If One Deletes All the Questions, What Remains of This Speech?

John W. Welch

In a way this is a humorous question, but it helps readers to focus on what Alma affirmatively declared, proclaimed, or testified of in this great speech. What is left are words of testimony. He did not leave people wondering.

I marked in my Book of Mormon, highlighting the things that Alma testified of. You might want to do that. For example, he certainly declared, not in a questioning mode, when he said, "I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father Alma to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God" (5:3). He declared that unequivocally. He did not say, "Who has any authority around here?" Then, in verse 4, he said, "Behold I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of King Noah by the mercy and power of God." He testified of that.

So, it is important to imagine hearing these words aloud. They were meant to be listened to. If you don’t hear them as strong assertions or as drawn out questions, it is easy to click past all these questions and declarations without really letting them sink in. But imagine the inflections, the intonations, and listen for the cadence of this great speech.

John W. Welch Notes

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