Mosiah

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1 And now it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together: and this they did that they might have a voice of the people concerning the matter.
2 And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous that it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.
3 Now it came to pass that Gideon went forth and stood before the king, and said unto him, Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many times when we have been contending with our brethren, the Lamanites.
4 And now O king, if thou hast not found me to be a unprofitable servant or if thou hast hitherto listened to my words in any degree, and they have been of service to thee, even so I desire that thou wouldst listen to my words at this time, and I will be thy servant, and deliver this people out of bondage.
5 And the king granted unto him that he might speak. And Gideon saith unto him,
6 Behold the back pass through the back wall, on the back side of the city. The Lamanites, or the guards of the Lamanites, by night, are drunken; therefore let us send a proclamation among all this people, that they gather together their flocks and herds, that they may drive them into the wilderness by night.
7 And I will go according to thy command, and pay the last tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be drunken; and we will pass through the secret pass on the left of the camp, when they are drunken and asleep:
8 thus we will depart with our women and our children, our flocks and our herds, into the wilderness; and we will travel around the land of Shilom.
9 And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon.
10 And it came to pass that king Limhi caused that his people should gather their flocks together; and he sent the tribute of wine to the Lamanites; and he also sent more wine, as a present unto them: and they did drink freely of the wine which king Limhi did send unto them.
11 And it came to pass that the people of king Limhi did depart by night into the wilderness with their flocks and their herds; and they went round about the land of Shilom in the wilderness, and bent their course towards the land of Zarahemla, being led by Ammon and his brethren.
12 And they had taken all their gold, and silver, and their precious things, which they could carry; and also their provisions with them, into the wilderness; and they pursued their journey.
13 And after being many days in the wilderness, they arrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined his people, and became his subjects.
14 And it came to pass that Mosiah received them with joy; and he also received their records, and also the records which had been found by the people of Limhi.
15 And now it came to pass when the Lamanites had found that the people of Limhi had departed out of the land by night, that they sent an army into the wilderness to pursue them;
16 and after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.

1 And it came to pass that Limhi and his people returned to the city of Nephi, and began to dwell in the land again in peace.
2 And it came to pass that after many days, the Lamanites began to be stirred up in anger against the Nephites; and they began to come into the borders of the land round about.
3 Now they durst not slay them, because of the oath which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass:
4 yea, all this was done, that the word of the Lord be fulfilled.
5 And now the afflictions of the Nephites was great; and there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side.
6 And it came to pass that the people began to murmur with the king, because of their afflictions; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle. And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires.
7 And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites, to drive them out of their land.
8 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them.
9 And now there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi; the widow mourning for her husband; the son and the daughter mourning for their father; and the brothers for their brethren.
10 Now there were a great many widows in the land; and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them.
11 And it came to pass that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger, against the Lamanites. And they went again to battle; but they were driven back again, suffering much loss.
12 Yea, they went again, even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain, returned again to the city of Nephi.
13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies.
14 And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God, that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.
15 And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry, because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they began to ease their burdens: yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.
16 And it came to pass that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger.
17 Now there was a great number of women more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger: and this they did, because of the greatness of their number that had been slain.
18 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as mush as it was possible, and secure their grain, and their flocks;
19 and the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites.
20 And he caused that his people should watch the land round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled into the wilderness, which had stolen the daughters of the Lamanites, and that caused such a great destruction to come upon them;
21 for they were desirous to take them, that they might punish them: for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off of their grain, and many of their precious things; therefore they laid wait for them.
22 And it came to pass that there was no more disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, even until the time that Ammon and his brethren came into the land.
23 And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard he discovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing them to be priests of Noah, therefore he caused that they should be taken, and bound, and cast into prison. And had they been the priests of Noah, he would have caused that they should be put to death;
24 but when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the land of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceeding great joy.
25 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it: and they were lost in the wilderness.
26 Nevertheless they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled, and which had been destroyed; and they having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the coming of Ammon.
27 And they brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and they were engraven on plates of ore.
28 And now Limhi was again filled with joy, on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Benjamin had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon also did rejoice.
29 Yet Ammon and his brethren were filled with sorrow, because so many of his brethren had been slain;
30 and also that king Noah and his priests had caused the people to commit so many sins and iniquities against God; and they also did mourn for the death of Abinadi; and also for the departure of Alma, and the people that went with him, who had formed a church of God through the strength and power of God, and faith on the words which had been spoken by Abinadi;
31 yea, they did mourn for their departure, for they knew not whither they had fled. Now they would have gladly joined with them, for they themselves had entered into a covenant with God, to serve him, and keep his commandments.
32 And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him, and keep his commandments.
33 And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people was desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant;
34 therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the spirit of the Lord. Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, which had fled into the wilderness. 2
35 They were desirous to be baptized, as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time: and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter. 2
36 And now all the study of Ammon and his people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites, and from bondage.

1 Now there was a place in Shemlon, where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together for to sing, to dance, and to make themselves merry.
2 And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and dance.
3 And now the priests of the king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their children.
4 And having tarried in the wilderness and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them;
5 and when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places, and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness.
6 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi; for they thought it was the people of Limhi.
7 Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi, to destroy the people of Limhi.
8 And now Limhi had discovered them from the tower; even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields, and in the forests.
9 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them.
10 And it came to pass that the battle became exceeding sore, for they fought like lions for their prey.
11 And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them, yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves, and like dragons did they fight.
12 And it came to pass that they found the king of the Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his people.
13 And they took him and bound up his wounds, and brought him before Limhi, and said, Behold, here is the king of the Lamanites; he having received a wound, hath fallen among their dead, and they have left him; and behold, we have brought him before you; and now let us slay him.
14 But Limhi saith unto them, Ye shall not slay him, but bring him hither, that I may see him. And they brought him. And Limhi saith unto him, What cause have ye to come up to war against my people? Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?
15 And now the king said, I have broken the oath, because thy people did carry away the daughters of my people; therefore in my anger I did cause my people to come up to war against thy people.
16 Now Limhi had heard nothing concerning this matter; therefore he saith, I will search among my people, and whosoever hath done this thing shall perish. Therefore he caused a search to be made among his people.
17 Now when Gideon had heard these things, he being the king’s captain, he went forth and said unto the king, I pray thee forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their charge.
18 For do ye not remember the priests of thy father, which this people sought to destroy? And are they not in the wilderness? And is it not they which have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites?
19 And now behold, and tell the king these things, that he may tell his people, that they may be pacified towards us: for behold, they are already preparing to come against us; and behold also, there are but few of us.
20 And behold, they come with their numerous hosts; and except the king doth pacify them towards us, we must perish.
21 For are not the words of Abinadi fulfilled, which he prophesied against us? and all this because we would not hearken unto the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities?
22 And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him: for it is better that we should be in bondage, than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood.
23 And now Limhi told the king all the things concerning his father, and the priests that had fled into the wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to them.
24 And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them, Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath, that my people shall not slay thy people.
25 And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow himself down before them, and did plead in behalf of the people of Limhi.
26 And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were pacified towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land.