Difference between revisions of "Alma 31:6-10"

Revision as of 09:01, 22 July 2008

The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 31

Questions

Verse 6

• Here we have the formation of a missionary "dream team" to go to the Zoramites. Is there any significance to the number (eight) of missionaries selected?
• Why do we never hear about the missionary work of Omner?
• Why was Himni left in Zarahemla? Why do we never hear any more about him?
• Why pull in the former Ammonihah residents Amulek and Zeezrom from the land of Melek?

Verse 7

Verse 8

• "Therefore." If the Zoramites had not been dissenters, would the word of God not need to be preached? Is the focus here on the need that dissenters have for preaching or for the word of God?

Verse 9

• "But." The use of the contrasting word but seems a bit curious here since the previous verse has just described the Nephites as "dissenters," which seems a parallel idea to falling into error, not a contrasting idea. So it seems that the contrast is with the phrase in verse 8 "they had the word of God preached unto them." If this is correct, then the but here seems to underscore a separation between these two clauses in verse 8. Does this imply that the errors being described here occurred after the word of God was preached unto them? If not, what is going on here?

• "Observe to keep." In today's parlance, we typically talk of "observing the commandments" or "keeping the commandments," so this phrase incorporating both terms seems somewhat odd. What is the meaning and significance of this phrase?

Verse 10

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Exegesis

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