His Whole Soul (02/2014)

I'm reading Mosiah 26.

Those who have committed sin are brought to Alma so he can determine what to do. He takes them to the King. The King says, I'm not going to decide what to do. You're in charge of the Church--you decide.

Now Alma is perplexed. He goes to the Lord and prays. He is not sure how to handle the situation, and he doesn't want to do it "wrong in the sight of God."

Here is the part that struck me very profoundly just now. Verse 4 says, "And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him saying:"

Did you catch that?

His whole soul.

It doesn't say that he just prayed. It doesn't say he prayed mightily, or sincerely, or even fervently. It doesn't even say he poured out his soul to God.

It says he poured out his whole soul.

Alma's whole soul. What would that look like?

Alma is expected to judge people who have been brought to him in iniquity. Can he just brashly condemn them for the mistakes they have made?

No. His whole soul is reflecting on his past. He was caught up in great iniquity and wickedness while he was a priest in the court of King Noah. If he had been judged at any moment before the appearance of Abinadi, condemnation of him would have been just.

But he knows of the great change in his whole soul that occurred after hearing the message of repentance through Christ's atonement announced to him by Abinadi. Are these people brought to him like he was? Would his condemnation of them be too soon, before their window of repentance had taken place?

There were others who heard the same message from Abinadi who did not repent. In fact, these other priests of Noah killed Abinadi, the bearer of the news of their salvation from the bonds of sin. Are these people brought to him like the other priests? Would they also reject and rebuff any message that would give freedom to their soul in the eternities?

How can Alma, as a man, determine who these people are?

Reflecting on this in prayer, his whole soul would likely spontaneously pour out his gratitude for the Lord's mercy in forgiving him. It would likely be heavy with sorrow for the cruel and unthinkable martyrdom of Abinadi. His mind and soul probably reviewed the series of events when he hid from King Noah's guards sent to kill him, the deep feelings of peace from forgiveness soothing the horrid regrets for his sins and iniquity, and the days it took to write all that Abinadi had said. He would remember the beautiful days spent teaching others by the waters of Mormon, and the beauty of the memory of their baptism. How beautiful were the waters of Mormon to them.

Baptism brings forgiveness of sins. Sins, just like those of others he is now asked to judge. How can he rob from someone else the wonderful delivery of forgiveness he has cherished for himself?

The thought of delivery may have led him back to the days in the city of Helam. In their beautiful city of Helam they built prosperity, righteousness and safety. That safety was then destroyed by the appearance of the army of the Lamanites who brought with them no less than other of the priests of King Noah. That safety was destroyed by the priest Amulon who was in good favor with the Lamanites and was allowed to stop Alma's people from praying - at least praying with their voice. But in their hearts they still prayed for deliverance. The deliverance of the Lord was sweet and welcome.

Alme had been delivered three times. The first was from sin through repentance and faith in Christ preached to him by Abinai. The second was the from death by the warning voice of the Lord to flee before King Noah's guards discovered his people at the waters of Mormon. The third was from bondage and slavery to the Lamanites through the Lord's deep sleep put on the Lamanites so Alma and his people could take their flocks and belongings and flee again to find a new home where they could be free.

They found their new home with the people of Mosiah. They found their new home united with their old now repentant friends who had also been the people of King Noah. They found their new home where they could freely pray and live in the peace of the commandments.

The peace of the commandments that some people had broken was now what Alma was being asked to judge. This judgement was what brought him to pray to God, and to pour out his whole soul.

I wonder what "the whole soul" of Alma sounded like in that prayer.