27 And Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he began to preach unto the people.
28 And it came to pass that the people did wax more gross in their iniquities.
29 And the word came to Alma, saying: Go; and also say unto my servant Amulek, go forth and prophesy unto this people, saying—Repent ye, for thus saith the Lord, except ye repent I will visit this people in mine anger; yea, and I will not turn my fierce anger away.
30 And Alma went forth, and also Amulek, among the people, to declare the words of God unto them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.
31 And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound in bands and cast into prison. Now, this was done that the Lord might show forth his power in them.
32 And it came to pass that they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them.
Alma 8:27-32 (Emphasis mine)
Finally, the time came for Alma(2) to go and preach to the people. But he was not to go alone. Amulek was to go with him. They went forth with the power of God behind them.
It was not possible to kill them; they couldn’t be jailed. Even though they had this protection, they only used it when they could show that they went forth with the power of the Lord. For example, they only time they exercised their power to keep from being confined in prisons was when there were thrown into prisons. Then they used their power and were released from confinement.
Thomas Valletta writes:
“After Alma's return to Ammonihah and while he was spiritually preparing Amulek, the people ‘did wax more gross in their iniquities’ (Alma 8:28). Again Alma ‘went forth,’ this time with Amulek, ‘to declare the words of God unto’ the wicked of Ammonihah (Alma 8:30). Filled with the Holy Ghost, Alma and Amulek preached and prophesied ‘according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them’ (Alma 8:32). Alma was the first to speak, but his spirit and power seemed not to influence the people. They reacted contentiously (see Alma 9:1).” [1] (Emphasis mine)
The words of Alma, and also the words of Amulek, which were declared unto the people who were in the land of Ammonihah. And also they are cast into prison, and delivered by the miraculous power of God which was in them, according to the record of Alma.
Comprising chapters 9 to 14 inclusive.
Chapter 9
Alma commands the people of Ammonihah to repent—The Lord will be merciful to the Lamanites in the last days—If the Nephites forsake the light, they shall be destroyed by the Lamanites—The Son of God soon cometh—He shall redeem those who repent and are baptized and have faith in his name. About 82 B.C.
We now return to Alma(2)’s account.
1 AND again, I, Alma, having been commanded of God that I should take Amulek and go forth and preach again unto this people, or the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass as I began to preach unto them, they began to contend with me, saying:
2 Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?
3 Now they understood not the words which they spake; for they knew not that the earth should pass away.
4 And they said also: We will not believe thy words if thou shouldst prophesy that this great city should be destroyed in one day.
Alma 9:1-4 (Emphasis mine)
Alma(2) began to preach and he was immediately challenged by the people of Ammonihah.
Who are you? Why should we believe the testimony of one man? Then they made it clear that the rejected his prophecy that Ammonihah would be destroyed in one day.
(Jump ahead to Alma 16:9-10: And thus ended the eleventh year of the judges, the Lamanites having been driven out of the land, and the people of Ammonihah were destroyed; yea, every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not destroy, because of its greatness. But behold, in one day it was left desolate; and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness. So much for their foresight.)
Hugh Nibley said:
“But first Alma was preaching to them. Was it the same old thing here? Well, it was different because they put up a fight. They argued back. They shouted back and forth. It turned out to be a shouting match. Alma began to preach to the people, and he said (chapter 9, verse 1): ‘As I began to preach unto them, they began to contend with me, saying … This is Alma's own record here; before it was [Mormon’s] record. They said, you have no clout—we don't know who you are … they said, ‘Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away? Now they understood not the words which they spake; for they knew not that the earth should pass away.’ They were pronouncing the doom on themselves. Their city was buried completely.” [2] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Conflicting Orders: Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah, Thomas R. Valletta, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 13, 2011.
[2] Lecture 47: Alma 5-10, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 13, 2011.
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