Three
Days and Three Nights:
Alma witnesses of a similar pattern through his languishing
experience of three days and three nights as dead and then coming
alive again being lifted up and saved. You will find that most of
the scriptural references with a time factor of three days and three
nights have something to do with being lifted up and being saved.
Often this is a "center" of a chiasmus, a focal point of
redemption, a testimony of the Savior.
To Be Lifted up and Prosper: Throughout scriptural history,
peoples and lands are lifted up and begin to prosper. In 1841, the
Apostle Orson Hyde dedicated the Holy Land for another return of its
heirs.
"Grant, therefore, O Lord, in the name of Thy
well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to remove the barrenness and
sterility of this land, and let springs of living water break
forth to water its thirsty soil. Let the vine and olive produce in
their strength and the fig-tree bloom and flourish. Let the land
become abundantly fruitful when possessed by its rightful heirs;
let it again flow with plenty to feed the returning prodigals who
come home with a spirit of grace and supplication; upon it let the
clouds distill virtue and richness, and let the fields smile with
plenty. Let the flocks and the herds greatly increase and multiply
upon the mountains and the hills . . ." (History
of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.26, p.457)
To be Brought Down: The return of Jews to their land is a
righteous thing and those who oppose it are opposing the will of the
Lord. Their future may hold an opposite of
"prospering."
"Let that nation or that people who shall take an active
part in behalf of Abraham's children, and in the raising up of
Jerusalem, find favor in Thy sight. Let not their enemies prevail
against them, neither let pestilence or famine overcome them, but
let the glory of Israel overshadow them, and the power of the
Highest protect them; while that nation or kingdom that will not
serve Thee in this glorious work must perish, according to Thy
word---Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." (History
of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.26, p.457)
Teaching Our Youth: Alma’s advice to his son continues to
be an advice to all sons and daughters in the present. It echoes a
strong doctrinal point of teaching our youth.
"O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea,
learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God." (Alma
37:35)
"As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was
upon my tabernacle;" (Job
29:4)
"O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have
I declared thy wondrous works." (Psalms
71:17)
"Let no man
despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in
purity." (1
Timothy 4:12)
Advice to a Son and Prophet -To-Be: The advice Alma gives his
son transcends parental responsibility. It is an instruction to the
next prophet. At all times, there was a worthy prophet-in-waiting,
much like Elder Thomas S. Monson is today.
"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will
direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down
unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when
thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto
God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last
day." (Alma
37:37)
"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos
3:7)
As Alma taught Heleman to counsel
with the Lord in all his doings, so does God counsel with his
prophets in all the doings that pertain to mankind.
Continual Reminders: Throughout time there have been symbolic
and functional artifacts that brought to our minds or reinforced God’s
counsel to his children. To this day, Jews are counseled to place a
"Mezuzah" on their door posts and on their gates so that
in all their comings and goings and in all their "doings"
they may remember the Lord.
"Mezuzah is the name of the parchment scroll attached to
the doorposts of a Jewish home. The word itself actually means ‘doorpost’
but has come to refer to the scroll. On it are written verses from
Deuteronomy (6: 4--9 and 11: 13--21) in square Assyrian letters,
traditionally arranged in 22 lines. The Torah commands of these
verses that ‘you shall write them on the doorposts (mezuzot) of
your house and in your gates.’ The 12th century rabbinic
authority, Maimonides, stresses that this commandment is to be
observed purely from love of God, and that the mezuzah is
not a good luck charm with power to ward off evil spirits. Many
people, however, are accustomed to kiss the mezuzah or to
touch it and then kiss the fingers when entering or leaving."
(Encyclopedia Judaica
Jr.)
Being Led by the Lord: In the Book of Mormon, the functional
Liahona led the righteous descendants of Lehi. Its presence was a
reminder that the Lord would lead his people. In the Bible, the
cloud and pillar (as well as the raised serpent) was a reminder that
God would lead Israel through the wilderness.
"The Tabernacle stood in the center of the Israelite camp
and a cloud rested over it. When the cloud lifted, it was
considered a divine signal to move the camp. A silver trumpet was
sounded, the Levites dismantled the Tabernacle and transported it
to its next resting place." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Looking "Up:"
"To typify Christ and point attention to the salvation
which would come because he would be lifted up on the cross, Moses
(as commanded by the Lord) made a brazen serpent and lifted it up
on a pole. Then those of the children of Israel who were bitten by
poisonous serpents were healed by looking upon the serpent, while
those who refused to look died of the poisonous bites. (Num.
21:4-9.) This performance was a ceremony in Israel which was
intended to show the people that by looking to Christ they would
be saved with eternal life, but by refusing to look to him they
would die spiritually (John 3:14-15; Alma 33:1922; Hela. 8:14-15)
The brazen serpent was kept as a symbol in Israel until the time
of Hezekiah, who broke it in pieces to keep apostate Israel of his
day from burning incense to it. (2 Kings 18:4.)" (Bruce
R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.104)
The pattern of directional tools
is a metaphor to have us "look up" in order to be
"lifted up."
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