Because of the Dissesion Among the Brethren

There were many people in Zarahemla who were too young to remember King Benjamin and who had never heard Abinadi.  They didn't understand what Alma and the priests were trying to teach them about God and the coming Messiah.  The Book of Mormon describes them this way: And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.  And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church. And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God. (Mosiah 26: 3-4)

There were not enough of them to cause any real problems at that time for there were more than twice as many believers, but therein lay the problem:  there began to arise dissension within the church itself.  As these dissenters became more numerous, the young people began to flock to them.  The Book of Mormon states this: they did deceive many with their flattering words, who were in the church, and did cause them to commit many sins; (Mosiah 26: 6) That was the draw - they rationalized carnal and sinful behavior to be all right.  Do we see that today?

 

It soon became obvious to the teachers and leaders of the various congregations that something had to be done about these people who were preaching false doctrine and living carnal lives within the church.  The teachers brought the sinners to the attention of the priests and the priests took to problem to Alma.

 

Alma didn't know what to do.  He'd never faced this problem before.  He went to the King and pointed out that many of the sins being reported and witnessed were actually crimes.  He asked Mosiah to judge them under the law.  Mosiah said that the problem was ecclesiastical and gave the judgment back to Alma. 

 

The Book of Mormon tells us this:  And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God. (Mosiah 26: 13)  He poured out his whole soul to God (v 14)

 

God answered Alma's prayers and gave him the following admonitions:

• this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine. (v 18)
• thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep. (v 20)
• And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive. (v 21)
• whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive. (v 22)
• he that will not hear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for him I will not receive at the last day. (v 28)
• whosoever transgresses against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; (v 29)
• if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repent in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also. (v 29)
• as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. (v 30)
• And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgives not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation. (v 31)
• Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward. (v 32)

 

Alma wrote down the things the Lord had given him and, using them as his guide, went out to judge those who had been taken in iniquity, according to the word of the Lord. (34) 

 

Those who repented and confessed their sins were forgiven and were continued in fellowship with the church.  Those who did not repent and forsake their sins had their names blotted out. (v. 36)

 

Sometimes, when members experience church discipline, they feel that the church or an individual church leader has wronged them.  While church leaders are human and can make mistakes, in my experience that is the exception rather than the rule.  If those being disciplined were honest with themselves, they would realize that it is God that sets the parameters for behavior, not man.  As the Lord told Alma: For behold, this is my church.  Dissension, hypocrisy, and sin unchallenged within the church turns away those who might have believed, but didn't because of the behavior of the members.  The message of faith, repentance, and baptism in the name of Messiah/Christ is too important to let one sinful man (or woman) destroy it.

 

Text copyright August 2013, Gebara Education

 

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