Alma 24:1-10

Chapter 24

The Lamanites come against the people of God—The Anti-Nephi-Lehies rejoice in Christ and are visited by angels—They choose to suffer death rather than to defend themselves—More Lamanites are converted. About 90–77 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that the Amalekites and the Amulonites and the Lamanites who were in the land of Amulon, and also in the land of Helam, and who were in the land of Jerusalem, and in fine, in all the land round about, who had not been converted and had not taken upon them the name of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, were stirred up by the Amalekites and by the Amulonites to anger against their brethren.

2 And their hatred became exceedingly sore against them, even insomuch that they began to rebel against their king, insomuch that they would not that he should be their king; therefore, they took up arms against the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

3 Now the king conferred the kingdom upon his son, and he called his name Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

4 And the king died in that selfsame year that the Lamanites began to make preparations for war against the people of God.

5 Now when Ammon and his brethren and all those who had come up with him saw the preparations of the Lamanites to destroy their brethren, they came forth to the land of Midian, and there Ammon met all his brethren; and from thence they came to the land of Ishmael that they might hold a council with Lamoni and also with his brother Anti-Nephi-Lehi, what they should do to defend themselves against the Lamanites.

6 Now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not.

7 Now, these are the words which he said unto the people concerning the matter: I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us, and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.

8 And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts, that we have opened a correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites.

9 And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed.

10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

Alma 24:1-10

The Amalekites and Amulonites, after rejecting the gospel, became angry with those who did.  “Over time, people settled a ‘land of Amulon’ (Alma 24:1) in Lamanite territory, a place-name that must go back to the leader of the defrocked priests. One can reasonably assume that it was descendants and family members of these former officials who were among the prominent colonists who came to live in this area.”^[1]

These group began a rebellion against the king and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.  Lamoni’s father died and his son, renamed Anti-Nephi-Lehi, became king.  This is the state as they began arming for rebellion.

A council was called when Ammon and his brethren saw the preparations of the Lamanites for war.  “The travels of the sons of Mosiah₂ as teachers among the Lamanites confirm the small scale of the lands in and around Nephi. For example, the brothers all got together to confer about the problem of protecting their converts (see Alma 24:5), and all the believers lived close enough together that they departed from the land as one body (see Alma 27:14).”^[2]

They faced an important issue.  The Anti-Nephi-Lehies had covenanted not to take up arms, even in their own defense.  “Another military use of the oath in the Book of Mormon was the oath of peace sworn by the Lamanites Ammon and his brethren converted. Pursuant to this ritual, thousands of Lamanites took upon themselves a new name, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi (see Alma 23:17). When the unconverted Lamanites began preparations to kill these people, Ammon and his brethren held ‘a council with Lamoni and also with his brother Anti-Nephi-Lehi, what they should do to defend themselves against the Lamanites’ (Alma 24:5). None of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies ‘would take up arms against their brethren; ... yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not’ (Alma 24:6).”^[3]

The king, Anti-Nephi-Lehi, commanded his people not to take up arms.  He spoke to his people, expressing his gratitude the sons of Mosiah and their brethren came and taught his people the traditions of the fathers were wrong.[4]

They were convinced that "the traditions of [their] wicked fathers" were wrong (Alma 24:7). That meant Laman and Lemuel were wrong and Nephi was right, a deep and profound reversal of their whole identity as a people that required an upending of old values. Their acceptance of this new tradition went hand in hand with their acceptance of the gospel.^[5]

He expressed his gratitude to God His Spirit softened their hearts and they had opened a correspondence with the Nephites.^[6]  They have been convinced of their sins.^[7]  He then confessed they had committed many murders.  We know, for example, Lamoni had no problem executing servants who lost his flocks.^[8]

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[1] Marriage and Treaty in the Book of Mormon: The Case of the Abducted Lamanite Daughters, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute, accessed June 15, 2015.

[2] Mormon's Map – Distances and Directions, Maxwell Institute, accessed June 15, 2015.

[3]Warfare in the Book of Mormon – Law and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed June 15, 2015.

[4] “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct” (Mosiah 1:5).

[5] The Lamanite View of Book of Mormon History, Richard L. Bushman, Maxwell Institute, accessed June 15, 2015.

[6] “And they began to be a very industrious people; yea, and they were friendly with the Nephites; therefore, they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them” (Alma 23:18).

[7] “And by your hands I will work a marvelous work among the children of men, unto the convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father” (D&C 18:44).

[8] “Now the servants of the king began to murmur, saying: Now the king will slay us, as he has our brethren because their flocks were scattered by the wickedness of these men.  And they began to weep exceedingly, saying: Behold, our flocks are scattered already. Now they wept because of the fear of being slain” (Alma 17:28-29).