Alma 45:18. Alma’s Disappearance

Alma 45:18. Alma’s Disappearance

The story of Alma’s disappearance (Alma 45:18) was borrowed from that of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6).

Enoch Zion MormonThe Book of Mormon already draws the parallel with Moses in the next verse (Alma 45:19. But he account in the Book of Mormon is much closer to that given in Flavius Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 4.8.48) and other ancient texts than to the Bible version, in that they have Moses being translated.[1]With the possible exception of Josephus, Joseph Smith would not have had access to these ancient texts, most of which were not even known to scholars of his day. The translation of Moses is paralleled by that of Enoch (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-12) and it is clear that the Lord works in the same way with those he has chosen to be taken in this manner.

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[1] Among these texts are 4 Ezra 14:3-5; Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, De Vita Mosis II , 51 [288]; Midrash Petirat Mosheh; Talmud (TB Sotah 13b; Baba Batra 17a); Midrash ha-Gadol Gedolot Mosheh; Midrash Bereshit Rabbati; Zot habberakhah 4:5; Sifre to Deuteronomy 357; Midrash Leqah Tob; Pesikta Rabbati 20:4; Zohar Genesis 37b, Exodus 88b-89a, 174a, Leviticus 59a; Samaritan Memar Marqah and Tibat Marqa 269a; St. Ambrose, On Cain and Abel 1.2.8; Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 1.23; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel According to John 124.2.