Approximately five hundred years after Jacob’s stern yet tender preaching, another powerful prophet emerged. Alma the Younger was a rabble-rouser turned high priest and chief judge whose voice testified with authority and love.[1] We hear the voice of Alma the Younger (herein simply referred to as “Alma”) more than any other, with the exceptions of Mormon and Nephi. Alma speaks some twenty thousand words in the Book of Mormon, accounting for approximately 7.5 percent of the entire text. His words occur more than the combined total of those of Lehi, King Benjamin, Amulek, Samuel the Lamanite, and Abinadi.

We know relatively little of Alma’s youth. His father was converted by the teachings of Abinadi and became the leader of the Church in Zarahemla. In Alma’s younger years, Alma and the sons of Mosiah went about “seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord” (Mosiah 27:10). Mormon describes Alma as a “very wicked and an idolatrous man[,] . . . a man of many words, [who] did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities” (Mosiah 27:8). In this earliest description of Alma, we are told that he has particularly strong powers of speech; these powers are evident in his later discourses.

On one occasion, when Alma was traveling with some friends with the specific purpose “to destroy the church of God,” an angel appeared and spoke “with a voice of thunder” (Mosiah 27:10–11). Alma and his friends were so astonished that they “fell to the earth” (verse 12). The angel then said, “Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people” (verse 13).

Alma was so astonished that he lost his ability to both speak and move, and his friends carried him to his father. After two days and two nights, Alma’s strength returned; Alma declared, “I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit” (verse 24). From this point forward, Alma dedicated his life to testifying of Jesus Christ and played multiple important roles in Nephite society. At one point he was the chief judge (the highest political office) and the high priest (the highest ecclesiastical office). In about 83 BC, after juggling both roles for approximately five years, Alma gave up the judgment seat to focus on “bearing down in pure testimony” to the people (Alma 4:19). Alma would spend the last decade of his life preaching to all who would hear.

Near the end of King Mosiah₂’s reign, Mosiah₂ transferred to Alma the sacred records in his possession. When Alma received the plates, he was instructed to “keep a record” (Mosiah 28:20), a commandment that he clearly kept. Mormon begins the book of Alma specifically acknowledging that he is drawing on Alma’s record and also notes that his abridgment of the mission of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites comes from Alma’s record (see the heading to the book of Alma and the heading just before Alma 17).

Most of the words we hear Alma speak come from his sermons to the people of Zarahemla (Alma 5), Gideon (Alma 7), Ammonihah (Alma 9, 12–13), and Antionum (Alma 32–33), as well as his words of counsel to Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton (Alma 36–42). With only one exception, prefacing each of these messages is a statement from Mormon that the words have come from Alma’s own record.[2]

For example, just before Alma 7, Alma’s message to the people of Gideon, Mormon writes, “The words of Alma which he delivered to the people in Gideon, according to his own record.” Before recording Alma’s words to his three sons, Mormon notes, “[Alma] caused that his sons should be gathered together, that he might give unto them every one his charge, separately, concerning the things pertaining unto righteousness. And we have an account of his commandments, which he gave unto them according to his own record” (Alma 35:16).

In Mormon’s multiple and specific notations of Alma’s records, we see evidence that Mormon is preserving Alma’s actual words. In this chapter we will explore Alma’s unique voice through three different approaches. We will first examine two seemingly insignificant words that Alma uses with unusual frequency. We will then look at four theologically significant words that Alma disproportionately uses. Finally, we will briefly explore Alma’s propensity to ask questions.

Insignificant Words

There are at least two seemingly insignificant words that Alma disproportionally uses: now and yea. There does not seem to be anything theologically significant about Alma’s use of these words; rather, he frequently uses them as a discourse marker. For example, in Alma 7:17 Alma says, “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.” In Alma 32:23 Alma declares, “And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all . . .”

The words now and yea are common in the Book of Mormon. Each of these words appears more than one thousand times throughout the text and in the voices of more than fifty people (both are used by individuals ranging from Aaron to Zeniff). Although these are commonly used words, Alma uses them with unusual frequency that is statistically measurable.[3] Table 3.1 provides an overview of Alma’s use of these three words relative to other Book of Mormon speakers.

Table 3.1. Comparing major speakers’ uses of now and yea.

Speaking proportionally, no major speaker uses the word now as frequently as Alma does. When considering the eleven most frequent speakers in the Book of Mormon, the same is true of yea, although Amulek, Samuel the Lamanite, Chief Captain Moroni, and Abinadi use yea more frequently than Alma does. When contrasted with the top ten speakers, Alma’s use of the common discourse markers now and yea highlights his distinctive voice.[4]

These words—now and yea—might be insignificant in and of themselves, but Alma may use them in a way that is significant. Alma appears to use now as a rhetorical device to help his audience apply what he is teaching. For example, in preaching to the Nephites, Alma reminds them of their fathers’ deliverance from the Lamanites, then asks, “And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers?” (Alma 5:5–6). On multiple occasions Alma follows the word now with a question meant to cause self-analysis and reflection.[5] He wanted his people to not only understand and believe the doctrine of salvation but also apply it in their lives.

Alma’s use of yea seems to be one of calling for listeners’ attention or reinforcing the words he is speaking. To the people of Zarahemla Alma says,

Yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?

Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren. . . .

Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them? (Alma 5:53–55)

In Alma’s frequent use of yea,we hear the urgency he feels for people to act on his words.

Significant Words

Clearly the ways in which individuals in the Book of Mormon use specific words can indicate distinctive voices. In Alma’s case, words like now and yea seem to signal a unique speaking pattern. With theologically significant words, which appear much less frequently, it is difficult to determine whether individual speakers use any given word in a unique way. As Philip Allred writes, “Even though an author’s use of a word might potentially qualify for statistical significance, any statistical model that could be employed to determine such significance would necessarily assume normal or similar topic distribution within the Book of Mormon. Because the different writers treated diverse subjects, . . . it is nearly impossible to prove objectively that an author’s word usage is statistically significant on the basis of word frequency alone.”[6]

Nevertheless, Allred provides a cogent example of distinctive voices by explaining Alma’s use of the word state (meaning “condition”). He points out that “all but two of the eleven writers who used state did so infrequently and sporadically. In contrast, the recorded writings of Alma, and in one case, Lehi, contain passages that display unusual concentrations of the word state.”[7] Allred goes on to demonstrate that Alma not only uses the word state more frequently than other speakers in the Book of Mormon but also uses it differently than others do, further establishing his distinctive patterns of speech.

Allred writes, “Alma certainly stands distinct from the other authors in the Book of Mormon when his use of state is analyzed. Alma’s unique concentration of state, his tendency to reword with state, and his distinctive treatment of a shared topic involving state all point to him as a unique writer within the Book of Mormon. This is perfectly consistent with Joseph’s claims about the Book of Mormon.”[8]State is one example of a word that Alma uniquely uses. Let us now examine the following significant words Alma uses in distinctive ways: soul/souls, plan, resurrection, and remembering captivity.

Soul/souls

The words soul and souls collectively appear 251 times in the Book of Mormon, and 60 of these (24 percent) come from Alma. Alma uses these words not only proportionally more than anybody else but also numerically more. His frequent use of these words relative to other Book of Mormon voices is statistically significant.[9] Table 3.2 summarizes the frequency with which major speakers use these words.

Table 3.2. Comparing major speakers’ use of soul/souls.

The word soul or souls appears in every major message Alma gives. For example, to the people of Zarahemla, Alma asks, “Can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse?” (Alma 5:18). In the land of Gideon, Alma says, “My soul doth exceedingly rejoice, because of the exceeding diligence and heed which ye have given unto my word” (Alma 7:26). Alma declares to the people of Ammonihah, “The time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls” (Alma 9:28).

In addition to using the word soul in each of his major messages, Alma also employs it in many of his shorter statements. For example, the first time we hear Alma’s voice is when he regained strength after his angelic visitation. Alma said, “My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more” (Mosiah 27:29). As he later shared of his conversion, he said, “My soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree” (Alma 36:12); “God did wrack my soul with inexpressible horror” (verse 14); and “For three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul” (verse 16). Alma knew, in a very real and personal way, the awful state of a damned soul and the joyful state of a saved one.

Several years after his first angelic encounter, Alma expressed his joy in sharing the gospel with others by exclaiming, “This is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy” (Alma 29:9–10).

While Alma experienced joy with those who came to God, Korihor’s actions pained Alma. Alma told Korihor, “I am grieved because of the hardness of your heart, yea, that ye will still resist the spirit of the truth, that thy soul may be destroyed. But behold, it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words” (Alma 30:46–47).

In his prayer just before preaching to the Zoramites, Alma implored, “I am infirm, and such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul. O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. . . . O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, . . . even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ” (Alma 31:30–32).

Not only does Alma use soul/souls more frequently than other speakers, but he also uses them differently than other speakers. This can be seen both in Alma’s distinctive use of soul (discussed below) and in ways he does not use it. For example, five Book of Mormon speakers on seven occasions speak of the welfare of another’s soul, but Alma never does so.[10] Eleven different times in four different chapters, Nephi uses the phrase “My soul delighteth.” Not only does Alma not use that phrase, nobody else in the Book of Mormon does, highlighting a phrase that is distinctive to Nephi.

Alma has his own distinctive uses of soul. For example, the phrase “state of . . . the soul” appears six times in the Book of Mormon; four of those come from Alma.[11] The words soul and body appear together in the same verse eighteen times in the Book of Mormon; half of those come from Alma. Three times Alma prays for his or others’ souls to be comforted (see Alma 31:31–32), but nobody else in the Book of Mormon prays for this. Moreover, in scripture there are only five references to a soul being racked with extreme pain, and four of these come from Alma (see Mosiah 27:29; Alma 36:12, 14, 16).[12]

Alma’s most concentrated use of soul/souls occurs in Alma 40. A key issue that Alma “inquired diligently of the Lord” to learn more about was “the state of the soul between death and the resurrection” (Alma 40:9, 11). Although latter-day revelation defines the “soul” as being “the spirit and the body” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:15), it’s clear that Alma uses the word soul interchangeably with spirit in this pericope. For example, in Alma 40:13, Alma speaks of “the spirits of the wicked” and then, in verse 14, referring to the same group of individuals, calls them “the souls of the wicked.” He also speaks of “the spirit, or the soul” (Alma 40:15). When Alma talks to Corianton about the Resurrection, he primarily describes it in terms ofthe soul and the body. Consider these examples:

• “[The First Resurrection] meaneth the reuniting of the soul with the body” (Alma 40:18).
• “Whether the souls and the bodies of those of whom has been spoken shall all be reunited at once, the wicked as well as the righteous, I do not say” (Alma 40:19).
• “I give it as my opinion, that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ” (Alma 40:20).
• “The dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body” (Alma 40:21).
• “The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul” (Alma 40:23).
• “It is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body” (Alma 41:2).

Alma is the only Book of Mormon speaker to collocate the words body, soul, and resurrection. Moreover, Alma never describes the Resurrection in terms of the spirit and the body; he always uses the word soul. In contrast, Jacob, who is proportionally the second most frequent user of soul, never uses soul in connection with the Resurrection; he instead uses the word spirit:

Death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.

O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again. (2 Nephi 9:12–13)

Plan

Alma uses the word plan numerically more than any other speaker and proportionally more than any major speaker except Amulek.[13] Some speakers, including Alma, use the word plan to refer to evil plans such as secret combinations. More significant, however, is the use of the word plan in terms of the plan of redemption or plan of salvation. This usage of plan is outlined in table 3.3.

Table 3.3. Use of plan in terms of God’s plan of redemption/salvation by major Book of Mormon speakers.[14]

When speaking of God’s plan for his children, Alma uses the word plan more than all other speakers combined (eighteen times for Alma versus twelve times for the remaining speakers). He also uses more unique phrases related to God’s plan than any other author. In the Book of Mormon, nine titles for God’s plan appear:

1. “The merciful plan of the great Creator” (2 Nephi 9:6, unique to Jacob).
2. “The plan of our God” (2 Nephi 9:13, unique to Jacob).
3. “The great and eternal plan of deliverance from death” (2 Nephi 11:5, unique to Nephi).
4. The “plan of redemption” (first used by Jacob, then used eleven times by Alma, three times by Mormon, and twice by Amulek).
5. “The plan of salvation” (first used by Jarom, then once by Alma and once by King Anti-Nephi-Lehi).
6. “The great plan of the Eternal God” (Alma 34:19, unique to Amulek).
7. “The plan of restoration” (Alma 41:2, unique to Alma).
8. The “plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8, 16, unique to Alma).
9. “The plan of mercy” (Alma 42:15, 31, occurring three times, all in Alma’s voice).

Of these nine titles, Alma uses five of them, and three of these are unique to Alma. Across the thirty times that “plan of _____”[15] appears in the Book of Mormon, “the plan of redemption” is the most popular, occurring seventeen times, eleven of which are in Alma’s voice.

Although Alma frequently talks about “the plan,” he actually does so only in three pericopes. In Alma 29:1–2, he briefly mentions it, saying, “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and . . . declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God.”

In contrast, Alma refers to God’s plan seven times in Alma 12 while preaching to the people of Ammonihah and ten times in Alma 39–42 while speaking to his son Corianton. Alma told the people of Ammonihah that because of Adam’s Fall, “all mankind became a lost and fallen people,” but “this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God” (Alma 12:22, 24). Alma further explained, “Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead” (Alma 12:25).

Alma similarly told Corianton that because of the Fall, “man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man,” although “there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God” (Alma 42:4, 6). As he specified to the people of Ammonihah, so he said to Corianton, “And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord” (verse 11). Observing Alma’s consistent ways of speaking to the people of Ammonihah and his son Corianton suggests that Alma used a similar approach when discussing specific topics.[16]

Alma’s three unique titles for God’s plan all come as he counsels Corianton. It is noteworthy that these titles connect with Corianton’s specific concerns. For example, Corianton was “worried . . . concerning the restoration” (Alma 41:1). In response, Alma taught about “the plan of restoration” (Alma 41:2). Corianton was also concerned about “the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner”; he felt it was “injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery” (Alma 42:1). In response to Corianton’s concern about misery, Alma spoke of “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). He also taught Corianton that while justice is required, “God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (Alma 42:15). Thus, as Alma taught Corianton, he tailored his phraseology regarding God’s plan to meet Corianton’s specific needs.

Resurrection

As outlined in table 3.4, Alma uses the word resurrection numerically more than any other speaker and proportionally more than any speaker except Abinadi.[17]

Table 3.4. Use of resurrection by major Book of Mormon speakers.[18]

It’s interesting to note the lineal descent in the use of resurrection between Abinadi, Alma the Elder, and Alma the Younger. As discussed further in chapter 9, Alma appears to draw on Abinadi’s words when he teaches about the Resurrection. For example, Abinadi is the first speaker in the Book of Mormon to teach about the First Resurrection, a phrase used only by Abinadi, Alma the Elder, and his son Alma. Alma the Elder was obviously touched by Abinadi’s words and recorded them (see Mosiah 17:4), and his son Alma “remembered [hearing his] father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ” (Alma 36:17). Thus it is perhaps not surprising that together Alma and Abinadi account for more than half of the instances of resurrection in the Book of Mormon.

Alma’s uses of resurrection appear in just three passages. He uses it three times while preaching in Ammonihah (see Alma 12:24–25), once while preaching to the Zoramites (see Alma 33:22), and thirty times while talking to Corianton (twenty-seven times in Alma 40 alone). This concentrated usage in Alma 40 is explained by the fact that Corianton’s “mind [was] worried concerning the resurrection of the dead” (Alma 40:1), and Alma worked to resolve this concern.

Alma distinctively collocates specific words with resurrection. Of the nine verses in which resurrection and body appear together in the Book of Mormon, seven of them are stated by Alma. Alma is the only Book of Mormon author to use resurrection and time together, which he does in six different verses.[19] In addition, the phrase “resurrection of Christ” appears nine times in the Book of Mormon, six times in Alma’s voice.

Remembering captivity

When reading the Book of Mormon sequentially, a reader first encounters Alma when Mormon tells us that Alma, along with the sons of Mosiah, was “going about to destroy the church of God” (Mosiah 27:10). An angel stopped them along the way and delivered a message that said in part, “Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them” (Mosiah 27:16). This injunction to remember the captivity of his fathers had a significant impact on Alma.

But before discussing this impact, let us briefly review what the angel meant by “the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam.” Alma’s father, Alma the Elder, had been a priest in King Noah’s court, living a life of iniquity. But Alma the Elder believed in the words of Abinadi and began teaching people who would listen to his message. Eventually Alma the Elder and a small group of believers settled in a land called Helam, where they peaceably lived for several years. Their tranquility was interrupted when some Lamanites discovered them and placed them in bondage. The Lamanites appointed Amulon, another former priest of King Noah, and one who despised Alma the Elder, to rule over Alma the Elder’s people. Mormon records that “Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma [the Elder] and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children. . . . He [also] exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them” (Mosiah 24:8–9).

Despite these great afflictions, Alma the Elder and his people remained faithful. Eventually the Lord caused a miracle to occur: Alma the Elder and his people gathered their possessions and fled in the night, and the next morning their taskmasters overslept, allowing sufficient time for the escape. After they were safely away from the land of Helam, Alma the Elder and his people “poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God” (Mosiah 24:21). Eventually they safely arrived in the land of Zarahemla.

One would think that with a miraculous heritage such as this, Alma would have been a diligent missionary rather than one seeking to destroy the church of God. But apparently, although this was a part of his family history, he hadn’t deeply integrated it into his heart. But once the angel told him to remember his fathers’ captivity, bondage, and deliverance, Alma took this message seriously.

In his first recorded discourse to the Nephites, he declared, “Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?” (Alma 5:6–7).[20]

Later, after a reunion with the sons of Mosiah, Alma said, “I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage . . . ; yea, the Lord God . . . did deliver them out of bondage. Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage” (Alma 29:11–12).

Finally, Alma twice emphasized this concept in his conversation with his son Helaman, saying, “I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham . . . ; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions. . . . I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity” (Alma 36:2, 29).

Significantly, Alma and the angel who spoke to him are the only individuals in the Book of Mormon to speak of remembering captivity. This suggests a real encounter between an angel and Alma, one that had a textually evident impact on Alma’s life and ministry.

Alma’s Pattern of Asking Questions

In addition to the words Alma disproportionally uses, we find as part of his unique voice a propensity to ask questions. Based on its current punctuation,[21] the Book of Mormon contains 543 questions, which are asked by a total of 61 people. Alma asks 103 questions, or 19 percent of all the questions in the Book of Mormon, more questions than any other speaker. Even if Alma 5, the chapter containing the most questions, were not included in the Book of Mormon, Alma would still ask more questions than any other speaker. Table 3.5 summarizes the number of questions asked by major Book of Mormon speakers.

Table 3.5. Comparing major speakers’ use of questions.

Although the most distinctive aspect of Alma and questions is the sheer volume he asks, there are at least two unique patterns in the type of questions Alma poses. The first pattern is asking people about their beliefs. On twenty different occasions in the Book of Mormon, individuals ask a direct question about a person’s or people’s beliefs. Eight of these (40 percent) come from Alma.[22] He asks Zeezrom, “Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?” (Alma 15:6), says to Korihor, “Believest thou that there is a God?” (Alma 30:37), and asks the Zoramites, “Do ye believe those scriptures which have been written by them of old?” (Alma 33:12). Perhaps this style of directly asking individuals and groups about their beliefs was part of Alma’s rhetorical strategy.

A second pattern in Alma’s questions is his use of the phrase “Can ye . . . ?” This occurs seventeen times in the Book of Mormon, eight of which are in Alma’s voice.[23] He asks, “Can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God?” (Alma 5:18) and “Can ye look up to God at that day” of judgment? (Alma 5:19). Alma also asks his audience if they have felt the “song of redeeming love” and if so, “Can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26). Later, when speaking to the Zoramites, he asks, “How can ye disbelieve on the Son of God?” (Alma 33:14). This pattern suggests that another part of Alma’s rhetorical strategy is asking introspective questions to help his listeners reflect on what they are thinking and feeling.

Therefore, What?

Thanks to Alma’s dutiful and detailed recordkeeping, we can clearly hear his distinct voice centuries later and glean beneficial lessons from his life and teachings. One of these lessons is the value of keeping a record. As discussed above, Mormon frequently mentions Alma’s records, assuring us that we get to hear Alma’s own voice. In contrast, note how relatively little we hear the voice of Alma’s son Helaman. Other than a few words recorded in a conversation between Alma and Helaman and a lengthy letter Helaman writes to Chief Captain Moroni, we never hear his voice. Grant Hardy suggests that perhaps Helaman “never got around to finishing his portion of the Large Plates of Nephi[, which would explain] why, contrary to convention in the Book of Mormon, Alma 45–62 was not made into a separate literary unit called ‘the First Book of Helaman’—it seems that the underlying source had been too meager and incomplete to stand on its own.”[24]

Without being overly critical of Helaman, we can celebrate Alma’s efforts in recordkeeping. When I think about which of my ancestors I know the most about, it is the ancestors that kept the best records. Considering their examples, as well as Alma’s, motivates me to keep a better record of my life and the “things of my soul” (2 Nephi 4:15). Perhaps some of us can do better in following Alma’s exhortation: “I . . . command you that ye keep a record” (Alma 37:2).

A second lesson may be found in pondering Alma’s frequent use of “plan of redemption” in contrast to his less frequent use of “plan of salvation.” In modern Church discourse, “the plan of salvation” is the more common title. Between 1970 and 2022 the phrase “plan of redemption” was used 117 times in general conference, compared to 446 times for “plan of salvation.” The difference between these phrases may be an unimportant semantic one—but what benefit might we gain from spending more time thinking about a plan of redemption?

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines redemption as “repurchase of captured goods or prisoners; the act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent; ransom; release; as the redemption of prisoners taken in war; the redemption of a ship and cargo. . . . In theology, the purchase of God’s favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law by the atonement of Christ.”[25]

If this definition is in my mind when I think of God’s plan of redemption, it helps me focus on Jesus Christ in an important way. Perhaps more frequently using the phrase “plan of redemption” could be a small change that reminds us that both salvation and redemption in God’s great plan comes through his son Jesus Christ.

In my study of Alma’s voice, one final lesson that has struck me is Alma’s intentionality in following through on promptings received by an angel. He was told to remember the captivity of his fathers and God’s power in delivering them; Alma clearly obeyed this message throughout his life. Alma’s example of giving diligent heed to heavenly promptings can also be seen in the life of his father. At one point, Alma the Elder faced a perplexing problem and turned to the Lord for guidance. The Lord responded with clear counsel, and “Alma . . . wrote down [the words of the Lord] that he might have them” (Mosiah 26:33), then followed through on the guidance he had been given. We may not receive angelic promptings or directly hear words from God, but we can follow the examples of Alma and his father by heeding President Russell M. Nelson’s counsel to “record the thoughts that come to you as you pray” and to “follow through diligently” on the spiritual promptings we receive.[26]

Notes

[1] S. Kent Brown writes, “The sermons of Alma deserve at least a fraction of the centuries-long attention that the epistles of the Apostle Paul have received. Alma’s recorded sermons, whether formal or spontaneous, weave a tapestry of complex and variegated colors, of rich imagery, and yet of a bold and simple unity which holds in tight focus the unspeakable blessings of accepting the atonement of Jesus Christ.” S. Kent Brown, “Alma’s Conversion: Reminiscences in His Sermons,” in The Book of Mormon: Alma, the Testimony of The Word, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1992), 141.

[2] There is no statement before Alma’s message to the people of Antionum (the Zoramites).

[3] As noted previously, a commonly accepted measure of statistical significance in corpus linguistics is log-likelihood (LL). The higher the LL, the less likely that differences in word use between two texts are due to chance. An LL score of 6.63 is equivalent to a p value < .01, indicating statistical significance. When comparing Alma’s voice to all other Book of Mormon speakers, the LL values for now and yea are respectively 71.2 and 70, making it extremely unlikely that Alma’s frequent use of these words occurs by chance.

[4] When comparing Nephi and Alma, one might argue that a substantial portion of Nephi’s words in the Book of Mormon are narrative while Alma’s are primarily sermonic. But when only Alma’s words in Alma 36–42 and Nephi’s in 2 Nephi 25–33 (both written versions of sermons given to others) are compared, Alma uses now 10 times per 1,000 words spoken, compared to 2.9 times for Nephi (LL = 36.8). Alma uses yea 8.1 times per 1,000 words spoken, compared to 3.7 times for Nephi (LL = 14.5). Even more disparate results are found between the voices of Alma and Jesus Christ (LL for now = 108.9; LL for yea = 73).

[5] See Alma 5:8, 10, 14, 22, 26, 39, 53, 58; 7:17; 30:40; 32:18, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35; 33:14; 37:15; 41:12; 42:17, 19.

[6] Philip A. Allred, “Alma’s Use of State in the Book of Mormon: Evidence of Multiple Authorship,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5, no. 1 (1996): 141.

[7] Allred, “Alma’s Use of State in the Book of Mormon,” 141.

[8] Allred, “Alma’s Use of State in the Book of Mormon,” 146.

[9] Comparing Alma’s words with words from all other Book of Mormon speakers provides an LL value of 43.4.

[10] These individuals are Jacob (2 Nephi 6:3; Jacob 2:3), Lehi (2 Nephi 2:30), Mormon (Mosiah 25:11; Alma 6:6), Moroni₂ (Moroni 6:5), and Nephi (2 Nephi 32:9).

[11] The other two come from a conversation between Nephi and his brothers (see 1 Nephi 15:31, 35).

[12] The other instance comes from Moroni₂ (see Mormon 9:3).

[13] Comparing Alma’s use of plan to that of all other Book of Mormon speakers provides an LL value of 54.

[14] The word plan is used in reference to the nefarious plans of men or the devil eleven times by Mormon, five times by Alma, four times by Moroni₂, and once each by Amulek, the daughter of Jared, Helaman₂, Jacob, and Nephi₂. Jarom and King Anti-Nephi-Lehi are the only minor Book of Mormon speakers to use the word plan in terms of “plan of salvation” (one time each).

[15] This excludes seven additional times when the phrase “plan of _____” is used to refer to evil plans (for example, Ether 13:15).

[16] This is part of a broader set of connections between Alma’s words to the people of Ammonihah and Corianton. See Grant Hardy, “Nurturing Faith: Literary Patterning in the Book of Alma,” in Give Ear to My Words, ed. Kerry Hull, Nicholas J. Frederick, and Hank R. Smith (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), 369–88.

[17] Comparing Alma’s use of resurrection to that of all other Book of Mormon speakers provides an LL value of 73.5. However, as Allred cautioned regarding the word state, statistical tools (such as LL) become less useful when examining words that appear with less frequency and are less likely to be randomly distributed.

[18] Two minor speakers, Alma₁ (Mosiah 18:9) and Zeezrom (Alma 12:8), also use the word resurrection.

[19] On one occasion, Alma the Elder uses the words times and resurrection in the same verse (see Mosiah 18:9).

[20] In this passage Alma seems to be referring to the spiritual bondage of his fathers, perhaps in addition to the temporal bondage they experienced in Helam.

[21] Naturally, question marks were not a part of the original manuscript dictated by Joseph Smith. For the most part, punctuation was added by John Gilbert during the typesetting phase of the publishing process. Comparing the questions asked in the current (2013) edition of the Book of Mormon with Royal Skousen’s The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009) shows some differences in punctuation. Of the 543 questions asked in the 2013 edition, 27 are not phrased as questions in The Earliest Text. Because the differences between the 2013 edition and The Earliest Text do not affect Alma’s overall distinctive voice in terms of asking questions, for simplicity I have used the 2013 text herein.

[22] Of the remaining twelve, four come from Ammon, three from Aaron, and one each from Nephi, the Spirit speaking to Nephi, Jacob, Amulek, and Jesus Christ.

[23] The only other individual in the Book of Mormon who uses can ye more than one time in a question is the angel who speaks to Alma. This angel says, “Can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you?” (Mosiah 27:15).

[24] Grant Hardy, Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Guide (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 143. In this same volume, Hardy also notes, “Usually, a clear transition of record-keepers merits independent status as a separate book. We can see a deliberately demarcated transition at Alma 44:24, but Helaman₂’s actual contributions were probably minimal or fragmentary, like those of the record-keepers in the book of Omni” (305).

[25] Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language, s.v. “Redemption,” https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/redemption.

[26] Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, November 2022, 98.