Alma 32:2 they began to have success among the poor class of people
“Typically,
when the gospel message goes to a nation or city the first willing to hear and
accept it are those of the lower social classes. Humility of circumstances and humility of spirit are often found
in company together. Writing to the
Corinthian Saints, the Apostle Paul observed:
‘Not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of
the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world,
and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not,
to bring to nought things that are:
that no flesh should glory in his presence’ (1 Corinthians
1:26-29).
“Celsus,
the second-century philosopher, is often quoted in descriptions of the infant
Christian church. The basic material of
his description--the general social level of the converts--is much like Paul's,
but the spirit is sharply different.
Christians, he held,
“do
not even want to give or to receive a reason for what they believe, and use
such expressions as 'Do not ask questions; just believe' and 'Thy faith will
save thee.'... Their injunctions are
like this: 'Let no one educated, no one
wise, no one sensible draw near. For
anyone stupid, anyone uneducated, anyone who is a child, let him come boldly.' By the fact that they themselves admit that
these people are worthy of their God, they show that they want and are able to
convince only the foolish, dishonourable, and stupid, and only slaves, women,
and little children.... In private
houses also we see wool-workers, cobblers, laundry workers, and the most
bucolic and illiterate yokels, who would not dare lo say anything at all in
front of their elders and more intelligent masters.”(Origen, in Contra
Celsum 1:9; 3:44.)
“These
descriptions given by Paul and Celsus aptly profile the typical Christian
convert as seen by believer and unbeliever respectively in the period
associated with the New Testament. The
most striking thing about such expressions is that they are remarkably similar
to the kind of thing we have so often read about the early converts to Mormonism. Nor does the similarity stop there, for it
has been echoed by thousands of missionaries who have been the first to open
various cities and regions to the teaching of the gospel; in so doing, they
have found that the well-to-do, those resting comfortably in their own
self-sufficiency, have little or no interest in their message, while those
whose conditions are appreciably more humble are often more willing to listen.”
(McConkie
and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 223)
Alma 32:3 they were poor in heart
To be poor in heart is
essentially the same as to be poor in spirit. The latter term is used in the
Beatitudes, Blessed are the poor in spirit who come
unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3). Therefore, the
poor in heart are poor in spirit but not spiritually poor. The term “poor in
spirit” means to be spiritually humble, to have a broken heart and a contrite
spirit. As we learn from Alma 32, this humility and contrition often comes to
those who are poor in material things. According to the doctrinal ironies of
the gospel, the Lord has blessed them to receive the riches of eternity in a
very literal sense. Hence they are to receive the kingdom of heaven. The
D&C expresses the same concept as follows:
‘blessed are the poor who are pure in heart,
whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the
kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the
fatness of the earth shall be theirs’ (DC 56:18).
Alma 32:10 do ye suppose that ye cannot worship God save it be in
your synagogues only?
Houses of worship have their
place. However, with the exception of the temple, they are not typically the
place where we learn the greatest spiritual lessons. It is on our knees, in our
homes and closets, where the greatest worship takes place. It is also here
where the greatest spiritual experiences are received. Prophets over the ages
have rarely received their major revelations in chapels or synagogues. In the
next chapter, Alma tells us of Zenos, who had communed with God in the
wilderness, in his field, in his house, and in his closet (Alma 33:4-9). We
should expect our moments of greatest worship to be in locations just as
personal and private.
Alma 32:13-16 blessed are they who humble themselves without being
compelled to be humble
Alma’s teaching that the
people would be more blessed if they were humble without being compelled is
reminiscent of the interaction between the Savior and Thomas. Thomas would not
believe in the resurrection until he had seen the Savior with his own eyes.
When this happened, the Savior said, Thomas, because
thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not
seen, and yet have believed (Jn 20:29). This concept is repeated
when the Savior visits the Nephites, blessed are ye
if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know
that I am. And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words
because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me (3 Ne 12:1-2).
Righteousness is always
rewarded with blessings. However, it is more blessed to be righteous when less
of a witness is given. There were those who, unlike Thomas, believed in the
resurrection of the Lord prior to seeing a witness. There were those of Alma’s
listeners who were humble without compulsion. And there were Nephites who
believed in the Christ at the testimony of others. All of these were promised the greater blessing. Therefore, the
greater the leap of faith, the greater the blessing is from the Lord.
During our moments of
introspection, we should analyze our motives for keeping the commandments.
Hopefully, our obedience comes from desires for righteousness and not
compulsory circumstances.
Ezra Taft Benson
“God
will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be
compelled to be humble. Alma said, ‘Blessed are they
who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.’ (Alma 32:16.)
“Let us choose to be humble. We can choose to humble ourselves by
conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves,
and lifting them as high or higher than we are. We can choose to humble
ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement. We can choose to humble
ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. We can choose to humble
ourselves by rendering selfless service. We can choose to humble ourselves by
going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others. We can choose
to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently. We can choose to
humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. We
can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and
putting Him first in our lives.
“Let
us choose to be humble. We can do it. I know we can.” (Conference Report,
May 1989, p. 6)
Alvin R. Dyer
“Be
humble. One of the crowning goals of being spiritually minded is the human
quality of humility, especially if it is self-imposed.” (Conference Report, May
1967, p. 110)
Alma 32:18 Now I ask, is this faith?
Dallin H. Oaks
“(quoting
Alma 32:15-19) There are two lessons here. First, those who acquire knowledge
by means of signs have no occasion to develop faith. Without that spiritual
development…and without the sustaining strength of faith, they are damned in
their progress and remain vulnerable to transgression and to falling away.
Second, those who acquire knowledge and then fall away are more cursed than
those who, following the pathway of faith, have only come so far as to believe
before they fall away.
“Thus,
the showing of a sign can work to the condemnation of those who are brought to
knowledge by that means. They miss the opportunity to develop faith, and they subject
themselves to a more severe punishment for backsliding than those whose
spiritual development is proceeding along the normal pathway of developing
faith.
“There
are other ‘condemnations’ to those who seek signs without first developing the
faith God has required as a prerequisite.
“One
condemnation is to be misled. God warned ancient Israel against following
prophets who gave signs and wonders and then sought to lead them away to the
worship of strange gods. (Deut. 13:1-3.) The Savior taught his apostles that in
the last days ‘there shall also arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if
possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the
covenant.’ (JST Matt. 24:23; also see Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22.) The
apostle Paul warned that the Savior would not come again ‘until after there cometh a falling away, by the working
of Satan with all power, and signs and lying wonders, and with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.’ (JST 2 Thes.
2:9-10.)
“In
the great revelation on signs, the Lord says, ‘He
that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation.’ (D&C
63:7.) President Spencer W. Kimball explained: ‘Certainly we should not
be interested in signs. Signs are available and anyone, I believe, can have
signs who wants them. I believe if one wants revelations enough to crave them
beyond the rightness of it, that eventually he will get his revelations—but
they may not come from God. I am sure that there can be many spectacular things
performed, because the devil is very responsive. He is listening and he is
eager to do it. And so he gives strange experiences.’
“…Manifestly,
the performance of miracles and the appearance of signs and wonders are not
evidences that those who do these things are servants of God or teachers of
truth. In our day, God does not use miracles or signs as a way of teaching or
convincing the unbeliever. As a result, we should not ask for signs for this
purpose, and we should be deeply suspicious of the so-called spiritual
evidences of those who do.” (The Lord's Way, p. 86)
Elder Winslow Farr Smith
“It
is a strange thing that many of our members are always looking for something
absolutely extraordinary…Has it ever occurred to you that perfect knowledge
is what the devil himself possesses? Has it ever occurred to you that many men,
who fight against God and his kingdom, know beyond the question of a doubt that
the Gospel is true. Has it ever occurred to you that in this fighting, the one
thing that is lacking in their make-up is that very vital thing, faith in
Almighty God? I beg of you to consider this question, weigh it very, very
seriously. I have in mind a man right now, whom I met but a few weeks ago, who
claims to have had revealed to him the Son of God himself, and yet that man
lacks something in his make-up to hold him fast to the Church and to the gospel
of Jesus Christ. Something has come between him and the testimony that he had,
and instead of being a helper, a supporter of, and a fighter for, the doctrines
of Christ, and the missionaries working in his field, he is a hindrance.” (Conference
Report, Oct. 1919, p. 186, italics added)
Alma 32:21 faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things
Orson Pratt
“There
is a great difference between faith and knowledge. I am told that there is such
a country as China on the eastern borders of Asia; but I never have been there;
I never have seen that country; I cannot say, most positively, that such a
country exists, only on the testimony of others I am informed that such is the
case. I believe that testimony, but it is not a perfect knowledge to my own
mind, obtained by my own experience. And so in regard to ten thousand other
facts or events. We are in many, indeed in almost all, instances required to
believe without a knowledge.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 16, p. 209)
Boyd K. Packer
“(quoting
Alma 32:21) In keeping faith I hope you are able to know that there are some
things that must be taken on faith; and that, in our insatiable quest for
knowledge, always preparatory to and preliminary to gaining spiritual knowledge
there is the exercise of faith. As the prophet Moroni said, ‘Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness
until after the trial of your faith’ (Ether 12:6).” (Let Not Your
Heart Be Troubled, p. 147-8)
Howard W. Hunter
“There
are many things which are invisible to our senses and not subject to positive
proof. The scientific approach to proof is by experimentation in the
laboratory. The result of this scientific method has a greater influence upon
our thinking than we realize, because it produces positive proof resulting in
knowledge. We cannot overlook the great good this approach by science has upon
the lives of persons, but how about those things which lie outside of the realm
of positive, tangible proof? This question brings us to the higher law. It is
through the assurance that comes from faith.
“The
classic example of faith is ascribed to the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the
Hebrews: ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1.)
“This
statement does not presuppose a perfect knowledge, but describes faith as that
which gives to one an assurance or a confidence in things which are yet in the future.
These things may be in existence, but it is through faith they are realized.
Faith gives a feeling of confidence in that which is not visible or susceptible
of positive proof.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1962, p. 23)
Orson F. Whitney
“Perfect
knowledge swallows up faith, and removes the opportunity for its exercise:
while through the exercise of faith, made manifest by good works, we obtain the
spiritual development for which we entered upon this our second estate.” (Conference
Report, Apr. 1911, p. 48)
Neal A. Maxwell
“It
is to be understood, however, that hope is not the same as perfect knowledge.
(See Alma 32:21.) Once we have actually seen, said Paul, it ‘is not hope.’ (Romans 8:24.) Thus hope, like
faith, is not quite knowledge. Yet, being at the border of knowledge, we can
see through ‘glass darkly’ enough of the
future to affect how we live today.” (Notwithstanding My Weakness, p.
42)
Spencer W. Kimball
“The
exercising of faith is a willingness to accept without total regular proof and
to move forward and perform works. ‘Faith without
works is dead’ (James 2:26), and a dead faith will not lead one to move
forward to adjust a life or to serve valiantly. A real faith pushes one forward
to constructive and beneficial acts as though he knew in absoluteness. The
Prophet Alma gave the near perfect address on faith in the thirty-second
chapter of Alma. He gives us: ‘Faith is not to have
a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things
which are not seen, which are true.’ (Alma 32:21.)
“Faith
is the planting of seeds, the taking of steps. Faith is the child, and when
nourished and fed, grows into maturity and becomes adult in deep assurance and
perfect knowledge.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 72)
Alma 32:23 not only men but women also
”But
not all angels must be male, and not all angelic visits are to men. As Alma
said, God ‘imparteth his word by angels unto men,
yea, not only men but women also.’ (Alma 32:23.) Moreover, there may be
a difference between ‘ministering’ and ‘administering’ angels. As stated by President
Joseph F. Smith,
“When
messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not
strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and
fellow-servants. The ancient prophets who died were those who came to visit
their fellow creatures upon the earth. . . . In like manner our fathers and
mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth,
having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have
a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again,
bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, or reproof and
instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh.” (Bruce D.
Hafen, The Believing Heart, p. 101)
“These
blessings (priesthood blessings) also include the right to behold visions and
receive revelation, for the Lord ‘imparteth his word
by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also.’ (Alma 32:23.)
Also included are spiritual gifts such as faith, the testimony of Christ,
wisdom, tongues, prophecy, and personal revelations. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks
has explained, ‘These gifts come by the power of the Holy Ghost and . . . are available
to every member of the Church, male and female.’” (Bruce D. Hafen, Belonging
Heart, p. 214)
Dallin H. Oaks
“There
is a choice example of personal revelation in the twenty-fifth chapter of
Genesis. When Rebekah was carrying the twins Jacob and Esau, ‘the children struggled together within her.’ The
scripture says she was troubled at this and so ‘she
went to enquire of the Lord.’ (Gen.
25:22.) Here we see a major principle of revelation. It
usually comes in response to earnest prayer. ‘Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you.’ (Matt. 7:7.)
“In
this instance the Lord spoke to Rebekah, saying: ‘Two
nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy
bowels; and one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder
shall serve the younger.’ (Gen.
25:23.) Though she was the wife of a prophet and
patriarch, Rebekah inquired of the Lord and the Lord instructed her directly on
a matter of great personal concern to her, to the children she would bear, and
to generations unborn. After recounting this incident, Elder Bruce R.
McConkie concluded: ‘The Lord gives revelation to women who pray to him in
faith.’ (New Era, May 1978, p. 36.)” (Ensign, Sept. 1986, p. 68)
Alma 32:27 awake and arouse your faculties
Gordon B. Hinckley
“Far
more of us need to awake and arouse our faculties
to an awareness of the great everlasting truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little
more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving.
We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past, and go forth with new energy
and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our
places of employment, in our social activities.
We
have work to do, you and I, so very much of it. Let us roll up our sleeves and
get at it, with a new commitment, putting our trust in the Lord.” (Church
News, 04/08/95)
Alma 32:27 an experiment upon my words…exercise a particle of faith
Religion and science are
often in opposite philosophical corners. Religious faith and scientific
knowledge, at times, seem mutually exclusive. Yet, Alma wants to perform an
experiment. Even before the scientific method was described, Alma suggests an
experimental method to arrive at religious truth. Is Alma confused, or just way
ahead of his time? Certainly, the Book of Mormon was written for our day and
age. It was written for the time when all universally acceptable knowledge
would come through the scientific method. On behalf of all the skeptic
scientists of our day, Alma and Moroni (Moroni 10:3-5) provide a scientific
pattern for learning spiritual truth.
Let’s examine how Alma’s
experiment on the word follows the scientific method. The scientific method has
5 steps:
In order to develop real faith, these 5 steps can be
applied.
For a prophet who lived over 2000 years ago, Alma was
given the light and knowledge to apply scientific techniques to the process of
developing faith. Remarkable as this may be, the more important point is that Alma’s
instruction has been an invaluable source of wisdom which has changed the lives
of thousands. By experimenting on the word, as Alma suggests, the
spiritually-minded are given power through faith in Jesus Christ. This power is
greater than the force of gravity, stronger than the pull of supermagnets, and
more influential than the superconductor. Joseph Smith said, “Faith,
then, is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and
authority over all things; by it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they
are changed, or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God. Without it
there is no power, and without power there could be no creation nor existence.”
(Lectures on Faith, 1:24 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon
compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 306)
Dean L. Larsen
“…millions
of people have tried the experiment proposed by Alma as it pertains to the
gospel that Joseph Smith restored. They and others in increasing numbers
throughout the world today bear testimony to the good fruit that the experiment
has borne. They have applied the Savior’s sure test.” (Church News,
06/29/96)
M. Russell Ballard
“…that
is all anyone can ask you to do: to ‘experiment’ upon the words of Christ, to ‘give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart’
and to not ‘resist the Spirit of the Lord.’
It is my sincere belief that if you will do those things and ask Heavenly
Father in prayer if they are true, He will tell you. That is His promise to you
and to all of His children.
“…Please
don't let this opportunity to receive personal revelation from God pass.
Consider what I've written here. Weigh it carefully. Measure it against the
things you believe—and the things you want to believe. Hold fast to all that
you know to be true and add to that the fulness of the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ. Take into account what you've felt as you've read these words. Then put
it all to the ultimate test: Ask God. Listen for His answer with your heart,
then respond to what you feel.” (Our Search For Happiness, p. 123)
Neal A. Maxwell
“The
Lord can commence His initial work with us while requiring surprisingly little
from us. Alma explained: (quotes Alma 32:27). Imagine, only ‘a particle of faith’ and ‘no
more than [a] desire to believe’ are actually
enough to begin!” (Men and Women of Christ, p. 77-8)
Alma 32:28 it beginneth to be delicious to me
Neal A. Maxwell
“Alma
asked of this process, ‘O then, is not this real?’ He
likens reality to light, ‘because it is
discernible.’ Alma even employs the notion of taste. Little wonder an
enlightened Joseph Smith on one occasion said of a doctrine and
teaching, ‘This is good doctrine. It tastes good. I can taste
the principles of eternal life, and so can you. . . . You say honey is
sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life. I know
it is good; and when I tell you of these things which were given to me
by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive them as sweet, and
rejoice more and more.’ (Italics added.) Alma and Joseph preached the same
thing as a result of their trying successfully the experiment of the gospel's
goodness. (Alma 32:35.)” (Deposition of a Disciple, p. 65)
Alma 32:34 your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is
dormant
Neal A. Maxwell
“Subsequently,
by our nurturing the seed carefully and by experiencing for ourselves, belief
grows into confirmed faith, and faith grows into knowledge. Personal
verification thereby occurs ‘in that thing’-meaning,
in the principle which is specifically being obeyed and applied. Other
principles or doctrines await the same process of personal verification.” (Gaining
Spiritual Knowledge, p. 102)
Harold B. Lee
“The
prophet Alma presents an excellent explanation of the progressive steps by which
one proceeds in his search for truth from a desire to experiment upon the words
of the Lord to the ‘exercise [of] a particle of faith, yea, even . . . no more than [a]
desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even
until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion’ of
the words of the Lord; then by spiritual processes within one's own soul his
knowledge and testimony is made ‘perfect in that
thing, and [his] faith is dormant…. ‘
(Alma 32:27, 34.)
“As
one reads this whole text, he finds clearly prescribed the way by which all may
receive a testimony or ‘knowledge by revelation’ as defined above: first,
desire; second, belief; third, faith; fourth, knowledge or testimony.” (Stand
Ye In Holy Places, p. 194)
Alma 32:35 O then, is not this real?
Neal A. Maxwell
“Alma
describes the growth of faith and how faith can actually become knowledge with
the accompanying intellectual and emotional experiences of the believer. After
the understanding of the believer has been enlarged and his mind has been
expanded, Alma asks, ‘O then, is not this real?’
It is real, he says, because it is ‘discernible,
therefore ye must know that it is good.’ (Alma 32:35.)
“The
truth of each divine doctrine is actually discernible by us in a system of
certification and confirmation that justifies our saying, ‘I know!’
“This
precious perspective about reality that came from God through his prophets
surely tells us about ‘things as they really are and
things as they really will be’ (Jacob 4:13); it
is the only kind of perspective that can rescue us from the myopic mortal view
we have about the relative importance of things.” (Things As They Really Are,
p. 10)
Alma 32:37 Let us nourish it with great care
Joseph B. Wirthlin
“To
soundly plant good seeds in one's heart requires prolonged, intense,
unremitting pondering. It is a deep, ongoing, regenerating process that refines
the soul.” (Finding Peace in Our Lives, p. 212)
Henry B. Eyring
“It's
not hard to see from these examples what you can do to touch someone's life
with faith…It won't be enough for them simply to listen to the word of God.
They must choose to keep commandments because they feel at least a beginning
desire to know the will of our Heavenly Father and submit to it. That feeling
of surrender is not likely to come unless they experience some feeling of being
loved and some value in their being meek and lowly of heart.
“You
can help with your example. If you love them because you feel God's love for
them, they will feel that. If you are meek and humble because you feel your
dependence on God, they will sense that, too.
“In
addition to your example, you can teach the word of God to them in a way that
is more likely to give them a desire to repent and to try to live it. They may think
they have heard preaching enough. But they must do more than hear the word of
God; they must plant it in their hearts by trying it. You can make that more
likely if you talk with them about it in a way that helps them feel how much
God loves them and how much they need God.” (To Draw Closer to God, p.
186-7)
Alma 32:38 if ye neglect the tree…it will not get any root
Alma’s parable is so filled
with the spirit of prophecy and revelation that it touches on many other
scriptural concepts. Nephi asks, ‘now my beloved
brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if
all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay…ye must press forward with a
steadfastness in Christ…’ (2 Ne 31:19-20). The spiritual novice has a
responsibility to ‘press forward’, to
continue to nourish the tree by tilling the soil. Without this diligent care,
the soil can be dried by the temptations of the evil one, And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much
earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when
the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root it withered away (Mark
4:5-7). It should be remembered that the seed which fell on stony ground
produced no fruit not because the seed was bad, or because the sower had not
done his job, but because the soil was not yet prepared. Had someone removed
the rocks, and tilled this stony ground, the result would have been fruit that brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an
hundred (Mark 4:8).
Alma 32:39 it is because your ground is barren
Henry B. Eyring
“Just
as soil needs preparation for a seed, so does a human heart for the word of God
to take root. Before he told the people to plant the seed, Alma told them that
their hearts were prepared. They had been persecuted and cast out of their
churches. Alma with his love and the circumstances of their lives, which led
them to be humble, had prepared them. They were then ready to hear the word of
God. If they chose to plant it in their hearts, the growth in their souls would
surely follow, and that would increase their faith.” (To Draw Closer to God,
p. 186)
Alma 32:40 the fruit of the tree of life
Jeffrey R. Holland
“In
this brilliant discourse, Alma moves the reader from a general commentary on
faith in the seedlike word of God to a focused discourse on faith in Christ as
the Word of God, grown to a fruit-bearing tree, a tree whose fruit is exactly
that of Lehi's earlier perception of Christ's love, ‘which
is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white
above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall
feast upon [the gospel of Christ] even until
ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.’ (v. 42)
Christ is the bread of life, the living water, the true vine. Christ is the
seed, the tree, and the fruit of eternal life.
“But
the profound and central Tree of Life imagery in this discourse is lost, or at
least greatly diminished, if the reader does not follow it on into the next two
chapters of the Book of Mormon.
“In
Alma 33, Alma quoted Zenos (source for the allegory of the olive tree) and
Zenock on the role of Christ in rewarding faith, then focused on the fully
developed image of Christ as Tree of Life.” (Christ and the New Covenant,
p. 170)
Alma 32:41 by your faith with great diligence, and with patience…it
shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life
Joseph Smith
“…a
faculty…may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the
light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man
approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his
enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire
for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped
in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to
which no man ever arrived in a moment:
he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom
by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending
the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
p. 51)