The Book of Mormon Part 54

Alma 2:25 25 And they are upon our brethren in that land; and they are fleeing before them with their flocks, and their wives, and their children, towards our city; and except we make haste they obtain possession of our city, and our fathers, and our wives, and our children be slain.

Alma 2:26 26 And it came to pa.s.s that the people of Nephi took their tents, and departed out of the valley of Gideon towards their city, which was the city of Zarahemla.

Alma 2:27 27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them.

Alma 2:28 28 Nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them.

Alma 2:29 29 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another.

Alma 2:30 30 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma, being a man of G.o.d, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.

Alma 2:31 31 Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword.

Alma 2:32 32 And he also contended with the king of the Lamanites; but the king of the Lamanites fled back from before Alma and sent his guards to contend with Alma.

Alma 2:33 33 But Alma, with his guards, contended with the guards of the king of the Lamanites until he slew and drove them back.

Alma 2:34 34 And thus he cleared the ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west of the river Sidon, throwing the bodies of the Lamanites who had been slain into the waters of Sidon, that thereby his people might have room to cross and contend with the Lamanites and the Amlicites on the west side of the river Sidon.

Alma 2:35 35 And it came to pa.s.s that when they had all crossed the river Sidon that the Lamanites and the Amlicites began to flee before them, notwithstanding they were so numerous that they could not be numbered.

Alma 2:36 36 And they fled before the Nephites towards the wilderness which was west and north, away beyond the borders of the land; and the Nephites did pursue them with their might, and did slay them.

Alma 2:37 37 Yea, they were met on every hand, and slain and driven, until they were scattered on the west, and on the north, until they had reached the wilderness, which was called Hermounts; and it was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts.

Alma 2:38 38 And it came to pa.s.s that many died in the wilderness of their wounds, and were devoured by those beasts and also the vultures of the air; and their bones have been found, and have been heaped up on the earth.

Alma 3 Chapter 3

Alma 3:1 1 And it came to pa.s.s that the Nephites who were not slain by the weapons of war, after having buried those who had been slain--now the number of the slain were not numbered, because of the greatness of their number--after they had finished burying their dead they all returned to their lands, and to their houses, and their wives, and their children.

Alma 3:2 2 Now many women and children had been slain with the sword, and also many of their flocks and their herds; and also many of their fields of grain were destroyed, for they were trodden down by the hosts of men.

Alma 3:3 3 And now as many of the Lamanites and the Amlicites who had been slain upon the bank of the river Sidon were cast into the waters of Sidon; and behold their bones are in the depths of the sea, and they are many.

Alma 3:4 4 And the Amlicites were distinguished from the Nephites, for they had marked themselves with red in their foreheads after the manner of the Lamanites; nevertheless they had not shorn their heads like unto the Lamanites.

Alma 3:5 5 Now the heads of the Lamanites were shorn; and they were naked, save it were skin which was girded about their loins, and also their armor, which was girded about them, and their bows, and their arrows, and their stones, and their slings, and so forth.

Alma 3:6 6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.

Alma 3:7 7 And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore they were cursed; and the Lord G.o.d set a mark upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women.

Alma 3:8 8 And this was done that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of their brethren, that thereby the Lord G.o.d might preserve his people, that they might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction.

Alma 3:9 9 And it came to pa.s.s that whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same curse upon his seed.

Alma 3:10 10 Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him.

Alma 3:11 11 And it came to pa.s.s that whosoever would not believe in the tradition of the Lamanites, but believed those records which were brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and also in the tradition of their fathers, which were correct, who believed in the commandments of G.o.d and kept them, were called the Nephites, or the people of Nephi, from that time forth--

Alma 3:12 12 And it is they who have kept the records which are true of their people, and also of the people of the Lamanites.

Alma 3:13 13 Now we will return again to the Amlicites, for they also had a mark set upon them; yea, they set the mark upon themselves, yea, even a mark of red upon their foreheads.

Alma 3:14 14 Thus the word of G.o.d is fulfilled, for these are the words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the Lamanites have I cursed, and I will set a mark on them that they and their seed may be separated from thee and thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except they repent of their wickedness and turn to me that I may have mercy upon them.

Alma 3:15 15 And again: I will set a mark upon him that mingleth his seed with thy brethren, that they may be cursed also.

Alma 3:16 16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth against thee and thy seed.

Alma 3:17 17 And again, I say he that departeth from thee shall no more be called thy seed; and I will bless thee, and whomsoever shall be called thy seed, henceforth and forever; and these were the promises of the Lord unto Nephi and to his seed.

Alma 3:18 18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of G.o.d when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come out in open rebellion against G.o.d; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.

Alma 3:19 19 Now I would that ye should see that they brought upon themselves the curse; and even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation.

Alma 3:20 20 Now it came to pa.s.s that not many days after the battle which was fought in the land of Zarahemla, by the Lamanites and the Amlicites, that there was another army of the Lamanites came in upon the people of Nephi, in the same place where the first army met the Amlicites.

Alma 3:21 21 And it came to pa.s.s that there was an army sent to drive them out of their land.

Alma 3:22 22 Now Alma himself being afflicted with a wound did not go up to battle at this time against the Lamanites;

Alma 3:23 23 But he sent up a numerous army against them; and they went up and slew many of the Lamanites, and drove the remainder of them out of the borders of their land.

Alma 3:24 24 And then they returned again and began to establish peace in the land, being troubled no more for a time with their enemies.

Alma 3:25 25 Now all these things were done, yea, all these wars and contentions were commenced and ended in the fifth year of the reign of the judges.

Alma 3:26 26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.

Alma 3:27 27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth. And thus endeth the fifth year of the reign of the judges.

Alma 4 Chapter 4

Alma 4:1 1 Now it came to pa.s.s in the sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no contentions nor wars in the land of Zarahemla;

Alma 4:2 2 But the people were 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 were trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.

Alma 4:3 3 And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of G.o.d sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.

Alma 4:4 4 And they began to establish the church more fully; yea, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of G.o.d; 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.

Alma 4:5 5 And it came to pa.s.s in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of G.o.d and were baptized. And thus endeth the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.

Alma 4:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s 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 their 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 the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.

Alma 4:7 7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom 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.