Enter Into the Rest of God

One of the themes of Alma’s teachings to the people of Ammonihah was the idea of entering into the rest of the Lord. After Amulek taught Zeezrom, and the latter “began to tremble under a consciousness of his guilt,” Alma taught him how he could find peace again. He quoted these words of the Lord, “Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.” He also confirmed what leads to an absence of peace and rest: “And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.” Repentance leads to mercy from the Savior and a remission of sins, which leads to the peace of conscience that Zeezrom started to seek. But if we harden our hearts and continue in iniquity, we will not find the Lord’s rest: “And now, my brethren, behold I say unto you, that if ye will harden your hearts ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord.” Alma’s invitation to Zeezrom is for all of us who seek the peace of the Lord: “And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word” (Alma 12:34-37). To find the rest of God we must repent and soften our heart before Him.

                Alma continued with this theme as he taught the people of Ammonihah about the priesthood and those who were called to preach the word to God’s children. The whole purpose of those who were called and given the holy priesthood was explained this way: “And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest.” Men have been ordained to the priesthood for the purpose of teaching His commandments to the children of men so they could repent and thus find His rest. Alma further explained about these high priests: “Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.” Because they were purified from sin by the Savior, having repented and becoming clean before Him, they entered into His rest. Alma gave us each this invitation: “And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest.” Again he emphasized that the key to finding the Lord’s rest—the way to gain peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come is repenting and humbling ourselves before God.

This peace comes only through Jesus Christ: “Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.” A remission of our sins—which is what ultimately brings us peace—can only come through the Son of God. And that is how Zeezrom finally fount rest after “his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance.” Alma asked him, “Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?” He responded, “Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught” (Alma 15:3, 6-7). Because of this faith in the Savior, and his clear sorrow and repentance for his sins, he was healed physically and spiritually and found the rest of the Lord. If we seek more peace and rest in our own lives then we should similarly seek to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and repent more earnestly, “having the love of God always in [our] hearts, that [we] may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest” (Alma 13:6, 12-13, 16, 29).