“Shalt Gather Together My Sheep”

Brant Gardner

Yahweh then makes a fourth covenant. When Alma gathers Yahweh’s “sheep” by preaching and they join the church by baptism, Yahweh will receive them as his people and forgive their sins.

Literature: The text uses the word “sheep” here. In a New World context, this term would be a misnomer since there were no sheep in the New World at this time. However, “sheep” here is clearly a metaphor for “believers.” It may or may not have been the precise word Yahweh used with Alma, but it is the term used to mean “believers” in the New Testament and was therefore the appropriate term for Joseph Smith to use in this context.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3

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