Alma 13:16-20
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 13
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Contents
Questions
Verse 20
- Alma finishes this 20 verse tangent about the Melchizedek Priesthood by saying, "I don't need to tell you about this, you have the scriptures." The same could have been said for the previous 19 verses. Why does he go on this tangent? It seems to come out of nowhere and it lacks a pertinent conclusion. He briefly makes a connection to his audience in v13-14, but not one that would justify the amount of detail about the ancient Priesthood that he gives. His transition in v21 is abrupt. Why did Alma speak about the ancient order at all?
- Why does he warn them about wresting the scriptures?
Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Verse 16
This verse may be misplaced: Rather than following from the discussion of Melchizedek, Abraham and tithing in verses 14 and 15, it seems to fit quite naturally into the discussion of the ordinance of ordination to the priesthood, and the relationship of that ordinance to the Atonement, in verses 8-12. In fact, verse 16 follows quite naturally from verse 12, which speaks about how those who were ordained enter into the Lord's rest, and leads quite well into verse 13, which exhorts the hearer to prepare personally to enter into the Lord's rest, by describing how the ordinance served as a sign to the people of the direction to look to in order to enter into the Lord's rest.
Related links
Verse 16
- Craig A. Cardon, "Moving Closer to Him," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 94–96. Elder Cardon states: "When a man is ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood, he enters into an 'order' by which he may be refined through service to others, especially his own family, and blessed by the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost."
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