Qodesh (holy) in Alma 13

I consider Alma 13 a temple sermon of sorts. It is not mentioned directly, but when trying to read it through an ancient Israelite lens, there are temple themes everywhere. As mentioned in my previous post, there is a Hebrew root, q-d-s, that is basis for a cluster of words like holy, sanctify, consecrate and set apart. In the Old Testament, these are almost always related to the temple. I also mentioned that the priesthood and priests were primarily linked to temple service. These two concepts (holy and priesthood) are all over Alma 13. Let's start with the first verse:

And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.

The Son is sometimes called "the Holy One (of Israel)", for instance in one passage in Alma 5 that I quoted in my previous post. The "order of his Son" is called "the holy order" because He is the Holy One. He is the one that entered into the holy of holies in the temple as the letter to the Hebrews discusses. He is therefore the one that the high priests represented when they entered into the holy of holies once a year on the day of atonement, thus becoming "after his holy order".

I also like this triplet in verse 8

Now they were ordained after this manner— 

   being called with a holy calling,  

      and ordained with a holy ordinance, 

         and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, 

   which calling, 

      and ordinance,  

         and high priesthood, 

is without beginning or end

The calling, ordinance and high priesthood are all holy. Their eternal nature is also described repeatedly in verses 7-9. Alma talks about the men of the past who have received this calling, ordinance and high priesthood. Echoing his words in Alma 5 that I shared in the last post, Alma describes those men as "sanctified by the Holy Ghost" in verse 12.

He specifically mentions Melchizedek as one of them. Even though he is a figure barely mentioned in the Old Testament, extra-biblical sources (and the aforementioned letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament) indicate that he was a prominent figure in early temple theology. Even though the temple is not mentioned explicitly in Alma 13, it is probably a context that the listeners were familiar with that went without saying. Anciently, the high priest offered service in the temple and was the only one who could enter into the holy of holies. Alma 13 makes several connections between the priesthood/holy order of God and the atonement. For instance in verse 2

And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

The temple rituals performed by those after the holy order of God foreshadowed the atoning sacrifice of Christ. When the Holy One of Israel was hanging on a cross, the veil of the temple was rent, symbolically preparing the way for all of us to be sanctified and "enter into his rest" represented by the holy of holies. Later in the chapter, Alma couples "holy" with yet another word, saying that the coming of Christ will be made known by "holy men" (see verse 26). I wonder if this might have been a metonym for men who are called after the holy order of God? In the Words of Mormon 1:17, for example, we read

For behold, king Benjamin was a holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness; and there were many holy men in the land, and they did speak the word of God with power and with authority;

In 2 Kings 4:9, the prophet, Elisha, is called a holy man. In Alma 3:6, Nephi, Sam, Jacob and Joseph are referred to as holy men. We don't know much about Sam, but we read that Jacob and Joseph were consecrated by Nephi to be priests and teachers of the people. In Alma 10:7,9, Amulek says that Alma, the high priest, is a holy man.

So to summarize (I am also including my last post in this summary):

• Holiness is a divine characteristic and one we should strive for to reach our end goal of apotheosis
• It is only possible by first separating from the unclean, becoming sanctified through the Holy Ghost and walk the way of holiness symbolized by the temple
• The priesthood, the holy order of God, has been delegated by "the Holy One" to man to enable walking this path
• Holy men like Melchizedek and others have been called and ordained after this order since ancient times, to show this path to man both by preaching and performing temple rituals pointing to Christ's atoning sacrifice
• When Christ's atoning sacrifice was completed, the way to holiness that had previously been ritualized became a reality for everyone

שָׁמַר -- shamar: to keep, watch, preserve, part 2

In my last post, I reviewed various words translated from "shamar" in the Old Testament.  In this post, we'll look at how those same terms are used in the Book of Mormon.

I'll post many examples below, but one example stood out to me as I undertook this study, from the words of King Benjamin to his sons:

5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.

6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.

7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers. (Mosiah 1)

I appreciate the balance in this passage:

• The scriptures have been "kept and preserved by the hand of God"...
• ...in order to allow the covenant people to have His commandments "before [their] eyes" (observe)...
• ...so that they can "keep the commandments"...
• ...in order to prosper (be preserved) in the land of promise.

In fact, the Book of Mormon proverb (alluded to in verse 7) demonstrates this balanced keeping/preservation between God and His covenant people.

"Shamar" in the Book of Mormon

The various words translated from "shamar" show up many times in the Book of Mormon.  Below is a sampling of a few of these. Notice the balance between the responsibilities of the covenant people and the blessings promised to the faithful by God:

• Keep
• 11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me. (Mosiah 2)
• As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you. (Mosiah 2:31)
• Beware

• 32 But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. (Mosiah 2)

• 15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (3 Nephi 14)

• Take heed
• 11 "...therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts." (Mosiah 5) 
• 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. (Moroni 7)
• Observe
• 6 "And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them..." (Jacob 3)
• "6 And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you." (3 Nephi 18)
• To mark
• 14 "...Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall..." (Jacob 4)
• 16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth against thee and thy seed. (Alma 3)
• Preserve
• 17 "...he will preserve the righteous by his power..." (1 Nephi 17)
• 3 "...I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation." (Jacob 1)
• 11 "... I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day..." (Words of Mormon 1)

May 25–31. Mosiah 29–Alma 4: “They Were Steadfast and Immovable”

Here are links to additional resources for this week's Come, Follow Me lesson:

Mosiah 29: A fascinating connection to Kings in the Old Testament, A note about tracking the timeline, Transitions to first person voice, and more.


Alma 1: "Anti-Christs" in the Book of Mormon, Gideon, The Profession of Nehor, and more.


Alma 2: Cunning in the Book of Mormon.


Alma 3: The Mark of the Curse


Alma 4: Pride of the eyes

The Mark of the Curse -- Internal consistency of a prophecy to Nephi

In Alma 3, the Amlicites go up to battle against the Nephites with shaved heads and a mark of red on their foreheads. Mormon points out how this fulfills a promise the Lord gave to Nephi:

10 Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him. ... 

13 Now we will return again to the Amlicites, for they also had a mark set upon them; yea, they set the mark upon themselves, yea, even a mark of red upon their foreheads.
14 Thus the word of God is fulfilled, for these are the words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the Lamanites have I cursed, and I will set a mark on them that they and their seed may be separated from thee and thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except they repent of their wickedness and turn to me that I may have mercy upon them.
15 And again: I will set a mark upon him that mingleth his seed with thy brethren, that they may be cursed also.
16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth against thee and thy seed. (Alma 3)

We can read about this curse in the writings of Nephi:

20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.
21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.
22 And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.
23 And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done. (2 Nephi 5)

This is something Joseph Smith would have needed to remember for quite some time without any notes, probably more than six weeks based on our best understanding of the order and pace of the translation.