Alma
30 versículos
Resumen
Alma relata su conversión dramática de la rebelión a la fe, describe su sufrimiento, arrepentimiento y perdón por medio de Jesucristo, y exhorta a Helamán a confiar en Dios y guardar los mandamientos para prosperar.
Hijo mío, escucha mis palabras. Te prometo que mientras guardes los mandamientos de Dios, prosperarás en la tierra.
My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.
Quiero que hagas como yo he hecho, recordando el cautiverio de nuestros padres. Ellos estaban en esclavitud, y nadie podía liberarlos excepto el Dios de Abraham, el Dios de Isaac y el Dios de Jacob; y en verdad él los libró en sus aflicciones.
I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.
Ahora bien, hijo mío Helaman, todavía eres joven, así que te pido que escuches mis palabras y aprendas de mí. Yo sé que cualquiera que pone su confianza en Dios será sostenido en sus pruebas, dificultades y aflicciones, y será levantado en el día final.
And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.
No quiero que pienses que sé estas cosas por mí mismo—no desde una perspectiva mundana, sino espiritual; no por mi propio entendimiento, sino por Dios.
And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.
Te digo que, si no hubiera nacido de Dios, no habría conocido estas cosas; pero Dios me las ha dado a conocer por medio de su santo ángel, no por ningún mérito mío.
Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself.
Anduve con los hijos de Mosíah, tratando de destruir la iglesia de Dios, pero Dios envió a su santo ángel para detenernos en el camino.
For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way.
Nos habló con una voz como trueno, y toda la tierra tembló bajo nuestros pies; todos caímos al suelo porque teníamos miedo del Señor.
And behold, he spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet; and we all fell to the earth, for the fear of the Lord came upon us.
La voz me dijo: "Levántate." Me levanté y me puse de pie, y vi al ángel.
But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.
Él me dijo: "Si quieres destruirte a ti mismo, entonces sigue intentando destruir la iglesia de Dios."
And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God.
Caí al suelo, y durante tres días y tres noches no pude abrir la boca ni mover mis miembros.
And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs.
Y el ángel me habló de más cosas, las cuales mis hermanos escucharon, pero yo no las oí; porque cuando escuché las palabras: “Si quieres ser destruido, no busques más destruir la iglesia de Dios”, sentí tanto temor y asombro de que pudiera ser destruido, que caí al suelo y no escuché nada más.
And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.
Fui atormentado con un tormento sin fin, porque mi alma estaba profundamente angustiada y atormentada por todos mis pecados.
But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
Recordé todos mis pecados y malas acciones, y fui atormentado por los dolores del infierno. Vi que me había rebelado contra mi Dios y que no había guardado sus santos mandamientos.
Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
Yo había matado a muchos de sus hijos, o más bien los había llevado a la destrucción; y al final, mis pecados fueron tan grandes que solo el pensar en presentarme ante mi Dios llenaba mi alma de un horror indescriptible.
Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
Deseaba poder ser desterrado y dejar de existir, tanto mi alma como mi cuerpo, para no tener que presentarme ante ti, Dios, y ser juzgado por mis acciones.
Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
Durante tres días y tres noches fui atormentado con los dolores de un alma condenada.
And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
Mientras sufría en tormento, angustiado por el recuerdo de mis muchos pecados, recordé haber escuchado a mi padre profetizar al pueblo sobre la venida de Jesucristo, un Hijo de Dios, quien expiaría los pecados del mundo.
And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
En cuanto pensé en esto, clamé en mi corazón: "Oh Jesús, Hijo de Dios, ten misericordia de mí. Estoy lleno de amargura y rodeado por las cadenas interminables de la muerte."
Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
Y ahora, cuando pensé esto, ya no podía recordar mis dolores; ya no me atormentaba el recuerdo de mis pecados.
And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
¡Oh, cuánta alegría y luz maravillosa vi! Mi alma se llenó de gozo tan grande como lo había sido mi dolor.
And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
Te digo, hijo mío, que nada podría ser tan intenso y amargo como mi dolor. Y de nuevo te digo, hijo mío, que por otro lado, nada puede ser tan intenso y dulce como mi gozo.
Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
Yo pensé que vi, así como nuestro padre Lehi vio, a Dios sentado en su trono, rodeado de innumerables coros de ángeles, cantando y alabando a su Dios; y mi alma anhelaba estar allí.
Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.
Mis miembros recuperaron su fuerza, me puse de pie y mostré a la gente que había nacido de Dios.
But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.
Y desde ese momento hasta ahora, he trabajado incansablemente para ayudar a que las almas se arrepientan, para que puedan experimentar el gran gozo que yo sentí, para que también puedan nacer de Dios y ser llenas del Espíritu Santo.
Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Y ahora, hijo mío, el Señor me da un gozo sumamente grande por los frutos de mi labor.
Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
Por la palabra que me has dado, muchos han nacido de Dios y han experimentado lo que yo he experimentado, y han visto como yo he visto. Así que ellos saben estas cosas de las que he hablado, tal como yo las sé, y el conocimiento que tengo viene de Dios.
For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.
He sido sostenido en pruebas y dificultades de toda clase, y en todo tipo de aflicciones. Dios me ha librado de la prisión, del cautiverio y de la muerte. Yo confío en él, y él seguirá librándome.
And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.
Y yo sé que tú me levantarás en el día postrero para vivir contigo en gloria, y te alabaré para siempre, porque sacaste a nuestros padres de Egipto y destruiste a los egipcios en el Mar Rojo. Los guiaste con tu poder a la tierra prometida, y los has librado de la esclavitud y el cautiverio muchas veces.
And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.
Él también sacó a nuestros antepasados de la tierra de Jerusalén, y por su poder eterno los ha librado de la esclavitud y el cautiverio, una y otra vez, hasta el día de hoy. Yo siempre he recordado su cautiverio, y tú deberías recordarlo como yo lo he hecho.
Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.
Hijo mío, esto no es todo; debes saber, como yo sé, que mientras guardes los mandamientos de Dios, prosperarás en la tierra. También debes saber que si no guardas los mandamientos de Dios, serás apartado de su presencia. Esto es lo que él ha dicho.
But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.