Alma's Preaching: An Ethos Analysis

In Alma 7, Alma addresses the inhabitants of Gideon. In the first six verses, he effectively portrays himself as one who is worth listening to because of his many accomplishments and as someone who has stayed humble even in the position of chief judge over the land. In verse two, he establishes his credibility in a way that is particularly effective for his audience of a more righteous group of people.

"And even I could not have come now at this time were it not that the judgment-seat hath been given to another, to reign in my stead; and the Lord in much mercy hath granted that I should come unto you. "

There was probably renown and authority associated with being the chief judge, and Alma could have noted that aspect about himself, but instead he says he was "wholly confined to the judgment-seat." By saying 'wholly confined,' he implies that he would have rather been doing something else, like speaking to the people, and that judgment-seat is not a particularly desirable position. Alma knew that preaching the gospel was more important than being chief judge, and guessed that the people of Gideon agreed with him, so he presented himself as one who knew the gospel rather than as the former chief judge.

In addition, Alma says several times how much he trusts that the people of Gideon are doing what is right. He identifies with the people by mentioning several things that they all would consider important if they are following Christ, especially in verses three and six. For example, “I trust...that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins.”

Alma also mentions “the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla,” referring to how the people of Zarahemla had strayed from the right paths. He addresses this audience and establishes his credibility somewhat differently. In Alma 5:3, he says, “I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things...” He stresses his responsibility as high priest without even mentioning his previous authority as chief judge, which is similar to the way he later addressed the people of Gideon. Even if the people of Zarahemla would have responded positively to being addressed by a former chief judge, perhaps Alma chose not to mention it because he planned to speak of things relating to the church and not the judgment-seat.

Alma is much less gentle than with the Gideonites, spending less time introducing himself and jumping right into exhorting the people to remember the many ways the Lord has delivered both them and their ancestors, temporally and spiritually. He asks them to ponder upon what they might think at the day of judgment.

“I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

"Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

"Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?”

(Alma 5:16-18)

I was interested to observe that even with the people of Zarahemla whom Alma spoke more harshly to, he still didn't try to use the worldly fame of the judgment-seat to get people to trust him.