Alma 12:16 - 12:20

Alma 12:16 And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness.

There are two kinds of death. First death is the separation of the spirit from the body. The second death is separation of the individual from the spiritual environment.

Alma 12:17 Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will.

This separation of the individual from the spiritual environment is not a pleasant situation. Here the person will be in vivid detail all their evil acts and suffer the pangs of conscience for these acts. He will become subject to satan. One is either under the influence of God or satan. There is no middle ground, period. A person will either be directed by God or by satan. One or the other. There is no one else.

Alma 12:18 Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God’s justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption.

Those individuals who are subject to the death of the spirit, will have to suffer for their own sins. If they had repented, Christ would suffer for them. They will only be redeemed after they had paid in full for their unrepented acts. There is no escape from this. There is nowhere a person can hide to avoid the consequences or their actions. And they cannot cease to exist either. One cannot kill his own spirit like he can his physical body.

Alma 12:19 Now it came to pass that when Alma had made an end of speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished;

After Alma finished his sermon about the justice of God and the judgment day, the crowd was even more astonished.

Was it because they had no heard such things from their religious leaders, if they had any? Or were they now wondering about their situation in relation to God. Were they in trouble?

Alma 12:20 But there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them, came forth and said unto him: What is this that thou hast said, that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state, that the soul can never die?

Another person who was the chief ruler of the people of Ammonihah now came forward to ask these two prophets questions. His inquire was about the resurrection of the dead that Alma had spoken about.