Alma 15:1-19

Chapter 15

Alma and Amulek go to Sidom and establish a church—Alma heals Zeezrom, who joins the Church—Many are baptized and the Church prospers—Alma and Amulek go to Zarahemla. About 81 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that Alma and Amulek were commanded to depart out of that city; and they departed, and came out even into the land of Sidom; and behold, there they found all the people who had departed out of the land of Ammonihah, who had been cast out and stoned, because they believed in the words of Alma.

2 And they related unto them all that had happened unto their wives and children, and also concerning themselves, and of their power of deliverance.

3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity.  And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat.

4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.

5 And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and they found him upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him.

6 And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?

7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.

8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.

9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.

10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.

11 And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom.

12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people.

13 And Alma established a church in the land of Sidom, and consecrated priests and teachers in the land, to baptize unto the Lord whosoever were desirous to be baptized.

14 And it came to pass that they were many; for they did flock in from all the region round about Sidom, and were baptized.

15 But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard–hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins.

16 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;

17 Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great check, yea, seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to humble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction—

18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord.

19 And thus ended the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

Alma 15:1-19

Alma and Amulek were cast out of Ammonihah and went to the land of Sidom.  There, they found those who had been cast out earlier.[1] “You notice we get these forced separations of people, which are very important, especially in religious history. Ammonihah was going to be completely destroyed, but all the people who wanted to follow Alma and Amulek were driven out. They were forced to go out and settle elsewhere, and they did.”^[2]

They told them what had happen to their wives and children[3] as well as their miraculous delivery.

Zeezrom, having defended Alma and Amulek, was at Sidom, suffering from “a burning fever.”  This was caused by the distress he was experiencing because of his wickedness.  He assumed Alma and Amulek were dead because of his sin. 

Then, he heard Alma and Amulek not only lived, but were in Sidom.  He sent a message asking them to come to him.  They came directly to him.  When he saw them, he asked them to heal him.

Alma questioned Zeezrom.  Do you believe in Christ’s power to save, Alma asked. The Savior, talking to a father whose son was possessed by and evil spirit promised him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

Zeezrom responded he accepted all of Alma’s words.  Do you believe in the redemption of Christ?  Again, Zeezrom responded he believed all his words.

Alma then cried to the Lord asking him to have mercy on Zeezrom through his faith.  David wrote this about mercy, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about” (Psalms 32:10).

After Alma said those words, Zeezrom was healed.  He lept up and began walking, much to astonishment of the people.  The story of the healing of Zeezrom spread throughout the land. Zeezrom began preaching the gospel from the time forth.

Alma established a church in Sidom.  He followed his pattern from the past and consecrated priests and teachers to teach and baptize.[4] Many from the region flocked to hear the word of God and were baptized.

While experiencing success in the land of Sidom, the people of Ammonihah continued to reject Alma and Amulek’s words.  They attributed Alma’s power to the devil and not God.  They were like the Pharisees confronting Christ. “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? “And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?  therefore they shall be your judges” (Matthew 12:24-27).

Recall, Amulek was a pillar of the community.  “And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry” (Alma 10:4). Amulek paid a price for his faith.  He lost everything.  He was rejected by his friends, his father, and his kindred.  We can assume this brought with it a loss of his wealth.  Yet, Amulek never looked back.

Alma established the church in Sidom.  The people had humbled themselves and began to worship in their sanctuaries, paying to be delivered from Satan, death, and destruction.

Everything was going well, so they returned to Zarahemla.  Amulek, having nowhere to go, went home with Alma.

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[1] “And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God.  And he began to plead for them from that time forth; but they reviled him, saying: Art thou also possessed with the devil?  And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them” (Alma 14:7).

[2] Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2 – Lecture 50: Alma 14-17, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 5, 2015.

[3] “And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire” (Alma 14:8).

[4] Alma followed his father’s organization when he set up churches.  “And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 18:18); “And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church. Now this was done because there were so many people that they could not all be governed by one teacher; neither could they all hear the word of God in one assembly; Therefore they did assemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma” (Mosiah 25:19-21).