This chapter is beautifully structured with blocks of structured
statements that seem to be framed on the outside by “my son”, except for the
last chiasmus where Alma places “my son” in the middle of the structure,
possibly to emphasize to Corianton that he is also the central focus for his
own salvation and his deeds whether good or evil will be restored to him at the
judgement.
It starts with an introduction of the concept that
there will be a “plan of restoration” that will go along with “the great plan
of salvation”, “the great plan of happiness”, “the plan of redemption” and “the
plan of mercy” that are discussed in Alma 42.
Alma states that it is requisite with the justice of
God that al things get restored, good to good an evil to evil. He emphasizes
that the desires of the heart are a major factor in salvation. He states that
men stand or fall and are their own judges by how they live their lives.
Alma implores Corianton to not risk another offense (or
sin) and warns him that the natural man is in a state contrary to the nature of
God.
The last structure is one of the most beautifully
structured in all of scripture. It is a double chiasmus intricately woven
together. The last portion is not only chiastic, but also anaphora where the
beginning of successive statements repeats a phrase, and epistrophe where the
repetition happens at the end of successive statements, and also a staircase
parallelism (or climactic parallelism) where a new word is added to step up the
intensity, advance the thought, or complete the sentence, ending with good
being “rewarded” unto you again.
He then ends by bringing up the concept of justice again
stating “restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not
at all”
Alma 42 will again discus justice but add in vs 15 that
“God himself atoneth for the sins of the world to bring about the plan of mercy”
and in vs 24 that “mercy claimeth the penitent” or the repentant soul! Thus, repentance is our offering to God and
mercy, forgiveness of sins, and Salvation is God’s offering to us.
ALMA 41
A) 1 And
now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the restoration of which has been spoken;
a) for behold,
some have wrested the scriptures,
a’) and have gone far astray
b) because of this thing.
b') And I perceive that
thy mind has been worried also concerning this thing.
c) But behold, I will
explain it unto thee.
c') 2 I say unto thee,
A’) my son,
that the plan
of restoration
b) is requisite with the justice of God;
b’) for it is requisite
A) that all things should be restored to their
proper order.
B) Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection
of Christ,
C) that the soul of man
D) should be restored
E) to its body,
E’) and that every part of
the body
D’) should be restored
C’) to itself.
B’) 3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works;
a) and if their works
b) were good in this life,
and the desires of their
hearts were good,
c) that they should
also, at the last day,
d) be restored
e) unto that which is good.
a) 4 And if
their works
b) are evil
c) they shall
d) be restored
e) unto them for evil.
A’) Therefore, all things shall be restored
to their proper order,
every thing to its natural
frame—
mortality raised to immortality,
corruption to incorruption—
raised to endless happiness to inherit the
kingdom of God,
or to endless misery to inherit the
kingdom of the devil,
the one on one hand, the other on the other—
a) 5 The one
b) raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness,
or good according to his desires of good;
a) and the other
b) to evil according to his desires of evil;
for as he has desired to do evil all
the day long even so
c) shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
a) 6 And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins,
b) and desired righteousness until
the end of his days, even so
c) he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.
7 These
are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea,
these are they that are taken out,
that are delivered from that endless night of darkness;
and thus they stand or fall; for behold,
they are their own judges,
whether to do good or do evil.
8 Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore,
the way is prepared that whosoever will
may walk therein and be saved.
9 And now behold, my son,
a) do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine,
a’) which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.
b) 10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken
concerning restoration,
b’) that ye shall be restored
c) from sin to happiness.
c') Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.
A) 11 And now, my son,
B) all men that are in
a state of nature, or I would say,
C) in a carnal
D) state,
E) are in the gall of bitterness
and in the bonds of iniquity;
E’) they are without God in the world,
and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore,
D’) they are in a state
C’) contrary to the nature
of happiness.
B’) a) 12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration
b) to take a thing of a natural state
c) and place it in an unnatural state,
b’) or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?
A) 13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again
evil for evil, or
carnal for carnal,
or
devilish for devilish—
B) good for that which is good;
C) righteous for that which is righteous;
D) just for that which is just;
E) merciful for that which is merciful.
14
Therefore, my son,
E’) see that you are merciful unto your
brethren;
D’) deal justly,
C’) judge righteously,
B’) and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward;
E’) yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again;
D’) ye
shall have justice restored unto you again;
C’) ye
shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again;
B’) and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.
15 For that
which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored;
A’) therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the
sinner, and justifieth him not at all.