Having finished preaching to the Zoramites, Alma and Amulek
left went to the land of Jershon. The
entire missionary party later joined them.
The Zoramites were not amused with what had been
taught. They feared what would happen if
people rejected their priestcraft. The
scriptures have numerous warnings about the evil of priestcraft.
“Feed [GR Tend, Superintend] the flock
of God which is among you, taking the oversight [GR overseeing, guarding,
watching] thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” (1 Peter 5:2).
“For the time speedily shall come
that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built
up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in
the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things
of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who
belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake;
they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed
as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet” (1 Nephi 22:23).
“But because of priestcrafts and
iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified”
(2 Nephi 10:5).
“[The Lord] commandeth that there
shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set
themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of
the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion” (2 Nephi 26:29).
“After describing the doctrines taught by Alma and Amulek,
Mormon indicates that these teachings angered the wealthy Zoramites because
they ‘destroy[ed] their craft’ (Alma 35:3). While Mormon never describes
precisely what the craft of the rich Zoramites was, Book of Mormon usage of the
word is always negative, referring to some type of deceptive skill or
manipulation, and is consistently connected with false teachings.”[1]
“After preaching, Alma and Amulek and the other missionaries
traveled to Jershon, where the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi lived. Their departure
should have made the ruling Zoramites happy: the offensive missionaries were
gone. However, the ‘more popular part of the Zoramites’ were angry because the
missionaries’ message ‘did destroy their craft’ (Alma 35:3). This may indicate
that the Zoramite belief system was somehow holding the poor in check, that the
teachings of Jesus Christ convinced the oppressed Zoramites of the error of the
belief system, and that they were no longer willing to buy into the system and
continue to serve the elite as they had done.”[2]
They gathered a group together to decide what to do. This was done behind closed doors. “[T]he Zoramites’
decision-making process was secretive, deciding policy not by public discussion
(the voice of the people) but by private fact-finding (see Alma 35:5).”[3]
A decision was
made. Those who accepted the words of
Alma and Amulek were cast out of polite society. Alma and his brethren comforted them.
“Mormon continues to build the Zoramite story line around
the metaphor of clothing. When their craft was destroyed by the teachings of
Alma, the richly dressed Zoramites chose to completely expel the poor from
their society (Alma 35:6) … The religious teachings of the rich allowed a
situation in which the poor did not have ready access to better clothing and
therefore could not worship in the synagogues that they had built. However,
when the poor were completely cast out of the community and should have found
themselves destitute, the people of Ammon exemplified the teachings of Alma
that true disciples should impart of their substance to the needy and provided
those poor with exactly that which they lacked.”[4]
The Zoramites were angry with the Ammonites. The ruler of the Zoramites, a wicked man,
sent people to tell the Ammonites they should cast out their poor. They attempted to “convince” them through
vile threats. This shows us they did not
know the Ammonites[5]
very well.
Ignoring the threats, the Ammonites welcomed the Zoramite
poor into their land. They took the
words of King Benjamin seriously. “And
now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the
sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk
guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor,
every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing
the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both
spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26).[6]
The book of Alma describes a group
of people who were forced to leave their homes and country for a new land,
where their fellow Christians “did receive all the poor … that came over unto
them; and they did nourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them
lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to
their wants.” (Alma 35:9.)
That spirit is still operative
among the people of the Church. For several years in the refugee camps in Asia,
young representatives of the Church have served special mission assignments
preparing those choice people to live in this country. An observer who felt the
special spirit with which they so selflessly worked wrote: “You people don’t have to
talk about your religion. Your values come through like a ton of bricks.”[7]
Seeing their threats were made in vain, the Zoramites became
angrier with the Ammonites. They began
to mix with the Lamanites. Their goal
was to get them to go to war against their enemy, the Ammonites.
“In Alma 35:10 Mormon declares that ‘the Zoramites … began
to mix with the Lamanites,’ after which they ‘began to make preparations for war
against the people of Ammon’ (Alma 35:11) because the Ammonites had chosen to
take in the poor Zoramites.”[8]
“[T]he Book of Mormon text makes it clear that the Zoramites
‘began to mix with the Lamanites and to stir them up also to anger’ and that ‘the
Zoramites and the Lamanites began to make preparations for war’" (Alma 35:
10-11). I would have expected to see arrows connecting Antionum with Lamanite
lands at this point.”[9]
The poor Zoramites had been given their own land. The Ammonites left the land of Jershon and
went to the Land of Melek.
Nephite armies moved into the Land of Jershon and began to
prepare for the battle with the Lamanites that was about to commence. At the end of this chapter, Alma will break
away from this account.[10]
Alma, Ammon, their brethren, and two of the sons[11]
of Alma returned to Zarahemla. They were
going to get ready to take up arms and defend themselves, their wives,
children, and land.
“The descent of the Zoramites into a union with the
Lamanites—a downward move providing evidence of the failure of their social
ideology— contrasts with the shift in the clothing of the poor Zoramites. As
has been mentioned, the poor were first blessed by the clothing they received
from the people of Ammon. In addition, Mormon had earlier recorded that the
poorly dressed Zoramites who came to Jershon took up arms to defend their newly
obtained lands (Alma 35:14) against the approaching threat of the Lamanites,
Zoramites, and Amalekites. Thus while the wealthy Zoramites were allied with
the nearly naked Lamanites in order to assuage their wounded pride and possibly
to regain power and support their material desires…”[12]
Alma was saddened by the wickedness of his people,[13]
their wars, contentions, and bloodshed.
The Zoramites hardened their hearts against the word of God. They were
offended because of the strict nature of God’s words.[14]
Alma decided to bring his sons together and give them
counsel and commandments.
Parents play an essential role in
helping their children to understand the things pertaining to righteousness. In
the Book of Mormon we find that Alma the Younger, being grieved because of the
iniquity, the wars, and the contentions that existed and distressed by the
hardness of heart of his people, “caused that his sons should be gathered
together, that he might give unto them every one his charge, separately, concerning
the things pertaining unto righteousness” (Alma 35:16; emphasis added).
It is interesting to notice that he
taught and gave his children their charge separately, adapting his instructions
to each son, according to that son’s needs. He bore testimony and taught them
doctrine and principles, preparing them to preach those same principles to
others.[15]
[1] The
Zoramites and Costly Apparel: Symbolism and Irony, Parrish Brady and Shon
Hopkin, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22/1
(2013):47.
[2] The
Zoramite Separation: A Sociological Perspective, Sherrie Mills Johnson, Journal
of Book of Mormon Studies 14/1 (2005):82.
[3] For
the Peace of the People: War and Democracy in the Book of Mormon, Ryan W.
Davis, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16/1 (2007):46.
[4] The
Zoramites and Costly Apparel: Symbolism and Iron, Parrish Brady and Shon
Hopkin, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22/1
(2013):47.
[5] “And
it came to pass that it did cause great joy among [the Anti-Nephi-Lehis]. And they went down into the land of Jershon,
and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the
Nephites the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name
ever after” (Alma 27:26).
[6] In
our dispensation, the Lord has given us the following command, “And whosoever
among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished
with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an
enemy” (D&C 42:43).
[8] The
Zoramites and Costly Apparel: Symbolism and Irony, Parrish Brady and Shon
Hopkin, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration, Scripture 22/1
(2013):47.
[9] Review
of A Detailed Chronology of the Book of
Mormon (1995), by Thomas O. Moore, Randall P. Spackman, FARMS Review of
Books 10/1 (1998):4.
[10]
Beginning with Alma 36, Mormon breaks away from this account and records Alma’s
words to his three sons. He resumes the
account of the upcoming war in Alma 43:3.
[11] “Now
the eldest of his sons he took not with him, and his name was Helaman; but the
names of those whom he took with him were Shiblon and Corianton; and these are
the names of those who went with him among the Zoramites, to preach unto them
the word” (Alma 31:7).
[12] The
Zoramites and Costly Apparel: Symbolism and Irony, Parrish Brady and Shon
Hopkin, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration, Scripture 22/1
(2013):48.
[13] “NOW
it came to pass that after the end of Korihor, Alma having received tidings
that the Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord, and that Zoram, who
was their leader, was leading the hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols,
his heart again began to sicken because of the iniquity of the people” (Alma 31:1).
[14] “AND
now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my
brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things,
more than we are able to bear. And it came to pass that I said unto them that I
knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth;
and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up
at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth
them to the very center. And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were
willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk
uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say:
Thou speakest hard things against us” (1 Nephi 16:1-3).
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