Chapter 16
The Lamanites destroy
the people of Ammonihah—Zoram leads the Nephites to victory over the
Lamanites—Alma and Amulek and many others preach the word—They teach that after
His Resurrection Christ will appear to the Nephites. About 81–77 B.C.
1 And it came to pass
in the eleventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, on
the fifth day of the second month, there having been much peace in the land of
Zarahemla, there having been no wars nor contentions for a certain number of
years, even until the fifth day of the second month in the eleventh year, there
was a cry of war heard throughout the land.
2 For behold, the
armies of the Lamanites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the borders
of the land, even into the city of Ammonihah, and began to slay the people and
destroy the city.
3 And now it came to
pass, before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to drive them out of
the land, they had destroyed the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, and
also some around the borders of Noah, and taken others captive into the
wilderness.
4 Now it came to pass
that the Nephites were desirous to obtain those who had been carried away
captive into the wilderness.
5 Therefore, he that
had been appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites, (and his name
was Zoram, and he had two sons, Lehi and Aha)—now Zoram and his two sons,
knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had
the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know
whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of
their brethren, who had been taken captive by the Lamanites.
6 And it came to pass
that Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And Alma returned and
said unto them: Behold, the Lamanites will cross the river Sidon in the south
wilderness, away up beyond the borders of the land of Manti. And behold there
shall ye meet them, on the east of the river Sidon, and there the Lord will
deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites.
7 And it came to pass
that Zoram and his sons crossed over the river Sidon, with their armies, and
marched away beyond the borders of Manti into the south wilderness, which was
on the east side of the river Sidon.
8 And they came upon
the armies of the Lamanites, and the Lamanites were scattered and driven into
the wilderness; and they took their brethren who had been taken captive by the
Lamanites, and there was not one soul of them had been lost that were taken
captive. And they were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands.
9 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.
10 But behold, in one
day it was left desolate; and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and wild
beasts of the wilderness.
11 Nevertheless, after
many days their dead bodies were heaped up upon the face of the earth, and they
were covered with a shallow covering. And now so great was the scent thereof
that the people did not go in to possess the land of Ammonihah for many years.
And it was called Desolation of Nehors; for they were of the profession of
Nehor, who were slain; and their lands remained desolate.
12 And the Lamanites
did not come again to war against the Nephites until the fourteenth year of the
reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And thus for three years did the
people of Nephi have continual peace in all the land.
13 And Alma and Amulek
went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their
sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of
the Jews. (Alma 16:1-)
During the first part of the eleventh year of the reign of
the judges, thing had been peaceful for sometimes. That changed. The cry of war
was heard throughout the land.
The attack was unexpected. They could not raise an army to
defeat the Lamanite. The people and city was destroyed. They had been warned
this day would come. Alma told them, “I say unto you that if ye persist in your
wickedness that your days shall not be prolonged in the land, for the Lamanites
shall be sent upon you; and if ye repent not they shall come in a time when you
know not, and ye shall be visited with utter destruction; and it shall be
according to the fierce anger of the Lord” (Alma 9:18).
“Prior to the final Lamanite invasion that completely
destroyed the city, the wicked had turned against even their own blood by ‘cast[ing]
into the fire’ their innocent wives and children who had ‘believed or had been
taught to believe in the word of God’ (Alma 14:8). The consequences of
following the order of Nehor were that ‘every living soul of the Ammonihahites
was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not
destroy, because of its greatness’ (Alma 16:9).”[1]
After people had been taken as captives, the Nephites wanted
to bring back those taken. The chief captain, Zoram, planned to attack to
release their captives. Zoram, and his two sons, Lehi and Aha, went to Alma.
They knew he was the high priest of the church and heard he had the spirit of
prophesy.
The three went to Alma, asking him to inquire of the Lord. They
wanted the Lord’s assistance as they searched for the captives.
Alma inquired of the Lord. It was not unusual for a military
leader to ask the prophet for guidance. Captain Moroni asked Alma for guidance.
“But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the
wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp; and
Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him,
desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the
Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
“And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto
Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites
were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the
land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the
people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni” (Alma
43:23-24).
He told them where the Lamanites would enter into the south
wilderness. He was told to attack them east of the river Sidon. The Lord will
deliver those who had been taken captive.
Zoram followed Alma’s instructions.
They met the Lamanite armies. In the battle which followed,
the Lamanites were defeated and scattered into the wilderness. They freed those
who had been taken captive. All the captives were returned.
As the eleventh year ended, the Lamanites had been driven
out of the Land. Ammonihah had been destroyed. All in the city died. The words
of Alma came to pass. “But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that
I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto
himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the
people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts,
that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just;
and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and
cry mightily against them at the last day” (Alma 14:11).
This great city, which God could not destroy because it was
so great, was no more. It was destroyed in one day.
The dead had been covered with a shallow covering. The land
had become uninhabitable and stayed so for many years. Because the people were
of the order of Nehor, the land became known as the Desolation of Nehors.
[1] Conflicting
Orders: Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah, Thomas R. Valletta, Maxwell Institute
website.
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