25 But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?
26 For behold, have I testified against your law? Ye do not understand; ye say that I have spoken against your law; but I have not, but I have spoken in favor of your law, to your condemnation.
27 And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges.
Alma 10:25-27 (Emphasis mine)
Having been accused of speaking against their law, Amulek responds, Now wait a minute! Does Satan have such a hold on your hearts you can’t even understand the words I spoke?
He continues, saying to the people, You can’t understand what I’m saying. I haven’t spoken against you laws. To the contrary! I have spoken in favor of your law and you are condemned by your law. It backs what I have said. I speak against the wickedness of your judges and lawyers.
Hugh Nibley wrote:
“They would lay their legal traps, and if they failed to work, became righteously indignant. ‘This man doth revile against . . . our wise lawyers whom we have selected’ (Alma 10:24). ‘This man is a child of the devil, for . . . he hath spoken against our law. . . . And again, he has reviled against our lawyers, and our judges’ (Alma 10:28—29). Such men are dangerous enough on their own, but when their position becomes official (either in education or government) they have a powerful lever for achieving their aims by force, as Amulek observes: ‘the foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges’ (Alma 10:27).” [1] (Emphasis mine)
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (Emphasis mine)
45 ¶ Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Luke 11:45-46 (Emphasis mine)
28 And now it came to pass that when Amulek had spoken these words the people cried out against him, saying: Now we know that this man is a child of the devil, for he hath lied unto us; for he hath spoken against our law. And now he says that he has not spoken against it.
29 And again, he has reviled against our lawyers, and our judges.
30 And it came to pass that the lawyers put it into their hearts that they should remember these things against him.
31 And there was one among them whose name was Zeezrom. Now he was the foremost to accuse Amulek and Alma, he being one of the most expert among them, having much business to do among the people.
32 Now the object of these lawyers was to get gain; and they got gain according to their employ.
Alma 10:28-32 (Emphasis mine)
There are none so deaf as those who will not hear. They responded, You child of the devil, you have spoken against our law. What do you mean you haven’t? Once again, you have also spoken against our lawyers and judges.
Then, in verse 30 we read that it was the lawyers who were causing the problems. The lawyers were proving Amulek’s point, but they people didn’t pay attention to who was instigating the problems.
We have a new character enter our story. We meet Zeezrom, one of their leading lawyers. He’s not only a leading lawyer, but he’s the leading instigator. He steps up and he is ready to challenge Alma and Amulek.
Hugh Nibley had this to say about Zeezrom.
“There it is. [Zeezrom] had associations, he had connections, he was making a lot of money, etc.—the typical lawyer. Back in those days did they do it exactly as we are doing it today … Yes, they did … ancient rhetoric was the training of lawyers for the law schools and the legislative courts. They worked right together, but you had to be a lawyer… It was thoroughly corrupt, and it destroyed the ancient world. He says the same thing is going to destroy them here. But this Zeezrom was the most expert…” [2] (Emphasis mine)
[1] The Way of the "Intellectuals", Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 21, 2011.
[2] Lecture 48: Alma 10-12, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 21, 2011.
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