The Book of Mormon

Alma 11:39

Back to chapter
~82 BC

1830 Edition

And Amulek saith unto him, Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of Heaven and of Earth, and all things which in them is; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

Influences

Revelation 22:13 (KJV)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Revelation 22:13 (KJV)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Changes

And Amulek saithd unto him,: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of Hheaven and of Eearth, and all things which in them isare; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

Simple English

Amulek said to him: 'Yes, he is the Eternal Father of heaven and of earth and all things in them. He is the beginning and the end. He is the first and the last.'

Paraphrase

Amulek said, 'Yes. He is the very Eternal Father of heaven and earth and everything in them. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last.'

Notes

11:27-39

The Book of Mormon declares that there is only one Eternal God (see also 2 Nephi 31:21), yet the Doctrine and Covenants teaches there are many gods (D&C 121:32; 132:18-20,37). As does Abraham 4:1 in the Pearl of Great Price.

In June 16, 1844, Joseph Smith gave a public doctrinal address, usually labeled the "Sermon in the Grove." He is recorded as saying, "I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always, and in all congregations, when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years.

The sermon survives through the notes of four contemporaneous recorders: Thomas Bullock, William McIntire, George Laub, and Alexander Neibaur.

It was later printed in History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 6, pp. 473–479, and in The Words of Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook.