Alma’s prayer for the people of Ammonihah that he might baptize them unto repentance.
This is another reason why Alma and Amulek could not refuse to help Zeezrom, because they had both been praying fervently for the welfare of the people in Ammonihah. Because they had been praying fervently for these people, they recognized the way in which the Lord had answered their prayers, just as Alma the Elder had recognized the way that the Lord had answered his prayers on behalf of his son.
One thing that this teaches me is to pay closer attention to the way that the Lord answers my prayers, whether immediately or over a stretch of time, because He is always answering, though not always in the ways that we might initially expect. We can pay attention to how the Lord continues to answer Alma’s prayers throughout Mormon’s abridgment of his book, and we can ponder why Mormon wanted us to learn so much about this great servant of God.
Alma established the Church in the land of Sidom and many people flocked there to be baptized. Thus the Lord blessed Alma’s and Amulek’s missionary efforts with great success, even after very severe and difficult trials.
Aha! Mormon was preparing latter-day missionaries for their missions to all kinds of cities where all kinds of people would accept or sometimes reject the testimonies of those same missionaries. Mormon foresaw the missionary work of latter-day missionaries from Joseph Smith and his friends to the present time. He saw missionaries marching forth two by two, like Alma and Amulek, lions for the Lord. He knew that the work would not be easy and that missionaries could draw great inspiration and revelation from Alma and Amulek. I’m sure that there is much more to it, but this must be at least one reason why the missionary labors of Alma and Amulek figure so prominently in the heart and core, near the middle of the Book of Mormon.
Sadly, the people who remained in Ammonihah, in part because of the evil influence of Nehor and his doctrines, refused to repent. Like many missionaries today, Amulek had sacrificed much, including material wealth and friendships, for the word of God. Amulek was even rejected by his father, family members, and friends. But Amulek gained much more because of his sacrifice, and he was even rescued from destruction because he chose to obey the angel and to follow Alma and the Lord.
After Alma had established the church at Sidom and made regulations by the word of God all throughout the land, he returned Amulek’s favors by taking Amulek into his own home in Zarahemla, administering unto him in his tribulations, and strengthening him in the Lord. These were missionary companions who became great friends through their service and the tribulations which they had endured together.