murder an accurate way to describe his previous false teachings? “As Alma mentions later to his son Corianton, the murder of a human physical body is a grave sin. However, an even more serious sin is to murder the spiritual life of a person or, in other words, to purposely lead one away from the saving principles of the gospel. Concerning such people Alma says: ‘ … whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness.’ (Alma 39:6.)” (Ludlow, Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, 218).
Differences between Alma’s Accounts of His Conversion
“Some readers of the Book of Mormon have claimed there is a discrepancy in the accounts of the conversion of Alma as recorded in Mosiah 27:23 and Alma 36:10. It is true that one account mentions ‘two days and two nights’ and the other says ‘three days and three nights,’ but there is no apparent discrepancy because they are not referring to exactly the same thing. In the account in the book of Mosiah the time element clearly refers to the period of fasting by the priests; no exact length of time is indicated for Alma’s unconscious state. Note the major details of the account: After Alma was confronted by an angel and realized the enormity of his sins, he fell to the earth almost as if dead. Then he was carried to his father in this helpless condition. The father of Alma then called in the priests of the church and ‘after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up.’ (Mosiah 27:22–23.) In the account in the book of Alma, however, the term ‘three days and three nights’ clearly refers to the total time Alma could not open his mouth nor use his limbs. (Alma 36:10.)” (Ludlow, Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, 217–18).