Alma’s Words to Antionah and the People

Priests After the Holy Order

Alma 13:1–2

The Lord ordained priests after the Son of God so that the people would know how to look forward to redemption.

And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people. And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

Alma 13:3

Priests were foreordained from the foundation of the world, and called because of their faith and goodness after being left to choose.

And this is the manner after which they were ordained— being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

Alma 13:4

Others reject the Spirit of God and harden their hearts, thereby becoming ineligible for this same calling.

And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.

Alma 13:5

Everyone started with the same standing, but only those who didn’t harden their hearts and lived in and through the atonement were called.

Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—

Alma 13:6

Those who are ordained are called to teach the commandments to the people, so they can enter into the rest of the God.

And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

Alma 13:7

This high priesthood is after the order of the Son of God, and was prepared according to the eternal knowledge of God.

This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—

Alma 13:8

Priests were called and ordained by a holy ordinance, thereby taking upon them the eternal priesthood.

Now they were ordained after this manner— being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—

Alma 13:9

Through this ordinance, they become high priests forever, after the order of the eternal Son of God, who is full of grace, equity, and truth.

Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

Alma 13:10

Faith, repentance, and righteousness accounted for those who were ordained to become high priests of God.

Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

Alma 13:11

Priests are called, sanctified, and purified.

Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

Alma 13:12

Having been sanctified and purified, priests abhorred sin and entered into the rest of the Lord.

Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.