We have long known that belief in anything is a choice we each must make. Like everything else we do, what we choose to believe in and act upon has specific consequences. In Mosiah 26 the Lord teaches Alma about the consequences of those who choose to believe in Him and those who do not.

In the beginning of the Book of Mosiah, King Benjamin teaches his people and they are converted. A lot has happened since the days of King Benjamin. Now his son, Mosiah is king, and we are nearing his time to pass on the crown. But trouble has arisen in Zarahemla in the form of unbelievers. Here is Mosiah 26:1 – 5

1. Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers.

king-benjamins-address2. They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.

3. And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.

4. And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church. And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God.

5. And now in the reign of Mosiah they were not half so numerous as the people of God; but because of the dissensions among the brethren they became more numerous.

kids-717168_640As a Church, we tend to focus on how we, as parents, can influence our children to do what is right. We are taught that it is our responsibility to teach them to have faith and be believing. But teaching a child does not always equate to learning on the part of the child. These members of the Lord’s church were faithful, converted people, yet verse one states that their children, did not believe what their parents taught.

We don’t know all the circumstances of their generation, but we do know that their parents were fully converted to the Lord. Their children didn’t buy into anything their parents had to teach. They didn’t believe in Christ, His coming, nor did they ever believe in the doctrine of the resurrection.

Verse three is telling. Verse three tells us what happens when someone refuses to believe in Christ. Their lack of belief meant they could not understand spiritual things, and therefore their hearts were hardened. This hardening of their hearts caused them to remain separate from the religion of their parents ever after.

The reason for this unrepentant state was attributed to their unwillingness to call upon their God. That makes sense, because they didn’t believe in Him. In this condition they would not come to church, nor would they be baptized, which is the prerequisite to having their sins forgiven and receiving the Holy Ghost.

The Power of the Youth

Like many who are exposed to the truth of the gospel then reject it, these youth didn’t let the church alone. They sought to destroy it. The contentions they caused within the Church as a body caused many of the faithful members to dissent and join the ranks of the unrepentant unbelievers. Here is Mosiah 26:6 – 7

6. For it came to pass that they did deceive many with their flattering words, who were in the church, and did cause them to commit many sins; therefore it became expedient that those who committed sin, that were in the church, should be admonished by the church.

35666_all_022_017. And it came to pass that they were brought before the priests, and delivered up unto the priests by the teachers; and the priests brought them before Alma, who was the high priest.

I have raised a child or two who fell into this category. They can reek havoc in a family, a ward, and in a community. As parents we can only teach. We cannot live their lives for them. Sometimes we underestimate the powerful influence our youth can have on us, and on those younger then they.

Seeking Judgment

Mosiah was the great prophet and seer, but he had made Alma the head of the Church of God. Alma was not aware of the degree of these dissensions until many witnesses came forward to testify of the mischief being caused by these members of the Church who had fallen away.

In his concern for the welfare of the members, he took the matter to the prophet, who reminded Alma that he had been given the responsibility of running the Lord’s Church, so he had to be the judge. Mosiah 26:8 – 12

8. Now king Mosiah had given Alma the authority over the church.

9. And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them; but there were many witnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance.

10. Now there had not any such thing happened before in the church; therefore Alma was troubled in his spirit, and he caused that they should be brought before the king.

11. And he said unto the king: Behold, here are many whom we have brought before thee, who are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities. And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them according to their crimes.

12. But king Mosiah said unto Alma: Behold, I judge them not; therefore I deliver them into thy hands to be judged.

friendlp.nfo-o-293eIn the following verses the Lord begins to teach Alma the principles and consequences of choosing to believe in Christ. The first lesson to be learned is the power that comes from believing without seeing the proof first. Jesus taught this same lesson to Thomas, His apostle in the New Testament, but that was still more than a hundred years in the future for Alma. Read Mosiah 26:13 – 20 then we’ll talk briefly about the lessons in these verses.

13. And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and 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.

14. And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying:

15. Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi.

16. And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou hast spoken unto them.

17. And blessed art thou because thou hast established a church among this people; and they shall be established, and they shall be my people.

18. Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.

19. And because thou hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed.

20. Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep.

jesus-woman-at-well-water-942642-galleryThe Lord refers to those who believe without proof has having exceeding faith. He says over and over again that they will be blessed for that faith, for their choice to believe. He says that those who choose to believe and be baptized are His. They are His people. He will establish (secure the safety of) His people.

In verse 22 the Lord promises that those who choose to believe will be freely forgiven. He then states His rights to forgive as He chooses in verse 23. He paid the price to be judge of all, and He chooses to honor those who choose to believe and follow Him with a place eternally at His right hand. Here is Mosiah 26:21 – 24

 

21. And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive.

22. For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.

23. For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand.

24. For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.

Next the Lord teaches Alma what will happen to those who chose not to believe and exercise faith in Christ. They will be brought before Him in judgment, like everyone else, but then they will know absolutely that Jesus is their God, their redeemer. And this is the important point – but they refused to be redeemed by Him. By refusing to believe, they reject His redemptive actions in their behalf, leaving them exposed and naked before the laws of justice. Mosiah 26:25 – 27

25. And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall sound then shall they that never knew me come forth and shall stand before me.

26. And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed.

27. And then I will confess unto them that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

The Benefits of Believing

In the last few verses of this section of the chapter, the Lord teaches Alma why the Church gets involved in disciplining members. He also teaches an important lesson about the mercy offered to us through Christ’s atonement, and because of His love for us. Mosiah 26:28 – 31

28. Therefore I say unto you, that he that will not hear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for him I will not receive at the last day.

pictures-of-jesus-smiling-1138511-gallery29. Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

30. Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.

31. And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation.

When the sins are severe enough that the Church needs to step in, our sins require both the Church’s forgiveness as well as the Lord’s forgiveness. But the good news is that those who repent in the sincerity of their heart are to be forgiven by both Church and the Lord.

I love verse 30. “… as often as my people repent will I forgive them …”

The final lesson is for the members of the Church. Notice that the Lord does not say that we must forgive someone when they have fully repented. He says that we must forgive them “when he says that he repents.” Big difference. If we are unwilling to forgive, as we have been freely forgiven, we will be brought under condemnation from the Lord.

Conclusion

This chapter of Mosiah is packed with lessons about life and Church government, about the atonement, and about the Lord’s love for His people. We also learn about agency, as seen by the youth who chose not to believe the teachings of their righteous parents, and the damage that can be caused by those who refuse to believe in Christ and His atonement.

To read more of Kelly's articles, click here.

To read more of Kelly’s articles, click here.

Does belief in Christ make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us? Yes, it certainly does. Belief is a choice, but it is a choice with eternal consequences. We must honor the choice of belief in our loved ones and our neighbors, even knowing that poor choices will have everlasting consequences. We also have the choice to exercise Christlike love to labor all our days to reclaim or claim those souls for Christ so they won’t have to experience the fate of those who refuse to believe.

About Kelly P. Merrill
Kelly Merrill is semi retired and writes for https://gospelstudy.us. He lives with his wife in Idaho. His strength is being able to take difficult to understand subjects and break them down into understandable parts. He delights in writing about the gospel of Christ. Writing about the gospel is his personal missionary work to the members of the Church and to those of other faiths who are wanting to know more about Christ's gospel and His Church.

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