The Book of Mormon Part 62

Alma 14:13 13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.

Alma 14:14 14 Now it came to pa.s.s that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?

Alma 14:15 15 Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has G.o.d saved them because they were of thy faith. And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves?

Alma 14:16 16 Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who slew Gideon.

Alma 14:17 17 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma and Amulek answered him nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison.

Alma 14:18 18 And when they had been cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers, and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words; but they answered them nothing.

Alma 14:19 19 And it came to pa.s.s that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames? And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.

Alma 14:20 20 And it came to pa.s.s that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks. And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?

Alma 14:21 21 And many such things did they say unto them, gnas.h.i.+ng their teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are d.a.m.ned?

Alma 14:22 22 And many such things, yea, all manner of such things did they say unto them; and thus they did mock them for many days. And they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst; and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked; and thus they were bound with strong cords, and confined in prison.

Alma 14:23 23 And it came to pa.s.s after they had thus suffered for many days, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.

Alma 14:24 24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of G.o.d deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words.

Alma 14:25 25 And it came to pa.s.s that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of G.o.d was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet.

Alma 14:26 26 And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.

Alma 14:27 27 And it came to pa.s.s that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.

Alma 14:28 28 And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city.

Alma 14:29 29 Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by mult.i.tudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.

Alma 15 Chapter 15

Alma 15:1 1 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma and Amulek were commanded to depart out of that city; and they departed, and came out even into the land of Sidom; and behold, there they found all the people who had departed out of the land of Ammonihah, who had been cast out and stoned, because they believed in the words of Alma.

Alma 15:2 2 And they related unto them all that had happened unto their wives and children, and also concerning themselves, and of their power of deliverance.

Alma 15:3 3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat.

Alma 15:4 4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.

Alma 15:5 5 And it came to pa.s.s that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and they found him upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him.

Alma 15:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?

Alma 15:7 7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.

Alma 15:8 8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.

Alma 15:9 9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.

Alma 15:10 10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our G.o.d, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.

Alma 15:11 11 And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom.

Alma 15:12 12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people.

Alma 15:13 13 And Alma established a church in the land of Sidom, and consecrated priests and teachers in the land, to baptize unto the Lord whosoever were desirous to be baptized.

Alma 15:14 14 And it came to pa.s.s that they were many; for they did flock in from all the region round about Sidom, and were baptized.

Alma 15:15 15 But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins.

Alma 15:16 16 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of G.o.d, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;

Alma 15:17 17 Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great check, yea, seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to humble themselves before G.o.d, and began to a.s.semble themselves together at their sanctuaries to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d before the altar, watching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction--

Alma 15:18 18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord.

Alma 15:19 19 And thus ended the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

Alma 16 Chapter 16

Alma 16:1 1 And it came to pa.s.s in the eleventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, on the fifth day of the second month, there having been much peace in the land of Zarahemla, there having been no wars nor contentions for a certain number of years, even until the fifth day of the second month in the eleventh year, there was a cry of war heard throughout the land.

Alma 16:2 2 For behold, the armies of the Lamanites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the borders of the land, even into the city of Ammonihah, and began to slay the people and destroy the city.

Alma 16:3 3 And now it came to pa.s.s, before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to drive them out of the land, they had destroyed the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, and also some around the borders of Noah, and taken others captive into the wilderness.

Alma 16:4 4 Now it came to pa.s.s that the Nephites were desirous to obtain those who had been carried away captive into the wilderness.

Alma 16:5 5 Therefore, he that had been appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites, (and his name was Zoram, and he had two sons, Lehi and Aha)--now Zoram and his two sons, knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive by the Lamanites.

Alma 16:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s that Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And Alma returned and said unto them: Behold, the Lamanites will cross the river Sidon in the south wilderness, away up beyond the borders of the land of Manti. And behold there shall ye meet them, on the east of the river Sidon, and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites.

Alma 16:7 7 And it came to pa.s.s that Zoram and his sons crossed over the river Sidon, with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders of Manti into the south wilderness, which was on the east side of the river Sidon.

Alma 16:8 8 And they came upon the armies of the Lamanites, and the Lamanites were scattered and driven into the wilderness; and they took their brethren who had been taken captive by the Lamanites, and there was not one soul of them had been lost that were taken captive. And they were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands.

Alma 16:9 9 And thus ended the eleventh year of the judges, the Lamanites having been driven out of the land, and the people of Ammonihah were destroyed; yea, every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said G.o.d could not destroy, because of its greatness.

Alma 16:10 10 But behold, in one day it was left desolate; and the carca.s.ses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness.

Alma 16:11 11 Nevertheless, after many days their dead bodies were heaped up upon the face of the earth, and they were covered with a shallow covering. And now so great was the scent thereof that the people did not go in to possess the land of Ammonihah for many years. And it was called Desolation of Nehors; for they were of the profession of Nehor, who were slain; and their lands remained desolate.

Alma 16:12 12 And the Lamanites did not come again to war against the Nephites until the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And thus for three years did the people of Nephi have continual peace in all the land.