The Book Of Alma (Chap. 32)

Alma 32:1
And it came to pass that they did go forth, and began to
preach the word of God unto the people, entering into their
synagogues, and into their houses; yea, and even they did preach
the word in their streets.

Alma 32:2
And it came to pass that after much labor among them, they
began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold,
they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of
their apparel—

Alma 32:3
Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their
synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness;
therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their
brethren as dross; therefore they were poor as to things of the
world; and also they were poor in heart.

Alma 32:4
Now, as Alma was teaching and speaking unto the people upon
the hill Onidah, there came a great multitude unto him, who were
those of whom we have been speaking, of whom were poor in heart,
because of their poverty as to the things of the world.

Alma 32:5
And they came unto Alma; and the one who was the foremost
among them said unto him: Behold, what shall these my brethren
do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty,
yea, and more especially by our priests; for they have cast us
out of our synagogues which we have labored abundantly to build
with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our
exceeding poverty; and we have no place to worship our God; and
behold, what shall we do?

Alma 32:6
And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face
immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he
beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them and that
they were in a preparation to hear the word.

Alma 32:7
Therefore he did say no more to the other multitude; but he
stretched forth his hand, and cried unto those whom he beheld,
who were truly penitent, and said unto them:

Alma 32:8
I behold that ye are lowly in heart; and if so, blessed are
ye.

Alma 32:9
Behold thy brother hath said, What shall we do?—for we are
cast out of our synagogues, that we cannot worship our God.

Alma 32:10
Behold I say unto you, do ye suppose that ye cannot worship
God save it be in your synagogues only?

Alma 32:11
Moreover, I would ask, do ye suppose that ye must not worship
God only once in a week?

Alma 32:12
I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your
synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom;
for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is
because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your
brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought
to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be
humble.

Alma 32:13
And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are
ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh
repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy;
and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall
be saved.

Alma 32:14
And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled
to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are
more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?

Alma 32:15
Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his
sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea,
much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble
because of their exceeding poverty.

Alma 32:16
Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without
being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed
is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without
stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the
word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

Alma 32:17
Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a
sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall
believe.

Alma 32:18
Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for
if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he
knoweth it.

Alma 32:19
And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of
God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath
cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?

Alma 32:20
Now of this thing ye must judge. Behold, I say unto you,
that it is on the one hand even as it is on the other; and it
shall be unto every man according to his work.

Alma 32:21
And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a
perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope
for things which are not seen, which are true.

Alma 32:22
And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should
remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name;
therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should
believe, yea, even on his word.

Alma 32:23
And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not
only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do
have words given unto them many times which confound the wise and
the learned.

Alma 32:24
And now, my beloved brethren, as ye have desired to know of
me what ye shall do because ye are afflicted and cast out—now I
do not desire that ye should suppose that I mean to judge you
only according to that which is true—

Alma 32:25
For I do not mean that ye all of you have been compelled to
humble yourselves; for I verily believe that there are some among
you who would humble themselves, let them be in whatsoever
circumstances they might.

Alma 32:26
Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect
knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their
surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a
perfect knowledge.

Alma 32:27
But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even
to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith,
yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this
desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can
give place for a portion of my words.

Alma 32:28
Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give
place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be
a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your
unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it
will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these
swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must
needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for
it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten
my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

Alma 32:29
Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto
you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect
knowledge.

Alma 32:30
But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and
beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good;
for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow.
And now behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it
will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a
good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

Alma 32:31
And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say
unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own
likeness.

Alma 32:32
Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth
not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.

Alma 32:33
And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and
planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to
grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

Alma 32:34
And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your
knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant;
and this because ye know, for ye know that the word hath swelled
your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your
understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth
begin to expand.

Alma 32:35
O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is
light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is
discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now
behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge
perfect?

Alma 32:36
Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your
faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed
that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.

Alma 32:37
And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let
us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may
grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye
nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and
bring forth fruit.

Alma 32:38
But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its
nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat
of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it
withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

Alma 32:39
Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it
because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is
because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree,
therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.

Alma 32:40
And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward
with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of
the fruit of the tree of life.

Alma 32:41
But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it
beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with
patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take
root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting
life.

Alma 32:42
And because of your diligence and your faith and your
patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in
you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is
most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which
is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is
pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are
filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

Alma 32:43
Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith,
and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for
the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.