Alma Testifies of Christ

In Gideon, Alma preached, “My beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first time I have been able to speak to you, for I have been very busy as chief judge, but now I have given the judgment-seat to Nephihah. The Lord has shown great mercy in allowing me to come to you. I have come, hoping to find you humbling yourselves before God, asking for His grace, so that you would be blameless before Him. I have come hoping that you were not in the same awful dilemma as our brethren in Zarahemla. But God has given me great joy in knowing that the people of Zarahemla are righteous again.

“I trust, according to God’s Spirit in me, that I will also have joy over you, for I would rather not experience again the type of sorrow I had over the people of Zarahemla.

“I trust that you are more believing than your brethren—that you are not as proud as they were. I trust that you have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world, and that you do not worship idols. I trust that you worship the true, living God, looking forward to a remission of your sins with an everlasting faith. For there are many events to come. The most important event is that the Redeemer will come and live among His people. The Spirit told me that He will not come to us while He lives on earth as a man. I do not know when or how the Lord God will come to us, but only that He has the power to do everything that He said He would do.

“The Spirit told me, ‘Cry out to this people: Repent, prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in His straight paths, for the kingdom of heaven is near, and the Son of God will come upon the face of the earth.’ He will be born of Mary in Jerusalem, the land of our forefathers. Mary will be a virgin—a precious and chosen vessel, who will be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son—the Son of God. He will suffer all types of pain, affliction, and temptations to fulfill the words, ‘He will take the pains and sickness of His people upon Himself.’

“He will die in order to loosen the bands of death that bind His people. He will be merciful and powerful in the flesh. And He will know by His mortal experiences how to overcome His people’s ills (temporal and spiritual).

“The Spirit already knows how this is done, but the Son of God will suffer in mortality, that He may erase the sins of His people, which they commit in mortality. This is my testimony.

“Now, you must repent and be born again, for the Spirit says if you are not born again, you cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. So come and be baptized unto repentance. Be washed from your sins, showing your faith in the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world. He will be mighty to save us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

“Do not be afraid to come, and put aside every sin that so easily tempts you and binds you down to destruction. Come and show your God that you are willing to repent of your sins. Make a covenant with Him to keep His commandments, and witness this to Him today by going into the waters of baptism. Those who do this, and who keep God’s commandments throughout their lives, will remember that I have told them according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit: ‘You will have eternal life.’

“Do you believe these things? Through the Spirit, I know you do, and because your faith in Christ is strong, my joy is great. I am glad that you are not having the same problems your brothers and sisters were having in Zarahemla. I can see that you are on the path of righteousness that leads to God’s kingdom, and that you are making His paths straight.

“Through the testimony of His word, you know that the Lord cannot walk on crooked paths. He will do as He said and never turn from what is right. This is why His course is one eternal round—a continuing cycle. He does not live in unholy temples, and filthy things cannot come into His kingdom. At the last day, those who are filthy will remain filthy. I have said these things to awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, to motivate you to walk blameless before Him after the holy order of God, the order by which you have been received into the church.

“Be humble, submissive, gentle, and teachable. Be full of patience, long-suffering, and temperance in all things. Be diligent in keeping God’s commandments at all times, asking for whatever you need both spiritually and temporally. And always return thanks to God for what you receive. Be sure to have faith, hope, and charity, and then you will always do many good things. May the Lord bless you and keep your robes spotless, that you may at last be brought in to sit down in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the holy prophets, never to leave again.

“I have spoken these words according to the Spirit, which testifies within me. My soul rejoices because you have responded so well to my words. Now may God’s peace be with you and your families. May it bless your homes, lands, flocks, and all that you possess, according to your faith and good works, now and forever. Amen.”