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Book of Mormon Commentary
Alma Chapter 8
Alma 8:74 I say unto you, Nay; thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than
him.
Lucre is a colloquial term for money or gain. It was used by Paul in writing to Titus (1:11), but is
seldom used today except as Paul qualified it: "filthy lucre." The adjective "lucrative" is in good
standing, however.
Amulek said, "Thou hast lied before God unto me" (75). He discerned that his promise to give him
six onties was not made in good faith. He had no intention of giving him the money.
Then Zeezrom asked, "Is there more than one God?" Amulek answered, "No" "Who is he that
shall come? Is it the Son of God?" Zeezrom asked. Amulek answered, "Yea." "Shall he save his
people in their sins?" Thus the questions and answers flew back and forth. The questions were
simple, negative, and some rather naive. But the lawyer was not trying to get information, just to
bait a trap that he might catch and imprison the preachers.
Alma 8:98 For behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be
judged according to their works.
Amulek was not diverted from his. purpose. He preached the doctrines of the gospel. "The spirit
and the body shall be reunited again, in its perfect form" (100). A significant phrase on the
judgment follows: "Having a bright recollection of all our guilt" (101). Tucked away in the
convolutions made by the brain cells, man is said to have a record of all his thoughts and deeds.
Hence Jesus said, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day
of judgment, (Matthew 12: 31).
Alma 8:107 Thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
Then Amulek ended his sermon to an astonished people. One of their fellow citizens had brought
to them an amazingly clear picture of their wickedness and of the end which awaited them. He
noticed that "Zeezrom began to tremble" (108),