Alma and Amulek Preach of Christ

When Alma finished his speaking, he sat down on the ground. Then Amulek stood up and began to teach. He said, “My brothers and sisters, I think it is impossible for you to be ignorant of the coming of Christ, who we have been taught is the Son of God. For I know that you were taught a great deal about Him before you broke away from us in Zarahemla.

“Because your afflictions have now made you humble, you have asked my beloved brother what you should do. To prepare your minds, he has called on you to have faith and patience, even if you only have enough faith to plant the word in your hearts to see if the word, or seed, is good. We know your great question, ‘Will the word testify of the Son of God, and that Christ will come?’ In many ways my brother has proven to you that the word does testify of Christ’s salvation. He has quoted the words of Zenos and Zenock, that redemption comes through the Son of God. He also reminded you of what Moses did, to prove that these things are true.

“Now I, Amulek, will testify to you that these things are true. I know that Christ will come among the children of men to take the transgressions of His people upon Himself. He will atone for the sins of the world, for the Lord God has spoken it. It is essential that an Atonement is made, for according to the great plan of the Eternal God, there must be an Atonement, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish. For all are hardened, fallen, and lost, and must perish unless an Atonement is made. It is necessary for a great, last sacrifice to be made, not of man, beast, or fowl, but an infinite and eternal sacrifice. No man’s blood can atone for the sins of his brother, for if a man commits murder, will our just law take his brother’s life? No, the law requires the life of the murderer. Therefore, only an infinite Atonement is sufficient to atone for all the sins of the world. An infinite Atonement is the one great, last sacrifice. After it is made, there will be no more blood sacrifices. Then the law of Moses will be fulfilled. This Atonement is the whole meaning of the law, for every aspect of it points to that great, last sacrifice—the Son of God, who is infinite and eternal.

“This is how He will bring salvation to all who believe in His name. The purpose of this last sacrifice is to bring about mercy, which overpowers justice, and introduces a way for people to have faith, repent, and be forgiven. This is how mercy can rescue us from the demands of justice, and encircle us in the arms of safety. But those who do not use faith and repentance are exposed to the whole law—to all the demands of justice. Only those who have faith and repent are redeemed by this great, eternal plan.

“May God grant you mercy, my brothers and sisters, as you use your faith to repent and call upon His holy name. Cry to Him for mercy, for He is mighty to save. Humble yourselves, and continue to pray to Him. Cry to Him to bless all your flocks when you are in your fields. Cry to Him in your homes, to bless all your household, morning, mid-day, and evening. Cry to Him to protect you against the power of your enemies, and against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry to Him to bless your crops and your flocks, that you may prosper in them. But this is not all. Pour out your souls in your closets and secret places, and in your wilderness. And when you do not cry to the Lord, let your hearts be full—drawn out in prayer to Him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those around you.

“But after you do this, if you turn away the needy and the ill-clothed, if you do not visit the sick and afflicted, and if you do not give your substance to those who need it, then your prayers are vain and will not profit you, for you will be hypocrites who deny the faith. If you do not remember to be charitable, you are of no value to God’s kingdom.

“Now that you have been given so many witnesses, and know that the holy scriptures testify of these things, you must show your repentance. Do not be stubborn, for the time of your salvation is now. If you repent, the great plan of redemption will be brought upon you immediately. For in this life we prepare to meet God by doing His work. Now that you have had so many witnesses, do not delay your repentance. For after this day of life (which is given to us to prepare for eternity), if we have not improved ourselves, then night comes, when no work can be done. When you are brought to that awful crisis, you cannot say that you will repent and return to God, for the spirit which possesses your body when you die will have power to possess your body in the eternal world. If you put off the day of your repentance all of your life, then when you die, you will become subjected to the devil’s spirit, who will seal you his. The Lord’s Spirit will have left you, and the devil will have full power over you. This is the final state of the wicked. I know this because the Lord said He will not live in unholy temples, but only in the hearts of the righteous. They will sit down in His kingdom, never to leave again, and their robes will be made white through the blood of the Lamb.

“My brothers and sisters, I want you to remember these things and to work out your salvation with fear before God, no longer denying the coming of Christ. Do not resist the Holy Ghost, but receive Him, and take the name of Christ upon yourselves. Humble yourselves, even to the dust. Worship God wherever you are, in spirit and in truth. Live in thanksgiving daily for the many mercies and blessings He gives you. I urge you to pray continually so that you will not be led away by the devil’s temptations—that he may not overpower you and that you may not become his subjects at the last day. For he will never reward you with anything good. I also call upon you to have patience while bearing all types of affliction. Do not argue with those who cast you out because of your extreme poverty, or you might become sinners like them. Have patience, and bear your afflictions with a firm hope that you will one day rest from all of them.”