What is Wickedness According to Alma?

As I read the Book of Mormon over and over again, I come up with new insights. Today, I was reading Alma 6. Here, in verse 3, we are told that those who did not repent of their wickedness were blotted out and not numbered among the righteous. Here's the verse in full:

And it also came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not
repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—I mean those who
were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their
names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the
righteous.

I asked myself, how does Alma define wickedness? What is his criteria? I went back a chapter and found where Alma was using the word 'wicked' or 'wickedness'.  Alma tells the people in Alma 5:56-57 the following:

And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent.

And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;

This particular group of members of the church in Zarahemla were behaving so bad that Alma chose to use the above words!  What in particular were some of these members doing that Alma called wicked? Do the scriptures actually say anything specific? I went back a few verses in Alma 5 to find out. Alma does get specific! Here's verses 53 - 55:

And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?

Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—

Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?

In verse 53, Alma asks the members whether they, after explaining their sins, will continue to avoid the issues at hand. As they 'lay aside these things', they 'trample the Holy One under their feet'. This must mean that there are certain things that a believer cannot do - things that are so contrary to true discipleship, that if you do them it's as if you trample the Holy One under your feet!  He then outlines what trampling the Holy One means:

1. Puffed up in the pride of your hearts
2. Wearing costly apparel
3. Setting their hearts on the vain things of the world
4. Setting their hearts on their riches
5. Supposing that they are better one than another
6. Persecuting their brethren (who humble themselves and walk after the holy order of God).

In item 6 of the outline above, Alma introduces another group of members.  The contrast is stark and real. This other group of members are bringing forth works which are meet for repentance.  They have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  They have caught the vision of what it means to be a saint.  The 'wicked' group can't grasp this happiness.  It looks foolish to them and they fight against it (persecute their brethren).

7. Turning their backs upon the poor, the needy and withholding their substance from them.

Alma calls these things 'persisting in your wickedness' in verse 56.  Is there a message for our day as members of Christ's true church.  I'll let you decide.

I changed my mind.  The message is obviously the same for our day.  One problem (that is really hard for us to see) is that when we are puffed up in pride we don't think we are (see Alma 26:21).  When we can afford really nice things (costly apparel being the metaphor), we don't think twice about how it effects our discipleship.  Are we laying aside the temporal doctrine of Christ?  When our goal is to obtain riches and get the things of the world, do we do it for the right reasons (see Jacob 2:19)?  If we have riches, do we quietly or not so quietly believe that somehow we are better than those who are struggling?  When these things are brought to our attention do we resist, discounting the person telling us of the doctrinal inconsistency that we might be living?  The resisters of the past would say 'away with him!  He has a devil!'  Do we inadvertently withhold our substance the poor and needy by having so much debt that we can barely give or by diverting our funds into whatever (investments or toys) so it's as if we are turning our backs upon them, walking by them and noticing them not (see Mormon 8:39)?  Could we be mocking the poor just by 'adorning ourselves with costly apparel (again, a metaphor)'?  As we 'lay these things aside' do we 'trample' the Savior under our feet?  To 'lay these things aside' means to not want to think about them.  It means to avoid these weightier matters and focus on other lighter things.

These are questions I have mostly for myself.  It takes time for me to shift my thinking to Book of Mormon thinking.  It feels like I am going against everything I was modeled and taught.   I remind myself that the ways of God are considered foolish to the natural man (see Alma 26:21)  and that gives me courage to persist in practicing my discipleship. The promise is happiness (see 2 Nephi 9:42-43).