Come and Fear Not, Come and Go Forth

In Alma’s discourse to the people of Gideon, he gave them this beautiful invitation: “Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism” (Alma 7:15).  We have to break free from the sins that keep us from moving forward, those that beset and bind us down, and take action to come unto God through covenants and commandments.  The simple message is to come and leave behind our sins, to “come and fear not” and to “come and go forth” to enter into a covenant with God.  I realized today as I ready this chapter that this subtle repetition in this verse is a pattern that Alma used all throughout this chapter as he emphasized those things that were most important for these Saints in Gideon.         

               In the first few verses of the chapter Alma emphasized coming and finding and trusting.  He told them, “I have been permitted to come unto you… having had much business that I could not come unto you. And even I could not have come now at this time were it not that the judgment-seat hath been given to another… the Lord in much mercy hath granted that I should come unto you. And behold, I have come having great hopes.”  He then repeated his focus on finding them: “That I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye had continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye were blameless before him, that I should find that ye were not in the awful dilemma.”  He then spoke of the trust that he had: “I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you…. I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not worship idols” (v1-6, italics added).  Alma emphasized his love as he explained how he came to and found and trusted this people.

               Alma continued these subtle repetitions through the rest of the chapter as he taught them.  In parallel to his own coming to them he spoke of how the Savior would come: “I say unto you there be many things to come…. the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people. Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of his dwelling in his mortal tabernacle…. the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth” (v7-9).  He emphasized the Saviors pains and death and flesh: “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind… he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh” (v11-13).  Alma questioned the people about what they believed, saying, “And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me” (v17).  He also repeated the word perceive as he spoke about their faith: “For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight. I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word” (v19-20).  These repetitions that Alma used, and others, in this discourse highlighted to the people of Gideon their need to come to the Savior, to trust and believe, to find and perceive, to recognize His pains and sufferings in the flesh for them.