Alma 46

Take His name (Christians)

Christian — one who bears the name of Christ, the Anointed One

And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land— Alma 46:13–16

About seventy years before His birth, believers already gladly took upon themselves the name of Christ and were called Christians. Moroni prays for 'the cause of the Christians,' showing that liberty was worth defending because it protected a people who belonged to Christ.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a footnote points to Him · a Church study aid lists it

• alludes to Mosiah 5:7-8 — King Benjamin's people take upon them the name of Christ by covenant.
• the same title in Acts 11:26 — The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

Take His name

And he said: Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions. Alma 46:18

Moroni says his people are despised precisely because they bear the name of Christ, yet God will protect them unless they bring destruction on themselves through sin.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to Mosiah 5:8 — Take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant.

Take His name

And it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God; or, in other words, if they should transgress the commandments of God, or fall into transgression, and be ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ, the Lord should rend them even as they had rent their garments. Alma 46:21

The people make a covenant with a physical token: rent garments. The text equates not forsaking 'the Lord their God' with not being ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ — the Lord of their covenant is Christ.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to Mosiah 5:8-10 — Covenant people take Christ's name and must not have it blotted out through transgression.

Faith in Christ

And now who knoweth but what the remnant of the seed of Joseph, which shall perish as his garment, are those who have dissented from us? Yea, and even it shall be ourselves if we do not stand fast in the faith of Christ. Alma 46:27

Moroni warns that the remnant who perish could be the Nephites themselves unless they stand fast in the faith of Christ. Covenant lineage alone does not save; faithfulness to Christ does.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Redeemer

Jesus — Jehovah saves; Christ — the Anointed One

And it came to pass that there were many who died, firmly believing that their souls were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ; thus they went out of the world rejoicing. Alma 46:39

Believers died rejoicing because they were sure the Lord Jesus Christ had redeemed their souls, even before His mortal Atonement had taken place. His redemption reaches backward to all who believe in Him.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to Mosiah 3:13 — Whosoever believed that Christ should come might receive remission of sins and rejoice as though He had already come.

Faith in Christ

But there were many who died with old age; and those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in him, as we must needs suppose. Alma 46:41

Those who die with faith in Christ are 'happy in him' — their happiness after death is found in Him. This echoes Alma's teaching that the righteous rest in a state of happiness called paradise.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

• alludes to Alma 40:12 — The spirits of the righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise.
• alludes to Revelation 14:13 — Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.