Shortly before his death, Alma the Younger spoke with his son Helaman and asked him to take the plates and continue to write so that their descendants would know what had occurred. He asked him to hold on to those scriptures. This interview in Alma 45 was one of Helaman’s great moments.
This little block of text, seemingly separate from the rest of the narrative, provides a window into Alma’s ecclesiastical administration. Alma was interviewing Helaman as he prepared to pass on his responsibilities. Perhaps he sensed that he was not coming back from the city of Melek. According to the text as we have it, these are the last things that he would say to his eldest son, as Alma held his final father’s interview with his son. There are only three questions here.
1. Alma begins by ascertaining that Helaman understood the task. “Believest thou the words which I spake unto thee concerning those records which have been kept?” (Alma 45:2). In other words, do you believe the scriptures? An appropriate and important question for any father to ask his children.
2. “Believest thou in Jesus Christ who shall come?” (Alma 45:4). That is still the vital question for us in our world today. We know that he came in the flesh, but we do not ask, in temple recommend interviews or other settings, “Do you believe that Christ is coming again?” We are asked, “Do you believe in God the Eternal Father and in his Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost?” Not “Do you believe in the Second Coming?” But that question has powerful implications in our life. It was also a concern that Alma had addressed throughout his life.
3. “Will you keep my commandments?” (Alma 45:6). This question referred to the commandments given by Alma the Prophet as the Prophet. And Helaman did not just answer “yes.” He answered, “With all my heart” (Alma 45:7). “Then Alma said unto him: Blessed art thou; and the Lord shall prosper thee in this land” (Alma 45:8). Usually when we answer our bishop’s questions, we just say yes; but maybe, “With all my heart” would be a better response.
How important are interview questions like these for us today? I hope you share with me a great feeling of gratitude and appreciation for the privilege it is to have interviews with our bishops and stake presidency, and to have a stewardship accounting, to be blessed by the opportunity to respond verbally and affirmatively to questions such as these as we renew our commitments to living the gospel, keeping the commandments, and doing everything we can do, as Alma and his people did, to be ready to work against conflicts that rage and swirl all around us. I am grateful for the support of the priesthood and of the guidance that we get from our Church leaders in the righteous living of our lives. I do not know of anywhere else that one can go to find anything like it.