According to Robert Millet, in beginning his discussion of foreordination to the priesthood, Alma said: "And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children" (Alma 13:1). His use of the word forward is unusual, especially in light of the fact that he will speak of people in the past; we would normally say backwards. But actually forward can also mean toward the beginning, toward the front, "[n]ear or at the forepart" (Webster's). [Robert L. Millet, "The Holy Order of God," in The Book of Mormon: Alma, The Testimony of The Word, p. 64]