This is a great example of contextual significance of a text to an audience. If a reader is unfamiliar with the source material which is being referenced by the speaker/writer, the impact of the text is diminished.
For example, for the average American citizen, a reference to "red, white, and blue" has a certain significance. If "bald eagle" is mentioned in the next sentence, regardless of the other context, most Americans citizens would be thinking about symbols of the USA, whereas readers unfamiliar with these symbols might be thinking about colors and birds.
Thus, in each of these passages, it is worth noting that the sermons are pulling language from what was likely a very familiar Psalm. I also see very clear temple references in each of the three passages.
Alma-2 speaks about entering into God's rest:
33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
35 And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.
36 And now, my brethren, behold I say unto you, that if ye will harden your hearts ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord; therefore your iniquity provoketh him that he sendeth down his wrath upon you as in the first provocation, yea, according to his word in the last provocation as well as the first, to the everlasting destruction of your souls; therefore, according to his word, unto the last death, as well as the first.
37 And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word. (Alma 12)
Jacob says the following:
6 And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come.
7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.
8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi. (Jacob 1)
Here is Psalm 95 in its entirety:
1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Psalm 95)
I want to draw out some key overlapping themes and synonymous phrases in order to distill the meaning of these passages. This exercise produces meaningful repetition, in my opinion.
Positive actions:
- let us sing unto the Lord
- let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation
- Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
- make a joyful noise unto him with psalms
- let us worship and bow down
- let us kneel before the Lord our maker
- hear his voice
- Harden not your heart
- we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy
- we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come
- we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God
- believe in Christ
- view his death
- suffer his cross
- bear the shame of the world
- repent
- harden not your hearts
Positive results:
- he is our God
- we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
- enter into his rest
- [God will] have mercy upon you, through [his] Only Begotten Son;
- these shall enter into my rest
Negative actions:
- tempt [God]
- prove [God]
- err in their heart
- "they have not known my ways"
- to rebel against God,
- to provoke him to anger
- harden his heart
- do iniquity
- harden your hearts
- iniquity
Negative results:
- I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest
- he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in
- I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest
- ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord
- provoketh him that he sendeth down his wrath upon you
- to the everlasting destruction of your souls
