CHAPTER 33
The Zoramites ask Alma what they should believe--Alma tells them to believe whatever Zenos and Zenock said (74 BCE)
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The Wisdom of Zenos and Zenock
1 Now after Alma had spoken these words, they sent forth unto him
desiring to
know whether they should believe in one God, that they might obtain this fruit of which he had spoken, or how they
should plant the seed, or the word of which he had spoken, which he said must be planted in their hearts; or in what
manner they should begin to exercise their faith.
2 And Alma said unto them: Behold, ye have said that ye could not worship your God because ye are cast
out of your synagogues. But Behold, I say unto you, if ye suppose that ye cannot worship God, ye do greatly err,
and ye ought to exceeding search the scriptures; if ye suppose that they have taught you this, ye do not understand them.
After Alma was done talking to the Zoramites about the fruit of the faith tree, they were pretty excited to start
worshiping correctly.
They asked Alma whether they should believe in one god or many, where they could find the fruit that he talked
so much about, how they should plant seeds, etc.
3Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said
concerning prayer or worship?
4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the
wilderness; exceeding yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them
to me.
5 Yea, O God, and thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry
unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me.
6 And again, O God, when I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer.
7 And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.
8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not
of men, and thou wilt hear them.
9 Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy
congregations.
10 Yea, and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out and have been despised by mine
enemies; exceeding yea, thou didst hear my cries, and wast angry with mine enemies, and thou didst visit them in
thine anger with speedy destruction.
11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy
Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in
thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.
Alma said to them,
Do you remember what Zenos said? [1]
12 And now Alma said unto them: Do ye believe those scriptures which have been written by them
of old?
Do you believe in the scriptures?
13 Behold, if ye do,
ye must believe what Zenos said; for, Behold he said: Thou hast turned
away thy judgments because of thy Son.
If so, you must believe what Zenos said.
14 Now Behold, my brethren, I would ask if ye have read the scriptures? If ye have, how can
ye disbelieve on the Son of God?
15 For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but
Zenock also spake of these
things --
16 For Behold, he said: Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not
understand thy mercies which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son.
17 And now, my brethren, ye see that a second prophet of old has testified of the Son of God, and
because the people would not understand his words they stoned him to death.
18 But Behold, this is not all; these are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son
of God.
And you must believe in the Son of God, because Zenock spoke about him.
19 Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and Behold
a type was raised up in the wilderness,
that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.
20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their
hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now
the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.
21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be
healed, would ye not Behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that
ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?
22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe
in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their
sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall
stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.
Moses also spoke about the Son of God when he made the brass serpent to save people
from the fiery serpents that God sent to bite them in the wilderness.
23 And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and
as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith.
And Behold, it will become a tree,
exceeding springing up in
you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the
joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen.
So plant the seed. It will begin to swell in your hearts and become a tree.
Exceeding: 33:2, 3, 23
Behold: 33:2(2), 13(2), 14, 16, 18,
19(2), 21, 23
Yea: 33:4, 5, 8, 9, 10(2),
17, 22, 23, 27, 28(2),
29, 30, 31,
34, 35, 41, 42
(33:2) Search the scriptures John 5:39
(33:23) A well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14
My Book of Mormon Podcast - Episode 44: Alma 31-33
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The Annotated Book of Mormon
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Alma 33
