Alma Ch36

This is one of those cool poem chapters that you've probably heard all about because they are in the scriptures a lot. It is called a chiasmus and yes, they are cool to study. So for this chapter we are going to study the parallelisms that a strewn about this chapter and end on the middle section which is the most important part that Alma is trying to teach his son, Helaman, because it tells the story of his conversion.

So, first and lastly spoken, Alma desires Helaman to listen to him because he speaks the words of Christ which is to keep the commandments of God and you will be prospered in the land (v1+30).

This applies to everyone because if we do as Alma has done, we will know what he knows, seriously, just think about all he has gone through and been blessed for (v2+30).

It is important to retain a remembrance of the history of our fathers, through this we are aware of the mercy of God, and in Alma's example of the people who were in bondage who were delivered out of captivity by God just as he will deliver us if we trust in Him (v2-3+27-29).

Knowing God will support you in trials, troubles, and afflictions is real trust in God and when you know He will save you, you can be born of God (v3-5+26-27).

Are you confused yet? I hope not, because I love how this is and I'm going to attach a really cool and easy way of reading it that I found off the internet. Next, Alma tells of his conversion from seeking to destroy the church to laboring to bring souls to repentance (v6-9+24-25).

Alma was paralyzed with the fear of being in the presence of God after being told by the angel of the awful sins he was committing, but now he has his strength and longs to be with God for eternity (v10-15+22-23).

He suffered much as he came to the realization he was unclean, and was racked with pains for his soul, and in the end he was even more joyful because of the depths of pain he had felt (v16+20-21).

The happy ending to this story is the middle, because Alma was brought to remembrance of Jesus Christ who has mercy on all who repent and save them from the everlasting chains of death and remove the pains we go through (v17-19).


Now that you've read my awful explanation, here is what helped me understand it better when I was studying it. It will probably make more sense than my babblings.

The website: http://www.cometozarahemla.org/mosiah/alma-36-chiasmus.html

The Magnificent Chiasmus of Alma 36

From, "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon,"
by John W. Welch, BYU Studies, Autumn 1969

a) My son give ear to my words (v 1) b) Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (v 1) c) Do as I have done (v 2) d) Remember the captivity of our fathers (v 2) e) They were in bondage (v 2) f) He surely did deliver them (v 2) g) Trust in God (v 3) h) Supported in trials, troubles and afflictions (v 3) i) I know this not of myself but of God (v 4) j) Born of God (v 5) k) I sought to destroy the church (v 6-9) l) My limbs were paralyzed (v 10) m) Fear of the presence of God (v 14-15)
n) Pains of a damned soul (v 16) o) Harrowed up by memory of sins (v 17) p) I remembered Jesus Christ, a son of God (v 17) p) I cried, Jesus, son of God (v 18) o) Harrowed up by memory of sins no more (v 19) n) Joy as exceeding as was the pain (v 20)	The Agony of Conversion
	destroyed (v 11) racked with eternal torment (v 12) harrowed up to the greatest degree (v 12) racked with all my sins (v12) tormented with the pains of hell (v13) inexpressible horror (v 14) banished and extinct (v15) pains of a damned soul (v 16)
	The Joy of Conversion
	no more pain (v 19) oh what joy (v 20) what marvelous light (v 20) soul filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain (v 20) exquisite (v 21) nothing more sweet as was my joy (v 22) singing and praising God (v 22) long to be with God (v 22)
m) Long to be in the presence of God (v 22) l) My limbs received strength again (v 23) k) I labored to bring souls to repentance (v 24) j) Born of God (v 26) i) Therefore my knowledge is of God (26) h) Supported under trials and troubles and afflictions (v 27) g) Trust in him (v 27) f) He will deliver me (v 27) e) As God brought our fathers out of bondage and captivity (v 28-29) d) Retain in remembrance their captivity (v 28-29) c) Know as I do know (v 30) b) Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (v 30) a) This according to his word (v 30)

Try reading it this way

a) My son give ear to my words (v 1)
a) [They are] according to his word (v 30)

b) Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (v 1)
b) Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (v 30)

c) Do as I have done (v 2)
c) [and you will] Know as I do know (v 30)

d) Remember the captivity of our fathers (v 2)
d) Retain in remembrance their captivity (v 28-29)

e) They were in bondage (v 2)
e) [and] God brought our fathers out of bondage and captivity (v 28-29)

f) [and] He surely did deliver them (v 2)
f) [and] He will deliver me [and He will deliver you] (v 27)

g) Trust in God (v 3)
g) Trust in him (v 27)

h) [you will be] Supported in trials, troubles and afflictions (v 3)
h) [YES! you will be] Supported under trials and troubles and afflictions (v 27)

i) I know this not of myself but of God (v 4)
i) Therefore my knowledge is of God (26)

j) [because I have been] Born of God (v 5)
j) [and you can be] Born of God (v 26)

k) I sought to destroy the church (v 6-9)
k) [then] I labored to bring souls to repentance (v 24)

l) My limbs were paralyzed (v 10)
l) [then] My limbs received strength again (v 23)

m) [I was in] Fear of the presence of God (v 14-15)
m) [now I] Long to be in the presence of God (v 22)

n) [I suffered the] Pains of a damned soul (v 16)
n) [Now my] Joy [is] as exceeding as was the pain (v 20)

o) [I was] Harrowed up by memory of sins (v 17)
o) [now I am] Harrowed up by memory of sins no more (v 19)

p) I remembered Jesus Christ, a son of God (v 17)
p) [and] I cried, Jesus, son of God (v 18)

[ And I was BORN AGAIN! ]