Alma 33:2
2 And Alma said unto them: Behold, ye
have said that ye could not worship your God because ye are cast out of your
synagogues. But behold, I say unto you, if ye suppose that ye cannot worship
God, ye do greatly err, and ye ought to search the scriptures; if ye suppose
that they have taught you this, ye do not understand them.
Culture: Alma does not suggest that they move to a
land where the true religion is taught, although they eventually do (Alma
35:6). Such a development would have decreased the Zoramites’ economic base,
thus increasing the benefits to them of establishing a more cooperative relationship
with Zarahemla. However, Alma does not play this political card and explains in
detail that worship need not be associated with a location. Rather, he leaves
the possibility open that they can continue to enjoy the defense of Antionum
while disassociating themselves from the Zoramite religion. Perhaps at this
point Alma still holds out hope for rescuing the Zoramites for the Nephite
polity.
Alma expects that they are familiar
with scriptures and urges them “to search the scriptures.” It would be
surprising in the ancient world for farmers to be sufficiently literate to read
the scriptures, so Alma may actually mean that they should search their
memories for gospel teachings and be attentive to the few among them who have the
ability to read the scriptures to the larger group. (Brant A. Gardner, Second
Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6
vols. [Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2007], 4:466)
