Alma 30:9-17

9 Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him.

10 But if he murdered he was punished unto death; and if he robbed he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.

11 For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds.

12 And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying:

13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

14 Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.

15 How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.

16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so.

17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime. (Alma 30:9-17)

We need to choose whom we will serve. The Nephites believed if one desired to serve God, it was a privilege to serve Him. Should one not believe in God, no law would punish that person.

Nephite law punished those who committed crimes. The murderer was sentenced to death. A thief was punished. All wickedness violated the law and the person violating the law was punished.

The law only allowed them to be punished for their crimes. There were no laws against anyone’s personal beliefs. All men were treated equally. Mosiah had ensured there were laws treating people equally.

“And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men” (Mosiah 27:3).

Mosiah desired “this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land” (Mosiah 29:32).

Korihor was the Anti-Christ. “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 1:7).

He went around preaching there would be no Christ. The law could do nothing as he was preaching his belief.

Korihor told them they were “bound down under a foolish and a vain hope.” He told them they had foolish beliefs. He made it clear no one can know what will happen in the future. He could well have been quoting the words of Sherem, the first Anti-Christ. “And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto [Jacob] that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come” (Jacob 7:7).

“[Korihor] argued that since the future is outside the realm of human experience, it is unknowable, and to believe in something that cannot be tested empirically is to embrace a vain and foolish hope.”[1]

Korihor told them what they call prophecies are nothing more than the foolish traditions of their fathers.

There is no way they could know about things which they could not see. Once again, this is not an unusual argument made by the non-believer. Some Nephites rejected Samuel, the Lamanites, prophecies, claiming, “[W]e know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true” (Helaman 16:20).

“And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not” (Ether 12:5).

We see this today. “The problem with scholarly religion, religion that has been carefully trimmed so that it conflicts with no empirical data, is that it inevitably makes scholarship the religion. And that is what is proposed here. Indeed, what if anything will we be able to keep of religious belief once we agree to be led by the scholars instead of the prophets? In the Church of the Scholars religion can make no claim unsupported by or contradicted by empirical evidence (‘ye cannot know of things which ye do not see,’ Alma 30:15).” (emphasis in original)[2]

Korihor claimed their beliefs were the result “frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so” (Alma 30:16).

He told them there couldn’t be an atonement and we were on our own. Everything we do and accomplish is because of our own abilities, nothing more.

Solomon warned against this philosophy. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25).

Nephi taught…

“And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

“Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.

“Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.

“And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 28:5-8).

“Selfishness is actually the detonator of all the cardinal sins. It is the hammer for the breaking of the Ten Commandments … No wonder the selfish individual is often willing to break a covenant in order to fix an appetite. No wonder those who will later comprise the telestial kingdom, after they have paid a price, were once unrepentant adulterers, whoremongers, and those who both loved and made lies. Some of the selfish wrongly believe that there is no divine law anyway, so there is no sin (see 2 Ne. 2:13). Situational ethics are thus made to order for the selfish. So in the management of self, one can conquer by his genius and strength, because there really is no crime whatsoever (see Alma 30:17).”[3]

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[1] Painting Out the Messiah: The Theologies of Dissidents, John L. Clark, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11/1 (2002): 23.

[2] Review of Dan Vogel, ed., The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1990, reviewed by Stephen E. Robinson, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] “Repent of [Our] Selfishness” (D&C 56:8), Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 1999 General Conference.

Alma 30:1-8

Chapter 30

Korihor, the anti-Christ, ridicules Christ, the Atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ—Alma testifies that Christ will come and that all things denote there is a God—Korihor demands a sign and is struck dumb—The devil had appeared to Korihor as an angel and taught him what to say—Korihor is trodden down and dies. About 76–74 B.C.

1 Behold, now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were driven out of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land—

2 Now their dead were not numbered because of the greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered—but it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of fasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land.

3 Yea, and the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to keep the law of Moses until it should be fulfilled.

4 And thus the people did have no disturbance in all the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

5 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace.

6 But it came to pass in the latter end of the seventeenth year, there came a man into the land of Zarahemla, and he was Anti-Christ, for he began to preach unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ.

7 Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.

8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve. (Alma 30:1-8).

The Ammonites have settled the land of Jershon. “And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. 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).

The Lamanites had been driven out of the land and back to their own lands, but at a high price. Many were slaughtered by the Lamanites and they were buried.

“And thus there was a tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem; yea, and tens of thousands of the Lamanites were slain and scattered abroad.

“Yea, and also there was a tremendous slaughter among the people of Nephi; nevertheless, the Lamanites were driven and scattered, and the people of Nephi returned again to their land” (Alma 28:2-3).

So many had died on both sides, they were not able to count the dead. After they buried their dead, there was days of fasting. “And now surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time of solemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer” (Alma 28:6).

It was also a time to mourn the dead. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven … a time to weep  and … a time to mourn” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4).

“And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn.

“Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity” (Mosiah 7:23-24).

After this battle, it was a time of peace.

The people kept the commandments and observed the ordinance of the law of Moses. The Nephites were taught to keep the law of Moses until it was fulfilled.

“And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled…

“And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled which was given unto Moses” (2 Nephi 25:24, 30).

There were no disturbances in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges. This continued through most of the seventeenth year.

Towards the end of the seventeenth year, a man came into the land and was Anti-Christ. He preached against the prophecies spoken of the by the prophets concerning Christ’s coming.

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22).

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 1:7).

The Nephites allowed freedom of speech and religion “for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds” (Alma 30:7).

We are told in the scriptures to choose whom we serve. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Alma 29:9-17

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

11 Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage.

12 Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage.

13 Yea, and that same God did establish his church among them; yea, and that same God hath called me by a holy calling, to preach the word unto this people, and hath given me much success, in the which my joy is full.

14 But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi.

15 Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!

16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.

17 And now may God grant unto these, my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him forever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen. (Alma 29:9-17)

Alma continues.

Alma glories in the things which the Lord commanded him. Like Ammon, he does not glory in himself, but he glories in what the Lord commanded him to do. “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever” (Alma 26:12).

He is, perhaps, and instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring souls to repentance. This what is responsible for his joy.

“Joy cometh in the morning to those who have earned the night’s rest of a laborer. One of life’s sweetest returns is the privilege of rendering significant service of worth to others. To be able to do for fellow human beings something they could not do for themselves brings matchless satisfaction. Years of preparation are worth it. And joy is derived in Church service. Alma so expressed this thought: ‘That perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance … is my joy’ (Alma 29:9).”[1]

When he sees those who have truly repented and come to the Lord, his soul is filled with joy. He remembers what the Lord did for him. “And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith” (Mosiah 27:14).

He remembers the merciful arm which he extended towards him.

He remembers the captivity of his fathers. He knows the Lord delivered them from bondage and established His church. “I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions” (Alma 36:2).

He remembers the captivity of his fathers and how the Lord delivered them from the bondage of the Egyptians. “For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Micah 6:4).

He also remembered how his father and his people were freed from Lamanite bondage.

“And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also.

“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell” (Alma 5:5-6).

God had given him his holy calling to preach the word of God to his people and he found much success. This is why his joy is full. “I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon” (Alma 5:3).

His joy is even more full because of the success of the sons of Mosiah and their brethren while on their mission to the Lamanites. They have brought forth much fruit and will receive a great reward.

Alma prays God will grant to his brethren they might sit in the kingdom of God and those who are the fruit of the labors may praise God forever. “[M]ay God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken” (Alma 29:17).

“One can have the perspective of Alma: He always remembers the captivity and deliverance of his fathers, he rejoices in the present repentance of many of his brethren, and he looks forward to bringing some soul to repentance, with the hope that his redeemed brethren will enter the timeless state of the heavenly kingdom of God to ‘go no more out’ (Alma 29:17: cf. 1-17).”[2]

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[1] “Joy Cometh in the Morning,” President Russell M. Nelson, October 1986 General Conference.

[2] The Book of Mormon, Designed for Our Day, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute website.

Alma 29:5-8

5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.

6 Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?

7 Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?

8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. (Alma 29:5-14)

Alma₂ continues.

Good and evil have come before all. The person who does not know good from evil will stand blameless before God. It is difference for those who know good from evil.

“And because [the devil] had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.

“And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given” (2 Nephi 2:18, 26).

“For [the wicked] are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil” (Mosiah 16:3).

“For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

“For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

“But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

“And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.

“Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ” (Moroni 7:15-19).

This person will be judged according to whether he choose good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience. “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live” (Job 27:6-23).

“The Book of Mormon indicates that not all have a capacity of knowing right and wrong. Alma the Younger observes that while ‘good and evil have come before all men[,] he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless’ (Alma 29:5).”[1]

“As we honestly confess our sins, restore what we can to the offended, and forsake our sins by keeping the commandments, we are in the process of receiving forgiveness. With time, we will feel the anguish of our sorrow subside, taking ‘away the guilt from our hearts’ and bringing ‘peace of conscience.’”[2]

Knowing what he knows, why, he asks, should desire to do more? Why does he want to be an angel and speak to all the earth?

“[W]e serve as each other’s clinical material in the particular sample of humanity constituting ‘what is allotted unto [us].’ The sample may shrink or swell, but most important is what we are and what we do within those varied allocations and in the particular ‘work to which [we] have been called’ (Alma 29:6).”[3]

The Lord grants all nations be taught in their language and tongue. “But now hold your peace; study my word which hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation, and then shall all things be added thereto” (D&C 11:22).

He will teach them all He sees fit they should have. “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).

“God not only is viewed as an active participant in human affairs, but his influence extends to all people (see Alma 29:8). God, from the point of Nephi’s revelatory experience, plays a major role in the destinies of all nations.”[4]

“For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it” (2 Nephi 29:12).

“Similarities between the revealed gospel of Jesus Christ and various facets of non-Christian religions create no problems for Latter-day Saints. In general, we believe that the gospel was taught to Adam and his posterity and that remnants of the gospel have survived in all religions. We also believe that, from time to time, ‘the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have’ (Alma 29:8). Therefore we expect to find tenets of the truth in all religions and would be disappointed or surprised if there were none.”[5]

He will teach them in their nations and tongues. “For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ” (D&C 90:11).

He will see they receive His counsel in wisdom, which is just and true.

“And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

“And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

“And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell” (Alma 12:9-11).

“Christianity did not begin with Jesus’ mortal Messiahship in the meridian of time in Jerusalem! The diffusion which followed Adam naturally resulted in some similarities in various religions. Therefore, as President Joseph F. Smith declared, we find ‘relics of Christianity’ which ‘date back … beyond the flood, independent of … the Bible.’ (Journal of Discourses, 15:325.) Latter-day Saints are therefore unsurprised but instead are enriched whenever discoveries are made which show how the Lord grants ‘unto all nations’ to teach a portion of ‘his word.’ (Alma 29:8.)”[6]

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[1] Redeeming the Dead: Tender Mercies, Turning of Hearts, and Restoration of Authority, David L. Paulsen, Kendel J. Christensen, and Martin Pulido, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20/1 (2011): footnote 56, pgs 48-49.

[2] “Repent … That I May Heal You,” Elder Neil L. Andersen, October 2009 General Conference.

[3] Content with the Things Allotted unto Us, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 2000 General Conference.

[4] God in History? Nephi’s Answer, Roy A. Prete, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14/2 (2005): 36

[5] Aaron's Golden Calf, Paul Y. Hoskisson, Maxwell Institute website.

[6] “My Servant Joseph,” Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 1992 General Conference.

Alma 29:1-4

Chapter 29

Alma desires to cry repentance with angelic zeal—The Lord grants teachers for all nations—Alma glories in the Lord’s work and in the success of Ammon and his brethren. About 76 B.C.

1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. (Alma 29:1-4)

In Alma 26, Mormon stopped his narrative to share with us Ammon’s words as he glories in the Lord. Mormon again stopped his narrative to share with us Alma’s Lament.

Alma wishes he were an angel. He would go forth and “speak with the trump of God” (Alma 29:1). “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (HEB ram’s horn), and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

“Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump” (D&C 29:4).

He desired to cry repentance and teach the plan of redemption with a voice of thunder. He would call on them to repent and come to the Lord.

Amaleki had this same desire. Writing about the plates described them as “exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil.

“And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:25-26).

“Alma wanted to declare repentance and the plan of redemption to all mankind so that there might be no more human sorrow. Yet Alma’s contentment rested on the reality that God finally allots to us according to our wills. What could be more fair?”[1]

Alma considers his wish a sin. He should be content with what they Lord has given him.

“[B]ecoming content with his calling, Alma then meekly hoped to be an instrument to help save some soul (see Alma 29:9). A significant spiritual journey is thus reflected in but nine soliloquy-like verses. The same contentment awaits us if our own desires can be worked through and aligned.”[2]

Alma must put aside his desires for the firm decrees of God. He will grant us our desires whether our desires lead to death or life “Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips” (Psalm 21:2).

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

What he gives man is according to their will, whether they lead to salvation or destruction.

“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).

“Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23).

“Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good” (Alma 12:31).

“The prophet Alma had a great desire to cry repentance to all people, but he came to understand that he should not desire the compelling power this would require because, he concluded, ‘a just God … granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life’(Alma 29:4). Similarly, in modern revelation the Lord declares that He ‘will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:9).’”[3]

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[1] Content with the Things Allotted unto Us, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 2000 General Conference.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Desire, President Dallin H. Oaks, April 2011 General Conference.

Alma 28:1-14

Chapter 28

The Lamanites are defeated in a tremendous battle—Tens of thousands are slain—The wicked are consigned to a state of endless woe; the righteous attain a never-ending happiness. About 77–76 B.C.

1 And now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, and a church also established in the land of Jershon, and the armies of the Nephites were set round about the land of Jershon, yea, in all the borders round about the land of Zarahemla; behold the armies of the Lamanites had followed their brethren into the wilderness.

2 And thus there was a tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem; yea, and tens of thousands of the Lamanites were slain and scattered abroad.

3 Yea, and also there was a tremendous slaughter among the people of Nephi; nevertheless, the Lamanites were driven and scattered, and the people of Nephi returned again to their land.

4 And now this was a time that there was a great mourning and lamentation heard throughout all the land, among all the people of Nephi—

5 Yea, the cry of widows mourning for their husbands, and also of fathers mourning for their sons, and the daughter for the brother, yea, the brother for the father; and thus the cry of mourning was heard among all of them, mourning for their kindred who had been slain.

6 And now surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time of solemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer.

7 And thus endeth the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi;

8 And this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy, and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon. And now may the Lord, the Redeemer of all men, bless their souls forever.

9 And this is the account of the wars and contentions among the Nephites, and also the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites; and the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges is ended.

10 And from the first year to the fifteenth has brought to pass the destruction of many thousand lives; yea, it has brought to pass an awful scene of bloodshed.

11 And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo.

12 While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness.

13 And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.

14 And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life. (Alma 28:1-14)

The Ammonites have settled in the land of Jershon. There, they established a church. Nephite armies were sent to the area to protect them; however, Lamanite armies had followed the Ammonites.

The battle which broke out was the worst since Lehi’s party arrived in the new world. Tens of thousands Lamanites were either killed or scattered.

The Nephites also experienced great losses. In the end, they successful drove and scattered the Lamanites. The army, having completed its task, returned to their land.

There was mourning throughout the land because of the number of Nephite dead. Wives mourned their husbands; fathers mourned their sons; daughters mourned their brothers. The mourning was heard throughout all the land because of the large number of deaths among the Nephite warriors.

The account [IE the account covered in Alma 17–28] of the missionary service of Ammon and his brethren end here. They suffered afflictions. They experience joy because the Nephites agreed to defend the Ammonites.

The battle came at the end of the fourteenth year of the reign of judges.

The reign of the judges entered their fifteenth year [IE the account covered in Alma 1-28]. During that time, many thousand died. During that time, thousands had died.

Many had been buried, but thousands of bodies were heaped together. “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” (Alma 16:11).

Thousands mourned the loss of family and friends. “[T]hey have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo” (Alma 28:11). “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection” (D&C 42:45).

Many thousands also mourn the loss of their friends and loved ones; however, they rejoice knowing they were righteous people and “are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness” (Alma 28:12).

There is inequality because of sin, transgression, and the power of devil. “Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, [the Jews] had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it” (1 Nephi 17:35).

He has developed many plans to enslave the hearts of men. “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28)

Men are called to labor in the Lord’s vineyards. Because of choices made, there are reasons for both sorrow and rejoicing. Sorrow becomes because of death and destruction. Joy comes through the light of Christ.

Alma 27:21-30

21 And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people concerning the admitting their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

23 And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness.

24 And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies.

25 Now, it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him, into the wilderness, where they had pitched their tents, and made known unto them all these things. And Alma also related unto them his conversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren.

26 And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. 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.

27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.

28 And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.

29 Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them.

30 And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord. (Alma 27:21-30).

Alma, having brought Ammon and his brethren to Zarahemla, went to the chief judge with the proposal the Anti-Nephi-Lehies be allowed to settle in the land.

In response, the chief judge sent out a proclamation to the people asking them if they would accept the Anti-Nephi-Lehies settling in their land.

“Yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites towards their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up arms, yea, they had entered into a covenant and they would not break it—therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites they would be destroyed.

“And the Nephites would not suffer that they should be destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance” (Alma 43:11-12).

The response the chief judge received was they were willing to give them the land of Jershon as their land.

It was also decided the armies would be placed between the land of Jershon (where the Anti-Nephi-Lehies would settle) and the land of Nephi. He acknowledge the reason why they would not take up arms against an army for fear of committing sin.

In return for protecting, them, they were expected to help pay for the cost of maintaining the army. “And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites a large portion of their substance to support their armies; and thus the Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstand against the Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, and all those who had dissented from the Nephites, who were Amalekites and Zoramites, and the descendants of the priests of Noah” (Alma 43:13).

Ammon and Alma returned to them. He told them about the agreement. Alma also took the opportunity to relate the conversion he and the sons of Mosiah experience.

They were overjoyed with the news. They took possession of the land given them. From this time forth, the Nephites called them the people of Ammon or the Ammonites.

27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.

They were part of the Nephites and numbered among those who were of the church of God. they were recognized for their zeal and faith in God. They were honest and firm in their faith. “And Ammon did preach unto the people of king Lamoni; and it came to pass that he did teach them all things concerning things pertaining to righteousness. And he did exhort them daily, with all diligence; and they gave heed unto his word, and they were zealous for keeping the commandments of God” (Alma 21:23).

“And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away” (Alma 23:6).

The loathed the idea of shedding blood once again. They would never again take up arms. Their “their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it” (Alma 27:28).

They had shown they would rather die than take up weapons of war.

“Now when the people saw that they were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.

“And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God” (Alma 24:21-22).

“And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord” (Alma 27:30).

Alma 27:1-20

Chapter 27

The Lord commands Ammon to lead the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety—Upon meeting Alma, Ammon’s joy exhausts his strength—The Nephites give the Anti-Nephi-Lehies the land of Jershon—They are called the people of Ammon. About 90–77 B.C.

1 Now it came to pass that when those Lamanites who had gone to war against the Nephites had found, after their many struggles to destroy them, that it was in vain to seek their destruction, they returned again to the land of Nephi.

2 And it came to pass that the Amalekites, because of their loss, were exceedingly angry. And when they saw that they could not seek revenge from the Nephites, they began to stir up the people in anger against their brethren, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi; therefore they began again to destroy them.

3 Now this people again refused to take their arms, and they suffered themselves to be slain according to the desires of their enemies.

4 Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved them—for they were treated as though they were angels sent from God to save them from everlasting destruction—therefore, when Ammon and his brethren saw this great work of destruction, they were moved with compassion, and they said unto the king:

5 Let us gather together this people of the Lord, and let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed.

6 But the king said unto them: Behold, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them.

7 And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?

8 And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren, and we will be their slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them.

9 But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any slaves among them; therefore let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren.

10 But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the land.

11 And it came to pass that Ammon went and inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said unto him:

12 Get this people out of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will preserve them.

13 And now it came to pass that Ammon went and told the king all the words which the Lord had said unto him.

14 And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land.

15 And it came to pass that Ammon said unto them: Behold, I and my brethren will go forth into the land of Zarahemla, and ye shall remain here until we return; and we will try the hearts of our brethren, whether they will that ye shall come into their land.

16 And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting.

17 Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

18 Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.

19 Now the joy of Alma in meeting his brethren was truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; but behold their joy was not that to exceed their strength.

20 And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his own house. And they went and told the chief judge all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites. (Alma 27:1-20)

We return to the account of the mission efforts of the sons of Mosiah and their brethren.

After killing a thousand of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, the Lamanites attacked the Nephites.

“And behold, now it came to pass that those Lamanites were more angry because they had slain their brethren; therefore they swore vengeance upon the Nephites; and they did no more attempt to slay the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi at that time.

“But they took their armies and went over into the borders of the land of Zarahemla, and fell upon the people who were in the land of Ammonihah and destroyed them.

“And after that, they had many battles with the Nephites, in the which they were driven and slain”

(Alma 25:1-3).

After their defeats, they ended the war and returned to the land of Nephi.

The Amalekites were angry over their defeat by the Nephites. They began to stir up people against the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and once again attacked them. “Yea, and [the Nephites] also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites towards their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up arms, yea, they had entered into a covenant and they would not break it—therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites they would be destroyed” (Alma 43:11).

Once again, they refused to take up arms to defend themselves and allowed themselves to be slain by their enemies. “Now when the people saw that they were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword” (Alma 24:21).

“Seeing the carnage, Ammon spoke to the king. He proposed they take the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi and go to Zarahemla. The king was hesitant. He feared they Nephites would kill them because of the wars with the Lamanites. “Not only was there a five-hundred-year history of Lamanite-Nephite distrust and animosity, but just three years prior to their arrival, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had indirectly caused the annihilation of an entire Nephite city.”[1]

Seeing the problem, Ammon took Nephi’s advice to Laman and Lemuel. “And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord” (1 Nephi 15:8). He asked if the Lord tells them to go to the land of Zarahemla, will they go?

The king agreed to go to the land of Zarahemla. They offered to be their slaves until they could repair the sins which they had committed against the Nephites.

Ammon told him slavery was against King Mosiah’s law. They should rely on the mercies of the Nephites.

The king again asked Ammon to ask the Lord. If he says we must go, they would go. If not, they would remain and were willing die.

Ammon inquired of the Lord. The Lord commanded Ammon to get the people out of this land. Satan had a hold on the Amalkites. They are the ones who got the other Lamanites to attack the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. The Lord would preserve them.

Ammon told the king what the Lord commanded. They gathered the people together along with the flocks and herds. They traveled through the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from Zarahemla.

Ammon and his brethren went ahead of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. They wanted to see how the Nephites would react to Lamanites settling in their land.

As Ammon returned to the land, he met Alma. “And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the land of Gideon southward, away to the land of Manti, behold, to his astonishment, he met with the sons of Mosiah journeying towards the land of Zarahemla” (Alma 17:1).

“Ammon appears to have fallen to the earth more than any other individual in the Book of Mormon. His initial conversion experience occurred when the angel rebuked him and his brothers along with Alma (Mosiah 27:12). As discussed above, he fell to the earth again when King Lamoni and his wife were converted (Alma 19:14) and once more when he was overcome with joy as he and his brothers chanced upon Alma in the wilderness (Alma 27:17). In his Mesoamerican context, Ammon’s experiences—rather than being viewed as a sign of physical weakness or perhaps a case of spiritual hypersensitivity—would actually have imbued him with more spiritual potency as a holy man. Among the modern Tzotzil Maya of Chamula, for example, ‘the ability to cure illnesses of increasing severity is dependent upon the number of times the shaman has lost consciousness in a trance.’”[2]

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[1] “And it came to pass . . .”: The Sociopolitical Events in the Book of Mormon Leading to the Eighteenth Year of the Reign of the Judges, Dan Belnap, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 137.

[2] “According to Their Language, unto Their Understanding”: The Cultural Context of Hierophanies and Theophanies in Latter-day Saint Canon, Mark Alan Wright, Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 3 (2011): 64.