look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command
the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his
presence.
Alma 12:15
15 But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him
in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and
dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his
judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he
is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power
to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth
fruit meet for repentance.
Alma 12:16
16 And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a
second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that
whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also
die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining
unto righteousness.
Alma 12:17
17 Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of
fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever;
and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an
everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of
Satan, he having subjected them according to his will.
Alma 12:18
18 Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been
no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to
God's justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more
corruption.
Alma 12:19
19 Now it came to pass that when Alma had made an end of
speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished;
Alma 12:20
20 But there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them,
came forth and said unto him: What is this that thou hast said,
that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this
mortal to an immortal state that the soul can never die?
Alma 12:21
21 What does the scripture mean, which saith that God placed
cherubim and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden,
lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of
the tree of life, and live forever? And thus we see that there
was no possible chance that they should live forever.
Alma 12:22
22 Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about
to explain, now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the
forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see,
that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.
Alma 12:23
23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible
for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at
that time, there would have been no death, and the word would
have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou
shalt surely die.
Alma 12:24
24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death
which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death;
nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might
repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time
to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state
which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection
of the dead.
Alma 12:25
25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was
laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no
resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption
laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of
which has been spoken.
Alma 12:26
26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents
could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would
have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and
thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the
word of God would have been void, taking none effect.
Alma 12:27
27 But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto men that
they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even
that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.
Alma 12:28
28 And after God had appointed that these things should come
unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man
should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto
them;
Alma 12:29
29 Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused
men to behold of his glory.
Alma 12:30
30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name;
therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the
plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation
of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their
faith and repentance and their holy works.
Alma 12:31
31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first
transgressed the first commandments as to things which were
temporal, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil, placing
themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act
according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to
do good—
Alma 12:32
32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made
known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do
evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an
everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for
on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works
of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme
goodness of God.
Alma