Alma’s Teachings to the Zoramites

Understanding Faith

Alma 32:21

Faith is not a perfect knowledge; the faithful hope for unseen—yet true—things.

And now as I said concerning faith— faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

Alma 32:22

God desires and is merciful to believers.

And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.

Alma 32:23

God imparts his word by angels to men, women, and children.

And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times which confound the wise and the learned.

Alma 32:24

Alma does not mean judge the poor by any untrue standard.

And now, my beloved brethren, as ye have desired to know of me what ye shall do because ye are afflicted and cast out—now I do not desire that ye should suppose that I mean to judge you only according to that which is true—

Alma 32:25

Not all the poor are compelled to humility; many among them would have been voluntarily humble even in other circumstances.

For I do not mean that ye all of you have been compelled to humble yourselves; for I verily believe that there are some among you who would humble themselves, let them be in whatsoever circumstances they might.

Alma 32:26

The truth of Alma’s words can not be known for sure at first, because faith is different than knowing.

Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

Alma 32:27

A desire to believe, or a particle of faith, can begin an experiment on Alma’s words.

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.