These four words—“wickedness never was happiness”—are among the most famous pronouncements in the Book of Mormon. They resonate with power in the context of the situation being handled by Alma with compassion and understanding on behalf of his troubled son. Corianton has clearly misunderstood the doctrine of restoration, musing perhaps that the effects of his wayward behavior could be transformed magically into something good in the final analysis. With precision but charitable tenderness, Alma disabuses his son of that false premise by declaring, “wickedness never was happiness” (verse 10). We cannot embrace wickedness and sin and suppose that we can enjoy happiness—it cannot be. In truth, we are restored to a state of happiness or misery when we are resurrected according to the degree of righteousness that we have obtained in this life.