Alma 41 - 43

Alma said to his Corianton -

"...Now, I unfold unto you a mystery...I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know—that is concerning the resurrection." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:3)

With this simple statement, Alma gives us some great insight how he came to learn so much about the mysteries of God. When Laman and Lemuel confessed that they did not understand the scriptures, Nephi asked -

"...Have ye inquired of the Lord?" (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 15:8)

Alma had already understood this concept for as he spoke to the Zoramites, he taught -

"...It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries..." (Book of Mormon Alma 12:9 - 11)

What is this mystery that Alma desired so much to understand? It is that

"...there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:9)

'...it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:11)

And -

"...the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:12)

But -

"...the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:13)

"Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:14)

"...there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:21)

And what is the resurrection?

"The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame." (Book of Mormon Alma 40:23)

I find the word "restore" to be very definitive. Alma again taught his son, Corianton -

"...that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself." (Book of Mormon Alma 41:2)

Because restoration is required by justice, the very meaning of restoration is to restore as it was. Alma said -

"...it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.
4 And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order..." (Book of Mormon Alma 41:3 - 4)

"...one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil..." (Book of Mormon Alma 41:5)

Do you suppose -

"...that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness?" (Book of Mormon Alma 41:10)

"...is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?" (Book of Mormon Alma 41:12)

No! The very -

"...meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful." (Book of Mormon Alma 41:13)

For -

"...wickedness never was happiness." (Book of Mormon Alma 41:10)

Therefore -

"...see that you are merciful...deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again." (Book of Mormon Alma 41:14)