Alma 11
People in this chapter
The chapter opens with what may seem like an odd detour: how judges were paid and what the Nephites called their coins. The detail matters. Judges and lawyers were paid by the day and by the case, and so for the sole purpose to get gain the lawyers stirred up trouble to create more business (v. 20). The money explains the men.
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
Alma 11:1-19Wages, Gold and Silver
1Now it was in the law of Mosiah that every man who was a judge of the law, or those who were appointed to be judges, should receive wages according to the time which they labored to judge those who were brought before them to be judged. 2Now if a man owed another, and he would not pay that which he did owe, he was complained of to the judge; and the judge executed authority, and sent forth officers that the man should be brought before him; and he judged the man according to the law and the evidences which were brought against him, and thus the man was compelled to pay that which he owed, or be stripped, or be cast out from among the people as a thief and a robber. 3And the judge received for his wages according to his time—a senine of gold for a day, or a senum of silver, which is equal to a senine of gold; and this is according to the law which was given.
Under the law of Mosiah, judges were paid for each day they spent judging. A judge earned one senine of gold or one senum of silver a day.
4Now these are the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their silver, according to their value. And the names are given by the Nephites, for they did not reckon after the manner of the Jews who were at Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews; but they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of the people, in every generation, until the reign of the judges, they having been established by king Mosiah. 5Now the reckoning is thus—a senine of gold, a seon of gold, a shum of gold, and a limnah of gold. 6A senum of silver, an amnor of silver, an ezrom of silver, and an onti of silver. 7A senum of silver was equal to a senine of gold, and either for a measure of barley, and also for a measure of every kind of grain. 8Now the amount of a seon of gold was twice the value of a senine. 9And a shum of gold was twice the value of a seon. 10And a limnah of gold was the value of them all. 11And an amnor of silver was as great as two senums. 12And an ezrom of silver was as great as four senums. 13And an onti was as great as them all. 14Now this is the value of the lesser numbers of their reckoning— 15A shiblon is half of a senum; therefore, a shiblon for half a measure of barley. 16And a shiblum is a half of a shiblon. 17And a leah is the half of a shiblum. 18Now this is their number, according to their reckoning. 19Now an antion of gold is equal to three shiblons.
The record lists the Nephite pieces of gold and silver. Each larger piece is worth double the one before it, and the largest equals all the others together. Smaller pieces are halves of a senum. A senum bought a measure of barley.
Alma 11:20-25Six Onties of Silver
20Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their employ, therefore, they did stir up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might get money according to the suits which were brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek. 21And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek, saying: Will ye answer me a few questions which I shall ask you? Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the devices of the devil, that he might destroy that which was good; therefore, he said unto Amulek: Will ye answer the questions which I shall put unto you? 22And Amulek said unto him: Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord. And Zeezrom said unto him: Behold, here are six onties of silver, and all these will I give thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being.
The lawyers stir up trouble to make more money. Zeezrom offers Amulek six onties of silver if he will deny that God exists. Amulek agrees to answer only as the Spirit directs.
23Now Amulek said: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations? 24Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him. 25And now thou hast lied before God unto me. Thou saidst unto me—Behold these six onties, which are of great worth, I will give unto thee—when thou hadst it in thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy desire that I should deny the true and living God, that thou mightest have cause to destroy me. And now behold, for this great evil thou shalt have thy reward.
Amulek refuses. He tells Zeezrom that he knows there is a God but loves money more. And he exposes the lie: Zeezrom never meant to pay. He only wanted Amulek to deny God so he could destroy him.
Alma 11:26-39Is There More Than One God?
26And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? 27And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. 28Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? 29And he answered, No. 30Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things? 31And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me.
Zeezrom asks whether there is more than one God, and Amulek says no. Later he names the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one Eternal God (v. 44): three separate beings, perfectly one in purpose.
32And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God? 33And he said unto him, Yea. 34And Zeezrom said again: Shall he save his people in their sins? And Amulek answered and said unto him: I say unto you he shall not, for it is impossible for him to deny his word. 35Now Zeezrom said unto the people: See that ye remember these things; for he said there is but one God; yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but he shall not save his people—as though he had authority to command God. 36Now Amulek saith again unto him: Behold thou hast lied, for thou sayest that I spake as though I had authority to command God because I said he shall not save his people in their sins. 37And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.
Zeezrom asks if the Son of God will save His people in their sins. Amulek says no, because God has said no unclean thing can enter His kingdom. Zeezrom twists this, but Amulek holds firm: Christ saves people from their sins.
38Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? 39And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;
Alma 11:40-46Resurrection, Restoration and Judgment
40And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else. 41Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
Christ will come to redeem His people and take on Himself the sins of all who believe in Him. Everyone will be raised from the dead, but those who do not repent receive only the resurrection, and not the rest of redemption.
42Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death. 43The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt. 44Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
In the resurrection we will remember everything clearly, including our sins. We will stand before Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit, one Eternal God, to be judged by our works.
45Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption. 46Now, when Amulek had finished these words the people began again to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble. And thus ended the words of Amulek, or this is all that I have written.
The resurrected body will never die again. Spirit and body will never be separated. When Amulek finishes, the people are astonished and Zeezrom begins to tremble.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- ZeezromScripture references tracing Zeezrom from accuser to convert.
- GodheadThe Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost as three separate beings, perfectly united in purpose, the doctrine behind verses 28-29 and 44.
- ResurrectionThe reuniting of spirit and body in an immortal state, as Amulek describes in verses 42-45.
- Judgment, the LastThe final judgment before the bar of God that follows the resurrection (vv. 41, 44).
- MoneyWhat the scriptures teach about money and the love of it, the motive behind Zeezrom's offer.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Wages, Gold and Silver
- Mosiah 29:41-44They did appoint judges to rule over them... And thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land.The start of the system whose wages are described here.
- Leviticus 19:35-36Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights.
- Proverbs 11:1A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.
- Mosiah 29:38They were exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land.
Six Onties of Silver
- Matthew 4:8-10All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan.
- Matthew 6:24Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- 1 Timothy 6:9-10They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare... For the love of money is the root of all evil.
- Helaman 5:10Remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah.
Is There More Than One God?
- Deuteronomy 6:4Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.
- John 17:21-22That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee... that they may be one, even as we are one.
- D&C 130:22The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.
- Mosiah 15:1-4God himself shall come down among the children of men... being the Father and the Son... the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.
- Matthew 1:21Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Resurrection, Restoration and Judgment
- 1 Corinthians 15:22, 53For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive... this mortal must put on immortality.
- Luke 24:39Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
- Alma 40:23Even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.
- 2 Nephi 9:14We shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness.
- D&C 93:33Spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy.