Week 24 - Looking Back

Alma's final recorded words to his sons conclude with his conversation with Corianton. Unlike his two brothers, Corianton's choices were a great disappointment to his father -- not only because of Alma's great love for his son, but also because Corianton's wicked behavior had caused many of the Zoramites to not believe Alma's words of warning to them (see 39:11). Corianton had boasted in his own strength and wisdom, forsook the ministry, and had become involved with the harlot, Isabel (see Alma 39:2-3). Like any good father would, Alma called his son to repentance. It is interesting to note how he proceeded. He focused on teaching correct doctrine as well as correct behavior. Once Corianton began to understand why his behavior was so wrong (in light of correct doctrine), he had a few doctrinal questions of his own which his father answered in chapters 40-42.

Corianton's story is most often used to teach the law of chastity. We did not deviate from that. We did approach it a little differently with the use of a video by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: Of Souls, Symbols and Sacraments. Excellent handling of a difficult subject. Excellent discourse focusing on the doctrines instead of the behaviors. Excellent answers to the question "Why is the law of chastity so important?" The video is copyrighted 2001 and the material was presented originally in an address at BYU on January 12, 1988. Parts of it can be found in this talk given at the October 1998 General Conference: Personal Purity

Consider this quote Elder Holland used at the end of the video:

“It has been declared in the solemn word of revelation, that the spirit and the body constitute the soul of man; and, therefore, we should look upon this body as something that shall endure in the resurrected state, beyond the grave, something to be kept pure & holy. Be not afraid of soiling its hands; be not afraid of scars that may come to it if won in earnest effort, or [won] in honest fight, but beware of scars that disfigure, that have come to you in places where you ought not have gone, that have befallen you in unworthy undertakings [pursued where you ought not have been]; beware of the wounds of battles in which you have been fighting on the wrong side.” --Elder James E. Talmage

After Alma called Corianton to repentance, Corianton had questions regarding what happens after death, the resurrection, and the judgment. The following two quotes sum up those answers well:

“Each of us lives on a kind of spiritual credit. One day the account will be closed, a settlement demanded. However casually we may view it now, when that day comes and the foreclosure is imminent, we will look around in restless agony for someone, anyone, to help us. And, by eternal law, mercy cannot be extended save there be one who is both willing and able to assume our debt and pay the price and arrange the terms for our redemption. Unless there is a mediator, unless we have a friend, the full weight of justice untempered, unsympathetic, must fall on us. The full recompense for every transgression, however minor or however deep, will be exacted from us to the uttermost farthing. But know this: Truth, glorious truth, proclaims there is such a Mediator. … Through Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice. This truth is the very root of Christian doctrine. … The extensions of mercy will not be automatic. It will be through covenant with Him. It will be on His terms, His generous terms, … All mankind can be protected by the law of justice, and at once each of us individually may be extended the redeeming and healing blessing of mercy (Pres. Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 1977, 55-56).

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“The justice and mercy of God will have been so demonstrably perfect that at the Final Judgment there will be no complaints, including from those who once questioned what God had allotted in the mortal framework (see 2 Nephi 9:14-15; Alma 5:15-19; 12:3-14; 42:23-26, 30)” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, May 2000, 74).