Pour Out Thy Spirit Upon Thy Servant

To me the major theme of the life of Alma (the Elder) was earnestly seeking the Lord. After hearing and believing the words of Abinadi, he fled and “being concealed for many days did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken” (Mosiah 17:4). He showed that he greatly valued hearing the voice of the Lord and recorded the words of the Lord through the prophet Abinadi. He then sought earnestly to share those words with others so they too could come unto God: “[He] went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi.” He was intent on doing the will of the Lord. After gathering the people together he prayed, “O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.” He helped the people come unto the Lord through the waters of baptism and helped them to “walk uprightly before God.” There at the waters of Mormon he and the people “came to the knowledge of their Redeemer”—they had sought the Lord diligently and found Him (Alma 18:1, 12, 29-30).

Alma continued to seek the Lord as he guided this group of converts. After their experiences at the Waters of Mormon, he was “warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them.” He clearly was able to hear the voice of the Lord and receive revelation on what to do. As they established the city of Helam on their own, he related to them, “After much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth.” Alma knew how to get answers to prayers. He taught them to live in righteousness, and when the Lamanites came upon them, he encouraged them to seek the Lord: “But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them. Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites” (Mosiah 23:1, 10, 27-28). As they struggled under their taskmasters, Alma and his people “began to cry mightily to God.” When that was forbidden, they “did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.” They knew how to seek the Lord when trials came upon Him, and the Lord heard their prayers: “Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.” Alma once again received revelation to guide them: “Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage.” After miraculously escaping, the Lord again spoke to Alma, “Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awakened and do pursue thee” (Mosiah 24:10, 12-13, 23). They were led by the hand of the Lord back to Zarahemla. Alma and his people had sought the Lord, and they found Him.

   The rest of Alma’s life showed how he continued to seek the Lord earnestly. When he struggled to know how to deal with those of the church who were in iniquity, “He went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.” He “poured out his whole soul to God” and then again the voice of the Lord came to him to teach him. Once again he “wrote them down that he might have them, and that he might judge the people of that church according to the commandments of God.” What Alma and the other priests encouraged their people to do is how he lived his life: “And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, every one by the word of God, according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed, being commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things” (Mosiah 26:13-14, 33, 39). We see more evidence of his earnest prayers to the Lord in the story of his own son who was “a wicked and idolatrous man.” When the angel came to the younger Alma, he said, “the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth” (Mosiah 27:8, 14). The prayers of Alma (the Elder) were once more answered by the Lord. Again and again, Alma sought the Lord earnestly through prayer and the words of prophets, and the Lord did indeed “pour out [his] Spirit” upon his servant throughout Alma’s life.