The Unbelieving Generation
Many of the younger generation couldn’t understand King Benjamin’s words—they’d been too young when he spoke to the people. They didn’t believe what their parents had taught them. They didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. They didn’t believe Christ was coming. Because of their unbelief, they couldn’t understand God’s word. Their hearts grew hard. They refused to be baptized. They wouldn’t join the church. They stayed separate in their faith—or lack of it—and stayed that way, living selfish, sinful lives. They wouldn’t call on the Lord their God.
During Mosiah’s reign, there weren’t as many unbelievers as believers. But when church members started leaving the faith, the unbelievers grew in number. These people used smooth words to deceive church members and led them into sin. The church realized they had to confront those who were sinning.
Church Members Caught in Sin
Teachers brought the offenders before the priests, and the priests brought them before Alma, the high priest. King Mosiah had given Alma authority over the church. Alma didn’t know how to handle this. Many witnesses testified against the accused. People stood up and told story after story of their wrongdoing.
Nothing like this had ever happened in the church before. Alma was deeply troubled, so he brought them before the king. He said to the king, “Here are many people we’ve brought to you. Their own brothers and sisters have accused them. They’ve been caught in various sins. They won’t repent, so we’ve brought them to you to judge according to their crimes.” But King Mosiah said to Alma, “I won’t judge them. I’m putting them in your hands to judge.”
Alma’s spirit grew troubled again. He went and asked the Lord what he should do. He was afraid of doing the wrong thing in God’s eyes.
The Lord Answers Alma
After he’d poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him: “Alma, you’re blessed. And blessed are those who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. You’re blessed because you had such great faith in the words of my servant Abinadi alone. And they’re blessed because they had such great faith in the words you spoke to them. You’re blessed because you’ve established a church among this people. They’ll be established, and they’ll be my people. This people is blessed because they’re willing to bear my name. They’ll be called by my name, and they’re mine.
Because you’ve asked me about how to handle those who sin, you’re blessed. You’re my servant. I make this covenant with you: you’ll have eternal life. You’ll serve me and go out in my name and gather my sheep. Whoever listens to my voice will be my sheep. When you receive them into the church, I’ll receive them too. This is my church. Whoever is baptized will be baptized into repentance. Whoever you receive must believe in my name, and I’ll freely forgive them. I’m the one who takes on the sins of the world. I’m the one who created them. And I’m the one who gives believers a place at my right hand forever. They’re called by my name. If they know me, they’ll come forth and have a place eternally at my right hand.
When the second trumpet sounds, those who never knew me will come forth and stand before me. Then they’ll know I’m the Lord their God, their Redeemer—but they refused to be redeemed. Then I’ll tell them: I never knew you. And they’ll go into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.
So I’m telling you: Don’t receive into my church anyone who won’t listen to my voice. I won’t receive them on the last day. Go. When someone sins against me, judge them according to what they’ve done. If they confess their sins before you and me, and repent with a sincere heart, forgive them. I’ll forgive them too. As often as my people repent, I’ll forgive their wrongs against me. Forgive each other’s wrongs too. I’m telling you the truth: If you don’t forgive your neighbor when they say they repent, you bring condemnation on yourself. Go. Whoever won’t repent of their sins won’t be counted among my people. Follow this from now on.“
Justice and Mercy in Action
When Alma heard these words, he wrote them down so he’d have them and could judge the people of the church according to God’s commands.
Alma went and judged those who’d been caught in sin, according to the Lord’s word. Whoever repented and confessed their sins, he counted among the people of the church. Those who wouldn’t confess their sins and repent weren’t counted among the church members. Their names were erased.
Alma organized all the church’s affairs. They found peace again and thrived in church life. They walked carefully before God, welcoming many and baptizing many. Alma and his fellow workers over the church did all this work diligently. They taught God’s word in everything. They suffered all kinds of hard times and persecution from everyone who didn’t belong to God’s church. They confronted fellow believers when needed. And each person was confronted by God’s word according to their sins—whatever they’d done wrong. They were commanded to pray constantly and give thanks in everything.