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Book of Mormon Commentary
Alma Chapter 10
THE PRIESTHOOD OF MELCHISEDEC, VER. 1-17
Alma 10:1 Now as I said concerning the holy order of this high priesthood: there were many who were
ordained and became high priests of God;
One significant sign 0£ the growth 0£ a branch or congregation is that it produces men 0£ the
caliber God wants £or the high priesthood, and these men will accept that call. For some time
Alma I was the only high priest in the church, But now in the days 0£ his son there were many
ordained.
These were men of “exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God" (2).
These were not ordinary men, but “were sanctified, and their garments were washed white,
through the blood of the lamb" (3).(See also Mosiah 1:113; Alma 16:236)
It may seem strange to some readers that this expression should be recorded some eighty-two
years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and that the sanctification wrought by "the blood of the
lamb" is spoken of in the past tense. However, faith is effective when it looks forward as well as
when it looks back to the cross. Thus Alma taught the people that priesthood was "prepared from
the foundation of the world. ..in and through the atonement of the only begotten Son, who was
prepared" (Alma 9:68) .
Alma 10:4 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;
Men whose spiritual garments have been made pure and spotless will not ignore or laugh at sin.
Alma said later, "The lord can not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance" (21: 18; see
also D. and C. 1:5f) .The difficult part of sainthood is to love the sinner without compromising
with his sinful ways. To put it even more tersely: to hate the sin without being intolerant of the
sinner.
Alma 10:7 Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchisedec, who was also a high
priest after this same order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood for ever.
This good man lived back in the days of Abraham (1900 B.C.), who "paid tithes to Melchisedec,"
"a king over the land of Salem" (Alma 10:11; Genesis 14:18-21). He "did establish peace in the
land" (Alma 10:13). "Therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem
[Jerusalem] ...none were greater" (14,15).
Such a person combining in himself the priestly and royal offices was afterward seen in the ideal
king of Israel, to whom, therefore, a priesthood "after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalms. 110:4.)
was ascribed”.
WARNING BY ANGELS: REPENT! VER. 18-32
Alma 10:18 And now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words unto them, he stretched
forth his hand unto them and cried with a mighty voice, saying, Now is the time to repent, for the day of
salvation draweth nigh;