"Taken unto himself"

As mentioned in a recent post, I looked at Alma 46, in which Moroni quotes a prophecy of the patriarch Jacob/Israel comparing the preservation of a remnant of the coat of Joseph to a righteous remnant of his seed. In making this comparison, he uses a unique phrase, highlighted in red below:

24 Yea, let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment.

25 Now behold, this giveth my soul sorrow; nevertheless, my soul hath joy in my son, because of that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God.

26 Now behold, this was the language of Jacob. (Alma 46)

This post will explore this phrase along with a few similar phrases in an effort to link this "preserved remnant" to Enoch's Zion.

 

Moses-Alma Metalepsis

The phrase "taken unto himself" is rare in the Book of Mormon.  It only occurs twice, once in Alma 46, which is quoted above, and once in the preceding chapter, in reference to how the end of Alma's days resembled Moses:

19 Behold, this we know, that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, the scriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself; therefore, for this cause we know nothing concerning his death and burial. (Alma 45)

Connection to Enoch?

It is here that I begin to see a connection to Enoch's Zion: those who are "taken" by the Lord "unto Himself" are preserved for a righteous purpose -- therefore nothing is known "concerning [their] death and burial." Something similar is said of Enoch's Zion:

69 And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is Fled. (Moses 7)

I'll have more to say about this part of Moses 7 in future posts. The final verses of Moses 7 tie in with many latter-day prophecies and promises related to New Jerusalem. For now, let's focus on the words in blue. Not identical to the wording in Alma 45 and Alma 46 -- "taken unto himself" -- but very similar. And the similar sequence of gradually increasing righteousness of Alma-2, Moses, and Enoch is also readily apparent.  Notice this statement from God to Moses:

4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.

5 Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth.

6 And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; (Moses 1)

I find this so interesting.  Here is the logical chain revealed in these verses as I see it:

• God's works are endless.
• Man's work on the earth is finite.
• If a person beholds all of God's work, he would also behold all of God's glory, and could not afterwards remain on the earth.
• God still had a work for Moses to perform, therefore Moses only beheld a portion of God's work.
• It follows logically from all of this that once God's work for a given person is complete, they enter His rest, or perhaps another way to say this is that they behold all His glory.

Moses eventually completed the work God had for him, at which point he entered His rest.  Alma 45 suggests the same process happened with Alma-2. 

Enoch is the archetype of this process.

67 And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy; (Moses 7)

Enoch beheld "all things" and received a "fulness of joy" and entered into the rest of the Lord.

Other examples of similar wording

As I said, this wording is pretty unique in scripture.  Here are some additional examples of related wording:

In Alma 14:11 the phrase "receive them up unto himself" appears, in reference to the innocent believers killed in Ammonihah:

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. (Alma 14)

In Jacob 5 the phrase "preserve ... unto myself" appears many, many times in reference to the the fruits (see verse 8, 19, 20, 23, 29, 31, 33, 46), the roots (see verse 11, 53, 54), the branches (see verse 13).  (Thanks to Stisa for bringing this to my attention). Verse 74 combines branch, root, and fruit into a metaphor that is very interesting with Enoch in mind:

74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning. (Jacob 5)

Finally, notice this crafty wording that describes the state of one who pursues unrighteous dominion:

38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. (Doctrine & Covenants 121)

Conclusion

The phrase "taken unto himself" tells a really important story in only three words.  It is meant to evoke Enoch's blessings and remind us of what God has in store for those who, like Enoch, receive of His fullness.

In a future post, I'll discuss the word "bosom" which appears in Moses 7:69 in the context of God receiving Enoch's city. This word has a very interesting set of meanings which fit nicely into the Enoch/New Jerusalem/Temple context.

Domesticated and wild animals

I am breaking up the gospel dispensation series with some further thoughts on Lord Wilmore's post discussing one of the temple pattern elements: flocks and herds. Reading that, it struck me that the Book of Mormon connects the Nephites with domesticated animals and Lamanites with wild animals. I may be wrong, but at least I could only think of one example where the Lamanites are described having flocks and herds. This is when Ammon is set to watch King Lamoni's flocks. So it is actually a Nephite doing what Nephites are often described doing in the Book of Mormon: Watching flocks of domesticated animals.

Lamanites as wild animals

We know there is powerful symbolism in the shepherd, the person who watches and protects domesticated animals, like Ammon does in the story. This is only one of many deeper symbols of that story by the way. But realizing the connection between Nephites and domesticated animals and Lamanites and wild animals, indicates that this symbolism extends beyond "the good shepherd" and his flocks. It would be reasonable to assume that Lamanites also had domesticated animals, but I think it is telling that the Book of Mormon authors avoid mentioning that and focus on the wild animals instead. Here are some examples of how the Lamanites are described:

And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey. (2 Nephi 5:24)

And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey (Enos 1:20)

And they were scattered upon much of the face of the land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more numerous than were they of the Nephites; and they loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts. (Jarom 1:6)

Notice that the Lamanites are described as "wild and ferocious", similar to how you would typically describe wild animals. Nephites, on the other hand, have flocks and herds, a detail that is especially brought up when the establishment of a covenant people is described. They listen to the voice of the good shepherd and become shepherds themselves. This ties back to the post I linked in the beginning where the domesticated animals, symbolizing the covenant people, hear the shepherd's words [Hebr. dabar] in the wilderness [Hebr. midbar].

Covenant breakers as flock without shepherd

It also adds context to another previous post on shepherd symbolism. The quoted passage from Helaman 7 in particular:

17 O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?

18 It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.

19 And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.

Normally, a prophetic warning like this to the Nephites would threaten with destruction by the hand of the Lamanites, but wild beasts is used instead, perhaps both literally and metaphorically. It is also interesting to note that whereas those who had never entered into the covenant are linked to wild beasts, those who have broken their covenants are like sheep without a shepherd. This is also evident in Alma 25:12

And he said unto the priests of Noah that their seed should cause many to be put to death, in the like manner as he was, and that they should be scattered abroad and slain, even as a sheep having no shepherd is driven and slain by wild beasts; and now behold, these words were verified, for they were driven by the Lamanites, and they were hunted, and they were smitten.

When the Nephites break the covenant, they are no longer protected by their covenant and by their shepherd, leaving them vulnerable and an easy prey for the "wild beasts".

The inversion - lion symbolism

In light of all this, comparisons between the righteous and lions may be confusing (see Alma 14:29; 3 Nephi 20:16; 3 Nephi 21:12; Mormon 5:24). But it is not uncommon in Hebrew symbolism with these dual and opposite meanings. Take water as symbol, for instance. It can be positive (living waters, fountain of all righteousness) or negative (a chaos motif like the flood, the filthy water in Lehi's dream). Similarly, the role of wild animal is sometimes taken by the wicked and sometimes by the righteous. But for the righteous, it is always the lion that is used as symbol. It represents power and is connected to the atonement in the Hebrew language. (see this post). 

Remember the Lord's words to Nephi

And if it so be that they (Nephites) rebel against me, they (Lamanites) shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance. (1 Nephi 2:24, parenthesis added for context/clarification)

If there is no wild beast lurking, the sheep worry less about protection and are in less need of a shepherd. So in a way, the wild beast is there to fulfill God's purposes and stir the sheep up to remembrance or execute judgment. Sometimes, the wicked assume that role ("it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished", according to Mormon 4:5), and sometimes the righteous. The story of Ammonihah is a great example of that. In Alma 14:29, Alma and Amulek are the lions

Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.

In Alma 16:10, the city of Ammonihah has just been destroyed by the Lamanites and Mormon makes another connection to wild beasts.

But behold, in one day it was left desolate; and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness.

Returning to the paradisaical state

As we have discussed numerous times on this blog, a lot of the covenant symbolism in the scriptures refers back to the creation. Isaiah talks about a time when

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Notice how the domesticated and wild animals are described living together in harmony. This will happen in the millennium and describes a return to the paradisaical state of the Garden of Eden. A similar state is described in 4 Nephi

There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God. (1 Nephi 1:17)

"Neither were there Lamanites" surely does not mean there were no descendants of Laman among the people, but there was no reason to distinguish between groups because they were all "in one". Similarly, there are wolves, bears and lions in the millennium, but they behave like domesticated animals.

 

Amulek and "the foundations of the devil"

Stisa and I have both written about Amulek's words in Ammonihah. Here is a list of what we've already found in his words: 

• Amulek paraphrases King Mosiah (see item #31 here). 
• There is tremendous irony in the fate of the leaders of Ammonihah (see here).
• Mormon adds elements we know from the Book of Moses about Enoch as he compares the righteous people of God to lions (see here).

There is already so much going on here, and yet I've found another thread: Amulek is also referencing the writings of Nephi.

Compare Amulek's words ... :

17 Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.

18 Ye are laying plans to pervert the ways of the righteous, and to bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter destruction of this people. (Alma 10)

... with the words of Nephi:

3 And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end. (1 Nephi 14)

13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it. (1 Nephi 22)

The foundation of the great and spacious building is a literal void -- the absence of the "sure foundation" (see Jacob 4:16-17, Helaman 5:12) -- and so its fate is determined by those who seek to build it up in the first place. Its fall is great for the same reason: it has no foundation.

The story has a poignant ending -- many of the righteous are slain and later the wicked leaders experience what it feels like to "bring down the wrath of God upon your heads" (see Alma 14:27).

 

Plain speech, plainness, and highways

The covenant path is plain, not in the sense of being mundane, but rather in the sense that it is not complicated or convoluted. The Book of Mormon states this repeatedly in many different ways, often centering the description on the word 'plain.' This post will offer an overview of how this word is used in reference to God's word and God's way.  

Here are a few key themes I've taken away from this study:

• God delights in plainness, and those who love Him should as well. (2 Nephi 25:4)
• The wicked despise plainness, because it exposes their wickedness (Alma 14:3)
• Plainness can lead those who turn away to seek to destroy the work and servants of God (Alma 14:2, Alma 24:30, Helaman 8:4)
• God's word is plain, but over time wicked men take away the plainness, causing many to stumble. (1 Nephi 13:26, 28-29)

The metaphor of the "plain road"

• In his psalm, Nephi asks God: "O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road! O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy." (2 Nephi 4:32-33) 
• "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40) 
• "Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies." (Psalm 27)

In addition to the references above, a slight variant of this metaphor is prophesied as a literal manifestation of Christ's death:

And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great. And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate. (Helaman 14:23-24)

This same prophetic metaphor was emphasized again at the time of its fulfillment:

13 And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough. (3 Nephi 8)

The Restoration is one of Plainness

40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved. (1 Nephi 13)

Lions, covenants, Enoch, and Alma

I noticed a really interesting Hebrew connection between lions and covenants. 

I was studying the use of the word lion in the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon, and when I looked up the Old Testament words for lion, I noticed that one of them is closely related to the word for covenant!

Biblehub lists the following root (Strong's 3715):

kephir: young lion (כְּפִיר) 

Under the exhaustive concordance for this root, we find:

see HEBREW kaphar

The listing for kaphar includes two main definitions: "to cover" and "to make atonement for." As discussed in this post, the ancient Semitic concept of atonement has less to do with "paying a debt" and much more to do with covering, protecting, drawing close.  It is perfectly articulated in Nephi's exclamation: "O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!" (2 Nephi 4:33)

The connection between lions and covenants has far reaching implications I am just beginning to understand.  One reference I studied suggested that the mane of the lion that covers its head may explain how its name is connected to the word for covering.  Perhaps so, but the scriptures seems to connect the lion with the power of covenants.

This is a study-topic-in-progress for me, but I'll offer what I think is a very clear example of how this enhances our understanding by comparing two passages which have been on my mind quite a bit lately.

Notice this description of Enoch and the people of God:

13 And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

14 There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea. (Moses 7)

The people of God have been given tremendous power in the form of "the word" and "the language which God had given them." I believe this is a clear reference to temple covenants.

Compare this to the description of Alma and Amulek at Ammonihah. There is so much going on symbolically in this passage. In order to organize and highlight all the various symbols, I'll number the main sequence of events in the storyline, summarized below in a list and then labelled in the actual text of the passage (Alma 14:24-29) below that. The color coding of the passage corresponds to matching symbols in the Enoch passage above.

Sequence of events in Alma 14:24-29

1. The wicked leaders taunt Alma and Amulek to use "the power of God" to "deliver [themselves]" from their captivity. 
2. Alma, filled with the power of God, stands and 
3. calls out for deliverance in the name of Christ. 
4. Immediately the cords are broken, 
5. the people begin to flee, 
6. fear of destruction fills them, and 
7. they fall to the earth, 
8. unable to escape the prison.
9. The earth shakes mightily
10. and they are covered (and killed) by the tumbling ruins of the prison.  
11. Alma and Amulek come forth unharmed. 
12. "[F]or the Lord had granted them power, according to their faith which was in Christ."
13. Hearing the noise, multitudes come running to see what happened, 
14. only to find Alma and Amulek freed, 
15. which causes them to be struck with great fear and 
16. flee from their presence "as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions."

Alma 14:24-29 (Numbered according to the sequence of events immediately above and color-coded with themes from Moses 7 quoted above that)

And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: 

(1) If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words. 

And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them 

(2) the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet. 

(3) And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. 

(4) And they broke the cords with which they were bound; 

(5) and when the people saw this, they began to flee, 

(6) for the fear of destruction had come upon them. 

And it came to pass that so great was their fear that 

(7) they fell to the earth, 

(8) and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; 

(9) and the earth shook mightily, 

(10) and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof. 

(11) And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; 

(12) for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. 

And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city. 

(13) Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; 

(14) and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, 

and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, 

(15) they were struck with great fear, 

(16) and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; 

and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek. (Alma 14)

Stisa has already pointed out the irony embedded in the fate of the leaders in Ammonihah. Mormon adds an additional layer of depth in the narrative by adding in elements of Enoch into the story.  It's a great illustration of the intricacy and complexity of the Book of Mormon text.

Mormon also contrasts the faith of the people of God with the fear of the enemies of God in this passage.  This is a consistent theme through his writings.  I've previously pointed out Mormon's intentional contrasting of faith and good/holy works of righteousness with fear and secret works of darkness. These are major themes which are sometimes overtly stated and other times very subtly emphasized.

The symbolic significance of lions

Of course this is not an exhaustive list of examples of the word "lion" showing up in the scriptures.  Many other examples can be found, and other Hebrew roots can be translated into the word lion.  What I find significant is that both Enoch's "people of God" and Alma and Amulek are very deliberately shown to be powerful -- more powerful than the elements of the creation itself -- in passages where their strength is also compared to lions.  The fact that the covenant is mediated by Christ and their power is specifically attributed to their faith in Christ is certainly no coincidence.

There are several related examples in the Old Testament which seem to hover around these same themes but are less clear.  Additionally, there are ten other instances of "lion" being used in the Book of Mormon in a variety of contexts. I am studying them and learning more about how scholars interpret these passages, As I find relevant concepts, I'll share them in future posts. I'd like to close this post with the only example of "lion" I could find in the Doctrine and Covenants, which beautifully captures the overarching sentiment I'm outlining here:

4 And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble, and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor; and but for a small moment and thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce lion, because of thy righteousness; and thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever. (D&C 122)

 

Internal consistency of Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah (and a general note on previews in the Book of Mormon)

Here is an example of internal consistency. Alma 8:31 talks about Alma and Amulek

And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound in bands and cast into prison. Now, this was done that the Lord might show forth his power in them.

This has not happened yet but Mormon gets ahead of himself. The next 6 chapters are dealing with Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah. It is not until the end of this story in Alma 14 that we see these things happening

10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; ...

17 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered him nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison...

25 And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet.

26 And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.

27 And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.

28 And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ.

This is not the first time that the Book of Mormon gives a preview of something happening later. In fact, there are many such examples, several of them posted on this blog

• Mormon's preview in 3 Nephi 26 of what happens in 3 Nephi 27-28 and 4 Nephi
• Mormon's description of the 3 Nephites in 3 Nephi 28 before the events occur in 4 Nephi
• Mosiah 7 mentions several details about the people of Limhi before the Book of Mormon jumps back in time to relate the events. There are many examples and some are mentioned here. It clearly demonstrates that the author of Mosiah 7 knew what would happen in Mosiah 9-21
• Prophecies in the Book of Mormon work the same way because their fulfillment are often described in detail
• Colophons in the Book of Mormon have not been mentioned on this blog, I think, but are yet another example
• Mormon's editorial promises
• Etc.

There are many posts about internal consistency on this blog. Often they show examples of the Book of Mormon referring to something that happened earlier, meaning the author had to remember/know what had been written before. But these examples above demonstrate that the story also was known before it was told, even at a very detailed level sometimes. Believing that the Book of Mormon is what Joseph Smith claimed it to be, this is all very natural to me. But it is tempting to ask those who think Joseph Smith made it up, why they think he made it so difficult for himself. There is pretty strong evidence that he didn't have use any notes as he dictated the text. Giving these previews he would always run the risk of contradicting himself later because he would have to remember giving the preview and then relate the story in a manner consistent with that preview. The message of the Book of Mormon would not be impeded by a lack of such previews. In fact, some of them are so subtle that they largely go unnoticed. This one I just shared in Alma 8 is something I noticed now after having read the Book of Mormon my whole life. 

My point is, this fits far better with the idea that Mormon was a real person who abridged records that he had in front of him and that he had already read and knew, rather than Joseph Smith having an incredible memory and taking such risks just because he could, always pulling it off and not mention it to anyone.

An interesting note about Alma's use of Psalms in the Book of Mormon (internal consistency alert)

Occasionally, I discover something about the text of the Book of Mormon that blows my mind.  This happened again recently as I was studying the use of Psalm-language in the Book of Mormon.  The dozens of examples I've studied are not randomly distributed.  Certain authors use a lot of it (Nephi, Jacob, Alma-2), other authors use little or none of it (Mormon, Moroni). That alone is an interesting detail.

Then I noticed something even more specific.  Alma-2 (commonly known as Alma the Younger) uses Psalm-language a total of 15 times (according to these two relatively comprehensive sources -- source 1 from John Hilton III and source 2 from Book of Mormon Central). In all but two or three of the examples, the Psalm-language Alma-2 uses matches Psalm-language found on the small plates.  This fits very well with another theory I have about Alma-2 having diligently studying the small plates and incorporating their message into his ministry, much more so than other Book of Mormon figures. I'll provide specifics to back up my assertion below.

One caveat before moving on to the specifics -- I personally don't know the Psalms by heart, and so finding additional examples has been difficult for me even with the aid of modern computers. This goes to show how hard it would have been for Joseph Smith to devise this on his own.

Usage of Psalm-language in the first two thirds of the Book of Alma provides us with a very distinct opportunity to test out a theory, because the 21 examples come from just two individuals. Alma-2 is responsible for 15.  Ammon gives us 6.

Let's consider Alma-2 and Ammon as individuals. They are contemporaries who were miraculously converted at the same time. Ammon's father was the Nephite King. Alma-2's father was the leader of the Nephite religion.  Both were incredible missionaries -- Ammon served among the Lamanites for 14 years, and Alma-2 gave up his position as the chief judge and preached among the Nephites for many years.

Despite all of these similarities, they have one very distinct difference: Alma-2 was a keeper of the records.  Ammon was not.  Alma-2 had significantly greater access to the small plates than Ammon. My theory is that for this reason, Alma-2 incorporates more of the small plate themes into his literary work than Ammon. He knew the small plates better.

Apparently, this extends to the use of Psalms, too.

Below you'll find two tables. The first table shows the 15 examples of Alma-2's use of Psalm-language.  The second table shows Ammon's 6 examples.  If the row is colored green, it has a clear match to Psalm-language in the small plate writings.  If it is yellow, it has a questionable match.  If it is red, it doesn't have a clear match on the small plates.

Table 1. Alma as a Student of the Small Plates

Alma Reference	Psalm-Language	Small Plates Reference
Alma 7:27	From this time forth and forever (Psalm 113:2; 115:8; 121:8)	1 Nephi 12:18; 2 Nephi 29:9
Alma 7:19	In the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3)	1 Nephi 16:5
Alma 36:28	I will praise thee forever Psalm 52:9)	2 Nephi 4:30
Alma 7:22	That I may walk (Psalm 56:13)	2 Nephi 4:32
Alma 33:11*	I will cry unto (Psalm 57:2)	2 Nephi 4:35
Alma 36:1	Give ear to my words (Psalm 5:1)	2 Nephi 9:40
Alma 38:1	Give ear to my words (Psalm 5:1)	2 Nephi 9:40
Alma 5:19	Clean hands . . . pure heart (Psalm 24:4)	2 Nephi 25:16
Alma 14:6	The pains of hell (Psalm 116:3)	Jacob 3:11
Alma 36:13	The pains of hell (Psalm 116:3)	Jacob 3:11
Alma 12:35	Swear in my wrath (Psalm 95:11)	Jacob 1:7
Alma 37:12	Over all his works (Psalm 145:9)	Jacob 4:10
Alma 36:27	Put my trust . . . deliver (Psalm 7:1; 25:20; 31:1)	2 Nephi 4:31,34?
Alma 5:50	The king of all the earth (Psalm 47:7)	not found
Alma 37:15	As chaff before the wind (Psalm 35:5)	not found
*	Quoting Zenos, a prophet also quoted on the small plates

It is also worth noting that similar examples of the Psalm-language in the two red examples can be found in other Old Testament passages, so perhaps Alma-2 is referencing the brass plates or some other lost source rather than the Psalms in those cases.  Even so, 12-13 out of the 15 examples fit this pattern very neatly.

Ammon, on the other hand, did not seem to limit his Psalm-language to examples also found on the small plates.  In his well-known praise to God in celebration of the astounding missionary success he and his brothers enjoyed among the Lamanites, we find 6 examples of Psalm-language. In Table 2 below, we see that only one of these examples has a clear correlation on the small plates, and there is a plausible explanation for this -- that one instance is also used by Alma-2 twice, once in connection with his conversion story. (In other words, it is possible Ammon is actually quoting something he first heard Alma-2 say in reference to the miraculous conversion event for which Ammon was present.)

Table 2. Ammon as a Control

Alma Reference	Psalm-Language	Small Plates Reference
Alma 26:8	Praise ... his holy name ... forever (Psalm 145:21)	not found
Alma 26:12	Will praise . . . name forever (Psalm 145:2)	not found
Alma 26:13	The pains of hell (Psalm 116:3)	Jacob 3:11*
Alma 26:23	laugh...to scorn (Psalm 22:7)	not found
Alma 26:36	Hath been mindful of us (Psalm 115:12)	not found
Alma 26:37	I will give thanks unto [God] forever (Psalm 30:12)	not found
*	This phrase is also used by Alma-2, twice, once in reference to his conversion, during which Ammon was present.

Conclusion

A few comments:

1. It is amazing to me that of all the speakers and writers in the Book of Alma, only three of them use Psalm-language at all.  >95% of that is produced by two of them.  
2. Of those two, we have a clear distinction.  12-13/15 times that Alma-2 uses Psalm-language, he is simultaneously referencing the small plates. Ammon appears to do this once out of six examples, however, the single exception could result from Ammon quoting Alma-2, who in turn is borrowing from Jacob.
3. It is really hard for me to believe that Joseph Smith would have been able to keep track of all of this without notes, especially in light of the fact that he dictated the Book of Alma long before he dictated 1 Nephi - Jacob.  
4. Accomplishing this through naturalistic means without notes would require an exceptional memory and an exquisite knowledge of the Psalms. 
• During the dictation of the Book of Alma, Joseph would have needed to remember the "Alma Psalms" (which would later need to be included in the writings of Nephi and Jacob) and the "Ammon Psalms" (which would later need to be excluded from the writings of Nephi and Jacob). All of this information would have to be held in Joseph's mind for at least a few weeks. (In addition to all other internally consistent details.)
• Joseph would also have needed to avoid Psalm-language at all other times while dictating Alma 1-40.
5. This is a lot of information to keep track of even for me using a computer. As I stated above, I doubt my own ability to spot additional examples of Psalm-language in the Book of Mormon.  Thus, it is reasonable to maintain some degree of caution that additional examples could change these numbers and lead me to a different conclusion. 
6. Here we have yet another subtle, consistent example of internal consistency. If you believe the Book of Mormon was written by Joseph Smith, you'd have to believe that he went to these great lengths, and then once the book was published, he never mentioned it or pointed it out to anyone.