The Book Of Alma (Chap. 7)

Alma 7:1
Behold my beloved brethren, seeing that I have been permitted
to come unto you, therefore I attempt to address you in my
language; yea, by my own mouth, seeing that it is the first time
that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth, I having
been wholly confined to the judgment-seat, having had much
business that I could not come unto you.

Alma 7:2
And even I could not have come now at this time were it not
that the judgment-seat hath been given to another, to reign in my
stead; and the Lord in much mercy hath granted that I should come
unto you.

Alma 7:3
And behold, I have come having great hopes and much desire
that I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and
that ye had continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I
should find that ye were blameless before him, that I should find
that ye were not in the awful dilemma that our brethren were in
at Zarahemla.

Alma 7:4
But blessed be the name of God, that he hath given me to know,
yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that
they are established again in the way of his righteousness.

Alma 7:5
And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me,
that I shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire
that my joy over you should come by the cause of so much
afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at
Zarahemla, for behold, my joy cometh over them after wading
through much affliction and sorrow.

Alma 7:6
But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much
unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up
in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set
your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I
trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the
true and living God, and that ye look forward for the remission
of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come.

Alma 7:7
For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and
behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they
all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer
liveth and cometh among his people.

Alma 7:8
8 Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of
his dwelling in his mortal tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit
hath not said unto me that this should be the case. Now as to
this thing I do not know; but this much I do know, that the Lord
God hath power to do all things which are according to his word.

Alma 7:9
But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying:
Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of
the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold,
the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon
the face of the earth.

Alma 7:10
And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is
the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and
chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the
power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son
of God.

Alma 7:11
And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and
temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be
fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the
sicknesses of his people.

Alma 7:12
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands
of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their
infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according
to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to
succor his people according to their infirmities.

Alma 7:13
Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of
God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him
the sins of his people, that he might blot out their
transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now
behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Alma 7:14
Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again;
for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit
the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto
repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may
have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the
world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all
unrighteousness.

Alma 7:15
Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every
sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to
destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that
ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant
with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this
day by going into the waters of baptism.

Alma 7:16
And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God
from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him,
yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have
eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit,
which testifieth in me.

Alma 7:17
And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things?
Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the
way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of
the Spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong
concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken,
great is my joy.

Alma 7:18
For as I said unto you from the beginning, that I had much
desire that ye were not in the state of dilemma like your
brethren, even so I have found that my desires have been
gratified.

Alma 7:19
For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I
perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of
God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.

Alma 7:20
I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the
testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths;
neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath
he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that
which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is
one eternal round.

Alma 7:21
And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can
filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the
kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come,
yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall
remain in his filthiness.

Alma 7:22
And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto
you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that
ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy
order of God, after which ye have been received.

Alma 7:23
And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive
and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and
long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in
keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for
whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal;
always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do
receive.

Alma 7:24
And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye
will always abound in good works.

Alma 7:25
And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless,
that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the
world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments
are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.

Alma 7:26
And now my beloved brethren, I have spoken these words unto
you according to the Spirit which testifieth in me; and my soul
doth exceedingly rejoice, because of the exceeding diligence and
heed which ye have given unto my word.

Alma 7:27
And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your
houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that
you possess, your women and your children, according to your
faith and good works, from this time forth and forever. And thus
I have spoken. Amen.