In the third part of our Improvement Era mini-series, this week we feature the first part of Elder B.H. Roberts’s article on Corianton, the most troublesome of the sons of Alma the Younger. As with his previous article, Elder Roberts once again speaks to the youth of the Church. He also leaves them with the caution to not dismiss the words of the scriptures or the prophets because some deem them repetitive or "commonplace".

"Let not the youth of Zion who read these words allow such comments to rob the advice of Alma to Corianton of its beauty or its value."

Corianton is a prodigal son. His sins were serious, but they did not prevent his return to the fold of God. We are well-served when we apply Alma's method of counseling his repentent son. Elder Roberts does a tremendous job in bringing forth powerful lessons from these chapters, both in this article and in the one we will be featuring next week.

“However deep [Corianton's] transgression, he evidently did not become hardened in sin, nor lost to the blessed influence of repentance. But whether that repentance came about by discovering the hollowness of Isabel's protestations of love ... or whether the remembered sorrow of a distracted father, who was reviled by the Zoramites because of the waywardness of his son; the stoning of his brother Shiblon in the streets of the chief city of the Zoramites, and his subsequent imprisonment - whether it was one or the other of these series of facts, or both of them combined, that turned him from his evil course, or the wonderful and effectual working of the grace of God in response to the fervent prayers of a righteous father, that wrought the good thing, one may not know: but turn away from the evil course he did; and now our chief concern is to know what "commandments," that is, what counsels would a father give to such a son, just snatched as a brand from the burning."

In this episode of the Rare Possessions podcast, host Nick Galieti and BMC archivist Jared Riddick discuss their thoughts on this powerful article. Following that, Nick gives a reading of the piece. 

If you’re interested in reading the article, check it out on our Archive.

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