1 And it came to pass in the commandment of the fifth year of their reign, there began to be a contention among the people, for a certain man, being called Amlici; he being a very cunning man, yea, a wise man, as to the wisdom of the world; he being after the order of the man that slew Gideon by the sword, who was executed according to the law.
2 Now this Amlici had, by his cunning, drawn away much of the people after him; even so much that they began to be very powerful; and they began to endeavor to establish Amlici to be a king over the people.
3 Now this was alarming to the people of the Church, and also to all those that had not been drawn away after the persuasions of Amlici: for they knew that according to their law that such things must be established by the voice of the people;
4 therefore, if it were possible that Amlici should gain the voice of the people, he being a wicked man, would deprive them of their rights and privileges of the Church, &c: for it was his intent to destroy the Church of God.
5 And it came to pass that the people assembled themselves together throughout all the land, every man according to his mind, whether it were for or against Amlici, in separate bodies, having much dispute and wonderful contentions one with another:
6 and thus they did assemble themselves together, to cast their voices concerning the matter: and they were laid before the judges.
7 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came against Amlici, that he was not made king over the people.
8 Now this did cause much joy in the hearts of those which were against him; but Amlici did stir up those which were in his favor, to anger against those which were not in his favor.
9 And it came to pass that they gathered themselves together, and did consecrate Amlici to be their king.
10 Now when Amlici was made king over them, he commanded them that they should take up arms against their brethren; and this he done, that he might subject them to him.
11 Now the people of Amlici were distinguished by the name of Amlici, being called Amlicites; and the remainder were called Nephites, or the people of God;
12 therefore the people of the Nephites was aware of the intent of the Amlicites, and therefore they did prepare for to meet them; yea, they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war, of every kind;
13 and thus they were prepared to meet the Amlicites at the time of their coming. And there was appointed captains, and higher captains, and chief captains, according to their numbers.
14 And it came to pass that Amlici did arm his men with all manner of weapons of war, of every kind; and he also appointed rulers and leaders over his people, to lead them to war against their brethren.
15 And it came to pass that the Amlicites came up upon the hill Amnihu, which was east of the river Sidon, which ran by the land of Zarahemla, and there they began to make war with the Nephites.
16 Now Alma, he being the chief judge, and the governor of the people of Nephi therefore he went up with his people, yea, with his captains, and chief captains, yea, at the head of his armies, against the Amlicites to battle;
17 and they began to slay the Amlicites upon the hill east of Sidom. And the Amlicites did contend with the Nephites with great strength, insomuch that many of the Nephites did fall before the Amlicites;
18 nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites, that they slew the Amlicites with a great slaughter, that they began to flee before them.
19 And it came to pass that the Nephites did pursue the Amlicites all that day, and did slay them with much slaughter, insomuch that there was slain of the Amlicites twelve thousand five hundred thirty two souls; and there was slain of the Nephites, six thousand five hundred sixty and two souls.
20 And it came to pass that when Alma could pursue the Amlicites no longer, he caused that his people should pitch their tents in the valley of Gideon, the valley being called after that Gideon, which was slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword; and in this valley the Nephites did pitch their tents for the night.
21 And Alma sent spies to follow the remnant of the Amlicites, that he might know of their plans and their plots, whereby he might guard himself against them, that he might prepare his people from being destroyed.
22 Now those which he had sent out to watch the camp of the Amlicites, were called Zeram, and Amnor, and Manti, and Limher; these were they which went out with their men to watch the camp of the Amlicites.
23 And it came to pass that on the morrow they returned into the camp of the Nephites, in great haste, being greatly astonished, and struck with much fear, saying,
24 Behold, we followed the camp of the Amlicites, and to our great astonishment, in the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi, we saw numerous hosts of the Lamanites; and behold the Amlicites have joined them,
25 and they are upon our brethren in that land; and they are fleeing before them with their flocks, and their wives, and their children, towards our city; and except we make haste, they obtain possession of our city; and our fathers, and our wives, and our children be slain.
26 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi took their tents, and departed out of the valley of Gideon towards their city, which was the city of Zarahemla.
27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them;
28 nevertheless the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them.
29 And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another.
30 And it came to pass that Alma, he being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, and he cried, saying, O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands, to save and preserve this people.
31 Now when Alma had said these words, he contended with Amlici; and he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword.
32 And he also contended with the king of the Lamanites; but the king of the Lamanites fled back from before Alma, and sent his guards to contend with Alma.
33 But Alma, with his guards, contended with the guards of the king of the Lamanites, until he slew and drove them back;
34 and thus he cleared the ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west side of the river Sidon, throwing bodies of the Lamanites which had been slain, into the waters of Sidon, that thereby his people might have room to cross and contend with the Lamanites and the Amlicites, on the west side of the river Sidon.
35 And it came to pass that when they had all crossed the river Sidon, that the Lamanites and the Amlicites began to flee before them, notwithstanding they were so numerous that they could not be numbered;
36 and they fled before the Nephites, towards the wilderness which was west and north, away beyond the borders of the land; and the Nephites did pursue them with their might, and did slay them;
37 yea, they were met on every hand, and slain, and driven, until they were scattered on the west, and on the north, until they had reached the wilderness, which was called Hermounts, and it was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts.
38 And it came to pass that many died in the wilderness of their wounds, and were devoured by those beasts, and also the vultures of the air; and their bones have been found, and have been heaped up on the earth.
admin
Alma 1
1 Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi, from this time forward, king Mosiah having gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to reign in his stead; nevertheless he established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made.
2 And it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment seat, there was a man brought before him to be judged; a man which was large, and was noted for his much strength;
3 and he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher had ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their own hands, but they had ought to be supported by the people;
4 and he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear or tremble, but they might lift up their heads and rejoice: for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and in the end, all men should have eternal life.
5 And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much, that many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to support him and give him money;
6 and he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel; yea, and even began to establish a church, after the manner of his preaching.
7 And it came to pass as he was going to preach to those who believed on his word, he met a man which belonged to the church of God, yea, even one of their teachers; and he began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church; but the man withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God.
8 Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was him that was an instrument in the hands of God, in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage.
9 Now because Gideon withstood him with the words of God, he was wroth with Gideon, and drew his sword and began to smite him. Now Gideon being stricken with many years, therefore he was able to withstand his blows, therefore he was slain by the sword;
10 and the man who slew him was taken by the people of the church, and was brought before Alma, to be judged according to the crime which he had committed.
11 And it came to pass that he stood before Alma, and plead for himself with much boldness.
12 But Alma said unto him, Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to enforce among this people, it would prove their entire destruction.
13 And thou hast shed the blood of a righteous man, yea, a man which has done much good among this people; and were we to spare thee, his blood would come upon us for vengeance;
14 therefore thou art condemned to die, according to the law which has been given us by Mosiah, our last king; and they have been acknowledged by this people; therefore this people must abide by the law.
15 And it came to pass that they took him; and his name was Nehor; and they carried him upon the top of the hill Manti, and there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens and the earth, that what we had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God; and there he suffered an ignominious death.
16 Nevertheless this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land: for there was many which loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor.
17 Nevertheless they durst not lie, if it were known, for fear of the law, for liars were punished; therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief: and now the law could have no power on any man for their belief.
18 And they durst not steal, for fear of the law; for such were punished; neither durst they rob, nor murder: for he that murdered was punished unto death.
19 But it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the Church of God, began to persecute those that did belong to the Church of God, and had taken upon them the name of Christ;
20 yea, they did persecute them, and afflict them with all manner of words, and this because of their humility; because they were not proud in their own eyes, and because they did impart the word of God, one with another, without money and without price.
21 Now there was a strict law among the people of the Church, that there should not any man, belonging to the Church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the Church, and that there should be no persecution among themselves.
22 Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their fists.
23 Now this was in the second year of the reign of Alma, and it was a cause of much affliction to the Church; yea, it was the cause of much trial with the Church;
24 for the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were blotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God. And also many withdrew themselves from among them.
25 Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast and immoveable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them.
26 And now when the priests left their labor, to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God, they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers; for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner: and thus they were all equal and they did all labor, every man according to his strength;
27 and they did impart of their substance every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely:
28 and thus they did establish the affairs of the Church: and thus they began to have continual peace again, notwithstanding all their persecutions.
29 And now because of the steadiness of the Church, they began to be exceeding rich; having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need; an abundance of flocks, and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things; and abundance of silk and fine twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth.
30 And thus in their prosperous circumstances they did not send away any which was naked, or that was hungry, or that was athirst, or that was sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the Church or in the Church, having no respects to persons as to those who stood in need;
31 and thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy, than those who did not belong to their Church.
32 For those who did not belong to their Church, did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in bablings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; lying, thieving, robbing, commiting whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it were possible.
33 And it came to pass that by thus exercising the law upon them, every man suffering according to that which he had done, they became more still, and durst not commit any wickedness, if it were known; therefore, there was much peace among the people of Nephi, until the fifth year of the reign of the judges.
Alma
THE BOOK OF ALMA, THE SON OF ALMA
01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30
31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40
41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50
51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60
61 | 62 | 63
The account of Alma, who was the son of Alma the First, and Chief Judge over the people of Nephi, and also the High Priest over the Church. An account of the reign of the Judges, and the wars and contentions among the people. And also an account of a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, according to the record of Alma the First, and Chief Judge.
Mosiah 29
1 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.
2 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.
3 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 was any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them the kingdom;
4 therefore king Mosiah sent again among the people, yea, even a written word sent he among the people. And these were the words that were written, saying:
5 Behold, O ye my people, or my brethren for I esteem you as such; for I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider; for ye are desirous to have a king.
6 Now I declare unto you, that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong, hath declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom.
7 And now if there should be another appointed to his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you; and who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry, and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you; which would be the cause of shedding much blood, and perverting the way of the Lord; yea, and destroy the souls of much people.
8 Now I say unto you, let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another, if he should be appointed in his stead.
9 And if my son should turn again to his pride and vain things, he would recall the things which he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which would cause him and also this people to commit much sin.
10 And now let us be wise, and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people.
11 Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges to judge this people according to our law, and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people; for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God.
12 Now it is better that a man be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just;
13 therefore, if it were possible that ye could have just men to be your kings, which would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments; yea, if ye could have men for kings, which would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people; I say unto you, if this could always be the case, then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.
14 And even I, myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to established peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor no manner of iniquity;
15 and whosoever hath committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the crime which he hath committed, according to the law which hath been given to us by our fathers.
16 Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just, it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you.
17 For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed! yea, and what great destruction!
18 Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and abominations of his people. Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities, they were brought into bondage.
19 And were it not for the interposition of their all-wise Creator, and this because of their sincere repentance, they must unavoidably remained in bondage until now.
20 But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him, he did deliver them out of bondage: and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.
21 And behold, now I say unto you, Ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king, save it be through much contention and the shedding of much blood.
22 For behold, he hath his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of these which have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;
23 and he enacted laws, and sendeth them forth among his people; yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws, he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him, he will send his armies against them in war, and if he can, he will destroy them: and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.
24 And now behold I say unto you, It is expedient that such abominations should come upon you;
25 therefore choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which hath been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which was given them by the hand of the Lord.
26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth any thing contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe, and make it your law to do business by the voice of the people.
27 And if the time cometh that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction, even as he hath hitherto visited this land.
28 And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge;
29 if your higher judges doth not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.
30 And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king: that if these people commit sins and iniquities, they shall be answered upon their own heads.
31 For behold I say unto you, The sins of many people have been caused by iniquities of their kings; therefore iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings.
32 And now I desire that 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 priveleges alike, so long as the Lord seeth fit, that we may live and inherit the land; yea, even as long as any of our posterity remaineth upon the face of the land.
33 And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king; yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them.
34 And he told them that these things had not ought to be; but that the burdens should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part.
35 And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them;
36 yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities, which cannot be enumerated; telling them that these things ought not to be; that they was expressly repugnant to the commandments of God.
37 And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people, they were convinced of the truth of his words;
38 therefore they relinquished their desire for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins.
39 Therefore it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced, because of the liberty which had been granted unto them.
40 And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man: for they did not look upon him as a tyrant, who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul, for he had not exacted riches of them, neither did he delight in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure.
41 And it came to pass that they did appoint judges to rule over them, or to judge them according to the law; and this they done throughout all the land.
42 And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the chief judge; he being also the high priest; his father having conferred the office upon him, and had given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church.
43 And now it came to pass that Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land;
44 and thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people which was called the Nephites: and Alma was the first and chief judge.
45 And now it came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God.
46 And it came to pass that Mosiah died also, in the thirty and third year of his reign, being sixty and three years old; making in the whole, five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem;
47 and thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi; and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church.
Mosiah 28
1 Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, 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,
2 that perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God hath given them.
3 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.
4 And thus did the spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul, because of their iniquities; and suffering much, fearing that they should be cast off forever.
5 And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days, that they might go up to the land of Nephi.
6 And it came to pass that king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord, if he should let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word.
7 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.
8 And it came to pass that Mosiah granted that they might go, and do according to their request;
9 and they took their journey into the wilderness, to go up to preach the word among the Lamanites: and I shall give an account of their proceedings hereafter.
10 Now king Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for there was not any of his sons which would accept of the kingdom;
11 therefore he took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and also the plates of Nephi, and all the things which he had kept and preserved, according to the commandments of God, and after having translated and caused to be written the records which were on the plates of gold, which had been found by the people of Limhi, which was delivered to him by the hand of Limhi:
12 and this he done, because of the great anxiety of his people. for they were desirous beyond measure, to know concerning those people which had been destroyed.
13 And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which was fastened into the rims of a bow.
14 Now these things was prepared from the beginning, and was handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages;
15 and they have been kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every creature which should possess the land, the iniquities and abominations of his people:
16 and whosoever has these things, is called seer, after the manner of old times.
17 Now after Mosiah had finished translating these records, behold, it gave an account of the people which was destroyed, from the time they were destroyed, back to building of the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people; and they were scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth, yea, and even from that time until the creation of Adam.
18 Now this account did cause the people of Mosiah to mourn exceedingly; yea, they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge in the which they did rejoice.
19 And this account shall be written hereafter: for behold, it is expedient that all people should know these things which are written in this account.
20 And now I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, which was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanding him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.
Mosiah 27
1 And now it came to pass that the persecutions which was inflicted on the church by the unbelievers, became so great, that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests.
2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about, that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those which belonged to the church of God;
3 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;
4 that they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support;
5 yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want: and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.
6 And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth; yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.
7 And the Lord did visit them and prosper them, and they became a large and a wealthy people.
8 Now the sons of Mosiah was numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless he became a very wicked and idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.
9 And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissention among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them.
10 And now it came to pass that while he was going out about to destroy the church of God: for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king;
11 and as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood;
12 and so great was their astonishment, that they fell to earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them.
13 Nevertheless he cried again, saying, Alma, arise, and stand forth, for why persecuteth thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said, This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.
14 And again: The angel saith, Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people and also the prayers of his servant Alma, which is thy father: for he hath 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.
15 And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God.
16 –Now I say unto thee, Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he hath done for them: for they were in bondage, and he hath delivered them. And now I say unto thee, Alma, Go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.
17 And now it came to pass that these were the last words which the angel spake unto Alma, and he departed.
18 And now Alma, and those that were with him, fell again to the earth, for great was their astonishment: for with their own eyes they had beheld an angel of the Lord; and his voice was as thunder, which shook the earth; and they knew that there was nothing save the power of God, that should shake the earth and cause it to tremble, as though it would part asunder.
19 And now the astonishment of Alma was so great, that he became dumb, that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father.
20 And they rehearsed unto his father all that had happened unto them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God.
21 And he caused that a multitude should be gathered together, that they might witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him.
22 And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God, that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak; and also that his limbs might receive their strength, that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.
23 And it came to pass after that they fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort:
24 for, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have redeemed of the Lord; behold, I am born of the spirit.
25 And the Lord said unto me, Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men, and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 and thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God.
27 I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off: and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.
28 Nevertheless, after wandering through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God;
29 my soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvellous light of God. My soul was wrecked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.
30 I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, and he will make himself manifest unto all;
31 yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, than shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.
32 And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward, to teach the people, and those which were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them; travelling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those which were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them;
33 but notwithstanding all this, they did impart much consolation to the church, confirming their faith, and exhorting them with long suffering and much travail, to keep the commandments of God.
34 And four of them were sons of Mosiah; and their names were Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni: these were the names of the sons of Mosiah.
35 And after they had travelled throughout all the land of Zarahemla, and among all the people which was under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church; confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them:
36 and thus they were instruments in the hands of God, in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their redeemer.
37 And how blessed they are! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.
Mosiah 26
1 Now it came to pass that there was many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers.
2 They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead; neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.
3 And now because of their belief, they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.
4 And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church. And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state: for they would not call upon the Lord their God.
5 And now in the reign of Mosiah, they were not half so numerous as the people of God but because of the dissentions among the brethren, they became more numerous.
6 For it came to pass that they did deceive many with their flattering words, which were in the church, and did cause them to commit many sins; therefore it became expedient that those who committed sin that was in the church, should be admonished by the church.
7 And it came to pass that they were brought before the priests, and delivered up unto the priests by the teachers; and the priests brought them before Alma, which was the high priest.
8 Now king Mosiah had given Alma the authority over the church.
9 And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them, for there were many witnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance.
10 Now there had not any such thing happened before, in the church; therefore Alma was troubled in his spirit, and he caused that they should be brought before the king.
11 And he saith unto the king, Behold, here are many which we have brought before thee, which are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities. And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou may judge them according to their crimes.
12 But king Mosiah saith unto Alma, Behold, I judge them not; therefore I deliver them into thy hands to be judged.
13 And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.
14 And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying,
15 Blessed art thou, Alma; and blessed are they which were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone my servant Abinadi.
16 And blessed are they, because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou hast spoken unto them.
17 And blessed are thou because thou hast established a church among this people; and they shall be established, and they shall be my people.
18 Yea, blessed is this people, which is willing to bear my name: for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.
19 And because thou hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed.
20 Thou art my servant; And I covenant with thee, that thou shall have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me, and go forth in my name, and shall gather together my sheep.
21 And he that will hear my voice, shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church; and him will I also receive.
22 For behold, this is my church; whosoever that is baptized, shall be baptized unto repentance. And whosoever ye receive, shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive:
23 for it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believe in the end, a place at my right hand.
24 For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me, they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.
25 And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall sound, then shall they that never knew me come forth, and shall stand before me;
26 and then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed.
27 And then will I confess unto them, that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.
28 Therefore I say unto you, That he that will not hear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for him I will not receive at the last day;
29 therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he hath committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also;
30 yea, and as often as my people repent, will I forgive them their trespasses against me.
31 And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses: for verily I say unto you, He that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses, when he saith that he repenteth, the same hath brought himself under condemnation.
32 Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins, the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward.
33 And it came to pass when Alma had heard these words, he wrote them down, that he might have them, and that he might judge the people of that church, according to the commandments of God.
34 And it came to pass that Alma went and judged those that had been taken in iniquity, according to the word of the Lord.
35 And whosoever repenteth of their sins and did confess them, them he did number among the people of the church;
36 and them that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out.
37 And it came to pass that Alma did regulate all the affairs of the church; and they began to have peace, and to prosper exceedingly in the affairs of the church; walking circumspectly before God; receiving many and baptizing many.
38 And now all these things did Alma and his fellow laborers do, which were over the church; walking in all diligence; teaching the word of God in all things; suffering all manner of afflictions; being persecuted by all those who did not belong to the church of God. And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, everyone, by the word of God,
39 according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed; being commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things.
Mosiah 25
1 And now king Mosiah caused that all the people be gathered together.
2 Now there were not so many of the children of Nephi, or so many of those descendants of Nephi, as they were of the people of Zarahemla, which was a descendant of Mulok, and those which came with him into the wilderness;
3 and there were not so many of the people of Nephi and of the people of Zarahemla as there was of the Lamanites; yea, they were not half so numerous.
4 And now all the people of Nephi was assembled together, and also all the people of Zarahemla, and they were gathered together in two bodies.
5 And it came to pass that Mosiah did read, and caused to be read, the records of Zeniff to his people; yea, he read the records of the people of Zeniff, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time they returned again.
6 And he also read the account of Alma and his brethren, and all their afflictions, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla, until the time they returned again.
7 And now when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his people which had tarried in the land was struck with wonder and amazement,
8 for they knew not what to think;, for when they beheld those that had been delivered out of bondage, they were filled with exceeding great joy.
9 And again, when they thought of their brethren which had been slain by the Lamanites, they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.
10 And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites, and of bondage, they did raise their voices, and gave thanks to God.
11 And again when they thought upon the Lamanites, which was their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish, for the welfare of their souls.
12 And it came to pass that when those which were the children of Amulon and his brethren, which had taken to wife the daughters of the Lamanites, they were displeased with the conduct of their fathers, and they would not longer be called by the names of their fathers; therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be called the children of Nephi, and be numbered among those which were called Nephites.
13 And now all the people of Zarahemla were numbered with the Nephites, and this because the kingdom had been conferred upon none but those which were the descendants of Nephi.
14 And now it came to pass that when Mosiah had made an end of speaking and reading to the people, he desired that Alma should also speak to the people.
15 And it came to pass that Alma did speak unto them, when they were assembled together in large bodies, and he went from one body to another, preaching unto the people repentance and faith on the Lord.
16 And he did exhort the people of Limhi and his brethren, all these that had been delivered out of bondage, that they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them.
17 And it came to pass that after Alma had taught the people many things, and had made an end of speaking to them, the king Limhi was desirous that he might be baptized; and all his people were desirous that they might be baptized also.
18 Therefore Alma did go forth into the water, and did baptize them; yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did his brethren in the waters of Mormon; yea, and as many as he did baptize did belong to the Church of God; and this because of their belief on the words of Alma.
19 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.
20 Now this was done because there was 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;
21 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:
22 and thus, notwithstanding there being many Churches, they were all one Church; yea, even the Church of God: for there was nothing preached in all the Churches except it were repentance and faith in God.
23 And now there was seven Churches in the land of Zarahemla. And it came to pass that whosoever was desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God;
24 and they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his spirit unto them, and they were blest, and prospered in the land.
Mosiah 24
1 And it came to pass that Amulon did gain favor in the eyes of the king of the Lamanites; therefore the king of the Lamanites granted unto him and his brethren, that they should be appointed teachers over his people; yea, even over the people which was in the land of Shemlon, and in the land of Shilom, and in the land of Amulon:
2 for the Lamanites had taken possession of all these lands; therefore the king of the Lamanites had appointed kings over all these lands.
3 And now the name of the king of the Lamanites was Laman, being called after the name of his father; and therefore he was called king Laman. And he was king over a numerous people;
4 and he appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon, in every land which was possessed by his people: and thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.
5 And they were a people friendly one with another; nevertheless they knew not God; neither did the brethren of Amulon teach them any thing concerning the Lord their God, neither the law of Moses; nor did they teach them the words of Abinadi;
6 but they taught them that they should keep their record, and that they might write one to another.
7 And thus the Lamanites began to increase in riches, and began to trade one with another, and wax great, and began to be a cunning and a wise people, as to the wisdom of the world; yea, a very cunning people; delighting in all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren.
8 And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him and cause that his children should persecute their children:
9 for Amulon knew Alma, that he had been one of the king’s priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi, and was driven out before the king; and therefore he was wroth with him, for he was subject to king Laman; yet he exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put taskmasters over them.
10 And it came to pass that so great was their afflictions, that they began to cry mightily to God.
11 And it came to pass that Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God, should be put to death.
12 And it came to pass that Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying, Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people, and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which is put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do, that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which was laid upon Alma and his brethren, were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience, that the voice of the Lord came unto them saying, Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver thee out of bondage. And he saith unto Alma, Thou shalt go before this people, And I will go with thee, and deliver this people out of bondage.
17 And he saith unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee, and deliver this people out of bondage.
18 Now it came to pass that Alma and his people, in the night time, gathered their flocks together, and also their grain; yea, even all the night time were they gathering their flocks together.
19 And in the morning the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, yea, and all their taskmasters were in a profound sleep.
20 And it came to pass that Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had travelled all day, they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness;
21 yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them, except it were the Lord their God.
22 And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men, and all their women, and all their children, that could speak, lifted their voices in the praises of their God.
23 And now the Lord said unto Alma, Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awoke and doth pursue thee; therefore get thee out of this land, and I will stop the Lamanites in this valley, that they come no further in pursuit of this people.
24 And it came to pass that they departed out of the valley, and took their journey into the wilderness.
25 And it came to pass that after they had been in the wilderness twelve days, they arrived to the land of Zarahemla; and king Mosiah did also receive them with joy.
Mosiah 23
1 Now Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and had made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah.
2 And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them, to destroy them.
3 And it came to pass that they fled eight days’ journey into the wilderness.
4 And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land; a land of pure water.
5 And it came to pass that they pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings, etc.; yea, they were industrious, and did labor exceedingly.
6 And it came to pass that the people were desirous that Alma should be their king, for he was beloved by his people.
7 But he saith unto them, Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another; or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you, It is not expedient that ye should have a king.
8 Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings, it would be well for you to have a king.
9 But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests: and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which was abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance;
10 nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and hath made me an instrument in his hands, in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth.
11 Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself.
12 And now I say unto you, As ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the hands of iniquity.
13 And now as ye have been delivered, by the power of God, out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be king over you;
14 and also trusting no one to be your teachers nor your ministers, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.
15 Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself; that there should be no contention among them.
16 And now Alma was their high priest, he being a founder of their Church.
17 And it came to pass that none received authority to preach or to teach, except it were by him from God. Therefore he consecrated all their priests, and all their teachers, and none were consecrated except it were just men.
18 Therefore they did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.
19 And it came to pass that they began to prosper exceedingly in the land; and they called the land Helam.
20 And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam;
21 and they built a city, which they called Helam. Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
22 Nevertheless, whosoever puteth his trust in him, the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.
23 For behold, I will shew unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God; yea, even the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.
24 And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did shew forth his might power unto them, and great was their rejoicings.
25 For behold, it came to pass that while they were in the land of Helam, yea, in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about, behold an army of the Lamanites were in the borders of the land.
26 Now it came to pass that the brethren of Alma fled from the fields, and gathered themselves together into the city of Helam; and they were much frightened because of the appearance of the Lamanites.
27 But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but they should remember the Lord their God, and he would deliver them;
28 therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord, that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they would spare them, and their wives, and their children.
29 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the hearts of the Lamanites. And Alma and his brethren went forth and delivered themselves up into their hands; and the Lamanites took possession of the land of Helam.
30 Now the armies of the Lamanites which had followed after the people of king Limhi, had been lost in the wilderness for many days.
31 And behold, they had found those priests of king Noah, in a place called Amulon; and they began to possess the land of Amulon, and had began to till the ground.
32 Now the name of the leader of those priests was Amulon.
33 And it came to pass that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, which was the daughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.
34 And it came to pass that the Lamanites had compassion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.
35 And Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they were travelling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi, when they discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his brethren.
36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they shewed them the way which led to the land of Nephi, that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.
37 But it came to pass that after Alma had shewn them the way that led to the land of Nephi, the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.
38 And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi, and a part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the wives and the children of the guards which had been left in the land.
39 And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, which was in the land of Helam; nevertheless he should have no power to do any thing contrary to the will of the king of the Lamanites.