The Light of the Everlasting Word

As Alma spoke to the people of Zarahemla, he described those who had been converted with his father in the land of Nephi and baptized at the waters of Mormon. He said this, “[The Lord] changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word…. Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love” (Alma 5:7, 9). These were the people who had fallen into wickedness under King Noah and had originally rejected Abinadi, but they had repented and accepted the words of Alma. I love this description of how that change that came upon them: “Their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word.” So what word did they receive exactly? Alma first received the words of Abinadi as he bore witness to the commandments of God in the court of King Noah. In that testimony Abinadi in particular recounted the powerful words of Isaiah who testified of the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (found for us in Isaiah 53). Undoubtedly that witness from the Old Testament prophet left a deep impression on Alma, as surely this testimony of Abinadi did as well: “He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death” (Mosiah 16:9). Alma let his soul be illuminated by the light of these words from Abinadi and by the endless light of Jesus Christ.

                The people whom Alma taught thereafter then received his words and in particular the words of Abinadi that he recounted to them. Mormon recorded, “Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi.” Alma taught “concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.” This was exactly the message Abinadi had given and that the words of Isaiah that he quoted testified of. As Alma taught them “many did believe his words” and their souls were illuminated by the light of Alma’s words and Abinadi’s words and Isaiah words; in short they were changed by the power of the word of God (Mosiah 18:1-3). In the most recent general conferece Elder Uchtdorf testified, “Because of God’s perfect love for us and the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our sins—both great and small—can be blotted out and remembered no more.” This people, who had indeed “great” sins, were cleansed through their faith in the word and “a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts.” Alma testified that this light they received continued with them until the end of their days: “They humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved” (Alma 5:13). Elder Uchtdorf invited us to do the same: “If we earnestly keep practicing, always striving to keep God’s commandments, and committing our efforts to repenting, enduring, and applying what we learn, line upon line, we will gather light into our souls.” Like this Book of Mormon people of old we can choose to let our souls be illuminated by the light of the everlasting word as we continue striving to follow Him who is the Word.