While the concentration of this text will be primarily on Alma the Younger and, to a much lesser extent, the sons of Mosiah, there appear to have been others in this group of persecutors who were traveling together. (See Mosiah 27: 33-34)
Scriptural Parallel: the vision of Paul: One should not pass by the story of Alma the Younger without noting the similarities and differences with the story of Saul/Paul in the book of Acts. Both men are actively countering the gospel of Christ. Both men are traveling, and both see a vision. The basic passage from Acts is:
Acts 9:1-9
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
This text will be examined more closely in the verses that follow, but certain differences may be noted at the beginning. The differences are more subtle than the clear similarities, but they are important to highlight.
The first difference is in the nature of the belief system behind the persecution.
Saul is a Hebrew, and a believer in Jehovah. His persecution stems from his being a part of the established religion that is fending off an off-shoot. Saul is a defender of the status quo, a defender of the more mainline religion of the day.
In contrast, Alma the Younger is a member of the minority religion. Alma has rejected the main religion of his people for that of another group. Thus Saul begins his persecutions with the assumption of that he is fighting to preserve God’s religion, where Alma comes from the position of having already rejected that religion (and world-view) and espousing a “foreign” religion (and world-view).
The next slight difference comes in the appearance of the angel among them. To Alma the angel comes in a cloud, and to Saul the messenger comes with a bright light from heaven (Acts 9:3). This difference may be more significant than it would first appear. The appearance of the Lord to Israel was as a pillar of fire, and so Saul would be culturally predisposed to recognize deity accompanied by fire, and by extension, light.
The cultural context of Mesoamerica may have been enough different that the appearance in a cloud was equally significant for Alma the Younger as was the light for Saul.
While the evidence for the cultural meaning of clouds comes from a later period than the Book of Mormon, the conceptions of the sacred appear to have a long history in Mesoamerica, and one cannot discount the probability that these concepts could have been present during the times of the Book of Mormon.
Schele and Mathews describe several Maya structures in their book The Code of Kings. In their discussion of a building that is known as the nunnery in Uxmal (located in the Peten, Yucatan, Mexico) they discuss a symbol that appears on the buildings. The symbol is an S shape lying on its side with dots around them.
“Alternating with the flower lattice are squared, S-shaped scrolls. These scrolls have glyphic counterparts in a sign that reads muyal, “cloud…” They further note that “…Maya artists often depicted their visions floating in clouds, sometimes clouds of incense, sometimes the clouds of the sky: these are the muyal of the entablature.” (Schele, Linda and Peter Mathews. The Code of Kings. Scribner, 1998, pp. 270 and 271).
When we remember that it is hypothesized that Alma the Younger has become a believer in the alternate religion, the Mesoamerican religion, the clouds (be they incense or sky-clouds) would be markers of the presence of the gods. Thus the appearance in a cloud would mark the occasion as a communication with the divine for Alma in a very powerful way.
This creates an interesting context for this particular variation from the story of Saul. While the similarities are so obvious as to not require recounting, this particular difference is rather obscure. In spite of its obscurity, however, it is entirely possible that it was highly significant in the Alma the Younger’s Mesoamerican context.
The next difference comes in the description of the voice. It is absent in Paul’s account, and described as a voice of thunder that shook the earth for Alma. While the result of both appearances to Saul and Alma the Younger was that the party fell to the ground, in Saul/Paul, the falling appears to be the result of the recognition of majesty. With Alma the Younger, it may be perceived to be related to the shaking of the earth.
Miller and Taube describe the religious connotations of lightning and thunder:
“Among the most potent and dramatic natural phenomena of Mexico are lightning storms which light up the sky and shake the earth with thunder.” (Miller, Mary, and Karl Taube. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. Thames and Hudson, 1993, p. 106).
Note their connection between the thunder and the shaking of the earth, just as in the account of Alma’s experience. A modern Chamulan tale ties the sound of thunder to the voice of the gods:
“When Our Father still waked the earth, he talked to the earth gods. He told them that they could not make it rain without talking to him first, so that he could punish the people if the did not “want” the rain enough (if they had not prayed enough). When there are thunderheads, the earth gods are talking to Our Father. Whether rain falls or not depends on him.” (Gossen, Gary. Chamulas in the World of the Sun. Harvard University Press. 1974, p. 330).
Just as with the appearance in a cloud, the voice of thunder and the shaking of the earth may be related to the Mesoamerican context where high religious meaning was associated with thunder and with the shaking of the ground. As with the imagery of the cloud, Alma the Younger’s apparent acceptance of the competing Mesoamerican religion would key him to certain modes of divine communication. With a being coming in a cloud, accompanied by thunder and shakings, it would present to Alma unmistakable evidence of the authenticity and divine authority of his visitor.
Textual: Verses 10 and 11 are one sentence. During the times that Joseph Smith was translating the plates, long sentences were fairly standard practice. We see this many times in Joseph’s writing, and even among such literary giants as Charles Dickens. What makes this particular sentence difficult is that it has a long aside in it. The aside is sufficiently long that Mormon has to resort to reminding us of the original subject when he picks up that subject again in verse 11.
Internal Comparison: This experience is also retold by Alma to two of his sons, Helaman and Shiblon. The more extensive account is found in Alma 36:4-26 and the other in Alma 38:6-8. Additionally, S. Kent Brown has examined Alma’s various sermons for indications of the impact of this experience on Alma’s preaching. He finds that:
“…virtually every one of Alma’s recorded sermons, whether they were formal discourses or spontaneous addresses, are characterized by the recollection of one or more features of his three-day conversion experience…” (Brown, S. Kent. “Alma’s Conversion: Reminiscences in His Sermons.” In: From Jerusalem to Zarahemla. Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. 1998, p. 126).
As the version in Alma 36 is the most extensive, see that chapter for a more complete comparison and commentary analyzing the three versions.