Alma

1 And again: My brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time which the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained Priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people;
2 and those Priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained, being called and prepared from the foundation of the world, according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they being chosen good, and exercising exceeding great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with and according to, a preparatory redemption for such;
4 and thus they having been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this, they might had as great privilege as their brethren. Or in fine: In the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren;
5 thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the only begotten Son, which was prepared;
6 and thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the High Priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach us his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest,
7 this High Priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things.
8 Now they were ordained after this manner: Being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the High Priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and High Priesthood, is without beginning or end;
9 thus they become High Priests forever, after the order of the Son of the only begotten of the Father, which is without beginning of days or end of years, which is full of grace, equity and truth. And thus it is. Amen.
10 Now as I said concerning the holy order of this High Priesthood: There were many which were ordained and became High Priests of God; and it was on account of the exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness, rather than to perish;
11 therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white, through the blood of the Lamb.
12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin, saving it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceeding great many, which were made pure, and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.
13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit mete for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest;
14 yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a High Priest after this same order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the High Priesthood forever.
15 And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes; yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one tenth part of all he possessed.
16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order; and this, that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.
17 Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abominations; yea, they had all gone astray: they were full of all manner of wickedness;
18 but Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the High Priesthood, according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the Prince of Peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father.
19 Now there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore of him they have more particularly made mention.
20 Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said, may suffice. Behold, the Scriptures are before you; if ye will arrest them, it shall be to your own destruction.
21 And now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words unto them, he stretched forth his hand unto them and cried with a mighty voice, saying, Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth nigh;
22 yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations; yea, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people, yea, even to them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth; wherefore they have come unto us.
23 And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard.
24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men for to receive his word, at the time of his coming in his glory.
25 And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming: for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.
26 And it shall be known unto just and holy men, by the mouth of angels, at the time of his coming, that the words of our fathers might be fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
27 And now my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety, even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;
28 that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the holy spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long suffering;
29 having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day, and enter into his rest;
30 and may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death.
31 And it came to pass that Alma spake many more words unto the people, which are not written in this book.

1 Now Alma, seeing that the words of Amulek had silenced Zeezrom, for he beheld that Amulek had caught him in his lying and deceiving, to destroy him, and seeing that he began to tremble under the consciousness of his guilt, he opened his mouth and began to speak unto him, and to establish the words of Amulek, and to explain things beyond, or to unfold the Scriptures beyond that which Amulek had done.
2 Now the words that Alma spake unto Zeezrom, was heard by the people round about: for the multitude was great, and he spake on this wise:
3 Now Zeezrom, seeing that thou hast been taken in thy lying and craftiness, for thou hast not lied unto men only, but thou hast lied unto God. For behold, he knows all thy thoughts; and thou seest that thy thoughts are made known unto us by his spirit;
4 and thou seest that we know that thy plan was a very subtle plan, as to the subtlety of the Devil, for to lie and to deceive this people, that thou mightest set them against us, to revile us and to cast us out.
5 Now this was a plan of thine adversary, and he hath exercised his power in thee. Now I would that ye should remember that what I say unto thee, I say unto all.
6 And behold, I say unto you all, that this was a snare of the adversary, which he hath laid to catch this people, that he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.
7 Now when Alma had spoken these words, Zeezrom began to tremble more exceedingly, for he was convinced more and more of the power of God; and he was also convinced that Alma and Amulek had a knowledge of him, for he was convinced that they knew the thoughts and intents of his heart: for power was given unto them that they might know of these things, according to the spirit of prophecy.
8 And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God. And he saith unto Alma, What does this mean which Amulek hath spoken concerning the resurrection of the dead, that all shall rise from the dead, both the just and the unjust, and are brought to stand before God, to be judged according to their works?
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying, It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command, that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word, which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him;
10 and therefore he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until they know them in full;
11 and he that will harden his heart, to him is given the lesser portion of the word, until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the Devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of Hell;
12 and Amulek hath spoken plainly concerning death, and being raised from this mortality to a state of immortality, and being brought before the bar of God, to be judged according to our works.
13 Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it hath not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned:
14 for our words will condemn us, yea, all our work will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state, we shall not durst look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us, to hide us from his presence.
15 But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to the everlasting shame, that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he hath all power to save every man that believeth on his name, and bringeth forth mete for repentance.
16 And now behold I say unto you, then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time whosoever dieth in his sins, as to the temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness;
17 then is the time when their torments shall be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames 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.
18 Then I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God’s justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption.
19 Now it came to pass that when Alma had made an end of speaking these words, the people began to be more astonished;
20 but there was one Antionah, who was a chief ruler among them, come forth and said unto him, What is this that thou hast said, that man should rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state, that the soul can never die?
21 What does this Scripture mean, which saith that God placed Cherubims and a flaming sword on the east of the garden of Eden, lest our first parents should enter and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? And thus we see that there was no possible chance that they should live forever.
22 Now Alma saith unto him, This is the thing which I was about to explain. Now we see that Adam did fall by partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see that by his fall, that all mankind became a lost and a fallen people.
23 And now behold, I say unto you, that if it had been possible for Adam for to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, that there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar: for he said, If thou eat, thou shalt surely die.
24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man, in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state, which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
25 Now if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.
26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have went forth and partaken of the tree of life, they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.
27 But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto man that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment; even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.
28 And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;
29 therefore he sent angels to converse with them, which caused men to behold of his glory.
30 And they began from the time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them, according to their faith and repentance, and their holy works;
31 wherefore he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act, according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good;
32 therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the Supreme goodness of God.
33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid,) saying: if ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then I will have mercy upon you, through mine only begotten Son;
34 therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine only begotten Son, unto a remission of their sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
35 And whosoever will harden his heart, and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.
36 And now my brethren, behold I say unto you, That if ye will harden your hearts, ye shall not enter into the rest of the Lord; therefore your iniquity provoketh him, that he sendeth down his wrath upon you as in the first provocation, yea, according to this word in the last provocation, as well as in the first, to the everlasting destruction of your souls; therefore, according to his word, unto the last death, as well as the first.
37 And now my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he hath given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word.

1 Now it was in the law of Mosiah that every man which was a Judge of the law, or which was appointed to be Judges, should receive wages according to the time which they labored to judge those which were brought before them to be judged.
2 Now if a man oweth another, and he would not pay that which he owe, he was complained of to the Judge; and the Judge executed authority, and sent forth officers that the man should be brought before him; and he judgeth the man according to the law and the evidence which are brought against him; and thus the man was compelled to pay that which he oweth, or be striped, or be cast out from among the people, as a thief and a robber.
3 And the Judge receiveth for his wages according to his time: a senine of gold for a day, or a senum of silver, which is equal to a senine of gold; and this is according to the law which was given.
4 Now these are the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their silver, according to their value. And the names are given by the Nephites; for they did not reckon after the manner of the Jews which were at Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews, but they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds of the circumstances of the people, in every generation, until the reign of the Judges; they having been established by king Mosiah.
5 Now the reckoning is thus: A senine of gold, a seon of gold, a shum of gold, and a limnah of gold.
6 A senum of silver, an amnor of silver, an ezrom of silver, and an onti of silver.
7 A senum of silver was equal to a senine of gold; and either for a measure of barley, and also for a measure of every kind of grain.
8 Now the amount of a seon of gold, was twice the value of a senine;
9 and a shum of gold was twice the value of a seon;
10 and a limnah of gold was the value of them all;
11 and an amner of silver was as great as two senums;
12 and an ezrom of silver was as great as four senums;
13 and an onti was as great as them all.
14 Now this is the value of the lesser numbers of their reckoning:
15 A shiblon is half of a senum: therefore a shiblon for half a measure of barley;
16 and a shiblum is a half of shiblon;
17 and a leah is the half of a shiblum.
18 Now this is their number, according to their reckoning.
19 Now an antion of gold is equal to three shublons.
20 Now it was for the sole purpose for to get gain, because they received wages according to their employ; therefore they did stir up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ; that they might get money according to the suits which was brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek.
21 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 which was expert in the devises of the Devil, that he might destroy that which was good; therefore he saith unto Amulek, Will ye aaswer the questions which I shall put unto you?
22 And Amulek saith unto him, Yea, if it be according to the spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing contrary to the spirit of the Lord. And Zeezrom saith unto him, Behold, here is six onties of silver, and all these will I give to thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being.
23 Now Amulek saith, O thou child of Hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?
24 Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, nay: thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him.
25 And now thou hast lied unto God before me. Thou saidst unto me, Behold these six onties, which are of great worth, I will give unto thee, when thou had it in thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy desire that I should deny the true and living God, that thou mightest have cause to destroy me. And now behold, for this great evil thou shalt have thy reward.
26 And Zeezrom saith unto him, Thou sayest there is a true and living God?
27 And Amulek saith, Yea, there is a true and living God.
28 Now Zeezrom saith, Is there more than one God?
29 And he answered No.
30 Now Zeezrom saith unto him again: How knowest thou these things?
31 And he saith An angel hath made them known unto me.
32 And Zeezrom saith again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God?
33 And he said unto him, Yea.
34 And Zeezrom saith again: Shall he save his people in their sins? And Amulek answered and said unto him, I say unto you he shall not, for it is impossible for him to deny his word.
35 Now Zeezrom saith unto the people, See that ye remember these things; for he saith there is but one God; yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but he shall not save his people, as though he had authority to command God.
36 Now Amulek saith again unto him, Behold thou hast lied, for thou sayest that I spake as though I had authority to command God, because I said he shall not save his people in their sins.
37 And I say unto you again, that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? Therefore ye cannot be saved in your sins.
38 Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?
39 And Amulek saith unto him, Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of Heaven and of Earth, and all things which in them is; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;
40 and he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else;
41 therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
42 Now there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death;
43 the spirit and the body shall be reunited again, in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
44 Now this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked, and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but all things shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son of God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
45 Now behold I have spoken unto you, concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you, that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body; that is from death; even from the first death, unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
46 Now when Amulek had finished these words, the people began to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble. And thus ended the words of Amulek, or this is all that I have written.

1 Now these are the words that Amulek preached unto the people which was in the land of Ammonihah, saying:
2 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi: and it was that same Aminadi which interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of the temple, which was written by the finger of God.
3 And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph, which was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.
4 And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindred and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry;
5 nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvellous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvellous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people;
6 nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times, and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on unbelieving against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of our Judges.
7 As I was a journeying to see a very near kindred, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto me, and said, Amulek, return to thine own house, for thou shalt feed a prophet of the Lord; yea, a holy man, which art a chosen man of God; for he hath fasteth many days because of the sins of this people, and he is an hungered, and thou shalt receive him into thy house and feed him, and he shall bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord shall rest upon thee and thy house.
8 And it came to pass that I obeyed the voice of the angel, and returned towards my house. And as I was a going thither, I found the man which the angel said unto me, Thou shalt receive into thy house; and behold it was this same man which hath been speaking unto you concerning the things of God.
9 And the angel said unto me, He is a holy man; wherefore I know he is a holy man, because it was said by an angel of God.
10 And again: I know that the things whereof he hath testified are true; for behold, I say unto you, that as the Lord liveth, even so he hath sent his angel to make these things manifest unto me; and this he hath done while this Alma hath dwelt at my house;
11 for behold, he hath blessed mine home, he hath blessed me, and my woman, and my children, and my father, and my kinsfolks; yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessings of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake.
12 And now when Amulek had spoken these words, the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness which testifieth of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which was to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them;
13 nevertheless, there were some among them which thought to question them, that by their cunning devices they might catch them in their words, that they might find witness against them, that they might deliver them to the Judges, that they might be judged according to the law, and that they might be slain or cast into prison, according to the crime which they could make appear, or witness against them.
14 Now it was those men which sought to destroy them, which were Lawyers, which were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law at their times of trials, or at trials of the crimes of the people, before the Judges.
15 Now these Lawyers were learned in all the arts and cunning of the people; and this was to enable them that they might be skilful in their profession.
16 And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek, that thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the words which he should speak.
17 Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he saith unto them, O ye wicked and perverse generation; ye Lawyers and hypocrites; for ye are laying the foundation of the Devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God;
18 ye are laying plans to pervert the ways of the righteous, and to bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter destruction of this people;
19 yea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last king, when he was about to deliver up the kingdom, having no one to confer it upon, causing that this people should be governed by their own voices; yea, well did he say, that if the time should come that the voice of this people should choose iniquity; that is, if the time should come that this people should fall into transgression, they would be ripe for destruction.
20 And now I say unto you, that well doth the Lord judge your iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of his angels, Repent ye, repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
21 Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels, that I will come down among my people with equity and justice in my hands.
22 Yea, and I say unto you, that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, which are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.
23 Now it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore if ye will cast out the righteous from among you, then will not the Lord stay his hand, but in his fierce anger he will come down against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand, except ye repent.
24 And now it came to pass that the people were more angry with Amulek, and they cried out saying: This man doth revile against our laws, which are just, and our wise Lawyers, which we have selected.
25 But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation; why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him, that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?
26 For behold, have I testified against your law? Ye do not understand; ye say that I have spoken against your law; but have I not; but I have spoken in favor of your law, to your condemnation.
27 And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is a beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your Judges.
28 And now it came to pass that when Amulek had spoken these words, the people cried out against him, saying, Now we know that this man is a child of the Devil, for he hath lied unto us; for he hath spoken against our law. And now he saith that he hath not spoken against it.
29 And again: he hath reviled against our Lawyers, and our Judges,
30 And it came to pass that the Lawyers put it into their hearts that they should remember these things against him.
31 And it came to pass that there was one among them whose name was Zeezrom. Now he being the foremost to accuse Amulek and Alma, he being one of the most expert among them, having much business to do among the people.
32 Now the object of these Lawyers were to get gain; and they got gain according to their employ.

1 And again: I Alma, having been commanded of God that I should take Amulek and go forth and preach again unto this people, or the people which was in the city of Ammonihah. And it came to pass as I began to preach unto them, they began to contend with me, saying:
2 Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?
3 Now they understood not the words which they spake, for they knew not that the earth should pass away.
4 And they sayeth also, We will not believe thy words, if thou shouldst prophesy that this great city should be destroyed in one day.
5 Now they knew not that God could do such marvellous works, for they were a hard hearted and a stiffnecked people.
6 And they sayeth, Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvellous things?
7 And they stood forth to lay their hands on me; behold, they did not. And I stood with boldness to declare unto them, yea, I did boldly testify unto them, saying:
8 Behold, O ye wicked and perverse generation, how have ye forgotten the tradition of your fathers; yea, how soon ye have forgotten the commandments of God.
9 Do ye not remember that our father Lehi was brought out of Jerusalem by the hand of God? Do ye not remember that they were all led by him through the wilderness?
10 And have ye forgotten so soon how many times he delivered our fathers out of the hands of their enemies, and preserved them from being destroyed, even by the hands of their own brethren?
11 Yea, and if it had not been for his matchless power, and his mercy, and his long suffering towards us, we should unavoidably have been cut off from the face of the earth, long before this period of time, and perhaps been consigned to a state of endless misery and wo.
12 Behold, now I say unto you, that he commandeth you to repent; and except ye repent, ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God. But behold, this is not all: he hath commanded you to repent, or he will utterly destroy you from off the face of the earth; yea, he will visit you in his anger, and in his fierce anger he will not turn away.
13 Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying, That inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said, That inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.
14 Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord. Now we see that the word of the Lord hath been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.
15 Nevertheless I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment, than for you, if ye remain in your sins; yea, and even more tolerable for them in this life, than for you, except ye repent,
16 for there are many promises which is extended to the Lamanites: for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that causeth them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them, and prolong their existence in the land.
17 And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name.
18 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;
19 for he will not suffer you that ye shall live in you iniquities, to destroy his people. I say unto you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all this people which is called the people of Nephi, if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions, after having so much light and so much knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God;
20 yea, after having been such a highly favored people of the Lord; yea, after having been favored above every other nation, kindred, tongue, or people; after having had all things made known unto them, according to their desires, and their faith, and prayers, of that which has been, and which is, and which is to come;
21 having been visited by the spirit of God; having conversed with angels, and having been spoken unto by the voice of the Lord; and having the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and also many gifts: the gift of speaking with tongues, and the gift of preaching, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of translation;
22 yea, and after having been delivered of God out of the land of Jerusalem, by the hand of the Lord; having been saved from famine, and from sickness, and all manner of diseases of every kind; and they having been waxed strong in battle, that they might not be destroyed; having been brought out of bondage time after time, and having been kept and preserved until now; and they have been prospered until they are rich in all manner of things.
23 And now behold I say unto you, that if this people, who have received so many blessings from the hand of the Lord, should transgress, contrary to the light and knowledge which they do have; I say unto you, that if this be the case; that if they should fall into transgression, that it would be far more tolerable for the Lamanites than for them.
24 For behold, the promises of the Lord, are extended to the Lamanites, but they are not unto you, if ye transgress: for hath not the Lord expressly promised and firmly decreed, that if ye will rebel against him, that ye shall utterly be destroyed from off the face of the earth?
25 And now for this cause, that ye may not be destroyed, the Lord hath sent his angel to visit many of his people, declaring unto them that they must go forth and cry mightily unto this people, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of Heaven is nigh at hand;
26 and not many days hence, the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people, and to answer their prayers.
27 And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name;
28 therefore prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that every man shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been: if they have been righteous, they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil, they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the Devil.
29 Now behold, this is the voice of the angel, crying unto the people.
30 And now my beloved brethren, for ye are my brethren, and ye had ought to be loved, and ye had ought to bring forth works which is mete for repentance, seeing that your hearts have been grossly hardened against the word of God, and seeing that ye are a lost and fallen people.
31 Now it came to pass that when I, Alma, had spoken these words, behold, the people were wroth with me, because I said unto them that they were a hardhearted and a stiffnecked people;
32 and also because I had said unto them that they were a lost and a fallen people, they were angry with me, and sought to lay their hands upon me, that they might cast me into prison;
33 but it came to pass that the Lord did not suffer them that they should take me at a time and cast me into prison.
34 And it came to pass that Amulek went and stood forth, and began to preach unto them also. And now the words of Amulek are not all written; nevertheless a part of his words are written in this book.

1 And now it came to pass that Alma returned from the land of Gideon, after having taught the people of Gideon many things which cannot be written, having established the order of the church, according as he had before done in the land of Zarahemla; yea, he returned to his own house at Zarahemla, to rest himself from the labors which he had performed.
2 And thus ended the ninth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi.
3 And it came to pass in the commencement of the tenth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma departed from thence, and took his journey over into the land of Melek, on the west of the river Sidon, on the west, by the borders of the wilderness;
4 And he began to teach the people in the land of Melek, according to the holy order of God by which he had been called; and he began to teach the people throughout all the land of Melek.
5 And it came to pass that the people came to him throughout all the borders of the land which was by the wilderness side. And it came to pass that they were baptized throughout all the land,
6 so that when he had finished his work at Melek, he departed thence, and travelled three days’ journey on the north of the land of Melek; and he came to a city which was called Ammonihah.
7 Now it was the custom of the people of Nephi, to call their lands, and their cities, and their villages, yea, even all their small villages, after the name of him, who first possessed them; and thus it was with the land of Ammonihah.
8 And it came to pass that when Alma came to the city of Ammonihah, he began to preach the word of God unto them.
9 Now Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah; therefore they would not hearken unto the words of Alma.
10 Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his spirit upon the people which was in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance;
11 nevertheless, they hardened their hearts, saying unto him, Behold, we know that thou art Alma; and we know that thou art High Priest over the church which thou hast established in many parts of the land, according to your tradition; and we are not of the church, and we do not believe in such foolish traditions.
12 And now we know that because we are not of thy church, we know that thou hast no power over us; and thou hast delivered up the judgment seat unto Nephihah; therefore thou art not the Chief Judge over us.
13 Now when the people had said this, and had withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city, he departed thence and took his journey towards the city which was called Aaron.
14 And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of souls, because of the wickedness of the people which was in the city of Ammonihah. And it came to pass that while Alma was weighed down with sorrow, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared unto him saying,
15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou received thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it into you;
16 and behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent, the Lord God will destroy them.
17 For behold, they do study at this time that they may destroy the liberty of thy people, (for thus saith the Lord,) which is contrary to the statutes, and judgments, and commandments which he hath given unto his people.
18 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord, he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And it came to pass that he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which was on the south of the city of Ammonihah.
19 And it came to pass that as he entered the city, he was an hungered, and he saith to a man, Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?
20 And the man saith unto him, I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a Holy Prophet of God, for thou art the man which an angel saith in a vision, Thou shalt receive; therefore go with me into my house, and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou will be a blessing unto me and my house.
21 And it came to pass that the man received him into his house; and the man was called Amulek; and he brought forth bread and meat, and sat before Alma.
22 And it came to pass that Alma ate bread and was filled; and he blessed Amulek and his house, and he gave thanks unto God.
23 And after he had eat and was filled, he said unto Amulek, I am Alma, and am the High Priest over the church of God throughout the land.
24 And behold, I have been called to preach the word of God among all this people, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy; and I was in this land, and they would not receive me, but they cast me out, and I was about to set my back towards this land forever.
25 But behold, I have been commanded that I should turn again and prophesy unto this people, yea, and to testify against them concerning their iniquities.
26 And now Amulek, because thou hast fed me and took me in, thou art blessed: for I was an hungered, for I had fasted many days.
27 And it came to pass that Alma tarried many days with Amulek, before he began to preach unto the people.
28 And it came to pass that the people did wax more gross in their iniquities.
29 And the word came to Alma, saying, Go; and also say unto my servant Amulek, Go forth and prophesy unto this people, saying: Repent ye, for thus saith the Lord: Except ye repent, I will visit this people in mine anger; yea, and I will not turn my fierce anger away.
30 And it came to pass that Alma went forth, and also Amulek, among the people, to declare the words of God unto them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost;
31 and they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither were 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.
32 And it came to pass that they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them.

1 Behold my beloved brethren, seeing that I have been permitted to come unto you, therefore I attempt to address you in my language; yea, by my own mouth, seeing that it is the first time that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth, I having been wholly confined to the judgment seat, having had much business that I could not have come unto you;
2 and even I could not have come now at this time, were it not that the judgment seat hath been given to another, to reign in my stead; and the Lord in much mercy hath granted that I should come unto you.
3 And behold, I have come, having great hopes and much desire that I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye have continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye were blameless before him; that I should find that ye were not in the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla;
4 but blessed be the name of God that he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the exceeding great joy of knowing that they are established again in the way of his righteousness.
5 And I trust according to the spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you, should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla: for behold, my joy cometh over them after wading through much afflictions and sorrow.
6 But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches, and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins with an everlasting faith which is to come.
7 For behold, I say unto you, there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all: for behold, the time is not far distant, that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.
8 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 the power to do all things which is according to his word.
9 But behold, the spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying, Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight: for behold, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.
10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers, she being a Virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed, and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God;
11 and he shall go forth, suffering pains, and afflictions, and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith, He will take upon him the pains and the sickness of his people;
12 and he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which binds his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to suffer his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh, that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions, according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
14 Now I say unto you, that ye must repent, and be born again: for the spirit saith, If ye are not born again, ye cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, which is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness;
15 yea, I say unto you, Come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction; yea, come and go forth, and shew unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins, and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day, by going into the waters of baptism;
16 and whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
17 And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that you believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them, is by the manifestation of the spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.
18 For as I said unto you from the beginning, that I had much desire that ye was not in the state of dilemma like your brethren, even so I have found that my desires have been gratified.
19 For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight;
20 I perceive that it hath been made known unto you by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round.
21 And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness, or any thing which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you, the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he which is filthy, shall remain in his filthiness.
22 And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you, that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him; that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.
23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive, and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive,
24 and see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works;
25 and may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Holy Prophets, which have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless, even as their garments are spotless in the kingdom of Heaven, to go no more out.
26 And now my beloved brethren, I have spoken these words unto you, according to the spirit which testifieth in me; and my soul doth exceedingly rejoice, because of the exceeding diligence and heed which ye have given unto your word.
27 And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and land, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess; your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, for this time forth and forever. And thus I have spoken. Amen.

1 And now it came to pass that after Alma had made an end of speaking unto the people of the church, which was established in the city of Zarahemla, he ordained priests and elder, by laying on his hands according to the order of God, to preside and watch over the church.
2 And it came to pass that whomsoever did not belong to the church who repented of their sins, was baptized unto repentance, and was received into the church.
3 And it also came to pass that whomsoever did belong to the church, that did not repent of their wickedness, and humble themselves before God; I mean those which were lifted up in the pride of their hearts; the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous;
4 and thus began to establish the order of the church in the city of Zarahemla.
5 Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all; that no one was deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God;
6 nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft and join in fasting and mighty prayer, in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.
7 And now it came to pass that when Alma had made those regulations, he departed from them, yea, from the church which was in the city of Zarahemla, and went over upon the east of the river Sidon, into the valley of Gideon, there having been a city built which was called the city of Gideon, which was in the valley that was called Gideon, being called after the man which was slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword.
8 And Alma went and began to declare the word of God unto the church which was established in the valley of Gideon, according to the revelation of the truth of the word which had been spoken by his fathers, and according to the spirit of prophecy which was in him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, which should come for to redeem his people from their sins, and by the holy order by which he was called. And thus it is written. Amen.

1 Now it came to pass that Alma began to deliver the word of God unto the people, first in the land of Zarahemla, and from thence throughout all the land.
2 And these are the words which he spake to the people in the Church which was established in the city of Zarahemla, according to his own record, saying:
3 I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father Alma, to be a High Priest over the Church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you, that he began to establish a Church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon.
4 And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God.
5 And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites, in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land and here we began to establish the Church of God throughout this land, also.
6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this Church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance of his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he hath delivered their souls from hell?
7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awaked them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.
8 And now I ask you my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, nay, they were not.
9 And again I ask, was the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you, that they are saved.
10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? Yea, and also, the chains of hell?
11 Behold, I can tell you: did not my father Alma believe in the words which was delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the word of God, and my father Alma believe them?
12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you, that this is all true.
13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts; and they humbled themselves, and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.
14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the Church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God, to be judged according to the deeds which hath been done in the mortal body?
16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day. Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say, Lord, Our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth, and that he will save you?
18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God, with your souls filled with guilt and remorse; having a remembrance of all your guilt; yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness; yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?
19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?
20 I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the Devil?
21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day, that ye cannot be saved: for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it hath been spoken by our fathers which should come to redeem his people from sins.
22 And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood, and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you?
23 Behold, will they not testify that ye are murderers, yea, and also that ye are guilty of all manner of wickedness?
24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the Kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed, and are spotless, pure and white?
25 I say unto you, nay, except ye make our creator a liar from the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar from the beginning; or also, ye cannot suppose that such an one can have a place in the kingdom of heaven, but they shall be cast out, for they are the children of the kingdom of the Devil.
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white, through the blood of Christ, which will come to redeem his people from their sins?
28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not, ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold, ye must prepare quickly, for the Kingdom of Heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.
29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you, that such an one is not prepared, and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come: for such an one is not found guiltless.
30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent, or he cannot be saved;
32 yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord hath spoken it.
33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men; for the arms of mercy is extended toward them, and he saith, Repent, and I will receive you;
34 yea, he saith, Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink, of the bread and the waters of life freely;
35 come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire:
36 for behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same hath cause to wail and mourn.
37 O ye workers of iniquity, ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world; ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness; nevertheless ye have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you, and art still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice.
38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which you are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are you? Behold, I say unto you, that the Devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whoever denieth this, is a liar and a child of the Devil;
40 for I say unto you, that whosoever is good, cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil, cometh from the Devil;
41 therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works, he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the Devil: for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.
42 And whosoever doeth this must receive the wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to the things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.
43 And now my brethren, I would that ye should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plain, that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God.
44 For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers, concerning the things which is to come.
45 And this is not all. Do ye suppose that I know not of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you, that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken, are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?
46 Behold, I say unto you, they are made known unto me by the holy spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days, that I might know these things myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his holy spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
47 And moreover, I say unto you, that as it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers, are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy, which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the spirit of God,
48 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come; yea, the Son of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world; yea, the sins of every man which steadfastly believeth on his name.
49 And now I say unto you, that this is the order after which I am called; yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren; yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you, the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them they must repent and be born again;
50 yea, thus saith the spirit, Repent all ye ends of the earth, for the Kingdom of Heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the spirit saith, Behold, the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of Heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men;
51 and also the spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying, Go forth and say unto this people, repent, for except ye repent ye can in no wise inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
52 And again I say unto you, the spirit saith, Behold, the axe is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire; yea, a fire which cannot be consumed; even an unquenchable fire. Behold, and remember, the holy one hath spoken it.
53 And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the holy one under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel, and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches;
54 yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecutions of your brethren, who humble themselves, and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this Church, having been sanctified by the holy spirit; and they do bring forth works which is meet for repentance;
55 yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?
56 And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you, that these are they which shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, except they speedily repent.
57 And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the sword of God may be fulfilled, which saith, The name of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people.
58 For the names of the righteous shall be written in the Book of Life; and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled.
59 For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep, doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? And behold, if a wolf enter his flock, doth he not drive him out? Yea, and at the last, if he can he will destroy him.
60 And now I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice, he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.
61 And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.
62 I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those which do not belong to the church, I speak by way of invitation, saying, Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

1 Now it came to pass in the sixth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi, there was no contentions nor wars in the land of Zarahemla;
2 and the people being afflicted, yea greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the loss of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain, which was trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lasmanites,
3 and so great was their afflictions, that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgment of God sent upon them, because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.
4 And they began to establish the church more fully; yea, and many were baptized in the water of Sidon, and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the high priest over the people of the church by the hand of his father Alma.
5 And it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the Judges, there was about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of God, and were baptized. And thus ended the seventh year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.
6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the Judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine twined linen, and because of many flocks and herds, and their gold, and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in pride of their eyes, for they began to wear costly apparel.
7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people which Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders, over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.
8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow, that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon vain things of the world; that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.
9 And thus in this eighth year of the reign of the Judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.
10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of Judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.
11 And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma seeking the wickedness of the church, and seeing also that the example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers, on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people; yea, seeing great inequality among the people,
12 some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy, and the naked, and those which were hungry, and those which are athirst, and those which were sick and afflicted.
13 Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the poor and the needy; feeding the hungry; and suffering all manner of afflictions, for Christ’s sake, which should come according to the spirit of prophecy,
14 looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of their sins; being filled with great joy, because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will, and power, and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.
15 And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which was heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, he began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the spirit of the Lord did not fail him.
16 And he selected a wise man which was among the elders of the church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people, that he might have power to enact laws according to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force, according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.
17 Now this man’s name was Nephihah, and he was appointed Chief Judge; and he sat in the judgment seat, to judge and to govern the people.
18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being High Priests over the church, but he retained the office of High Priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment seat unto Nephihah:
19 and this he did, that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness, and all the contentions which was among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them, save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.
20 And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.