Dominion Without Compulsory Means

One of the main attributes of the religion of Nehor appears to have been coercion. When Gideon stood up for his beliefs against Nehor, the latter simply resorted to violence and killed him. When Amlici didn’t gain the throne by vote, he just went to war to try to force it upon the Nephites. And when the people of Ammonihah saw that Amulek and Alma had gained believers, they put them to death by fire and threw Alma and Amulek in jail. It seems that their only response to people with differing opinions was coercion and violence and force. This was in direct contrast to what Alma did and the message he brought to the people of Ammonihah. He focused on agency and choosing to follow God. For example, in Alma 13 he emphasized the choice of many to follow God. He spoke of how in the beginning we had the opportunity to “choose good or evil” and that there were those who had “chosen good” in order to receive the priesthood (v3). Many had been blessed because of their “choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish” (v10). He highlighted how Melchizedek as a king had been so successful in establishing peace: instead of trying to force his people or control them when they were wicked, he “did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent” (v18). They chose to repent themselves, and that is what brought peace. Alma similarly did not try to use coercion or force in speaking to the wicked people of Ammonihah, but he urged them to choose for themselves to repent: “And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance” (v27). The majority rejected his words and invitation, and Alma was forced to watch the brutal murder of the women and children who had believed. Even at that point, he was constrained by the Lord not to force those wicked men to choose good: “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” (Alma 14:11). Even in this most terrible of circumstances, the Lord valued preserving the agency of these wicked men for a short time and let this awful thing happen. But, of course, agency comes with consequences, and that came very quickly for the people of Ammonihah who were subsequently destroyed by the Lamanites because of their great wickedness.

               In a recent podcast, Dr. Eva Whitesman suggested that there is a connection between Alma 13 and Doctrine and Covenants 121. Both scriptural passages teach us about priesthood and the principles of holding the priesthood, and both were given in the context of prison and the control of one group over the Saints of God. Joseph was unjustly imprisoned with others in Liberty Jail, and Alma and Amulek were soon to be imprisoned in jail by the people of AMmonihah because of their preaching. Most famous in this text perhaps is this oft-quoted description of priesthood: “The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.” Contrary to what sometimes happens in secular organizations and governments—and certainly what happened among those who followed Nehor—control and dominion and compulsion have no place in God’s order of things. To the contrary, here is the kind of order that the Lord desires: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:36-37, 41-42). This is exactly like what Alma taught the people of Ammonihah: “But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering” (Alma 13:28). Meekness, long-suffering, and love are key attributes that define how the Lord wants things done in His kingdom. Force and constraint and pride and control have no place in His plan. I love the final verses of this revelation that I see as the Savior’s invitation to all of us who seek to serve and teach His children: “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45-46). Charity, virtue, righteousness, and dominion without compulsory means—that is the way of the Lord.