Sunday, May 10, 2015

Alma 17:1-11

An account of the sons of Mosiah, who rejected their rights to the kingdom for the word of God, and went up to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites; their sufferings and deliverance—according to the record of Alma.
Comprising chapters 17 to 26 inclusive.

Chapter 17

The sons of Mosiah have the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—They go their several ways to declare the word to the Lamanites—Ammon goes to the land of Ishmael and becomes the servant of King Lamoni—Ammon saves the king's flocks and slays his enemies at the waters of Sebus. Verses 1–3, about 77 B.C.; verse 4, about 91–77 B.C.; and verses 5-39, about 91 B.C.

1 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.
2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
4 And they had been teaching the word of God *for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him.
5 Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their journeyings, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit.
6 Now these were their journeyings: Having taken leave of their father, Mosiah, in the first year of the judges; having refused the kingdom which their father was desirous to confer upon them, and also this was the minds of the people;
7 Nevertheless they departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and took their swords, and their spears, and their bows, and their arrows, and their slings; and this they did that they might provide food for themselves while in the wilderness.
8 And thus they departed into the wilderness with their numbers which they had selected, to go up to the land of Nephi, to preach the word of God unto the Lamanites.
9 And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.
10 And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted.  And they were comforted.
11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.
Alma 17:1-11

Recall when King Mosiah decided the time had come to step down as king.  “Now when Mosiah had done this he sent out throughout all the land, among all the people, desiring to know their will concerning who should be their king. And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler. Now Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, therefore the king could not confer the kingdom upon him; neither would Aaron take upon him the kingdom; neither were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them the kingdom” (Mosiah 29:1-3).

His sons had other desires.  After their conversion and repentance, “they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites … Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble (Mosiah 28:1, 3).

“And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word. And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites. And it came to pass that Mosiah granted that they might go and do according to their request” (Mosiah 28:6-8).

At this point Mormon ends Alma’s record for a time and turns to the sons of Mosiah and their missionary efforts.

Alma was on his way to the land of Manti, he met the sons of Mosiah.  It had been around fourteen years since they had left for their mission among the Lamanites.  Needless to say, it was a joyous reunion.  They had been through a lot together. They had been among the “vilest of sinners” (Mosiah 28:4).  They had done all they could to destroy the church.  A miraculous conversion occurred and they repented and became some of the most important leaders and missionaries in Book of Mormon history.

It was a joyous reunion because they all had remained faithful to the gospel.  They continued their service to God all that time. 

Before going sequentially through the story of the sons of Mosiah, for example, the narrator gives us Alma's report that they are alive and well, that they had "much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth," and that they had suffered much in both body and mind (Alma 17:1–5). Soon after this report we are told that at the beginning of their dangerous missionary venture, the sons of Mosiah learned through the Spirit that they should be patient in afflictions and would be instruments in the Lord's hands for the salvation of many souls (Alma 17:11). Thus the essential events are known ahead of time—both by the narrator's foretelling and by prophecy.[1]

Through fasting and prayer, they had the spirit of prophecy and revelation.  They taught with the power and authority of God.  We are told they had a successful mission.  Many Lamanites had been brought to the truth of the gospel.

After letting us know their mission is going to be a success, Mormon begins to discuss their mission.  They suffered much in both body and spirit, but, like Alma, they did labor in the spirit.  “Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance” (Alma 8:10).

When the party departed Zarahemla, they took provisions and weapon such as bows and arrow, slings, and spears to hunt and provide themselves food during their travels in the wilderness.  Their destination was the land of Nephi.

During their journey, they fasted and prayed to be guided by the Lord and become instruments in His hands to bring the Lamanites to the truth.  They wanted to teach them the traditions of their fathers was incorrect.[2]

The marvel is that they succeeded as well as they did. Traveling in the wilderness toward Lamanite lands, the missionaries prepared themselves by much fasting and prayer, beseeching the Lord to enable them to bring the Lamanites "to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct" (Alma 17:9). And their prayers were answered.[3]

They Lord comforted them and visited them with His Spirit.  They were commanded to go among the Lamanites and preach His word but to be patient and long-suffering.  They would benefit from this council.  They were to be good examples and be an instrument in His hands to bring salvation to many Lamanites.

[2] “They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea; And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness. And his brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord. And again, they were wroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him. And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them. And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi” (Mosiah 10:12-17).
[3]The Lamanite View of Book of Mormon History, Richard L. Bushman, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 10, 2015.
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Saturday, May 9, 2015

Alma 16:13-21

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.
14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually.
15 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more who had been chosen for the work, to preach the word throughout all the land.  And the establishment of the church became general throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites.
16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—
17 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.
18 Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be—
19 Holding forth things which must shortly come; yea, holding forth the coming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead.
20 And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness.
21 And now after the church had been established throughout all the land—having got the victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in its purity in all the land, and the Lord pouring out his blessings upon the people—thus ended the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
Alma 16:13-21

After the war, Alma and Amulek went throughout the land to preach to the people.  Their message was repentance.  The preached in the temples, sanctuaries, and synagogues.[1] 

Temples were an important part of Nephite religious worship.  After the family split, one of the first things Nephi did after settling in a different part of the Promised Land was build a temple. “And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple.  But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine” (2 Nephi 5:16).[2]

We learn about the importance of the temple to the Nephites. 


It would not have surprised the Nephites that the Lord would choose to teach them at the temple. From what we know about their temples in the cities of Nephi and Zarahemla, these sacred places were obviously important religious and political centers for teaching (see Jacob 1:17; 2:2; people were routinely taught within its walls, see Mosiah 2:7); for preaching (see Alma 16:13); for imparting the mysteries (see Mosiah 2:9; Alma 12:9; 13:3, 16); for gathering for ceremonies, coronations, obligatory annual festivals, ordinances, and covenant renewals (see 2 Nephi 6—10; Jacob 2—3; Mosiah 1—6); for making royal proclamations (see Mosiah 2:30; 7:17); and for sacrificing “according to the law of Moses” (Mosiah 2:3). Nephite temples were patterned after the temple of Solomon (see 2 Nephi 5:16) and were built “after the manner of the Jews” (Alma 16:13) in layout and in many of their functions…[3]

Alma and Amulek did not work alone.  Many had been called to work throughout the land.  Through these efforts, the church became well established among the Nephites.

When Alma’s father established his church after fleeing King Noah, he commanded the people they “should impart of their substance, every one according to that which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that had not should be given” (Mosiah 18:27).  After the Savior’s ministry among the Nephites, we read this about the Nephites, “And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift” (4 Nephi 1:3).

The Lord was generous with His Spirit on the people.  He prepared them to receive His word.  They desired to hear the word of God.  The Savior promised the Nephites “they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6).  Nephites accepted the word and were baptized like those who accepted the word after Christ’s resurrection.  “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized…” (Acts 2:41).

Those who accepted the gospel would be grafted into the true vine.  Referring back to Jacob’s allegory of the Tame and Wild Olive Trees, we read, “the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit. And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last.  Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others” (Jacob 5:24-25).

Priests[4] in the church went among the people and preached against all sin. Among those listed include lying, deceiving, envy, strife, cruelty, insults, stealing, robbery, murder, adultery, and being vulgar.[5]

The people looked forward to the coming of Christ.  The understood he would suffer, die, and be resurrected.  They also looked forward to His appearance to them after His resurrection.

Some key scriptures in the Book of Mormon tells us about His coming to the Nephites.

“And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord. And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them” (1 Nephi 12:4-6).

“But the Son of righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him…” (2 Nephi 26:9).

“Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of his dwelling in his mortal tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit hath not said unto me that this should be the case.  Now as to this thing I do not know; but this much I do know, that the Lord God hath power to do all things which are according to his word” (Alma 7:8).

“And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them. And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world” (3 Nephi 11:8-10).

Alma established the church in Sidon.  “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—” (Alma 15:17).

As we see, they were successful in their efforts.

On the human plane, for instance, in Alma 16 the Nephites win a physical victory over the desolating Lamanites who have made incursions into the land of the Nephites. But there is another battle as well—the battle of righteousness. First, the wicked people of Ammonihah, who had imprisoned Alma and Amulek and burned the wives and children of their followers, are destroyed at the hands of the Lamanites; second, Alma and Amulek go forth to preach the word throughout all the land and get "the victory over the devil" (Alma 16:21).[6]

[1] The sons of Mosiah would build synagogues among the Lamanites who accepted Christ. About Aaron we read, “But he caused that there should be synagogues built in the land of Ishmael; and he caused that his people, or the people who were under his reign, should assemble themselves together” (Alma 21:20).
[2] Mormon later refers to the building of synagogues, temples, and sanctuaries. “But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries…”  (Helaman 3:14).
[4] “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” (Alma 15:13).
[5] “The breaking of three commandments of the ten—murder, stealing, and adultery—is often cited as the reason for the destruction of the covenant people in the Book of Mormon…” Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem – Sacred History, Covenants, and the Messiah: The Religious Background of the World of Lehi, David Rolph Seely, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 9, 2015.
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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Alma 16:1-12

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 carcases 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.
Alma 16:1-12

It had been a time of peace in the land of Zarahemla, but that suddenly changed.  The Lamanite armies attacked Ammonihah, killing the people and destroying the city.[1] “The prescribed mode of execution for an apostate city was by ‘the sword, destroying it utterly.’ This is the only place in the law of Moses where slaying by the sword is required. When the day of judgment came upon Ammonihah, the Lamanites did ‘slay the people and destroy the city’ (Alma 16:2), presumably by the sword, their primary weapon of hand-to-hand combat.”[2]

By the time the Nephites could raise a large enough army, Ammonihah was destroyed.  “[An] interesting feature of Nephite armies is that, for the most part, they seem to have been formed from a militia mobilized from the general population (see Alma 16:3) and were not part of a standing army.”[3]

Not all the residents of Ammonihah were killed.  The Lamanites took many prisoner.

The army’s mission change from one of defending a Nephite city to a rescue mission.  They were going to release those taken prisoner by the Lamanites.

The leader of the army was a man named Zoram.  His first act was to, along with his two sons, consult with Alma, asking him to inquire of the Lord as to where they should go looking for the captives.

Alma inquired of the Lord.  In answer, to his prayer, he told Zoram to cross the river Sidon to the borders of the land of Manti.  There, the Lord will deliver the Lamanites as well as those taken captive.

Zoram followed Alma’s instructions.  He came upon the Lamanite armies and scattered the armies into the wilderness.  They were also able to rescue the captives.

When Zoram went out, he said it was to obtain those who had been carried away captive into the wilderness. His whole purpose was to get them back, and he did get them back (see Alma 16:6—8). Incidentally, in talking about the defense, the best position, remember that all Book of Mormon wars take place on Nephite property, not on Lamanite. They rarely invade the other. The Nephites are rarely the aggressors, in that sense.[4]

The great city of Ammonihah, the one that couldn’t be destroyed, had been utterly devastated.   No one was left alive.  Alma’s warnings and prophecy were fulfilled.[5] It took one day devastate the city.  Bodies were left, scattered throughout the city.  Wild animals came and ate the bodies. 

Eventually, bodies were heaped on the earth and covered with a layer of dirt.  The scent of decay lingered.  It was so bad, people avoided the land.  It became known as the Desolation of Nehors.

The next three years were spent in peace.

[1] Fulfilling Alma’s prophecy – “But behold, 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).
[3] Warfare in the Book of Mormon – Nephite Captains and Armies, A. Brent Merrill, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 7, 2015.
[5] Fulfilling Alma’s prophecy – “But behold, 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).
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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

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.


[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).
[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).


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Sunday, May 3, 2015

Alma 14:14-29

14 Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?
15 Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thy faith.  And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves?
16 Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who slew Gideon.
17 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered him nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison.
18 And when they had been cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers, and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words; but they answered them nothing.
19 And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people?  Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames?  And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.
20 And it came to pass that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks.  And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law?  If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?
21 And many such things did they say unto them, gnashing their teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are damned?
22 And many such things, yea, all manner of such things did they say unto them; and thus they did mock them for many days.  And they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst; and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked; and thus they were bound with strong cords, and confined in prison.
23 And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for many days, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, *in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.
24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words.
25 And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet.
26 And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord?  O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance.  And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.
27 And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.
28 And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ.  And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city.
29 Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.
Alma 14:14-29

After the evil, vile work was done, the chief judge had Alma and Amulek bound and brought before him.  He struck them on their cheeks.  He then mocked their words.[1]  Will they, he asked, continue to preach to this people they will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?  They had no power to save those murdered by flame, he continued, ridiculing Alma and Amulek.  God did not save them because of their faith.  The judge struck them again.

Hitting poor people on the cheek may well be a euphemism for turning them aside from the judicial process, not granting them a hearing, or even accusing them wrongly of having transgressed the law, because elsewhere in the Book of Mormon we see people being smitten upon the cheek precisely in a judicial context of accusation and humiliation (Alma 14:15).[2]


The chief judge was a follower of Nehor, as were, it would appear, the Ammonihahites as a whole.  Why?

The judges, lawyers, priests, and teachers (those of the upper classes) of the city of Ammonihah were of the order of Nehor (see Alma 14:16-18; 15:15; 16:11). lf they were Mulekites, this would explain why Amulek, who lived in that city, took pains to specify that he was a Nephite (see Alma 8:20; 10:2-3).[3]

Nehorism had taken so firm a hold in Ammonihah that one wonders if it might not have once been Nehor's home or primary region. Not only was the chief judge in that city a leader “after the order and faith of Nehor” (Alma 14:16), but the general population there subscribed to Nehorism and refused to acknowledge Alma's priesthood, all of which is evident from their words and deeds, the popularity of Zeezrom's arguments, and the fierce hostility harbored by the people against Alma (8:12–13). Moreover, when Ammonihah was destroyed, it was called the “Desolation of Nehors” (16:11).[4]

Alma and Amulek responded with contempt.  They refused to answer him.  He struck them yet again and had them thrown into prison.

Three days later,[5] many of the important people came to see Alma and Amulek.  Included were lawyers, judges, priests, and teachers, all of whom followed Nehor.  They all questioned them.  Once again, they were met with silence. They were not happy with the contempt they were being shown.  They were reminded they had the power to burn them as well.  They were commanded to speak but again they refused.[6]

They continued, spitting on them, and asking, mockingly, “How shall we look when we are damned?”[7] This continued for many days.  During this time, they refused to feed them or give them water.  They took their clothes and kept them bound in prison.

Having received no answer, they left for the day.  The next day, they returned and continued the process.  They struck them and mocked them.  If you have such great power, they asked, why haven’t they delivered themselves from captivity.[8] After beating Alma and Amulek, the chief judge went so far as to demand a sign.  Deliver themselves from the bands and prison, and they will believe them.[9]

It would seem that something formulaic was occurring here. Every judge and witness did and said exactly the same thing, one at a time. Although there is no precedent that absolutely confirms this practice in the ancient world, it appears that the slap on the cheek was used in Ammonihah as a form of ritual indictment. Alma and Amulek were slapped on the face and challenged to a legal duel … Like throwing down the gauntlet, the slap on the face appears to have been the equivalent of the modern notion of “service of process,” a legal step in giving notice and obtaining jurisdiction over a defendant. No text displays this more vividly than this incident in Alma 14.[10]

Finally, they were about to get their response.  The power of God[11] came over Alma and Amulek.  They stood on their feet. How much longer, Alma cried, we will have to suffer this?  Give us strength, based on our faith in Christ, he prayed.  They broke the cords which had bound them.

Instead of believing their power (see vs. 24), they were so fearful of what was to happen, they feel to earth.  They were not able to get out of the prison in time.  All, except Alma and Amulek perished when the prison collapsed. 

Obviously, this was not a “quiet” occurrence.  Many came to see what caused the ruckus.  They saw the prison had collapsed and Alma and Amulek were the only ones standing.

They were struck with fear and ran away from Alma and Amulek.

[1] “And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness. Then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever; and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected them according to his will” (Alma 12:16-17).
[3] Warfare in the Book of Mormon – Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 3, 2015.
[5]The two prophets of God, Alma and Amulek, were kept in prison three days.  This might be interpreted as being a form of representation of the three days the Savior spent in the tomb.
[6] This treatment was very similar to the treatment the Savior received when in front of Pilate.  “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou?  But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me?  knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?” (John 19:8-10).
[7] The Savior suffered such mocking and abuse while He was on the cross.  “And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself.  If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save.  If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God” (Matthew 27:39-43).
[8] As we will see, this becomes the classic case of “Beware what you ask for.  You may get it.”
[9] This group represented “[a]n evil and adulterous generation [who] seeketh after a sign.”
[11] “And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound in bands and cast into prison.  Now, this was done that the Lord might show forth his power in them” (Alma 8:31).
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Saturday, May 2, 2015

Alma 14:6-13

6 And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.
7 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.
8 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.
9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene?  Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 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.
12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.
13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord.  But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.
Alma 14:6-13

Earlier in this chapter, we learned many were converted and accepted Alma’s words.  We now learn of a surprising convert.  Zeezrom, who did all he could to destroy Alma, begins to realize what he’s done. 

He realized how effective his lies had been.  He realized he had caused blindness in those who listened to him.  Jacob’s words described Zeezrom. “Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also” (2 Nephi 9:32). He was like the Pharisees who confronted Christ asking Him if they were blind.  “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:39-41).

We saw the blind (Zeezrom) is lead the blind (those who opposed Alma. [1]   “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14).

His guilt was overwhelming.  He was suffering the pains of hill.  Zeezrom could not sit by silently, watching what was happening.  He went out among the people, telling them he was the guilty party, not Alma and Amulek.  Did the people listen? After all, he was a prominent member of Ammonihahite society. 

Nope.  They accused him of being possessed by a devil. They spit on him and cast him out.  Then, they cast out the men who believed in the words of Alma and Amulek and stoned them.

It wasn’t enough for the evil leaders to cast out the men.  They had to take it to the ultimate vile step. They took the wives and children of the believers, as well as their scriptures and murdered them by casting them into fire. 

More detail about the male martyrs cast out and stoned in Alma 14:7–8, rather than on the suffering of their wives and children in verses 8–9, would have created more admiration for the men and would have avoided expressions of concern for the women and children. The tone of the above passages, coupled with [Mormon’s] overt denunciation of wrongs against women and children, suggests that Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, Alma, and Moroni felt the same empathy that contemporary readers feel for those women and children.[2]

Today we see this ultimate evil existing in our world today.  We see so-called “religious” warriors brutally murdering men and women for nothing more than the fact they don’t accept their perverted definition of the word of God.  Nothing can justify these actions, then or now.  The people doing this have allowed themselves to become possessed by the spirit of the devil and serve him. Amulek makes it clear the spirit which possess us in life will also possess at the final judgment.[3] The blood of the innocents murdered both then and now will cry unto the Lord for justice.  And, they will receive it.

We also get insight into the composition of the Nephite scriptures.  It is obvious having plates for the scriptural record was a way to ensure a copy would endure.  The Ammonihahites burned the scriptures.  This implies the everyday scriptures were not as enduring as the plates.

The record obtained by Joseph Smith was engraved on thin metal plates having "the appearance of gold." However, using such an expensive material to ensure the permanency of a record was exceptional for the Nephites, not the norm. Jacob 4:2 acknowledges that "whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates. . . ." This is an oblique acknowledgment that the majority of their writing was on perishable materials. Note that when those who believed the preaching of Alma2 were being persecuted by the people of the city of Ammonihah, "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] 

Those responsible for this horror were not just satisfied with performing the act, they forced Alma and Amulek to witness this martyrdom.  The ultimate irony for the Ammonihahites was they were sealing their fate by having Alma and Amulek witness the event.

The law required officers to investigate the situation thoroughly, to inquire, search, and ask, to be sure that the offensive condition in fact existed. Alma did this too. After being rejected, Alma was instructed to return to preach in the city, to give the inhabitants the necessary warning that they would be destroyed if they did not repent (see Alma 8:16). Then, acting as the two required eyewitnesses (see Deuteronomy 17:6), Alma and Amulek stood and witnessed the abominable scene of the burning of the faithful, innocent wives and children of their followers (see Alma 14:9). This was a revolting experience, but it completed the case against the city and sealed its fate (see Alma 14:11).[5]

Though those martyred suffered, they received the ultimate promise from the Lord.  “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).[6] They entered into Christ’s presence for all eternity. “For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God” (Alma 60:13).

Cease from anger,
    and forsake wrath:
fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers
    shall be cut off:
but those that wait upon the LORD,
    they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while,
    and the wicked shall not be:
       yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place,
       and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth;
      and shall delight themselves
          in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plotteth
      against the just,
and gnasheth upon him
      with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him:
      for he seeth that his day is coming.
Psalms 37:8-13

This event has bothered me for a long time.  Even though there is an explanation that the acts committed by the wicked will stand against them at the last day.  I had never found that answer satisfactory.

I spent time researching and praying about this.  I finally found my answer.  One of the essential principles of the gospel is free agency.  God will not take that away from us.[7]  As painful as it is for us, as well as the Lord, to see this suffering, He cannot take choice away from the wicked as He gave it to them as well as the righteous.  In the eternities all will be made well.

Alma had to watch this happen.  The Lord forbade him to do anything to stop this.  Those who died entered into His glory.  The wicked perform their evil so their acts will testify against them in the last days.

Amulek turned to Alma and said they may burn us as well.  Alma responded their work was not finished, so they would not be burned; however, whatever the Lord wills.

[1] “And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek, saying: Will ye answer me a few questions which I shall ask you?  Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the devices of the devil, that he might destroy that which was good; therefore, he said unto Amulek: Will ye answer the questions which I shall put unto you?” (Alma 11:21).
[2] Women In the Book of Mormon: Inclusion, Exclusion, and Interpretation, Camille S. Williams, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 1, 2015.
[3] “Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God.  Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb” (Alma 34:34-36).
[4] The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record, John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 1, 2015.
[6] “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (JST Matthew 10:34).
[7] This was the cause of the war in heaven.  Christ wanted to give us our free agency; the devil wanted to take our free agency.  He was rejected.
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