Twice in the Book of Mormon individuals fall as if dead under the influence of the Spirit only to be raised by someone grasping their hand (see Alma 19:20-30 [Lamoni and his wife]; Alma 22:18-22 [Lamoni's father]). The following texts provide parallels to these two events:
Apocalypse
of Abraham (A) 10:1-6:
And it came to pass when I heard the
voice pronouncing such words to me that I looked this way and that. And behold
there was no breath of man. And my spirit was amazed, and my soul fled from me.
And I became like a stone, and fell face down upon the earth, for there was no
longer strength in me to stand up on the earth. And while I was still face down
on the ground, I heard the voice speaking, “Go, laoel of the same name, through
the mediation of my ineffable name, consecrate this man for me and strengthen
him against his trembling.” The angel he sent to me in the likeness of a man
came, and he took me by my right hand and stood me on my feet. And he said to
me, “Stand up, Abraham, friend of God who has loved you, let human trembling
not enfold you! For lo! I am sent to you to strengthen you and to bless you in
the name of God, creator of heavenly and earthly things, who has loved you.
1
Enoch 14:21-15:1
None of the angels was able to come in
and see the face of the Excellent and the Glorious One; and no one of the flesh
can see him—the flaming fire was round about him, and a great fire stood before
him. No one could come near unto him from among those that surrounded the tens
of millions (that stood) before him. He needed no council, but the most holy
ones who are near to him neither go far away at night nor move away from him.
Until then I was prostrate on my face covered and trembling. And the Lord called
me with his own mouth and said to me, “Come near to me, Enoch, and to my holy
Word.” And he lifted me up and brought me near to the gate, but I (continued)
to look down with my face.
But he raised me up and said to me
with his voice: "Enoch"." I (then) heard, "So not fear,
Enoch, righteous man, scribe of righteousness; come near to me and hear my
voice.
Eusebius,
Praeparatio Evangelica 9.27.22-26
He took courage and determined to lead
a hostile force against the Egyptians. But first he went to his brother Aaron.
The king of the Egyptians learned of Moses’ presence, summoned him and asked
for what purpose he had come. He responded that the master of the universe had
ordered him to release the Jews. When the king learned this, he confined him in
prison. But when night came, all the doors of the prison opened of themselves,
and some of the guards died, while others were relaxed by sleep and their weapons
were broken. Moses came out and went to the royal chambers. He found the doors
open and went in. There, since the guards were relaxed, he woke the king. The
latter was astonished at what had happened and bade Moses say the name of the
god who had sent him, mocking him. But he bent forward and pronounced it into
his ear. When the king heard it, he fell down speechless but revived when taken
hold of by Moses. He wrote the name on a tablet and sealed it, but one of the
priests who disparaged what was written on the tablet died with a convulsion.
The story bears resemblances to that
of Aaron and the king of the Lamanites found in Alma 22. Aaron had just been
delivered from prison when he came before the king (Alma 22:2), and it was
while learning about God that the king “was struck as if he were dead” (Alma
22:5-11, 15-18), after which Aaron “put forth his hand and raised the king from
the earth, and said unto him: Stand. And he stood upon his feet, receiving his
strength” (Alma 22:22). (John A. Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book: Insights
from a Book of Mormon Scholar [Salt Lake City: Cornerstone Publishing,
1999], 216)
2
Enoch 1:1-8
At that time he said, When 165 years
were complete for me, I fathered my son Methusala; and after that I lived 200
years.
I completed all the years of my life,
365 years. In the first month, on the assigned day of the first month, I was in
my house alone.
And I lay on my bed, sleeping. And,
while I slept, a great distress entered my heart, and I was weeping with my
eyes in a dream. And I could not figure out what this distress might be, |nor|
what might be
happening to me. Then two huge men
appeared to me, the like of which I had never seen on earth.
Their faces were like the shining sun;
their eyes were like burning lamps;
from their mouths fire was coming
forth;
their clothing was various singing;
their wings were more glistering than
gold;
their hands were whiter than snow.
And they stood at the head of my bed
and called me by my name.
Then I awoke from my sleep, and saw
those men, standing in front of me, in actuality. Then I bowed down to them;
and I was terrified; and the appearance of my face was changed because of fear.
Then those men said to me. “Be brave, Enoch! In truth, do not fear! The eternal
God has sent us to you. And behold, you will ascend with us to heaven today
LXX
Additions to Esther (KJV Esther 15:7-16)
Then having passed through all the doors, she stood before the
king, who sat upon his royal throne, and was clothed with all his robes of
majesty, all glittering with gold and precious stones; and he was very
dreadful. Then lifting up his countenance that shone with majesty, he looked
very fiercely upon her: and the queen fell down, and was pale, and fainted, and
bowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before her. Then God changed
the spirit of the king into mildness, who in a fear leaped from his throne, and
took her in his arms, till she came to herself again, and comforted her with
loving words and said unto her, Esther, what is the matter? I am thy brother,
be of good cheer: Thou shalt not die, though our commandment be general:
come near. And so be held up his golden sceptre, and laid it upon her neck, And
embraced her, and said, Speak unto me. Then said she unto him, I saw thee, my
lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy majesty.
For wonderful art thou, lord, and thy countenance is full of grace. And as she
was speaking, she fell down for faintness. Then the king was troubled, and all
his servants comforted her.
In addition to the resemblance to the
ritual embrace (which, in the eternal sense, is administered by the heavenly
king), the story may have a bearing on the custom mentioned in Alma 47:22-23,
in which people prostrate themselves before the king, who then puts forth his
hand to raise them. During the initiation of a master mason—a ceremony
traditionally based on biblical precedents—the candidate is placed on the floor
atop a cloth with the image of a coffin on it, to commemorate the death of
Hiram Abiff, chief architect of Solomon’s temple. He is then symbolically
raised from the dead on the five points of fellowship, which includes clasping
of the right hands. (Tvedtnes, The Most Correct Book, 218 n. 8)
4
Ezra 10:25-33:
While I was talking to her, behold,
her face suddenly shone exceedingly, and her countenance flashed like
lightning, so that I was too frightened to approach her, and my heart was
terrified. While I was wondering what this meant, behold, she suddenly uttered
a loud and fearful cry, so that the earth shook at the sound. And I looked, and
behold, the woman was no longer visible to me, but there was an established
city, and a place of huge foundations showed itself. Then I was afraid, and
cried with a loud voice and said, “Where is the angel Uriel, who came to me at
first? For it was he who brought me into this overpowering bewilderment; my end
has become corruption, and my prayer a reproach.”
As I was speaking these words, behold,
the angel who had come to me at first came to me, and he looked upon me; 3and
behold, I lay there like a corpse and I was deprived of my understanding. Then
he grasped my right hand and strengthened me and set me on my feet, and said to
me, “What is the matter with you? And why are you troubled? And why are your
understanding and the thoughts of your mind troubled?”
I said, “Because you have forsaken me!
I did as you directed, and went out into the field, and behold, I saw, and
still see, what I am unable to explain.”
He said to me, “Stand up like a man,
and I will instruct you.”
