THE BOOK OF ALMA

The account of Alma, who was the son of Alma, the first and chief judge over the people of Nephi, and also the high priest over the Church. An account of the reign of the judges, and the wars and contentions among the people. And also an account of a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, according to the record of Alma, the first and chief judge.

CHAPTER 1

Nehor teaches false doctrines, establishes a church, introduces priestcraft, and slays Gideon—Nehor is executed for his crimes—Priestcrafts and persecutions spread among the people—The priests support themselves, the people care for the poor, and the Church prospers. About 91–88 B.C.

1 In the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, king Mosiah had died, having fought a good fight, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to be king. But he had established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people, so from this time forward they were obligated to live by the laws he had made.

2 In the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment-seat, a man, Nehor, was brought before him to be judged, a man who was large and known for great strength.

3 He had preached among the people what he called the word of God, criticizing the church and telling people that every priest and teacher should become popular, and that they should not support themselves, but be supported by the people.

4 He also testified to the people that all mankind would be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear or tremble, but should lift up their heads and rejoice, because the Lord had created all men and redeemed all men, and in the end all men would have eternal life.

5 So many believed his words that they began to support him and give him money.

6 Nehor began to be lifted up in pride, and to wear very expensive clothing, and even began to establish a church based on his preaching.

7 As he was traveling to preach to those who believed his word, he met a teacher who belonged to the church of God—Gideon, the same man God led to help deliver the people of Limhi from bondage—and Nehor began to argue sharply with him so he could lead away the people of the church; but Gideon opposed him, warning him with the words of God.

9 Because Gideon resisted him with the words of God, Nehor became angry and began to strike him with his sword. Because Gideon was old, he could not resist the blows, so he was killed by the sword.

10 Nehor was taken by the people of the church to Alma, to be judged for his crimes.

11 And Nehor stood before Alma and defended himself boldly.

12 Alma said to him, This is the first time priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And you are guilty not only of priestcraft, but you have tried to enforce it by the sword. And if priestcraft were forced on this people, it would lead to their entire destruction.

13 You have spilled the blood of a righteous man, a man who has done much good among this people, and if we spared you, his blood would come upon us for vengeance.

14 So you are condemned to die, according to the law given to us by Mosiah, our last king. His law has been accepted by this people, so they must keep the law.

15 They carried Nehor to the top of the hill Manti, and there he admitted between the heavens and the earth that he had taught the people contrary to the word of God. Then he suffered a shameful death.

16 But this did not end the spreading of priestcraft through the land because there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went out preaching false doctrines; and they did this for riches and honor.

17 But they didn’t dare to lie because they were afraid of the law, which punished liars if they were caught. So they pretended to believe what they preached because the law had no power over anyone for their beliefs.

18 And they did not dare to steal, for fear of the punishments of the law, nor did they dare to rob or murder, because murders were punished by death.

19 Whoever did not belong to the church of God began to persecute those who did belong to the church and had taken upon them the name of Christ.

20 They persecuted them and afflicted them with all kinds of words, all because of their humility, because they were not proud, and because they shared the word of God with each other without being paid.

21 There was a strict law among the people of the church that no member of the church should persecute those who did not belong to the church, nor should they persecute each other.

22 But many church members began to be proud and to argue angrily with their enemies, even hitting each other with their fists.

23 This was in the second year of the reign of Alma, and it caused much affliction to the church.

24 The hearts of many were hardened, and their names were removed from the people of God and forgotten. And many others withdrew from the church.

25 This was a great test for those who stood firmly in the faith, but they were immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they patiently endured the persecution heaped on them.

26 When the priests of the church left their jobs to preach the word of God to the people, the people also left their jobs to hear the word of God. And the priests returned diligently to their jobs, and the priests did not think they were better than any listener, so everyone was equal, and they all worked as hard as they could.

27 They gave their money and goods, each according to what he had, to the poor, the needy, the sick, and the afflicted, and they did not wear expensive clothing, although they were neat and attractive.

28 So they established the affairs of the church, and began to have continual peace again, despite all their persecutions.

29 Because of the steadiness of the church they began to be very rich, having abundance of everything they needed: flocks and herds, grain, gold, silver, precious things, silk, fine linen, and all kinds of good homemade cloth.

30 In their prosperity they did not send away any who were naked, hungry, thirsty, sick, or lacking nourishment. They were not obsessed with riches but were generous with everyone, old and young, slave and free, male and female, out of the church or in the church, having no favoritism among people in need.

31 So they prospered and became far more wealthy than those not belonging to the church.

32 Those who did not belong to the church indulged themselves in sorceries, worshiping idols, idleness, meaningless talking, envy, contention, costly apparel, pride, persecution, lying, thieving, robbing, whoredoms, murders, and all kinds of wickedness. But the law was enforced with all those who broke it, as much as possible.

33 By using the law with the people, every man suffered for what he had done, so they became quieter and did not dare commit any wickedness where it would be known. So there was much peace among the people of Nephi until the fifth year of the reign of the judges.

CHAPTER 2

Amlici seeks to be king and is rejected by the voice of the people—His followers make him king—The Amlicites make war on the Nephites and are defeated—The Lamanites and Amlicites join forces and are defeated—Alma slays Amlici. About 87 B.C.

1 In the fifth year a contention began among the people because of a man, Amlici, who was very clever about the things of the world, who followed the order of Nehor, who was executed according to the law for killing Gideon by the sword.

2 By his cunning, Amlici drew away many people after him, so they began to be very powerful and tried to make Amlici king over the people.

3 This alarmed the people of the church and everyone who had not been led away by the persuasions of Amlici because they knew that according to their law such things must be established by the vote of the people.

4 If Amlici could gain enough votes of the people, he would deprive them of their rights and privileges in the church because he, being wicked, intended to destroy the church of God.

5 The people assembled together throughout the land, every man for or against Amlici, and they had many disputes and astonishing contentions with each other.

6 They assembled to vote about the matter, which they laid before the judges.

7 The vote was against Amlici, so he was not made king over the people.

8 This caused much joy in the hearts of those who were against him, but Amlici stirred up his supporters to anger against those who were against him.

9 Those who supported Amlici gathered and ordained him to be their king.

10 Then Amlici commanded them to take up arms against their brethren, so he might subject them to him.

11 The people of Amlici were called Amlicites, and the rest were called Nephites, or the people of God.

12 The Nephites were aware of the intent of the Amlicites, so they prepared to meet them with swords, bows, arrows, stones, slings, and all kinds of weapons of war.

13 They were prepared to meet the Amlicites, and they appointed captains, higher captains, and chief captains.

14 Amlici also armed his men with all kinds of weapons of war, with rulers and leaders to lead his people against their brethren.

15 The Amlicites came into the land of Zarahemla, and they began to make war with the Nephites.

16 Alma was the chief judge and governor of the Nephites, so he went at the head of his armies with his captains and chief captains against the Amlicites.

17 They began to kill the Amlicites, who fought the Nephites with great strength, so many of the Nephites fell before the Amlicites.

18 But the Lord strengthened the Nephites, so with great slaughter they killed the Amlicites, who began to flee.

19 The Nephites pursued the Amlicites all that day, killing them with much slaughter, so that twelve thousand five hundred thirty-two Amlicites were killed; and six thousand five hundred sixty Nephites were killed.

20 When Alma could not pursue the Amlicites anymore, they pitched their tents for the night in the valley of Gideon, named after the Gideon who was killed by the hand of Nehor.

21 Alma sent four spies to follow the rest of the Amlicites so he could know their plans, so he could guard himself against them and keep his people from being destroyed.

23 The next day they returned in a hurry to the Nephite camp, greatly astonished and afraid, saying, We followed the Amlicites, and to our great surprise, in the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, we saw a numerous army of Lamanites, and the Amlicites have joined them.

25 They are attacking our brethren in that land, who are fleeing from them with their flocks, wives, and children toward our city, and unless we hurry they will take our city, and our fathers, wives, and children will be killed.

26 The Nephites left the valley of Gideon and moved toward their city, Zarahemla.

27 As they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and Amlicites, almost as numerous as the sands of the sea, attacked them to destroy them.

28 But the Nephites were strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. So the Lord heard their cries and strengthened them, and the Lamanites and Amlicites fell before them.

29 Face to face, Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, and they fought mightily.

30 Alma was a man of God, so with much faith he cried, O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, so I can be an instrument in your hands to save this people.

31 Then Alma continued to fight Amlici, and he was strengthened to kill Amlici with the sword.

32 He also fought with the king of the Lamanites, but the king ran from Alma and sent his guards to fight.

33 Alma and his guards fought the guards of the Lamanite king until they killed them and drove them back.

34 So Alma cleared the ground on the west of the river Sidon, throwing the bodies of the dead Lamanites into the river, so his people could have room to cross and fight the Lamanites and Amlicites on the west side of the river Sidon.

35 When they had all crossed the river, the Lamanites and Amlicites began to flee, even though they were so numerous that they could not be numbered.

36 They fled from the Nephites toward the wilderness, west and north, beyond the borders of the land, and the Nephites pursued them with their might and killed them.

37 The Lamanites were met in every direction, and killed and driven until they were scattered on the west and north, until they reached the wilderness called Hermounts, a part of the wilderness infested by wild and hungry beasts.

38 Many died of their wounds in the wilderness, and were devoured by the beasts and vultures; and their bones have been found and heaped up on the earth.

CHAPTER 3

The Amlicites had marked themselves according to the prophetic word—The Lamanites had been cursed for their rebellion—Men bring their own curses upon themselves—The Nephites defeat another Lamanite army. About 87–86 B.C.

1 After the Nephites buried the dead—who were beyond number—they all returned to their houses, wives, and children.

2 Many women and children had been killed with the sword, and many of their flocks and herds; and many of their fields of grain were destroyed, trampled by the armies of men.

3 The many Lamanites and Amlicites killed on the bank of the river Sidon were thrown into the river, and their bones are in the depths of the sea.

4 The Amlicites were distinguished from the Nephites by marking themselves with red in their foreheads like the Lamanites, although they did not shave their heads like the Lamanites.

5 The heads of the Lamanites were shaved, and they were naked except for a skin wrapped around their waist, with their armor, bows, arrows, stones, slings, and so on.

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

7 Laman, Lemuel, and the sons and daughters of Ishmael tried to destroy these holy men, so they were cursed, and the Lord God set a mark on them.

8 This was done so their seed could be distinguished from the seed of their brethren, so the Lord God might preserve his people, so they would not mix and believe in incorrect traditions which would cause their destruction.

9 Whoever mingled his seed with that of the Lamanites brought the same curse upon his seed.

10 Whoever allowed himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called by that name, and a mark was put upon him.

11 From that time on, people were called Nephites, or the people of Nephi, if they did not believe in the tradition of the Lamanites but believed the records brought out of Jerusalem, and in the tradition of their fathers, which were correct, and who believed in the commandments of God and kept them.

12 These are the ones who have kept the records which are true of their people, and also of the Lamanites.

13 Again, the Amlicites put a mark on themselves, a mark of red upon their foreheads.

14 So the word of God to Nephi is fulfilled when he said, I have cursed the Lamanites, and I will set a mark on them so they and their descendants will be separated from you and your descendants, now and forever, unless they repent of their wickedness and turn to me for mercy.

15 I will set a mark on whoever mingles his seed with the Lamanites, so they also will be cursed.

16 I will set a mark on whoever fights against you and your descendants.

17 Whoever leaves you will no more be called your family, and I will bless you and whoever will be called your people, from now through forever; and these were the promises of the Lord to Nephi and his family.

18 When they began to mark themselves in their foreheads, the Amlicites did not know they were fulfilling the words of God, but they had openly rebelled against God, so it was required that the curse should fall on them.

19 I want you to see that they brought the curse upon themselves, just as every cursed person brings his own condemnation on himself.

20 Not many days after the battle with the Lamanites and Amlicites in the land of Zarahemla, another army of Lamanites came against the Nephites in the same place.

21 A Nephite army was sent to drive them out of their land.

22 Alma was afflicted with a wound, so he did not go to battle this time against the Lamanites, but he sent a numerous army against them, and they killed many Lamanites, driving the rest out of the land.

24 Then the Nephites returned and began to establish peace in the land, with no more trouble for a while with their enemies.

25 The fifth year of the reign of the judges ended.

26 In one year tens of thousands of souls were sent to the eternal world, to receive their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or bad, to receive eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they chose to obey, whether it was a good or bad spirit.

27 Every man receives wages of the one he chooses to obey, according to the words of the spirit of prophecy, so let it be according to the truth.

CHAPTER 4

Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church’s progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry. About 86–83 B.C.

1 In the sixth year there were no contentions or wars in the land of Zarahemla, but the people suffered greatly for the loss of their brethren, and their flocks, herds, and fields of grain, which were trampled under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.

3 Their afflictions were so great that every soul had reason to mourn, and they believed it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness, so they were awakened to remember their duty.

4 They began to establish the church more fully, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God. They were baptized by Alma, who had been ordained by his father Alma as the high priest over the people of the church.

5 In the seventh year about three thousand five hundred souls joined the church of God and were baptized. And there was continual peace all that year.

6 In the eighth year the people of the church began to grow proud because of their great riches, fine silks, fine linen, many flocks and herds, gold and silver, and all kinds of precious things, which they had worked to obtain. And they were proud and began to wear expensive clothing.

7 This was pain to Alma and the teachers, priests, and elders ordained by him. Many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness they saw beginning among their people.

8 With great sorrow they saw that the people of the church began to be prideful and to set their hearts on riches and the vain things of the world, so they felt superior to others and began to persecute those who didn’t believe as they did.

9 Great contentions began among the people of the church, with envy, competition, evil intentions, persecutions, and pride, even greater than the pride of those not in the church of God.

10 The wickedness of the church was a great obstacle to those who did not belong to the church, so the church began to fail in its progress.

11 In the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw that the example of the church began to lead the unbelievers from one iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people.

12 He saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, and turning their backs on the needy, naked, hungry, thirsty, and those who were sick and afflicted.

13 This was a great cause for grieving among the people, while others were humbling themselves and helping those in need, such as giving their resources to the poor and needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all kinds of afflictions for the cause of Christ, who the spirit of prophecy said would come.

14 And in all this doing of good, they looked forward to that day, keeping a remission of their sins and 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 Alma saw the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions heaped on them by the rest of his people, and seeing their inequality, he began to be very sorrowful. But the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.

16 He selected a wise man, Nephihah, from the elders of the church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people to be chief judge, to govern the people, to make laws consistent with previous laws, and to enforce them against the wickedness and crimes of the people.

18 Alma continued as the high priest over the church, but he gave the judgment-seat to Nephihah.

19 He did this so he could preach the word of God among his people, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and pull down all the pride, craftiness, and contentions among his people, seeing no way to reclaim them except to bear down in pure testimony against them.

20 In the ninth year Alma delivered the judgment-seat to Nephihah and dedicated himself completely to the high priesthood of the holy order of God and to the testimony of the word according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.

The words which Alma, the High Priest according to the holy order of God, delivered to the people in their cities and villages throughout the land.

Beginning with chapter 5.

CHAPTER 5

To gain salvation, men must repent and keep the commandments, be born again, cleanse their garments through the blood of Christ, be humble and strip themselves of pride and envy, and do the works of righteousness—The Good Shepherd calls His people—Those who do evil works are children of the devil—Alma testifies of the truth of his doctrine and commands men to repent—The names of the righteous will be written in the book of life. About 83 B.C.

1 Alma began to deliver the word of God to the people, first in Zarahemla and then throughout the land.

2 These are the words he spoke to the people in the church in Zarahemla:

3 I am Alma, ordained by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, and he had power and authority from God to do these things and began to establish a church in the land of Mormon, which was in the borders of Nephi, where he baptized his brethren.

4 They were delivered from the people of king Noah by the mercy and power of God.

5 They were brought into bondage by the Lamanites in the wilderness, but again the Lord delivered them from bondage by the power of his word, and we were brought into this land, where we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also.

6 My brethren of this church, have you sufficiently remembered the captivity of your fathers? Have you sufficiently remembered his mercy and patience toward them? And have you sufficiently remembered that he has delivered their souls from hell?

7 He changed their hearts, he awakened them from a deep sleep, and they awoke to God. They were surrounded by darkness, but their souls were made bright by the light of the everlasting word. They were encircled by the bands of death and chains of hell, with an everlasting destruction awaiting them.

8 But were they destroyed, my brethren? No, they were not.

9 Were the bands of death broken, and were the chains of hell released? Yes, they were released and their souls expanded, and they sang redeeming love. And they are saved.

10 Now I ask, on what conditions are they saved? On what grounds could they hope for salvation? By what power were they released from the bands of death and the chains of hell?

11 Did my father Alma not believe in the words spoken by Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believed them?

12 And by his faith a mighty change was made in his heart. I tell you that all this is true.

13 He preached the word to your fathers, and a mighty change was worked in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And they were faithful till the end, so they were saved.

14 My brethren of the church, have you spiritually been born of God? Have you received his image in your faces? Have you experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

15 Do you 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 flawed state raised in perfection, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds that have been done in the mortal body?

16 Can you imagine that you hear the voice of the Lord saying to you in that day, Come to me you who are blessed, because your works have been the works of righteousness on the earth?

17 Or do you imagine to yourselves that you can lie to the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous on the earth—and that he will save you?

18 Can you imagine yourselves brought before the judgment of God with your souls filled with guilt, perfectly remembering all your guilt, remembering that you have defied the commandments of God?

19 At that day can you look up to God with a pure heart and clean hands? Can you look up, having the image of God engraved on your faces?

20 Can you think of being saved when you have given yourselves to become subjects of the devil?

21 At that day you will know that you cannot be saved, because no man can be saved unless his garments are washed white, purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him spoken of by our fathers, who will come to redeem his people from their sins.

22 How will any of you feel if you stand before the bar of God with your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? What will these things testify against you?

23 Will they not testify that you are murderers and are guilty of all manner of wickedness?

24 Do you suppose that such a person can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure, and white?

25 No, unless you suppose our Creator to be a liar from the beginning, you cannot suppose that such a person can have place in the kingdom of heaven, but they will be cast out because they are the children of the kingdom of the devil.

26 If you have experienced a change of heart, and if you have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, can you feel so now?

27 Have you walked keeping yourselves blameless before God? If you were called to die at this time, could you say within yourself that you have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

28 Are you stripped of pride? If not, you are not prepared to meet God. You must prepare quickly, because the kingdom of heaven comes soon, and such a person cannot have eternal life.

29 Is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? Such a person is not prepared, and I hope that he will prepare quickly because the time comes soon, a time he does not know. Such a person is not found guiltless.

30 Do any of you mock his brother or persecute him?

31 Misery to such a person because he is not prepared, and the time comes soon that he must repent or he cannot be saved!

32 Curses to all you workers of iniquity. Repent, repent, because the Lord God has spoken it!

33 He sends an invitation to all people because the arms of mercy are extended toward them, and he says, Repent, and I will receive you.

34 He says, Come to me and you will eat the fruit of the tree of life. You will eat and drink the bread and waters of life freely.

35 Come to me and bring works of righteousness, and you will not be cut down and thrown into the fire because the time comes soon when whoever does not bear good fruit, or whoever does not do righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.

37 You workers of iniquity, you who are proud of the vain things of the world, you who have professed to know the ways of righteousness but have gone astray as sheep having no shepherd, even though a shepherd has called after you and is still calling after you, but you will not listen to his voice!

38 The good shepherd calls you in his own name, the name of Christ; and if you will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd, you are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

39 And if you are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are you? The devil is your shepherd, and who can deny this? Whoever denies this is a liar and child of the devil.

40 Whatever is good comes from God, and whatever is evil comes from the devil.

41 So if a man shows good works he is listening to the voice of the good shepherd and follows him, but whoever shows evil works becomes a child of the devil; he listens to his voice and follows him.

42 Whoever does this must receive his wages from the devil, and his wages are death regarding righteousness, being dead to all good works.

43 My brethren, I want you to hear me, and I speak in the energy of my soul. I have spoken to you plainly according to the commandments of God so you cannot make a mistake.

44 I am called to speak like this according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus. I am commanded to stand and testify to this people the things that have been spoken by our fathers about the things that are to come.

45 This is not all. Do you think I know these things only of myself? I testify that I know that these things I have spoken are true. And how do you think I know of their certainty?

46 I have been told these things by the Holy Spirit of God. I have fasted and prayed many days so I could know these things. Now I do know because the Lord God has shown them to me by his Holy Spirit, which is the spirit of revelation that is in me.

47 This is how it has been revealed to me that the words spoken by our fathers are true: by the spirit of prophecy that is in me, which is from the Spirit of God.

48 I know the truth of whatever I say to you about things to come, and I know that Jesus Christ will come—the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, mercy, and truth. He comes to take away the sins of the world, the sins of everyone who steadfastly believes on his name.

49 I am called to preach to my beloved brethren and to everyone in the land, to preach to all, old and young, bond and free, aged and middle aged, and the rising generation, to cry to them that they must repent and be born again.

50 The Spirit says, Repent, everyone in the world, because the kingdom of heaven comes soon; the Son of God comes in his glory, might, majesty, power, and dominion. The Spirit says, Behold the glory of the King of all the earth, and the King of heaven will very soon shine forth among all mankind.

51 The Spirit cries with a mighty voice to this people, saying, Repent, because except you repent you cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.

52 Again the Spirit says, The ax is laid at the root of the tree, so every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire, a fire that cannot be put out. Remember that the Holy One has spoken it.

53 Can you resist these sayings, can you lay aside these things and trample the Holy One under your feet? Can you be puffed up in pride? Will you still persist in the wearing of expensive clothing and setting your hearts on the vain things of the world, on your riches?

54 Will you persist in believing that you are better than each other? Will you continue to persecute your brethren, who humble themselves and walk after the holy order of God, who have been brought into this church and been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and who show works of repentance?

55 Will you persist in turning your backs on the poor and the needy, and withhold your resources from them?

56 Finally, all you who persist in your wickedness, you will be cut down and thrown into the fire unless you speedily repent.

57 All you who want to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come away from the wicked, and be separate, and don’t touch their unclean things. Their names will be blotted out so the names of the wicked will not be numbered among the names of the righteous, so the word of God may be fulfilled.

58 The names of the righteous will be written in the book of life, and I will give them an inheritance at my right hand. How can you speak against this? If you do speak against it, it doesn’t matters, because the word of God must be fulfilled.

59 What shepherd with many sheep doesn’t watch over them so the wolves don’t enter and devour his flock? And if a wolf enters his flock, does he not drive him out? Yes, and if he can, he will destroy him.

60 The good shepherd calls after you, and if you will listen to his voice he will bring you into his fold, and you are his sheep; and he commands you to allow no hungry wolf to enter among you so you won’t be destroyed.

61 Now I, Alma, command you in the language of him who has commanded me, that you be careful to do the words I have spoken to you.

62 I command you who belong to the church, and I invite those who do not belong to the church, saying, Come and be baptized to repentance so you also may partake of the fruit of the tree of life.

CHAPTER 6

The Church in Zarahemla is cleansed and set in order—Alma goes to Gideon to preach. About 83 B.C.

1 After Alma stopped speaking to the people of the church in Zarahemla, he ordained priests and elders by laying on his hands according to the order of God, to preside and watch over the church.

2 Whoever did not belong to the church, who repented of their sins, were baptized to repentance and received into the church.

3 And whoever belonged to the church who did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their names were removed from among those of the righteous.

4 In this way they began to establish the order of the church in Zarahemla.

5 I want you to understand that the word of God was free to all, so none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves to hear the word of God.

6 But the children of God were commanded to gather together often, and join in fasting and mighty prayer on behalf of the souls of those who did not know God.

7 When Alma had made these regulations, he departed from the church in Zarahemla and went to the city of Gideon, named after the man who was killed by the hand of Nehor with a sword.

8 Alma began to declare the word of God to the church in Gideon, according to the revelations of the word spoken by his fathers, and according to the spirit of prophecy and the holy order by which he was called, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who would come to redeem his people from their sins.

The words of Alma which he delivered to the people in Gideon, according to his own record.

Comprising chapter 7.

CHAPTER 7

Christ will be born of Mary—He will loose the bands of death and bear the sins of His people—Those who repent, are baptized, and keep the commandments will have eternal life—Filthiness cannot inherit the kingdom of God—Humility, faith, hope, and charity are required. About 83 B.C.

1 My beloved brethren, previously I was completely occupied by the judgment-seat, but now the judgment-seat has been given to another, so the Lord in much mercy has allowed me to speak to you for the first time.

3 I have come with great hopes and desire that you had humbled yourselves before God, that you had continued in finding his grace, that I would find you blameless before him, and that you were not in the awful dilemma of our brethren in Zarahemla.

4 I bless God’s name that he has let me know and feel joy that they are returned to the way of his righteousness.

5 And according to the Spirit of God in me, I trust that I will also have joy because of you. But I do not desire that my joy for you should come after as much affliction and sorrow as I had with my brethren at Zarahemla, because my joy for them came after wading through much affliction and sorrow.

6 I trust that you are not in a state of as much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that you are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; I trust that you have not set your hearts on riches and the vain things of the world; I trust that you do not worship idols but that you worship the true and the living God, and that you look forward with an everlasting faith for the remission of your sins that is to come.

7 There are many things to come, but there is one thing more important than the rest, because the time is not far when the Redeemer lives and comes among his people.

8 I do not say that he will come among us at the time he lives in his mortal body because the Spirit has not told me this. But I do know that the Lord God has power to do all things according to his word.

9 The Spirit has said to me, Cry to this people, saying, Repent, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight, because the kingdom of heaven comes soon, and the Son of God comes on the earth.

10 He will be born of Mary, at Jerusalem, the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel who will be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost and bring forth a son, the Son of God.

11 And he will go out, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind so the word will be fulfilled that says he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 He will take death upon him so he can release the bands of death that bind his people; and he will take upon him their weaknesses so his bowels can be filled with mercy according to the flesh, so he can know by the flesh how to help his people according to their weaknesses.

13 The Son of God suffers according to the flesh so he can take on himself the sins of his people, so he can erase their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and this is the testimony that is in me because the Spirit knows all things.

14 You must repent and be born again because the Spirit says if you are not born again you cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. So come and be baptized to repentance so you can be washed from your sins, so you can have faith on the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

15 Come and fear not, and lay aside every sin that easily affects you, which binds you down to destruction. Come and show to your God that you are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness to him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

16 Whoever does this and keeps the commandments of God from now on, the same will have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, who testifies in me.

17 My beloved brethren, do you believe these things? I know that you believe them because the Spirit tells me so, and my joy is great because your faith is strong about the things I have spoken.

18 As I said in the beginning, I had much desire that you were not in the condition of your brethren, and truly I have found that my desires have been fulfilled.

9 I perceive that you are in the paths of righteousness; I see that you are in the path that leads to the kingdom of God; I perceive that you are making his paths straight.

20 I perceive that you know by the testimony of his word that he cannot walk in crooked paths, nor does he change from what he has said, nor does he have a hint of turning from what is right to what is wrong; so his path is one eternal round.

21 He does not live in unholy temples, nor can filthiness or anything unclean be received into the kingdom of God; so the time will come at the last day when he who is filthy will remain in his filthiness.

22 I have said these things to awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, so you may walk blameless before him, so you may walk after the holy order of God, after which you have been received.

23 I desire you to be humble, submissive, gentle, easy to be persuaded, full of patience and acceptance of offenses, moderate in all things, diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times, asking for whatever you need, both spiritual and temporal, and always being grateful to God for whatever you receive.

24 See that you have faith, hope, and charity, and then you will always abound in good works.

25 May the Lord bless you and keep your garments spotless so at last you may be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been since the world began, having your garments spotless like theirs are spotless, never to leave the kingdom of heaven.

26 I have spoken these words to you according to the Spirit who testifies in me, and my soul rejoices exceedingly because of the great diligence and following you have given to my word.

27 May the peace of God rest on you, and on your houses and lands, and on your flocks and herds and all you possess, and on your women and children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever.

CHAPTER 8

Alma preaches and baptizes in Melek—He is rejected in Ammonihah and leaves—An angel commands him to return and cry repentance to the people—He is received by Amulek, and the two of them preach in Ammonihah. About 82 B.C.

1 Alma left the land of Gideon after teaching many things that cannot be written and after establishing the order of the church, as he had done in Zarahemla. He returned to his own house at Zarahemla to rest himself from his labors. And the ninth year ended.

3 In the tenth year of the reign of the judges, Alma journeyed to the land of Melek.

4 He taught the people in Melek according to the holy order of God, by which he had been called.

5 People came to him from the land all around and were baptized.

6 When he had finished his work at Melek, Alma traveled three days’ journey to the north and came to a city called Ammonihah.

7 It was the custom of the Nephites to call their lands, cities, and villages after the name of him who first possessed them; and so it was with the land of Ammonihah.

8 When Alma came to Ammonihah he began to preach the word of God to them.

9 Satan had gotten great hold on the hearts of the people of Ammonihah, so they would not listen to the words of Alma.

10 But Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer that he would pour out his Spirit on the people in the city, and that he would allow him to baptize them to repentance.

11 But they hardened their hearts, saying, We know you are Alma, and we know you are high priest over the church you have established in many parts of the land according to your tradition. But we are not from your church, and we do not believe in such foolish traditions.

12 Because we are not from your church, we know you have no power over us, and you have given the judgment-seat to Nephihah, so you are not the chief judge over us.

13 When the people had said this, and resisted all his words, and spoken to him with contempt, and spit on him, and thrown him out of their city, he left and journeyed toward the city of Aaron.

14 While he was journeying, weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul because of the wickedness of the people of Ammonihah, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying,

15 Alma, you are blessed, so lift up your head and rejoice because you have great cause to rejoice, because you have been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time you received your first message from him. I am the one who delivered it to you.

16 I am sent to command you to return to Ammonihah, and preach again to the people. Tell them that unless they repent the Lord God will destroy them.

17 At this time they are planning to destroy the liberty of your people (because the Lord says this), which is against the laws he has given to his people.

18 After Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord, he returned quickly to Ammonihah, entering the city by another way.

19 As he entered the city he was hungry, so he said to a man, Will you give something to eat to a humble servant of God?

20 The man said, I am a Nephite, and I know you are a holy prophet of God because you are the man an angel told me to receive. So go with me to my house, and I will give you my food, and I know that you will be a blessing to me and my house.

21 The man, Amulek, received him into his house and put bread and meat before Alma.

22 Alma ate bread and was filled, and he blessed Amulek and his house, giving thanks to God.

23 After he had eaten and was filled, he said to Amulek, I am Alma, the high priest over the church of God throughout the land.

24 I have been called to preach the word of God among all this people according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy, but when I was in this land, they would not receive me but cast me out, and I was about to leave this land forever.

25 But I have been commanded to turn around and prophesy to this people, and to testify against them about their iniquities.

26 Amulek, because you have fed me and taken me in, you are blessed, because I was hungry, having fasted many days.

27 Alma stayed many days with Amulek before he began to preach to the people.

28 The people grew worse in their sins.

29 The word came to Alma, saying, Go, and instruct Amulek to go with you and prophesy to this people, saying, Repent, because the Lord says, unless you repent I will come to this people in my anger, and I will not turn away my fierce anger.

30 Alma went with Amulek among the people to declare the words of God to them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.

31 They had power given to them so they could not be kept in dungeons, nor could any man kill them. But they did not use their power until they were tied and thrown in prison. This was done so the Lord could show his power in them.

32 They went out and began to preach and prophesy to the people according to the spirit and power the Lord had given them.

The words of Alma, and also the words of Amulek, which were declared to the people who were in the land of Ammonihah. And also they are cast into prison, and delivered by the miraculous power of God which was in them, according to the record of Alma.

Comprising chapters 9 through 14.

CHAPTER 9

Alma commands the people of Ammonihah to repent—The Lord will be merciful to the Lamanites in the last days—If the Nephites forsake the light, they will be destroyed by the Lamanites—The Son of God will come soon—He will redeem those who repent, are baptized, and have faith in His name. About 82 B.C.

1 I, Alma, was commanded by God to take Amulek and preach again to this people in the city of Ammonihah, and as I began to preach to them, they argued against me, saying,

2 Who are you? Do you think we will believe the testimony of one man, even though he warns about the end of the world?

3 They did not understand the words they spoke because they didn’t know that the world would end.

4 They also said, We will not believe your words if you prophesy that this great city will be destroyed in one day.

5 They did not know that God could do such marvelous works because they were a hard-hearted and stubbornly proud people.

6 They said, Who is God to send no more authority than one man among this people to declare the truth of such great and marvelous things?

7 They were about to grab me, but they did not. I stood boldly to testify to them, saying,

8 O you wicked and stubborn people, how you have forgotten the tradition of your fathers, and how soon you have forgotten the commandments of God.

9 Do you not remember that our father, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem by the hand of God? Do you not remember that they were all led by him through the wilderness?

10 Have you forgotten so soon how many times he delivered our fathers from their enemies and preserved them from being destroyed by their own brethren?

11 If it had not been for his unparalleled power, mercy, and patience toward us, we unavoidably would have been swept off the earth long before now and perhaps been delivered to a state of endless misery and pain.

12 He commands you to repent, and except you repent, you cannot inherit the kingdom of God. But this is not all: he has commanded you to repent or he will utterly destroy you from the earth. He will visit you in his anger, and he will not turn away his fierce anger.

13 Do you not remember the words he spoke to Lehi, saying, If you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land? And, If you do not keep my commandments you will be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

14 Remember that because the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord. So we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing because the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.

15 But it will be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for you if you remain in your sins, and even more tolerable for them in this life than for you, unless you repent.

16 Many promises are extended to the Lamanites because it was the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance. So the Lord will be merciful to them and prolong their existence in the land.

17 At some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word and to know the error of their fathers’ traditions, and many of them will be saved because the Lord will be merciful to all who call on his name.

18 But if you persist in your wickedness so your days will not be prolonged in the land, the Lamanites will be sent upon you, and if you don’t repent they will come in a time you don’t know, and you will be visited with utter destruction according to the fierce anger of the Lord.

19 He will not allow you to live in your iniquities and destroy his people. No, he would rather allow the Lamanites to destroy all his people who are called Nephites if they fall into sin after having so much light and knowledge given to them by the Lord their God.

20 They have been such a highly favored people of the Lord, above all other nations, cultures, tongues, and people, and had all things shown to them according to their desires, faith, and prayers about that which has been, and which is, and which is to come;

21 They have been visited by the Spirit of God, and conversed with angels, and been spoken to by the voice of the Lord, and had the spirit of prophecy and revelation, and had many gifts: the gift of speaking with tongues, the gift of preaching, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of translation.

22 They have been delivered by God from Jerusalem, saved from famine and sickness and all manner of diseases. They have grown strong in battle so they would not be destroyed, have been brought out of bondage time after time, have been kept and preserved until now, and have been prospered until they are rich in all manner of things.

23 Now, if this people, who have received so many blessings from the hand of the Lord, transgress against the light and knowledge they have, it will be far more tolerable for the Lamanites than for them.

24 The promises of the Lord are extended to the Lamanites but not to you if you transgress, because the Lord has clearly promised and firmly decreed that if you rebel against him you will utterly be destroyed from the earth.

25 In order for you not to be destroyed, the Lord has sent his angel to visit many of his people, declaring to them that they must cry mightily to this people, saying, Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is almost here.

26 Not many days from now the Son of God will come in his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, fairness, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and endurance of your offenses, quick to hear the cries of his people and answer their prayers.

27 He comes to redeem those who will be baptized to repentance, through faith on his name.

28 So prepare for the way of the Lord, because the time is close when all men will reap a reward for their works according to what they have been. If they have been righteous they will reap the salvation of their souls according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ, and if they have been evil they will reap the damnation of their souls according to the power and captivity of the devil.

29 This is the voice of the angel crying to the people.

30 My beloved brethren, because you are my brethren, and you should be beloved, you should show works that are needed for repentance, seeing that your hearts have been greatly hardened against the word of God, and seeing that you are a lost and fallen people.

31 When I had spoken these words, the people were angry with me because I said that they were hard-hearted and stubbornly proud.

32 And because I said they were lost and fallen, they were angry with me and tried to grab me and put me in prison.

33 But the Lord did not allow them to take me at that time.

34 Amulek stood and preached to them also. Not all the words of Amulek are written, but a part of his words are written in this book.

CHAPTER 10

Lehi descended from Manasseh—Amulek recounts the angelic command that he care for Alma—The prayers of the righteous cause the people to be spared—Unrighteous lawyers and judges lay the foundation of the destruction of the people. About 82 B.C.

1 These are the words Amulek preached to the people in the land of Ammonihah:

2 I am Amulek, son of Giddonah, son of Ishmael, a descendant of Aminadi, the same who interpreted the writing on the wall of the temple, which was written by the finger of God.

3 Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, son of Lehi who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by his brethren.

4 I am a man of no small reputation among all those who know me, and I have many relatives and friends, and I have acquired many riches by working.

5 But I have never known much about the ways of the Lord or his mysteries and marvelous power. Actually, I have seen much of his mysteries and marvelous power in the preservation of the lives of this people.

6 But I hardened my heart, because I was called many times but would not hear; so I knew about these things, but I would not know; so I continued rebelling against God in the wickedness of my heart until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.

7 As I was journeying to see a near relative, an angel of the Lord appeared to me and said, Amulek, return to your house because you will feed a prophet of the Lord, a holy man chosen by God. He has fasted many days because of the sins of this people, so he is hungry, and you will receive him into your house and feed him, and he will bless you and your house, and the blessing of the Lord will rest upon you and your house.

8 I obeyed the voice of the angel and returned toward my house. On the way I found the man the angel described, saying, You will receive him into your house, the man who has been speaking to you about the things of God.

9 The angel said to me, He is a holy man. So I know he is a holy man because it was said by an angel of God.

10 I know that the things he has testified are true, because even as the Lord lives, so has he sent his angel to show these things to me, and he did this while Alma lived in my house.

11 He has blessed my house and blessed me, my women, my children, my father and all my relatives and close friends; and the blessing of the Lord has rested upon us according to his words.

12 When Amulek had said these words the people were astonished because now there was more than one witness testifying of the things they were accused of, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy that was in them.

13 But there were some among them who thought to question them, that by their clever plans they might trap them in their words, that they might find evidence against them, that they might deliver them to their judges to be judged according to the law, and that they might be killed or cast into prison according to the crime they could create with their lying testimony.

14 Those men who sought to destroy them were lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law during criminal trials before the judges.

15 These lawyers were educated in all the clever ways of the people, to enable them to be skillful in their profession.

16 They began to question Amulek, so he would contradict himself as he spoke.

17 They didn’t know that Amulek could know their plans, but as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts and said, O you wicked and stubborn people, you lawyers and hypocrites, because you are laying the foundations of the devil, laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.

18 You are making plans to twist the ways of the righteous, and to bring down the anger of God on your heads, to the utter destruction of this people.

19 Mosiah, our last king, spoke well when he was about to deliver up the kingdom, directing the people to be governed by their own vote. He said well that if the time would come when the voice of this people would choose iniquity, they would be ripe for destruction.

20 The Lord judges well your iniquities; rightly he cries to this people by the voice of his angels: Repent, repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near.

21 Rightly he cries by the voice of his angels, I will come down among my people with fairness and justice in my hands.

22 If it were not for the prayers of the righteous in the land, you would now be utterly destroyed, but it will not be by flood, as in the days of Noah, but by famine, disease, and the sword.

23 You are spared by the prayers of the righteous, so if you cast out the righteous from among you, the Lord will not hold back, but in his fierce anger he will come against you, and then you will be afflicted by famine, disease, and the sword; and the time is soon here unless you repent.

24 The people were angrier with Amulek and cried out, This man speaks evil against our laws that are good, and against the wise lawyers we have selected.

25 But Amulek cried even more mightily to them: O you wicked and stubborn people, how does Satan have such great hold on your hearts? Why will you surrender yourselves to him so he can have power over you, to blind your eyes so you will not understand the words spoken in truth?

26 Have I testified against your law? You do not understand. You say that I have spoken against your law, but I have not. I have spoken in favor of your law to your condemnation.

27 The foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and judges.

28 Then the people cried out against him: Now we know that this man is a child of the devil, because he has lied to us and has spoken against our law. But now he says that he has not.

29 He has spoken evil against our lawyers and judges.

30 The lawyers intended to remember these things against him.

31 One lawyer among them was Zeezrom, the greatest in accusing Amulek and Alma, he being one of the most expert among them, having much business to do among the people.

32 The object of these lawyers was to make profit, which they did with their jobs.

CHAPTER 11

The Nephite monetary system is set forth—Amulek contends with Zeezrom—Christ will not save people in their sins—Only those who inherit the kingdom of heaven are saved—All men will rise in immortality—There is no death after the Resurrection. About 82 B.C.

1 The law of Mosiah stated that every man who was a judge of the law should receive wages according to the time they served to judge those brought before them.

2 If a man owed another, and he would not pay what he owed, a complaint was made to the judge, who used his authority to send officers to bring the man before him. And he judged the man according to the law and the evidence brought against him. Thus the man was compelled to pay what he owed, or be stripped or cast out from the people as a thief and a robber.

3 The judge received 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, all according to the law that was given.

7 A senum of silver was equal to a senine of gold, and either to pay for a measure of barley or measure of every kind of grain.

20 The goal of the judges was to make profit, and because they received their wages according to their work, they stirred up the people to riots and all manner of disturbances and wickedness so they could have more work, so they could get money according to the suits brought before them. So they stirred up the people against Alma and Amulek.

21 This Zeezrom began to question Amulek: Will you answer a few of my questions? Zeezrom asked because he was expert in the plans of the devil, so he could destroy what was good.

22 Amulek said, Yes, if it is according to the Spirit of the Lord within me, but I will say nothing contrary to the Spirit. Zeezrom said, Here are six large pieces of silver, and I will give you all of them if you will deny the existence of a Supreme Being.

23 Amulek said, O you child of hell, why do you tempt me? Do you know that the righteous do not yield to such temptations?

24 Do you believe that there is no God? No, you know there is a God, but you love money more than him.

25 Now you have lied to me in front of God. You said, Here are these six large silver piece, which are of great worth, and I will give them to you, when you planned to keep them from me. You intended only that I would deny the true and living God so you could have evidence to destroy me. For this great evil you will have your reward.

26 Zeezrom said, You say there is a true and living God?

27 Amulek said, Yes, there is a true and living God.

28 Zeezrom said, Is there more than one God?

29 Amulek answered, No.

30 Zeezrom said, How do you know this?

31 Amulek said, An angel has shown me.

32 Zeezrom said, Who is he who will come? Is it the Son of God?

33 Amulek said, Yes.

34 Zeezrom said, Will he save his people in their sins? Amulek answered: No, because it is impossible for him to deny his word.

35 Zeezrom said to the people, See that you remember these things, because he said there is only one God, but he says that the Son of God will come and not save his people, as though Amulek had authority to command God.

36 Amulek said, You have lied, because you say that I spoke as though I had authority to command God because I said he will not save his people in their sins.

37 I say that he cannot save them in their sins because I cannot deny his word, and he has said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven, so how can you be saved unless you inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, you cannot be saved in your sins.

38 Zeezrom said, Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?

39 Amulek said, Yes, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and earth, and all things in them. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

40 And he will come into the world to redeem his people, and he will take upon him the transgressions of those who believe in his name, and these are the ones who will have eternal life, and salvation comes to no one else.

41 So the wicked remain as though no redemption had been made, except to release the bands of physical death, because the day comes when all will rise from the dead and stand before God to be judged according to their works.

42 There is a death called a temporal or physical death, and the death of Christ will release the bands of this temporal death, so all will be raised from this temporal death.

43 The spirit and the body will be reunited in their perfect form; both limb and joint will be restored to their proper state, like we are now, and we will be brought to stand before God, knowing what we know now, having a bright memory of all our guilt.

44 This restoration will come to all, both old and young, slave and free, male and female, the wicked and the righteous; and not one hair of their heads will be lost; but everything will be restored to its perfect state, as it is now in the body, and will be brought before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which are one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or evil.

45 I have spoken to you about the death of the mortal body and about the resurrection of the mortal body. This mortal body is raised to an immortal body, raised from the first death to life, so they can never die again, with their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided. Thus the whole becomes spiritual and immortal, so they can never again be separated and only physical.

46 When Amulek had finished these words the people began to be astonished, and Zeezrom began to tremble. This is all I have written of Amulek’s words.

CHAPTER 12

Alma speaks to Zeezrom—The mysteries of God can be given only to the faithful—Men are judged by their thoughts, beliefs, words, and works—The wicked will suffer a spiritual death—This mortal life is a probationary state—The plan of redemption brings to pass the Resurrection and, through faith, a remission of sins—The repentant have a claim on mercy through the Only Begotten Son. About 82 B.C.

1 Alma saw that the words of Amulek had silenced Zeezrom, catching him in his lying and deceiving to destroy him, and he saw that Zeezrom began to tremble under a consciousness of his guilt, so Alma spoke to him to establish the words of Amulek and to unfold the scriptures beyond what Amulek had done.

2 The words of Alma were heard by a great multitude as he said,

3 Zeezrom you have been caught in your lying and craftiness, and you have lied not only to men but lied to God, because he knows all your thoughts, and you can see that your thoughts are shown to us by his Spirit.

4 You can see that we know your plan was very subtle, as far as the subtlety of the devil, to lie and deceive this people so you could set them against us, to speak evil of us and cast us out.

5 This was a plan of the adversary, and he has used his power with you. You should remember that what I say to you I say to all.

6 All this was a trap of the enemy, which he has laid to catch this people so he could make you his slaves, so he could wrap his chains around you, so he could chain you down to everlasting destruction according to the power of his captivity.

7 When Alma had spoken these words, Zeezrom began to tremble even more, because he was convinced more and more of the power of God, and he was convinced that Alma and Amulek knew the thoughts and intents of his heart, because power was given to them to know these things by the spirit of prophecy.

8 Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, so he could know more concerning the kingdom of God. He said to Alma, What did Amulek mean when he spoke about the resurrection of the dead, that all will rise from the dead, both the righteous and the unrighteous, and are brought to stand before God to be judged according to their works?

9 Alma explained these things to him: To many it is given to know the mysteries of God, but they are strictly commanded not to share this except for the part God allows for men according to the attention and diligence they give to him.

10 So whoever will harden his heart receives a lesser part of the word, but whoever will not harden his heart receives the greater portion of the word, until it is given to him to know the mysteries of God in full.

11 Those who  harden their hearts, to them is given a lesser portion of the word until they know nothing about his mysteries, and then they are taken captive by the devil and led by his will down to destruction. This is what is meant by the chains of hell.

12 Amulek has spoken plainly about 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, if we have hardened our hearts against the word so it cannot be found in us, then our state will be awful because we will be condemned.

14 Our words and works and thoughts will condemn us, and then we will not be found spotless, and in this awful state we will not dare to look up to our God; and we would be abundantly glad to command the rocks and mountains to fall on us and hide us from his presence.

15 But this cannot be. We must stand before him in his glory, power, might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are righteous, that he is righteous in all his works, that he is merciful to men, and that he has all power to save every man who believes on his name and brings fruit suitable for repentance.

16 Then comes a second death, which is a spiritual death. That is the time when whoever physically dies while in his sins will also die a spiritual death; he will die as far as things relating to righteousness.

17 Then is the time when their torments will be like a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascends up forever and ever; and then is the time when they will be chained down to an everlasting destruction according to the power and captivity of Satan, who has subjected them to his will.

18 These will be as though no redemption had been made because they cannot be redeemed according to God’s justice, and they cannot die, since there is no more mortality.

19 When Alma finished speaking, the people began to be more astonished;

20 But a chief ruler among them, one Antionah, came forth and said, What is this you have said, that man would rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal to an immortal state, and that the soul can never die?

21 So what does the scripture mean that says that God placed angels and a flaming sword in the garden of Eden, so our first parents would not enter, eat the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever? So we see that there was no chance that they could live forever.

22 Alma said, I was about to explain this. According to the word of God, Adam did fall by eating the forbidden fruit, and by his fall all mankind became a lost and fallen people.

23 If it had been possible for Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word of God would have been empty, making God a liar, because he said, If you eat you will surely die.

24 We see that death comes upon mankind, the death Amulek spoke of, which is the temporal death. But there was a time given to man where he could repent, so this life became a probationary state, a time to prepare to meet God, a time to prepare for that endless state we have spoken of, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

25 If not 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 will cause the resurrection of the dead, which has been described.

26 If it were possible for our first parents to have eaten from the tree of life, they would have been miserable forever, having no preparatory state; and the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been of no effect.

27 But it was not so. It was designed that men must die, and after death they must come to the judgment we’ve described, which is the end.

28 After God had planned that that these things would happen to man, he thought it necessary that man should know about these things.

29 So he sent angels to talk with them, who caused men to see his glory.

30 From that time on they began to call on his name, so God talked with men and showed them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and he showed this according to their faith, repentance, and holy works.

31 First men transgressed the first commandments regarding physical things and became as gods, knowing good from evil, being placed in a state to act according to their will and pleasure, whether to do evil or good.

32 So God gave them commandments, after describing to them the plan of redemption, so they would not do evil, the penalty being a second death, which was an everlasting death as far as the things of righteousness. On those the plan of redemption could have no power because the works of justice could not be destroyed according to the supreme goodness of God.

33 But God did speak to men, in the name of his Son—this being the plan of redemption that was laid—saying, If you will repent and not harden your hearts, I will have mercy on you through my Only Begotten Son.

34 Whoever repents and does not harden his heart will have claim on mercy for a remission of his sins through my Only Begotten Son, and these will enter into my rest.

35 But I swear in my anger that whoever hardens his heart and does iniquity will not enter into my rest.

36 If you harden your hearts you will not enter into the rest of the Lord because your iniquity provokes him to send his anger down upon you, like with the first provocation. It will be according to his word in the last provocation as well as the first, to the everlasting destruction of your souls. It will be according to his word, regarding the last death and the first.

37 Now we know all these things, which are true, so let us repent and not harden our hearts, so we don’t provoke the Lord our God to pull down his anger upon us in these his second commandments that he has given to us. Instead let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word.

CHAPTER 13

Men are called as high priests because of their exceeding faith and good works—They are to teach the commandments—Through righteousness they are sanctified and enter into the rest of the Lord—Melchizedek was one of these—Angels are declaring glad tidings throughout the land—They will declare the actual coming of Christ. About 82 B.C.

1 I direct your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments to his children, and remember that the Lord God ordained priests after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things to the people.

2 Those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that the people could know how to look forward to his Son for redemption.

3 This is how they were ordained. They were called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God because of their exceeding faith and good works. First they were allowed to choose good or evil, and they chose good and used great faith. So they are called with a holy calling, with that holy calling that was prepared with—and according to—a preparatory redemption for such men.

4 So they have been called to this holy calling because of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God because of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds. If not for this, they would have had as great privilege as their brethren.

5 In the beginning they were on the same standing with their brethren, but this holy calling was prepared from the foundation of the world for those who would not harden their hearts, such men living in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared.

6 These men were called by this holy calling and ordained to the high priesthood of the holy order of God to teach his commandments to men, so they also could enter into his rest.

7 This high priesthood is after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world, being without beginning of days or end of years, prepared from eternity to all eternity according to his foreknowledge of all things.

8 Now they were ordained after this manner: they were called with a holy calling and ordained with a holy ordinance, and took upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, ordinance, and high priesthood are without beginning or end.

9 And thus they become high priests forever after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

10 There were many who were ordained and became high priests of God because of their exceeding faith, repentance, and righteousness before God, choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish.

11 So they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

12 After being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, and being pure and spotless before God, they could not look on sin except with disgust, and there were exceedingly many who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

13 My brethren, I desire that you would humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit suitable for repentance, so you can also enter into that rest.

14 Humble yourselves like the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order I have described, and who took upon him the high priesthood forever.

15 Abraham paid tithes to this same Melchizedek, paying one-tenth part of all he possessed.

16 These ordinances were given so that people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a symbol of his order, or it being his order, and this so they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

17 Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem, and his people had grown strong in sin. They had all gone astray, full of all manner of wickedness.

18 But Melchizedek used mighty faith and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, so he preached repentance to his people. And they repented, and Melchizedek established peace in the land, so he was called the prince of peace, because he was the king of Salem and reigned under his father.

19 There were many before him and many after, but none were greater, so they mention him more particularly.

20 I need not repeat the matter; what I have said can be enough. You have the scriptures. If you twist them, it will be to your own destruction.

21 When Alma had said these words, he stretched forth his hand and cried with a mighty voice, saying, Now is the time to repent, because the day of salvation comes near.

22 And the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, declares it to all nations so they can have glad principles of great joy. And he proclaims this glad news among all his people, even to those who are scattered abroad on the earth; so these words have come to us.

23 These words are shown to us in plain terms so we may understand, so we cannot be mistaken, and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; so we are highly favored because we have these glad principles declared to us in all parts of our vineyard.

24 Angels are now declaring it to many in our land, and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

25 Now we only wait to hear the good news of his coming declared to us by the mouth of angels, because the time comes, we don’t know how soon. I desire to God that it could be in my day, but let it be sooner or later, I will rejoice in it.

26 At the time of his coming it will be shown to righteous and holy men by the mouth of angels, so the words of our fathers may be fulfilled according to what they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy that was in them.

27 I wish from the inmost part of my heart, with great anxiety to the point of pain, that you would listen to my words, and cast off your sins, and not put off the day of your repentance.

28 I desire that you would humble yourselves before the Lord and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, so you will not be tempted above what you can bear and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and endurance of offenses;

29 Having faith on the Lord, having a hope that you will receive eternal life, having the love of God always in your hearts, that you may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

30 And may the Lord give you repentance, so you will not bring down his anger upon you, so you will not be bound down by the chains of hell and suffer the second death.

31 Alma spoke many more words to the people that are not written in this book.

CHAPTER 14

Alma and Amulek are imprisoned and smitten—The believers and their holy scriptures are burned by fire—These martyrs are received by the Lord in glory—The prison walls are rent and fall—Alma and Amulek are delivered, and their persecutors are slain. About 82–81 B.C.

1 After Alma finished speaking, many of them believed his words, and began to repent and search the scriptures.

2 But most of them wanted to destroy Alma and Amulek. They were angry with Alma because of the plainness of his words to Zeezrom, and they also said that Amulek had lied to them and spoken ill against their law and their lawyers and judges.

3 They were also angry with Alma and Amulek because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, so they wanted to get rid of them secretly.

4 They bound them with strong cords and took them to the chief judge of the land.

5 The people came and testified against them: that they had spoken evil against the law and their lawyers and judges and all the people in the land; and that they testified that there was only one God, and that he would send his Son among the people, but he would not save them; and many such things the people testified against Alma and Amulek in front of the chief judge of the land.

6 Zeezrom was astonished at the words that had been spoken, and he knew about the blindness of minds he had caused among the people with his lying words; and his soul was tormented by a consciousness of his own guilt; he was surrounded by the pains of hell.

7 He cried to the people, saying, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. From that time on he pled for them, but they cursed at him, saying, Are you also possessed with the devil? They spit on him and cast him out from among them, along with all those who believed in the words spoken by Alma and Amulek. They cast them out and sent men to throw stones at them.

8 They gathered those who believed in the word of God, with their wives and children, and cast them into the fire, along with the holy scriptures, so they would be destroyed by fire.

9 They carried Alma and Amulek to the place of martyrdom, so they could see the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.

10 When Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were burning, he was pained, and he said to Alma, How can we see this awful scene? So let us stretch out our hands, and use the power of God that is in us, and save them from the flames.

11 But Alma said to him, The Spirit prevents me from stretching out my hand because the Lord receives them to himself in glory. He allows the people to do this to them according to the hardness of their hearts so the judgments that he will put on them in his anger will be righteous; and the blood of the innocent will stand as a witness against them and cry mightily against them at the last day.

12 Amulek said to Alma, Perhaps they will burn us also.

13 Alma said, Let it be according to the will of the Lord, but our work is not finished, so they will not burn us.

14 When the bodies of those cast into the fire were burned, along with the holy records, the chief judge of the land stood before Alma and Amulek, who were bound, and he hit their cheeks with his hand and said to them, After what you have seen, will you preach again to this people that they will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?

15 You see that you had no power to save those in the fire, nor has God saved them because they were of your faith. And the judge hit them again on their cheeks and asked, What do you say for yourselves?

16 This judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who killed Gideon.

17 Alma and Amulek answered nothing, and he hit them again and put them in prison.

18 When they had been in prison three days, many lawyers, judges, priests, and teachers came who were of the profession of Nehor. They came to the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words, but they did not answer.

19 The judge stood before them and said, Why do you not answer the words of this people? Do you not know that I have power to deliver you to the flames? He commanded them to speak, but they answered nothing.

20 The visitors departed but came again the next day, and again the judge hit them on their cheeks. Many came forth and hit them, saying, Will you stand again and judge this people and condemn our law? If you have such great power why do you not deliver yourselves?

21 They said many such things, grinding their teeth at them, and spitting on them, and saying, How will we look when we are damned?

22 They said all manner of such things, mocking them for many days. They withheld food from them so they would hunger, and water so they would thirst, and took their clothes so they were naked; and thus they were bound with strong cords and confined in prison.

23 After they had suffered thus for many days—on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, in the tenth year of the reign of the judges—the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and lawyers went into the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.

24 The chief judge hit them again and said, If you have the power of God, deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words.

25 They all went forth and hit them, saying the same words, and when the last had spoken, the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose to stand on their feet.

26 Alma cried, saying: How long will we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith in Christ, even to deliverance. And they broke the cords that bound them; and when the people saw this, they began to run because the fear of destruction had come upon them.

27 Their fear was so great that they fell to the earth and didn’t reach the outer door of the prison because the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were torn in two and fell to the ground; and the chief judge, lawyers, priests, and teachers were killed, the same ones who hit Alma and Amulek.

28 Alma and Amulek came out of the prison unhurt because the Lord had given them power according to their faith in Christ. They came straight out with no cords, and the prison had fallen down, and every soul inside had died except Alma and Amulek, who went straight into the city.

29 The people had heard a great noise and came running to know the cause of it. When they saw Alma and Amulek coming out of the prison, and the walls had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear and fled from Alma and Amulek, like a goat flees with her young from two lions.

CHAPTER 15

Alma and Amulek go to Sidom and establish a church—Alma heals Zeezrom, who joins the Church—Many are baptized, and the Church prospers—Alma and Amulek go to Zarahemla. About 81 B.C.

1 Alma and Amulek were commanded to leave the city, so they went to the land of Sidom and found all the people who had left the land of Ammonihah, those who had been cast out and stoned because they believed in the words of Alma.

2 They described to Alma and Amulek all that had happened to their wives and children, and about themselves, and the power in their deliverance.

3 Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom with a burning fever, which was caused by the great troubles of his mind because of his wickedness, because he supposed that Alma and Amulek had been killed because of his sins. This great sin, and his many other sins, tormented his mind until it became exceedingly painful, without relief; so he began to be scorched with a burning heat.

4 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, asking them to come to him.

5 Immediately they went to Zeezrom and found him on his bed, sick and very weak with a burning fever, and his mind was exceedingly tormented because of his sins. When he saw them he stretched out his hand and asked them to heal him.

6 Taking him by the hand, Alma said, Do you believe in the power of Christ to salvation?

7 He said: Yes, I believe all the words you have taught.

8 Alma said: If you believe in the redemption of Christ, you can be healed.

9 And he said: Yes, I believe as you’ve said.

10 Then Alma cried to the Lord, saying, O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith in Christ.

11 When Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped on 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.

12 Alma baptized Zeezrom to the Lord, and from that time forth he began to preach to the people.

13 Alma established a church in the land of Sidom and ordained priests and teachers in the land, to baptize to the Lord whoever wanted to be baptized.

14 They were many, because they gathered in from all the region around Sidom and were baptized.

15 But the people in the land of Ammonihah remained hard-hearted and proudly stubborn, not repenting of their sins and saying that all the power of Alma and Amulek came from the devil, because the people belonged to the profession of Nehor and did not believe in repentance for their sins.

16 Amulek had abandoned all his gold, silver, and precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, and he was rejected by those who were once his friends, and by his father and his relatives.

17 Alma had established the church at Sidom, seeing that the pride of the people was changed, and they began to humble themselves before God and assemble at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction.

18 Having seen all these things, Alma took Amulek and went to his house in the land of Zarahemla, and he ministered to him in his troubles and strengthened him in the Lord.

19 The tenth year of the reign of judges ended.

CHAPTER 16

The Lamanites destroy the people of Ammonihah—Zoram leads the Nephites to victory over the Lamanites—Alma and Amulek and many others preach the word—They teach that after His Resurrection Christ will appear to the Nephites. About 81–77 B.C.

1 In the eleventh year, on the fifth day of the second month, after much peace in the land of Zarahemla, with no wars or contentions for years, there was a cry of war heard throughout the land.

2 The armies of the Lamanites had come into the borders of the land, into the city of Ammonihah, and began to kill the people and destroy the city.

3 Before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to drive them out of the land, they had destroyed the people in Ammonihah and some around the borders of Noah, and taken others captive into the wilderness.

4 The Nephites wanted to get those who had been carried away captive into the wilderness.

5 Zoram had been appointed chief captain over the Nephite armies, and he knew that Alma was high priest over the church and had the spirit of prophecy. So Zoram and his two sons went to Alma and asked to know where the Lord wanted them to go in the wilderness to search for their brethren who had been taken captive by the Lamanites.

6 After asking the Lord about this, Alma said, The Lamanites will cross the river Sidon in the south wilderness, beyond the borders of the land Manti. You will meet them there, on the east of the river Sidon, and there the Lord will deliver to you your brethren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites.

7 Zoram and his sons marched to the place described by Alma.

8 They came upon the armies of the Lamanites, and the Lamanites were scattered and driven into the wilderness. They took their brethren who had been taken captive by the Lamanites, and not one captive had been lost. They returned their brethren to possess their own lands.

9 The eleventh year ended. The Lamanites had been driven out of the land, and every living soul in Ammonihah was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not destroy, because of its greatness.

10 But in one day it became desolate, and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness.

11 After many days their dead bodies were heaped up on the ground, and they were covered with a shallow covering. The stink was so great that the people did not go in to possess the land for many years. And it was called Desolation of Nehors because the dead had practiced the profession of Nehor, and their lands remained desolate.

12 The Lamanites did not come again to war against the Nephites until the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges, so for three years the Nephites had continual peace in all the land.

13 Alma and Amulek went out preaching repentance to the people in their temples, sanctuaries, and synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews.

14 They shared the word of God continually with as many as would hear their words, without prejudice toward any person or group.

15 Thus Alma and Amulek went forth to preach the word throughout the land, and also many more who had been chosen for the work. The church became established widely throughout the land of the Nephites.

16 There was no inequality among them. The Lord poured out his Spirit on all the land to prepare the minds of men, and to prepare their hearts to receive the word that would be taught among them at the time of his coming,

17 So they would not be hardened against the word, so they would not be unbelieving and go on to destruction, but so they would receive the word with joy, and be grafted like a branch into the true vine, so they would enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

18 Those priests who went among the people preached against all lying, deceiving, envy, violence, hatred, evil speaking, stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lust, crying that these things should not be.

19 They taught things that must shortly come, and taught the coming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and the resurrection of the dead.

20 Many of the people asked about the place where the Son of God would come, and they were taught that he would appear to them after his resurrection. The people heard this with great joy and gladness.

21 In the fourteenth year, the church had been established throughout all the land with a victory over the devil. The word of God was preached in its purity in all the land, and the Lord poured out his blessings upon the people.

An account of the sons of Mosiah, who rejected their rights to the kingdom for the word of God, and went up to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites; their sufferings and deliverance—according to the record of Alma.

Comprising chapters 17 through 27.

CHAPTER 17

The sons of Mosiah have the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—They go their several ways to declare the word to the Lamanites—Ammon goes to the land of Ishmael and becomes the servant of King Lamoni—Ammon saves the king’s flocks and slays his enemies at the water of Sebus. Verses 1–3, about 77 B.C.; verse 4, about 91–77 B.C.; and verses 5–39, about 91 B.C.

1 Alma was traveling as he taught, and, amazingly, he ran into the sons of Mosiah who were headed home toward Zarahemla.

2 Alma was very happy, especially that they were doing God’s work with him, and they were strong in the truth and studied the scriptures diligently.

3 And they prayed often and fasted, so they had the Spirit with them, so they taught with power and authority of God.

4 They had been teaching the word of God for fourteen years among the Lamanites, with much success in bringing people to call on his name and confess their sins before him.

5 And on their mission they had suffered much, both in body and mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit.

6 Remember they had left their father, Mosiah, fourteen years ago, refusing to take the kingdom from him.

7 They left Zarahemla with some of their friends, and took their weapons with them so they could hunt for food in the wilderness, to go to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites.

9 They walked many days in the wilderness, fasting and praying much that the Lord would give them the Spirit so they could bring their brethren the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth, and leave the traditions of their fathers, which were wrong.

10 And the Lord visited them with the Spirit and said, Be comforted. And they were comforted.

11 God said, Go among the Lamanites, your brethren, and teach them my word, but also be patient in endurance of offenses and afflictions so you can be good examples to them, and I will help you be instruments to save many souls.

12 And they all felt courage to go among the Lamanites and teach them.

13 When they got to the land of the Lamanites, they separated and trusted that eventually they would meet up again, assuming that it was a great work they would be doing.

14 And it was great, because they were about to preach God’s word to a hardened and ferocious people who loved murdering and robbing Nephites. They loved riches, but they got them by stealing and murder, not working with their own hands.

15 They were lazy and worshipped idols, and they were cursed from believing the lies of their fathers, although God made promises to them if they would repent.

18 Ammon was their leader, and he taught them and blessed them before they all separated.

19 Ammon went to the Lamanite land of Ishmael, where they tied him up and took him to their king, Lamoni, who then decided to kill people or keep them as prisoners or throw them out of the land.

22 And the king asked Ammon if he wanted to stay there among his people. Ammon said, Yes, I would like to live here, perhaps for all my life.

24 King Lamoni really liked Ammon, and ordered that he be untied, and wanted Ammon to marry one of his daughters.

25 But Ammon refused and said he wanted to be Lamoni’s servant. He was assigned to work with other servants who were watching the king’s flocks. After three days they took the flocks to a watering hole, and on the way a group of Lamanites scattered the flocks and the servants.

28 The servants complained and cried, Now the king will kill us, as he has others who allowed the flocks to be scattered by these men.

29 Ammon saw this as an opportunity to show the power of God to these servants, so he was glad. He planned to restore the flocks to the king and win the hearts of his fellow servants so they would believe in his words.

31 Ammon said, My brethren, be of good cheer, and let’s gather the flocks back together to the watering hole, and if we save the flocks the king will not kill us.

32 And they all ran after the flocks and brought them back to the water.

33 The Lamanite thieves tried again to scatter the flocks, but Ammon told the servants to make a circle around the flocks so they wouldn’t scatter, and he would fight the thieves.

34 There were a lot of thieves, so they thought that even one of them ould easily kill Ammon. They didn’t know that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would protect his sons. They didn’t know God, and they delighted in scattering the flocks and causing the death of the servants.

36 With mighty power, Ammon threw rocks at the men with his sling, and he killed enough of them that they were amazed. But they became angry and eager to kill him. They couldn’t hit him with their stones, so they came forward to kill him with their clubs.

37 But every time a man lifted a club to kill Ammon, he cut off their arm with his sword. The men became afraid and ran away from him.

38 Six of the enemy were killed by the sling, but Ammon killed only their leader with the sword.

39 When Ammon had chased them away, he returned and helped water their flocks, and returned them to the pasture of the king. The servants took all the arms Ammon had cut off to show the king what had happened.

CHAPTER 18

King Lamoni supposes that Ammon is the Great Spirit—Ammon teaches the king about the Creation, God’s dealings with men, and the redemption that comes through Christ—Lamoni believes and falls to the earth as if dead. About 90 B.C.

1 When the servants had testified about all that had happened, King Lamoni was greatly astonished and said, Surely, this is more than a man. He must be the Great Spirit who is punishing this people because of their murders.

3 The servants said, We don’t know about that, but we do know that the king’s enemies cannot kill him, and he won’t allow the king’s flocks to be scattered because of his skill and strength. We know he is a friend to the king, and we do not believe that only a man has such great power.

4 The king said, Now I know that he is the Great Spirit spoken of by our fathers, and he has come to save your lives so I would not kill you as I did your brethren.

5 Lamoni was taught by his father that there was a Great Spirit, but he and his father still believed that whatever they did was right. But now Lamoni became afraid that he had been wrong in killing his servants who had let the flocks be scattered in the past.

8 Lamoni asked, where is this man with such great power? And the servants said, he is feeding your horses. Before the watering of the flocks, the king had commanded his servants to prepare his horses for a trip to the land of Nephi, to attend a great feast prepared by Lamoni’s father, who was king over all the Lamanite lands.

10 When King Lamoni heard this, he was amazed and said, Surely no servant has been as faithful as this man, who remembers everything I command him to do. Now I know that this is the Great Spirit, and I want to see him, but I am afraid.

12 When Ammon had prepared the horses and chariots, he went to the king and saw that the king’s face had changed, so he was about to leave. But one of the king’s servants said to Ammon, Great king, the king wants you to stay.

14 So Ammon asked the king, What can I do for you? The king did not know what to say, so there was silence for an hour. Again Ammon said to the king, What do you desire of me? But still the king could not answer.

16 But Ammon was filled with the Spirit, so he knew the king’s thoughts and said, Are you amazed because of what you have heard about my defending your servants and flocks, and how I killed seven of the enemy and cut off the arms of many others? Why are you so amazed? I am a man and your servant, so I only do what you want me to do that is right.

18 Now the king was more amazed, because Ammon could know his thoughts. But Lamoni finally spoke and asked, Who are you? Are you that Great Spirit, who knows all things?

19 Ammon said, I am not.

20 The king said, So how do you know my thoughts? You may answer me boldly, and tell me by what power you killed and struck off the arms of my brethren who scattered my flocks. If you will answer me, I will give you whatever you desire, even guard you with my armies, even though I know you are more powerful than all of them.

22 Ammon was wise, so he said to Lamoni, if I tell you by what power I do these things, will you listen to my words?

23 The king said, Yes, I will believe all your words. And thus he was caught with cleverness.

24 So Ammon began to speak with boldness and said, Do you believe there is a God?

25 Lamoni said, I don’t know what that means.

26 Ammon said, Do you believe there is a Great Spirit?

27 Lamoni said, Yes.

28 Ammon said, This is God. Do you believe that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things in heaven and earth?

29 Lamoni said, Yes, I believe that he created all things in the earth, but I do not know the heavens.

30 Ammon said, The heavens is a place where God dwells with all his holy angels.

31 King Lamoni said, Is it above the earth?

32 Ammon said, Yes, and he looks down on all men, and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart, because they were all created by him from the beginning.

33 The king said, I believe all these things you have said. Are you sent from God?

34 Ammon said, I am a man, and in the beginning man was created in the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things to this people so they can be brought to a knowledge of what is righteous and true;

35 And a portion of that Spirit lives in me, which gives me knowledge, and power according to my faith and desires that are in God.

36 Ammon began at the creation of the world and the creation of Adam, and he told Lamoni about the fall of man, and taught him the scriptures that had been spoken by the prophets to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem. And he taught the king and his servants about the journey of their fathers in the wilderness and their sufferings.

38 And he taught them about the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, and all the records and scriptures from the time Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time.

39 Then he taught them about the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, and taught concerning the coming of Christ and all the works of the Lord.

40 After all that teaching, the king believed all his words and cried to the Lord for mercy on his people, as God had showed mercy to the people of Nephi. Then the king fell to the earth as though he were dead.

43 The servants took the king to his wife and laid him on a bed, where he laid for two days and nights as though he were dead. And his wife and children mourned his loss.

CHAPTER 19

Lamoni receives the light of everlasting life and sees the Redeemer—His household falls into a trance, and many see angels—Ammon is preserved miraculously—He baptizes many and establishes a church among them. About 90 B.C.

1 After two days and nights they were about to bury Lamoni, but the queen called for Ammon because she had heard of his fame. Ammon went and asked what she wanted him to do.

4 She said, My husband’s servants have told me that you are a prophet of God, and you have power to do great works in his name, so I want you to go to my husband, who some say is dead and begins to stink, and should be buried, but to me he does not stink.

6 Ammon was happy, because he knew that Lamoni was under God’s power, and that the dark veil of unbelief was being taken from his mind, and that his mind was being filled with the light of the goodness and glory of God. This light of everlasting life had filled Lamoni’s soul with joy, and Ammon knew that Lamoni’s natural body was carried away in God’s power.

7 Ammon went to see the king and told the queen that he was not dead but just sleeping in God, and that the next day he would rise, so not to bury him. Ammon asked the queen if she believed him, and she said that she did, even though she had only the word of him and the servants.

10 Ammon said, You are blessed because of your great faith. Woman, such great faith has not been seen among all the people of the Nephites. She watched over the bed of her husband, and the next morning he did arise, as Ammon said, and he stretched out his hand to the queen and said, Blessed be the name of God, and blessed are you.

13 As sure as you live, I have seen my Redeemer, and he will come forth and be born of a woman, and he will redeem all mankind who believe on his name. When he had said these words, he sank back down with joy, and the queen also sank down, being overpowered by the Spirit.

14 Ammon fell on his knees and began to pour out his soul in prayer and thanksgiving to God for what he had done for his brethren the Lamanites, who had caused so much sorrow among the Nephites because of their wickedness; and he was overpowered with joy, so all three had sunk to the ground.

15 When the servants of the king saw that they had fallen, they also began to cry to God because the fear of the Lord had come upon them too. And they all fell to the earth too, except for one woman named Abish, who had been converted to the Lord for many years because of a remarkable vision of her father.

17 Abish had never told anyone about her conversion, but when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni, and the king, and the queen, and Ammon had fallen to the earth, she knew that it was the power of God. So she ran from house to house telling people, hoping that they would see it and believe in the power of God.

18 Many people gathered at the house of the king, and when they saw everyone on the floor like they were dead, they began to complain, saying that it was an evil caused by Ammon the Nephite being allowed to stay in the land.

20 But others insisted that the king caused this evil because he killed his servants who had allowed his flocks to be scattered by the thieves.

21 The people were criticized by the men who had scattered the king’s flocks because they were angry with Ammon for killing their brethren while he defended the king’s flocks.

22 One of the thieves, whose brother was killed by Ammon, was very angry, and when he lifted his sword to kill Ammon, he fell dead.

23 Again we see that Ammon could not be killed because the Lord had promised this to his father Mosiah according to his faith.

24 When the multitude saw all this, they didn’t dare touch Ammon or anybody else on the ground, and they wondered what great power was at work here.

25 Many people said that Ammon was the Great Spirit, others that he was sent by the Great Spirit;

26 But others rebuked them all, saying he was a monster, who had been sent from the Nephites to torment them.

27 And some people said that Ammon was sent by the Great Spirit to afflict them because of their iniquities, and that it was the Great Spirit who had always been with the Nephites, the Great Spirit who had always destroyed the Lamanites and delivered the Nephites out of their hands.

28 The arguing became very sharp, so when Abish saw this she cried with sorrow. She touched the queen’s hand, who arose from the ground and shouted, O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people! And the queen was filled with joy, speaking many words which were not understood. And she took the king by the hand, and he arose and stood on his feet.

31 When he saw the contention among his people, immediately he rebuked them and taught them the words of Ammon, and many believed and were converted to the Lord.

32 But many people would not listen to the king, and they went away.

33 Ammon arose and ministered to them, as did all the servants of Lamoni; and they all told the people that their hearts had been changed, so they had no more desire to do evil.

34 Many people said they had seen and talked to angels, and they told them things of God and his righteousness.

35 Many people believed their words, and they were baptized and became a righteous people and established a church among them.

36 Thus the work of the Lord began among the Lamanites, and the Lord began to pour out his Spirit on them, and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.

CHAPTER 20

The Lord sends Ammon to Middoni to deliver his imprisoned brethren—Ammon and Lamoni meet Lamoni’s father, who is king over all the land—Ammon compels the old king to approve the release of his brethren. About 90 B.C.

1 After they established a church in the land, king Lamoni asked Ammon to go with him to the land of Nephi to meet his father.

2 But God told Ammon not to go, saying, The king will try to kill you, so go to the land of Middoni because your brother Aaron and two of his companions are in prison.

3 So Ammon told Lamoni he was going to help his brother and friends.

4 Lamoni said, I know that you can do anything with God’s help, but I will go with you because the king in that land is my friend, and maybe I can help. Who told you that your brother was in prison?

5 Ammon said, God told me. As Ammon and Lamoni were journeying, they met the father of Lamoni, who was king over all the Lamanites. The king demanded to know why Lamoni didn’t show up at the feast he made for his sons and people, and also demanded, Where are you going with this Nephite, who is one of the children of a liar?

11 Lamoni told him about his preparations to go to Middoni, and his father was angry with him, saying, Lamoni, you’re going to free these Nephites, who are sons of Nephi, who lied and robbed our fathers; and now his children have come here to lie more and to rob us of our property.

14 Lamoni’s father commanded him not go to Middoni but to kill Ammon with a sword and return with him to the land of Ishmael.

15 But Lamoni refused and said he would go to Middoni and free Ammon’s brethren, saying, I know they are righteous men and holy prophets of the true God.

16 The king was angry and drew his sword to kill Lamoni, but Ammon stood in the way and said, You will not kill your son, although it would be better that he would die than you because he has repented of his sins. If you died in your anger your soul could not be saved. If you kill your son, an innocent man, his blood would cry from the ground to the Lord for vengeance to come upon you, and perhaps you  would lose your soul.

19 The king said, I know that if I kill my son, I would shed innocent blood, but you are trying to destroy him.

20 Then he tried to kill Ammon, but Ammon defended himself and injured the king’s arm so he couldn’t use it. When the king saw that Ammon could kill him, he began to plead with Ammon for his life. But Ammon raised his sword and said, I will strike you unless you give freedom to my brethren in prison.

23 The king was afraid to die, so he said, If you will spare me I will give you whatever you want, even half the kingdom.

24 Ammon said, I will spare you if you let my brethren out of prison and let Lamoni keep his kingdom, and you will not be angry with him but allow him to do whatever he wants in his land. Otherwise, I will strike you to the ground.

25 The king rejoiced for his life.

26 The king was astonished to see that Ammon had no desire to destroy him, and that he had a great love for Lamoni. So he agreed to everything Ammon had said, and gave up all right to govern Lamoni from then on. In his amazement, the king asked Ammon to bring his brethren with him and see him when they got out of prison. He also wanted to learn the words Lamoni had spoken.

28 Ammon and Lamoni went to Middoni, where the king of the land agreed to let the brethren of Ammon out of prison. Ammon was sad to see that they were naked, and their skin badly injured from being tied tightly with ropes. And they had suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions, but they were patient in all their sufferings.

30 Ammon’s brethren had tried to teach a very hardened and proud people who would not listen to their words, and who had thrown them out, hit them, and chased them from place to place until they arrived in the land of Middoni, where they were put in prison for many days before being freed by Lamoni and Ammon.

An account of the preaching of Aaron, and Muloki, and their brethren, to the Lamanites.

Comprising chapters 21 through 25.

CHAPTER 21

Aaron teaches the Amalekites about Christ and His Atonement—Aaron and his brethren are imprisoned in Middoni—After their deliverance, they teach in the synagogues and make many converts—Lamoni grants religious freedom to the people in the land of Ishmael. About 90–77 B.C.

1 When Ammon and his brethren arrived at the land of the Lamanites and went their separate ways, Aaron went to the Lamanite land Jerusalem, a great city built by the Lamanites, Amalekites, and people of Amulon.

3 The Lamanites were hardened, but the Amalekites and the Amulonites were still harder and increased the stubbornness and wickedness of the Lamanites.

4 When Aaron came to the city of Jerusalem, he began to preach to the Amalekite synagogues, built after the order of the Nehors because many of the Amalekites and the Amulonites followed the order of the Nehors.

5 As Aaron taught, an Amalekite began to argue, saying, What are you saying? That you’ve seen an angel? Why do angels not appear to us? Are we not as good as you? And you say we need to repent or perish. How can you know our heart, that we need to repent? How can you know that we’re not righteous? Look, we have built synagogues and assemble to worship God. We believe that God will save all men.

7 Aaron said, do you believe that the Son of God will come to redeem mankind from their sins?

8 The man said, we don’t believe you know that. We don’t believe in your foolish traditions. We don’t believe that you know the future, and your fathers didn’t know what they were talking about either.

9 Aaron taught from the scriptures about the coming of Christ, and the resurrection of the dead, and that redemption for mankind was possible only through the death and sufferings and atonement of Christ. And the people were angry, and mocked him, and would not listen.

11 So Aaron left their synagogue, and went to another village where some of his friends were preaching the word. And there was much arguing, so they left and went to Middoni, where they preached to many, but few believed. Aaron and some others were put in prison, while others of the group ran out of the land of Middoni.

14 Those in prison suffered much—as described earlier—but they were freed by Lamoni and Ammon, and they went out and preached again, led by the Spirit, preaching the word of God in every synagogue of the Amalekites or Lamanites they could.

17 The Lord blessed them so they brought many to a knowledge of the truth, convincing many of their sins, and that the traditions of their fathers were not correct.

18 Ammon and Lamoni returned from Middoni to Ishmael, where they had begun their journey. And king Lamoni would not allow Ammon to be his servant anymore. Lamoni built synagogues in Ishmael and caused his people to come together. And he taught them many things and rejoiced over them. And he said he was their king, and his father would oppress them no more.

22 He declared that they would have freedom to worship God according to their desires anywhere in the land ruled by king Lamoni.

23 Ammon also preached righteousness to the people of king Lamoni. He taught diligently and daily, and they listened to him and eagerly kept the commandments of God.

CHAPTER 22

Aaron teaches Lamoni’s father about the Creation, the Fall of Adam, and the plan of redemption through Christ—The king and all his household are converted—The division of the land between the Nephites and the Lamanites is explained. About 90–77 B.C.

1 As Ammon was teaching the people of Lamoni, Aaron and his brethren were led by the Spirit from Middoni to the land of Nephi, where Lamoni’s father reigned.

2 Aaron went to the king’s palace, bowed himself before the king, and said, We are the brethren of Ammon, who you freed from prison. And now, O king, if you will spare our lives, we will be your servants. The king said, I will give you your lives, but you will not be my servants. Instead you will minister to me because I have been troubled by the generosity and greatness of the words of your brother Ammon. Why is he not with you?

4 Aaron said, the Spirit has called him to the land of Ishmael, to teach the people of Lamoni.

5 The king asked, What do you mean by the Spirit of the Lord? This troubles me.

6 And what does Ammon mean when he says, If you repent you will be saved, and if you will not repent, you will be cast off at the last day?

7 Aaron answered him, Do you believe there is a God? The king said, I know that the Amalekites say that there is a God, and I have let them build sanctuaries for worship. But if you say there is a God, I will believe.

8 Aaron’s heart rejoiced, and he said, As surely as you live, O king, there is a God.

9 And the king said, Is God that Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of Jerusalem?

10 Aaron said, Yes, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and earth. Do you believe this?

11 The king said, Yes, I believe that the Great Spirit created all things, and I want you to teach me about all this, and I will believe you.

12 Aaron taught him the scriptures about the creation of Adam, and how God created man in his own image, and about the fall of man, and how God gave men commandments because of the fall and transgression, and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world through Christ for all who would believe on his name.

14 Because men had fallen they required the sufferings and death of Christ to atone for their sins, through faith and repentance. And he breaks the bands of death so the grave will have no victory, and the sting of death will be swallowed up in the hopes of glory.

15 And when Aaron had taught all this, the king said: What can I do to have this eternal life you speak of? What can I do to be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit that I may be filled with joy, that I will not be cast off at the last day? I will give up all that I possess, yes, I will abandon my kingdom that I may receive this great joy.

16 Aaron said, If you bow down before God and repent of all your sins, and call on his name in faith, believing that you will receive, then you will receive your hope.

17 The king did bow down on his knees before the Lord, even lying on the ground, and cried mightily, O God, Aaron has told me that there is a God, and if you are God, will you make yourself known to me, and I will give away all my sins to know you, and be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. When the king had said this, he was struck as if he were dead.

19 His servants ran and told the queen all that had happened, and she saw him lying as if he were dead, and also Aaron and his brethren standing as though they had been the cause of his fall. So she was angry with them, and commanded the servants to kill them. But the servants saw the reason for the king’s fall, so they dared not lay their hands on Aaron and his brethren, and they begged the queen, saying, Why command us to kill these men, when just one of them is mightier than all of us? We would be killed by them.

21 The fear of the servants made the queen afraid that some evil might happen to her, so she commanded the servants to gather the people to kill Aaron and his brethren.

22 Aaron saw the stubbornness of the queen and the hardness of the people, so in order to prevent a great conflict, he touched the king and raised him from the earth.

23 This happened in the presence of the queen and many of the servants, and they were amazed and afraid. The king began to minister to them, and his whole household was converted to the Lord.

24 Because the queen had sent out servants to gather people, a crowd gathered, and there were great arguments about Aaron and his brethren. But the king ministered to them, and they became quiet. And when the king saw the calmness of the people, he directed Aaron and his brethren to preach to everyone there.

27-35 The Nephites occupied all the northern parts of the land to Bountiful, which bordered on the land called Desolation, so far north that it touched the land covered with the bones of a destroyed people, described earlier. And the Nephites fortified their southern border to keep the Lamanites from overwhelming them.

CHAPTER 23

Religious freedom is proclaimed—The Lamanites in seven lands and cities are converted—They call themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies and are freed from the curse—The Amalekites and the Amulonites reject the truth. About 90–77 B.C.

1 The king of the Lamanites sent a proclamation among all his people that they should not lay their hands on the sons of Mosiah or any of their brethren who would preach the word of God in any part of their land.

2 The preaching brethren were not to be hurt or obstructed in any way but should have free access to their houses, temples, and sanctuaries.

3 In this way they could preach the word according to their desires because the king had been converted to the Lord, with all his household. So he proclaimed throughout the land that the word of God would have no obstruction but would go throughout all the land so his people might be convinced about the wicked traditions of their fathers, and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they should not murder, plunder, steal, commit adultery, or commit any manner of wickedness.

4 Aaron and his brethren preached and established churches and ordained priests and teachers throughout the land, and they began to have great success. Thousands came to a knowledge of the Lord as they were taught the records and prophecies of the Nephites.

6 As sure as the Lord lives, none of the Lamanites brought to the knowledge of the truth through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and power of God, ever fell away.

7 They became a righteous people and laid down their weapons and never fought against God or their brethren again. Those that were converted included the Lamanites in Ishmael, Middoni, Nephi, Shilom, Shemlong, Lemuel, and Shimnilom.

14 But only one Amalekite was converted, and no Amulonites, who hardened their hearts and the hearts of any Lamanites who lived near them.

16 The king and those converted wanted a name to distinguish them from those not converted, and the king consulted with Aaron and their priests. So they were called Anti-Nephi-Lehies, and no more called Lamanites.

18 They became a very industrious people, and they were friendly with the Nephites and communicated with them, so the curse of God didn’t follow them.

CHAPTER 24

The Lamanites come against the people of God—The Anti-Nephi-Lehies rejoice in Christ and are visited by angels—They choose to suffer death rather than to defend themselves—More Lamanites are converted. About 90–77 B.C.

1 All the Lamanites who had not been converted were stirred up by the Amalekites and Amulonites to so much anger against their brethren, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, that they rebelled against their king and prepared for war against the converts.

3 The king conferred the kingdom on his son, who called himself Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

4 The old king died in the year that the Lamanites prepared for war against the people of God.

5 Ammon and his brethren held a council with Lamoni and his brother Anti-Nephi-Lehi about how to defend themselves against the Lamanites.

6 Among all the people converted to the Lord not one soul would take up arms against their brethren, and their king commanded them that they should not. He said to them, I thank God that in His goodness he has sent our brethren, the Nephites, to preach to us and turn us from the traditions of our wicked fathers, and convinced us of our sins and many murders. And I thank God that He has given us his Spirit to soften our hearts so that we have opened communication with the Nephites.

10 And I thank my God that he has allowed us to repent, and forgiven us of our many sins and murders, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the virtues of his Son.

11 And now, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and many murders, and become clean from the stain, let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. Let us keep our swords bright and clean, for fear that if we did stain our swords again, they might never become washed bright again through the blood of the Son of our great God, which will be shed for the atonement of our sins.

14 God has had mercy on us, and made the atonement known to us so we would not perish because he loves our souls and our children. So in his mercy he visits us by his angels so the plan of salvation might be made known to us and our future generations.

15 Oh, how merciful our God is! So again, let us stay free of our stains and bury our swords deep in the earth so they can be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the day of judgment that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he gave us his word and atonement. And if our brethren destroy us, we will go to our God and be saved.

17 When the king said this, all the people buried their swords and weapons deep in the earth. With this they testified to God and all men that they would rather give up their own lives than ever use weapons again to shed blood. And they would labor the rest of their lives rather than be idle and steal from others.

19 So we see that these Lamanites were brought to see the truth and believe, and they stayed firm, and would suffer death rather than commit sin.

20 The Lamanites prepared for war and came to the land of Nephi to destroy the king and the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

21 When the people of God saw their enemies coming, they went out to meet them, and threw themselves on the ground, and began to call on the name of the Lord. And then the Lamanites began to kill them with the sword.

22 Without any resistance, they killed a thousand and five of them, and we know that they are blessed and gone to live with their God.

23 When the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not run from death, but that they would lie down and even praise God as they were being killed, the Lamanites stopped killing, and many were touched with compassion for those of their brethren who had fallen under the sword. They repented of what they had done, and threw down their weapons because they were pained for the murders they had committed. They lay down just like those they had been killing, relying on the mercies of those who still had their swords raised.

26 That day the people of God were joined by more than the number who had been killed. Those who had been killed were righteous, so we have no doubt that they were saved.

27 There was not a wicked man among those who were killed, but there were more than a thousand brought to a knowledge of the truth. So we see that the Lord works in many ways to the salvation of his people.

28 The greatest number of those Lamanites who killed their brethren were Amalekites and Amulonites, mostly after the order of the Nehors.

29 Among those who joined the people of the Lord, there were no Amalekites or Amulonites but only actual descendants of Laman and Lemuel.

30 So we see clearly that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin, they become more hardened and worse off than if they had never known the truth.

CHAPTER 25

Lamanite aggressions spread—The seed of the priests of Noah perish as Abinadi prophesied—Many Lamanites are converted and join the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi—They believe in Christ and keep the law of Moses. About 90–77 B.C.

1 The angry Lamanites were even angrier because they had killed their brethren, so they swore vengeance on the Nephites and stopped killing the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

2 So they took their armies toward Zarahemla and first destroyed the people of Ammonihah. Then they had many battles with the Nephites, where the Lamanites were driven and killed.

4 Among the Lamanites who were killed by the Nephites were almost all the descendants of Amulon and his fellow priests of Noah. The rest of the Amulonites ran away.

5 Many of the Lamanites were touched by seeing so much loss and affliction, and they remembered the words that Aaron and his brethren had preached to them in their land, and they saw the power of the Nephites over them, so they began to believe in the word of God and were converted in the wilderness. So the Amulonites, who were angry and in positions of authority, burned to death many of the Lamanites who had converted.

8 These murders of Lamanites by the people of Amulon caused many to be angry, and they fought among themselves in the wilderness, and the Lamanites began to hunt the seed of Amulon and kill them. So we see fulfillment of the words of Abinadi, when he said the seed of the priests who killed him by fire would also be put to death by fire and scattered abroad, like a sheep without a shepherd is driven and killed by wild beasts.

13 When the Lamanites saw that they could not overpower the Nephites, they returned again to their own land; and many of them joined themselves to the people of God, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

14 They buried their weapons of war, just like their brethren had, and they began to be a righteous people and walked in the ways of the Lord and kept his commandments.

15 They still kept the law of Moses and those outward performances, because it was not all fulfilled. But they also looked forward to the coming of Christ, knowing that the law of Moses pointed toward his coming.

16 They understood that salvation did not come by the law of Moses, but the law of Moses served to strengthen their faith in Christ. And thus through faith they kept a hope of eternal salvation, relying on the spirit of prophecy, which spoke of those things to come.

17 The sons of Mosiah and their brethren rejoiced greatly because of the success they’d had among the Lamanites, knowing that God had answered their prayers and kept his promises in every way.

CHAPTER 26

Ammon glories in the Lord—The faithful are strengthened by the Lord and are given knowledge—By faith men may bring thousands of souls to repentance—God has all power and comprehends all things. About 90–77 B.C.

1 Ammon said to his brethren, Look at how much reason we have to rejoice. When we left Zarahemla fourteen years ago, could we have imagined such great blessings? Our brethren, the Lamanites, were in great darkness, but look at how many of them are brought to see the marvelous light of God! And we have been blessed to be instruments in God’s hands to bring thousands to rejoice in the fold of God.

5 The field was ready, and you are blessed because you used all your strength to bring in the harvest. Now look at how great the harvest is. Now they are protected from the storms that would try to destroy them. They are in God’s hands, and he will raise them up at the last day.

8 Blessed be the name of our God. Let us sing his praises, let us give thanks to his holy name, because he works righteousness forever.

9 If we had not left Zarahemla, our beloved brethren, who also love us, would still have been filled with hatred against us and remained strangers to God.

10 Ammon’s brother Aaron rebuked him, saying, I fear that your joy has become boasting.

11 But Ammon said, I don’t boast about MY strength or wisdom, but my heart overflows with joy in my God. I know that I am nothing. I am weak, so I don’t boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things. Look at the many mighty miracles we have done in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

13 Look at how many thousands of our brethren he has released from the pains of hell, and now they sing redeeming love, and this happened because of the power of his word which is in us, so should we not rejoice?

14 We have reason to praise him forever, because he is the Most High God and has released our brethren from the chains of hell, where they were trapped in everlasting darkness and destruction. He has brought them into his everlasting light and salvation, and now they are embraced by the abundance of his love, and we have been instruments in his hands to do this great and marvelous work.

16 So let us feel glory and rejoice in the Lord because our joy is full; yes, we will praise our God forever. How can we glory too much in the Lord? Or say too much of his great power, and mercy, and patience toward his children? I can’t even say the smallest part of what I feel.

17 Who could have imagined that God would have been so merciful and removed us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? We were angry and even trying to destroy his church. So why didn’t he just destroy us and let the sword of justice fall on us and doom us to eternal despair?

20 I shrink from the thought. But he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy brought us over that everlasting pit of death and misery and saved our souls.

21 How could any natural man know any of this? No, only those who repent. If we repent, and exercise faith, and bring forth good works, and pray continually, then we know the mysteries of God, knowing things that have never been revealed. And such people can bring thousands of souls to repentance, just as we did with our brethren.

23 Remember how people laughed when we said we were leaving Zarahemla to preach to the Lamanites in the land of Nephi? They said we were crazy to think that we could teach Lamanites the truth and persuade them of the error of their traditions, being proud and delighting in the shedding of blood and in iniquity. Remember how the people said, let’s go against them with weapons and destroy them so they won’t destroy us.

26 But we came to the wilderness to save souls, not destroy them. And when we got discouraged and almost quit, God comforted us and said, Go among your brethren, the Lamanites, and bear your afflictions with patience, and I will give you success.

28 Now we have been among them, and been patient in our sufferings, and we have traveled from house to house, relying on the mercies of the world and of God.

29 We entered into their houses and taught them, and in their streets, and on their hills, and in their temples and synagogues. We have been cast out, mocked, spit on, beaten, stoned, tied up, and thrown into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered.

30 We have suffered all manner of afflictions that that we might help save any soul. And we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving just some. But were the fruits of our labors few? No, they are many, and we can see the truth of them because of their love toward their brethren and also toward us.

32 They even chose to sacrifice their lives rather than to take the life of their enemy, and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth because of their love toward their brethren. We know they have gone to their God because of their love and their hatred toward sin.

33 Has there been so great love in all the land? No, not even among the Nephites, who would defend themselves against their brethren rather than be killed.

35 Do we not have reason to rejoice? Since the world began, no other men have had such great reason to rejoice as we, and my joy is carried away, even to boasting in my God because he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding. He understands all things, and he is a merciful Being, even to salvation for those who will repent and believe on his name.

36 If this is boasting, then I will boast because this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation and redemption. Blessed is the name of my God, who has cared about this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel lost in a strange land. Blessed is the name of my God, who has cared about us, wanderers in a strange land.

37 Now we see that God cares about all people, in all lands. They matter to him, and his mercy is over all the earth. This is my joy, and I will give thanks to my God forever. Amen.

CHAPTER 27

The Lord commands Ammon to lead the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety—Upon meeting Alma, Ammon’s joy exhausts his strength—The Nephites give the Anti-Nephi-Lehies the land of Jershon—They are called the people of Ammon. About 90–77 B.C.

1 When the Lamanites struggled repeatedly and in vain to destroy the Nephites, they returned to the land of Nephi.

2 And the Amalekites were exceedingly angry because of their loss. When they saw they could not get revenge on the Nephites, they began to stir up the people in anger against their brethren, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, so again they began to destroy them.

3 But these people again refused to hold weapons, and they allowed themselves to be slain.

4 When Ammon and his brethren saw this killing of those they loved, they were moved with compassion and said to king Anti-Nephi-Lehi, Let us gather this people of the Lord and take them to Zarahemla to be among the Nephites, so we are not all destroyed.

6 But the king said, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them.

7 But Ammon said, If I go to the Lord, and he says for us to go, will you go?

8 And the king said, yes, and we will be their slaves until we make up for the many murders and sins we have committed against them.

9 But Ammon said, Slavery is against Nephite law, so let’s go and rely on their mercy.

10 The king said, Ask God, and if he says go, we will; otherwise we will die here.

11 And Ammon asked God, who said, Take this people out of this land, and I will preserve them because Satan has power over the Amalekites, who stir up the Lamanites to murderous anger against their brethren.

13 Ammon told the king what the Lord had said, so they gathered all the people of the Lord, along with their flocks and herds, and left the land, going into the wilderness near Zarahemla.

15 And Ammon said, you stay here, and my brethren and I will go to Zarahemla and find out whether the Nephites will allow you to enter their land.

16 As Ammon was going to Zarahemla, that’s when they met Alma, as described earlier. The joy of Ammon was so great that he fell exhausted to the earth.

18 This is joy which none receive except the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness. And the joy of Alma and the other sons of Mosiah was great too.

20 Alma took his brethren back to his house in Zarahemla, and they told the chief judge all the things that had happened to them in the land of Nephi among their brethren, the Lamanites.

21 The chief judge sent word throughout the land to learn the feeling of the people about admission of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

22 The people voted to give up the land of Jershon and give it to the visitors.

23 The people also offered to put armies between Jershon and the land Nephi, where the Lamanites lived, to protect their brethren who would not take up weapons to protect themselves, which they feared would cause them to sin as they had in the past.

24 The people offered protective armies on condition that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies would support the armies with supplies and whatever they needed.

25 Ammon and Alma returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi in the wilderness and told them about the offer. And Alma told them about his conversion with the sons of Mosiah.

26 This all gave the people much joy, and they went to Jershon, and the Nephites called them the people of Ammon. They were included among the people of Nephi and the church of God. And they were known for their loyalty to God and men. They were perfectly honest and reliable in all things, and firm in the faith of Christ even to the end.

28 They were horrified by the thought of injuring or killing their brethren, and never would they use weapons against their brethren, all because of their beliefs in Christ and the resurrection, which swallowed up death.

29 They would suffer the most horrible death before they would use weapons again. So they were a zealous and beloved people, highly favored of the Lord.

CHAPTER 28

The Lamanites are defeated in a tremendous battle—Tens of thousands are slain—The wicked are consigned to a state of endless woe; the righteous attain a never-ending happiness. About 77–76 B.C.

1 The people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, with a church and with the Nephite armies to protect them. But the Lamanite armies came upon them, and there was a tremendous battle, the greatest ever since Lehi left Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Lamanites were killed and scattered.

3 Many Nephites were killed too, but the Lamanites were driven out. And the Nephites mourned greatly for the loss of their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. It was a time of great sorrow and fasting and prayer. And the fifteenth year of the reign of judges ended.

11 The bodies of many thousands are buried, and many thousands rotting in heaps on the land, and thousands mourning for the loss of their relatives because they rightly fear, according to God’s promises, that they are doomed to a state of endless misery.

12 But many thousands of others, while sad for the loss of their family members, rejoice in the hope and even knowledge that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness, according to the promises of the Lord.

13 So we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression and the power of the devil, who schemes to trap the hearts of men.

14 We see the great call for men to labor diligently in God’s work, and the great reasons for sorrow because of death and destruction among men, but also joy because of the life in the light of Christ.

CHAPTER 29

Alma desires to cry repentance with angelic zeal—The Lord grants teachers for all nations—Alma glories in the Lord’s work and in the success of Ammon and his brethren. About 76 B.C.

1 Alma said, O that I were an angel and could have the wish of my heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth and cry repentance to every people!

2 I would declare repentance and the plan of redemption to every soul so they would repent and come to our God, so there would be no more sorrow on all the face of the earth.

3 But I am just a man and sin in my wish because I should be content with the things the Lord has given me.

4 My desires for something else shouldn’t spoil the word of God because he says that all men will be given according to their desire, whether it be to death or to life, destruction or salvation.

5 All men have good and evil around them, and he who does not know good from evil is blameless, but he who knows good and evil, to him is given according to his desires, whether good or evil, life or death, joy or guilt.

6 So why should I desire more than to perform the work I’m called to do? Why should I wish to be an angel when I know that all nations will be taught, and he will give to people according to his wisdom.

9 I know what God wants of me, and I glory in it, that maybe I will be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10 When I see many of my brethren truly repent and come to the Lord, my soul is filled with joy, and I remember what the Lord has done for me, that he has heard my prayers and been merciful to me.

11 And I remember the captivity of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and how God delivered them from bondage and established his Church. And I remember the captivity of my fathers in Egypt, and God did deliver them. And the same God established his church among them and called me by a holy calling, to preach the word to this people, and has given me much success, which gives me a fulness of joy.

14 My joy is even more full because of the success of my brethren who have been to the land of Nephi because they have labored exceedingly and brought forth much fruit, so how great will be their reward! When I think of the success of my brethren my soul is carried away in joy, as though my soul were separated from the body.

17 I hope God will allow my brethren to sit down in the kingdom of God, along with all those who are the fruit of their labors, forever. And may God answer these my prayers. Amen.

CHAPTER 30

Korihor, the anti-Christ, ridicules Christ, the Atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ—Alma testifies that Christ will come and that all things denote there is a God—Korihor demands a sign and is struck dumb—The devil had appeared to Korihor as an angel and taught him what to say—Korihor is trodden down and dies. About 76–74 B.C.

1 After the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, and the Lamanites were driven out of the land, their dead were uncountable, nor could the Nephite dead be numbered. But after burying the dead, and days of fasting and prayer and mourning, there was peace in the land in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges.

3 The people kept the commandments and followed the ordinances of the law of Moses, which they were taught to do until it would be fulfilled.

4 There was peace in all the sixteenth year and most of the seventeenth year. But toward the end of the seventeenth year, a man came to the land of Zarahemla who was Anti-Christ because he preached against the prophecies about the coming of Christ.

7 There was no law against a man’s belief because God commanded that no law should make men unequal. The scripture says, Choose this day whom you will serve. If a man desired to believe in God and serve Him, it was his privilege, but the law did not punish anyone for not believing in God.

10 But if he murdered he was punished by death, and he was punished if he robbed, stole, or committed adultery. The law said that men should be judged according to their crimes, not their beliefs, so all men were on equal ground.

12 This Anti-Christ’s name was Korihor, and because the law protected his beliefs, he preached that there would be no Christ. He said, You are bound under a foolish hope. Why do you enslave yourselves with such foolish things? Why do you look for a Christ? No man can know the future. What you call prophecies, handed down by prophets, are the foolish traditions of your fathers.

15 How do you know these prophecies are true? You cannot know things you do not see, so you cannot know that there will be a Christ.

16 You say that you look forward and see a remission of your sins. But your minds are only twisted because of the traditions of your fathers.

17 He said many more things: that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man succeeded in this life according to the management of his human choices, and his intelligence, and strength. So whatever a man did was no crime.

18 He led away the hearts of many, causing them to be proud in their wickedness, even leading away many women and men to commit whoredoms, telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end.

19 Korihor went to the land of Jershon, to preach these things among the people of Ammon, but they were wiser than many of the Nephites because they tied him up and carried him before Ammon, who was their high priest.

21 Ammon ordered Korihor to be carried out of the land, but then he went to preach in the land of Gideon. He did not have much success because he was tied up and carried before the high priest and also the chief judge over the land. The high priest said, Why do you go about perverting the ways of the Lord? Why do you teach this people that there will be no Christ, to interrupt their rejoicings? Why do you speak against all the prophecies of the holy prophets?

23 Korihor said, Because I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves to the foolish ordinances and performances taught by priests to get power over the people and keep them in ignorance, so they will be controlled and suppressed. You say these people are free, but I say they are in bondage. You say these ancient prophecies are true, but I say that you do not know that they are true.

25 You say that these people are guilty and fallen because of the transgression of a parent. But I say that a child is not guilty because of its parents. And you say that Christ will come, but I say that you do not know that there will be a Christ. And you say that he will be killed for the sins of the world.

27 Thus you lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires, and you keep them down in bondage so you may fill yourselves with the labors of their hands, so they don’t dare have their own opinions or enjoy their rights and privileges.

28 They dare not freely use what they own for fear of offending their priests, who chain them according to their desires and have made them believe that they would offend some unknown being called God if they don’t do what the priests want—all by using their traditions, dreams, whims, visions, and pretended mysteries. And this God is a being who has never been seen, and who never was nor ever will be.

29 When the high priest and chief judge saw the hardness of Korihor’s heart, that he would speak evil even against God, they did not reply but had him tied up and sent to Zarahemla, to be brought before Alma and the chief judge over all the land.

30 When Korihor was brought before Alma and the chief judge, he spoke in the same blasphemous way he did in the land of Gideon. He spoke bold words to Alma and insulted the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers for the purpose of getting wealthy from the labors of the people.

32 Alma said, You know that we do not profit from the labors of this people because I have labored all my years with my own hands for my support, even though I have traveled much and labored much around the land to declare the word of God. I have never received a dollar for my labor, nor has any of my brethren, except for those serving in the judgment-seat, and then we have been paid by law only for our time. So if we receive no money for our labors in the church, why else would we do this work except to declare the truth and rejoice in the joy of our brethren? But you still believe that we deceive this people?

36 Korihor answered, Yes.

37 Alma said, Do you believe there is a God?

38 He answered, No.

39 Alma said, Will you deny again that there is a God, and also deny the Christ? Because I say that I know there is a God, and also that Christ will come. What evidence do you have that there is no God, or that Christ will not come? None, only your own word.

41 But I have all things as a testimony that these things are true. So do you, but will you deny them? Do you believe that these things are true? I know that you believe, but you are possessed with a lying spirit and have pushed away the Spirit of God so the devil has power over you, and he carries you around, working plans to destroy the children of God.

43 Korihor said to Alma, If you will show me a sign, to convince me that there is a God of power, then will I be convinced of the truth of your words.

44 But Alma said, you’ve had enough signs. Will you tempt God? Will you say, Show me a sign when you have the testimony of all these your brethren, and also all the holy prophets? You have the scriptures, and all things point toward a God—even the earth, and all things that are on it, and its motion, and all the planets that move in their orbits witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

45 But you still lead away the hearts of this people, testifying that there is no God? You deny all these witnesses? And Korihor said, Yes, I will deny unless you show me a sign.

46 Alma said, I am grieved because of the hardness of your heart, that you will still resist the spirit of the truth so your soul will be destroyed.

47 But it is better that your soul be lost than you bringing many souls down to destruction with your lying and flattering words. So, if you deny again, God will strike you dumb, so you never open your mouth again, so you won’t deceive anyone again.

48 Korihor said, I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God; and I say that you do not know there is a God, and unless you show me a sign, I will not believe.

49 So Alma said, I give you this sign in the name of God, that you will be struck dumb and speak no more.

50 And Korihor was struck dumb, so he could not speak.

51 The chief judge wrote to Korihor, saying, Now are you convinced of the power of God? Did you want Alma to show a sign by afflicting someone else? He has shown you a sign, so now will you keep arguing?

52 Korihor wrote, saying: I know that I cannot speak; and I know that nothing except the power of God could have done this. I always knew there was a God, but the devil deceived me. He appeared to me as an angel and said, Go and reclaim this people because they have all gone astray after an unknown God. He said, There is no God, and he taught me what I should say. I have taught his words because they were pleasing to the non-spiritual mind, and I had much success, so I believed these words myself. This is why I fought the truth until I brought this curse on myself.

54 He begged Alma to pray to God that the curse would be taken from him.

55 But Alma said, If this curse were removed, you would lead the hearts of the people away again, so God will do with you as he wishes. And the curse remained, and he was cast out and went from house to house begging for his food.

57 The news of Korihor’s experience spread throughout the land, in part because the chief judge proclaimed to everyone by messenger that those who had believed in the words of Korihor must speedily repent, or the same judgments would happen to them.

58 They were all convinced of the wickedness of Korihor, they were all converted again to the Lord, and this was the end of his wickedness.

59 As he begged the people for food, he went to a people who had separated themselves from the Nephites—called Zoramites—and they stomped him to death.

60 So we see the end of him who perverts the ways of the Lord, and we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day but speedily drags them down to hell.

CHAPTER 31

Alma heads a mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites—The Zoramites deny Christ, believe in a false concept of election, and worship with set prayers—The missionaries are filled with the Holy Spirit—Their afflictions are swallowed up in the joy of Christ. About 74 B.C.

1 After the end of Korihor, Alma heard that the Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord with their leader, Zoram, leading the hearts of the people to bow down to idols. He felt sick in his heart because of such wickedness among his people, and for the separation of the Zoramites.

3 The Zoramites were gathered in a land near the Lamanites, and the Nephites feared that the Zoramites would join with the Lamanites and cause great loss for the Nephites.

5 Alma knew that the preaching of the word had a more powerful and positive effect on the minds of the people than the sword or anything else, so he thought he would try the word of God with the Zoramites.

6 He took Ammon and other great missionaries with him, along with two of his sons, Shiblon and Corianton, leaving Helaman behind. The Zoramites were dissenters from the Nephites, so once they knew the word of God, but they had fallen into great errors and did not keep the commandments of God.

12 Alma and his brethren were amazed to find that the Zoramites had built synagogues, where they gathered one day of the week. In the center of their synagogue they had built a place where one person could stand high above the heads of everyone. Whoever worshiped had to stand on the top of this place and cry loudly:

15 Holy, holy God, we believe that you are God, and we believe that you are holy, and that you were a spirit, and are a spirit, and will be a spirit forever.

16 Holy God, we believe you have separated us from our brethren, and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers. We believe that you have chosen us to be your holy children, and you have made it known to us that there will be no Christ.

17 You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and you have chosen us to be saved, while everyone else is chosen be cast down to hell by your anger, for which we thank you. And we thank you that we are chosen not to be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which bind them down to a belief in Christ, which leads them to wander far from you.

18 Again we thank you, O God, that we are a chosen and holy people. Amen.

19 Alma and his brethren were amazed to hear these prayers, and every man went up and offered the same prayer on this holy stand, which they called the Rameumptom.

23 After the people had all prayed in this way, they returned to their homes, never speaking of God again until they assembled again to the holy stand, to offer prayers again.

24 Alma was grieved that these were a wicked and unteachable people, and that their hearts were set on gold, silver, and all manner of fine goods. And their hearts were lifted up in pride and great boasting.

26 Alma lifted up his voice to heaven, saying, O Lord, how long will you force your servants to see such great wickedness among men?

27 O God, these people pray, but their hearts are filled with pride. They cry to you with their mouths while they are puffed up in their own greatness and vain things of the world.

28 Look at their expensive clothing, fancy hair, ornaments of gold, and all their precious things, and their hearts are focused on them, but they say, We thank you, O God, because we are a chosen people to you, while others will perish. And they say that you have shown them that there will be no Christ.

30 Lord, how long will you allow such wickedness among this people? Lord, will you give me strength, that I may bear my pain and weakness as I see such wickedness among the people? 

31 O Lord, my heart is so sad. Will you comfort my soul in Christ? Will you give me strength to be patient with these afflictions because of the iniquity of this people?

32 O Lord, will you comfort my soul in Christ, and give me success, and also my fellow laborers?

33 Will you give them strength to bear the afflictions that will come because of the iniquities of this people? O Lord, will you give us power and wisdom in bringing their precious souls again to you in Christ?

36 Then Alma laid his hands on all those who were with him, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

37 They went their separate ways, with no concern for what they would eat or drink or wear. And God provided food and drink for them, and strength that they would not be afflicted, only swallowed up in the joy of Christ. All this was according to the faith and prayer of Alma.

CHAPTER 32

Alma teaches the poor whose afflictions had humbled them—Faith is a hope in that which is not seen which is true—Alma testifies that angels minister to men, women, and children—Alma compares the word to a seed—It must be planted and nourished—Then it grows into a tree from which the fruit of eternal life is picked. About 74 B.C.

1 They began to preach the word of God to the people in their synagogues, houses, and streets.

2 After much labor they began to have success among the poor people, who had been cast out of the synagogues because of their lack of fine clothing. The poor were regarded as filthy and garbage and less worthwhile.

4 As Alma was teaching the people outside town, a crowd of the poor came to him. One of them said, we are despised because of our poverty, especially by our priests, who have thrown us out of our synagogues that we worked hard to build. So what can we do now that we have no place to worship?

6 Alma was happy to see that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were prepared to hear the word.

7 So Alma devoted his attention to those who were humble and said, I see that you are humble, and if so, you are blessed. You have asked, What can we do now that we are kept out of our synagogues and cannot worship God?

10 Do you suppose that you can worship God only in your synagogues? Do you suppose that you can worship God only once in a week?

12 I’m glad that you are thrown out your synagogues, because your poverty and exclusion have made you humble, so now you can learn wisdom.

13 You are forced to be humble, which is good, because then such people sometimes want to repent, which is followed by mercy. And he who finds mercy and endures to the end will be saved. Remember that God is merciful to all who believe on his name. He desires first that you believe on his word. And he gives his word by angels to men and women and even children, who can stop the wise and educated. And justice will reign for all, every man according to his work.

14 It can be good to be forced to be humble, but if you truly humble yourself because of God’s word, and repent and endure to the end, you will be even more blessed. I do not mean that all of you have been compelled to be humble. I believe that some of you would humble yourselves in any circumstances.

17 There are many who say, If you will show us a sign from heaven, then we will believe. But is this faith? No, because if you know something you have no reason to have faith. And it’s better to begin with faith, because you are more cursed if you know the will of God and don’t do it.

21 Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things. With faith you hope for things which are not seen, which are true. My words are an example. At first you cannot know for certain that they are true, but you can begin with faith.

27 If you will awaken your mind and experiment on my words by using just a particle of faith, even just a desire to believe, then you can allow this desire to work in you until you believe enough to allow a place for a portion of my words.

28 We will compare the word to a seed. If you plant the seed in your heart, if it is a good seed and you don’t resist the Spirit and throw it out with your unbelief, it will begin to swell within your heart; and you will feel this and say, This must be a good seed, just like the word is good, because it begins to enlarge my soul, and enlighten my understanding, and become delicious to me.

29 This would increase your faith, yes? But still it has not become a perfect knowledge.

30 But as the seed swells and sprouts and grows, you must say that the seed is good because of all the evidence. And would this not strengthen your faith?

31 In fact, you are sure that this is a good seed, yes? Sure, because every seed proves what it is. If a seed grows, it is good, but if it doesn’t grow, it is not good but is thrown away.

33 So now you know that the seed of the word is good because you tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelled your souls, and sprouted into enlightenment, and expanded your mind. And because your knowledge in this is perfect, your faith is dormant.

35 Is this not real? Yes, because it is light, and whatever is light is good. And after you have tasted this light, is your overall knowledge perfect?

36 No, so you must not lay aside your faith, because you have only exercised your faith to plant the seed to learn if the seed was good.

37 And as the tree begins to grow, you will nourish it with great care, and it will grow up with strong roots and bring forth fruit to you.

38 But if you neglect the tree and take no thought for its nourishment, the roots will not grow, and when the heat of the sun comes and scorches it, it withers away, and you will throw it out.

39 This is not because the seed was bad, or because the fruit would not be desirable, but the tree dies because your ground is barren, and you do not nourish the tree, so you cannot have its fruit.

40 So if you will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to its fruit, you can never pick the fruit of the tree of life.

41 But if you nourish the word, if you nourish the tree as it grows, with your faith and great diligence and patience, looking forward to the fruit, it will take root and become a tree springing up to everlasting life.

42 Because of your diligence, faith, and patience with nourishing the word, it will take root in you, and you will pluck the fruit, which is most precious and sweet above all that is sweet, and white above all that is white, and pure above all that is pure; and you will feast on this fruit until you are full, so you never hunger or thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, you will reap the rewards of your faith, diligence, patience, and endurance, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit to you.

CHAPTER 33

Zenos taught that men should pray and worship in all places, and that judgments are turned away because of the Son—Zenock taught that mercy is bestowed because of the Son—Moses had lifted up in the wilderness a type of the Son of God. About 74 B.C.

1 The people asked Alma whether they should believe in one God in order to obtain this fruit he spoke of, or how they should plant the seed in their hearts, or plant the word of which he had spoken, or how they should begin to exercise their faith.

2 And Alma said, You have said that you could not worship your God because you are cast out of your synagogues. But you make a great mistake and need to search the scriptures.

3 Do you remember what Zenos the prophet said about prayer or worship? He said, O God, you are merciful because you have heard me when I prayed, even when I was in the wilderness. And you were merciful to me and heard me when I prayed in my field. And again, O God, you heard my prayer when I was in my house and closet and in your churches. And you heard me when I was cast out and despised by my enemies, and you destroyed my enemies.

8 You are merciful to your children when they cry to you.

11 You heard me because of my afflictions and my sincerity, and it is because of your Son that you have been merciful to me, so I will cry to you in all my afflictions because my joy is in you; you have turned your judgments away from me because of your Son.

12 And Alma said, Do you believe the scriptures? If you do, you must believe what Zenos said: You have turned away your judgments because of your Son. Have you read the scriptures? If you have, how can you not believe in the Son of God?

15 Not only did Zenos speak of these things, but so did Zenock, a second prophet. He said, You are angry, O Lord, with this people because they will not understand your mercies, which you have poured on them because of your Son. But the people would not listen, and stoned him to death.

18 But these are not the only ones who have spoken about the Son of God. Moses spoke of him, and raised up a symbol in the wilderness, that whoever would look on it would live. And many did look and live.

20 But few understood the meaning of these things, and many were so hardened in their hearts that they did not believe they would heal, and would not look, so they died.

21 My brethren, if you could be healed by simply looking with your eyes, would you not look quickly, or would you rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and not look, and die?

22 If so, misery will come upon you, but if you wish not to die, then look to the Son of God and believe in him, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he will suffer and die to atone for their sins, and that he will rise again from the dead, which will create the resurrection, so that all men will stand before him to be judged at the last and judgment day according to their works.     

23 And now, my brethren, I desire that you would plant this word in your hearts, and as it begins to swell, nourish it by your faith. And it will become a tree, springing up in you to everlasting life. And then may God grant you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And if you choose, you can do all this. Amen.

CHAPTER 34

Amulek testifies that the word is in Christ to salvation—Unless an atonement is made, all mankind must perish—The whole law of Moses points toward the sacrifice of the Son of God—The eternal plan of redemption is based on faith and repentance—Pray for temporal and spiritual blessings—This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God—Work out your salvation with fear before God. About 74 B.C.

1 After Alma spoke, Amulek began to teach them, saying, I think it is impossible that you don’t know what Alma has said about the coming of Christ, the Son of God, because I know you were taught these things abundantly before you left us.

3 And because you asked Alma what you should do because of your afflictions, he has spoken to prepare your minds, and he has exhorted you to have faith and patience, and to plant the word in your hearts and try the experiment of its goodness.

5 We have felt that your great question is whether the word is in the Son of God, or whether there will be no Christ.

6 And Alma has proved to you, in many ways, that the word is in Christ to salvation.

7 My brother has used the words of Zenos and Zenock and Moses to prove that redemption comes through the Son of God.

8 And now I also testify that these things are true. I know that Christ will come among men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he will atone for the sins of the world, because the Lord God has spoken it.

9 According to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or all mankind would unavoidably perish because all men are hardened, fallen, and lost, and must perish without the atonement.

10 There must be a great and last sacrifice, not of man or beast, but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice, a great and last sacrifice, and then the law of Moses will be fulfilled, every letter, but none of it will have been wasted.

14 This is the whole meaning of the law of Moses, every bit pointing to that great and last sacrifice of the Son of God, infinite and eternal.

15 He will bring salvation to all those who will believe on his name. This is the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the power of mercy, which overpowers justice and makes it possible for men to have faith to repentance.

16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles those who repent in the arms of safety, while those without faith to repentance are exposed to the whole law and demands of justice. So the great and eternal plan of redemption is available only to those with faith to repentance.

17 I pray that God will help you begin to exercise your faith to repentance, that you begin to call on his holy name, that he will have mercy on you;

18 Cry to him for mercy, because he is mighty to save. Humble yourselves and continue in prayer to him.

20 Cry to him when you are in your fields so that you may prosper in your crops and that your flocks will increase.

21 Cry to him in your houses to bless your household, morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Cry to him against the power of your enemies and against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

26 Pour out your souls in your closets and your secret places, and in the wilderness.

27 And when you’re not praying vocally, let your hearts be full of prayer to him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

28 And after you have done all these things, your prayers will be for nothing if you turn away the needy and naked, and don’t visit the sick and afflicted or give to those in need. Without these actions you are hypocrites who deny the faith.

29 If you do not remember to be charitable, you are like an impurity, which the refiners throw out as worthless, to be walked on.

30 After you have received so many witnesses, including the testimony of the holy scriptures, I desire that you come forth and bring fruit to repentance.

31 Stop hardening your hearts, for now is the day of your salvation; and if you will repent and not harden your hearts, immediately the great plan of redemption will be yours.

32 This life is the time for men to work and prepare to meet God.

33 And because you have had so many witnesses, I beg you to not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end, because if we do not improve our time while in this life, then comes the night of darkness where no work can be done.

34 At that awful moment you cannot say, I will repent, I will return to my God. No, you cannot say this because the same spirit that possesses your bodies when you leave this life will possess your body in that eternal world.

35 If you procrastinate the day of your repentance until death, you will become subject to the spirit of the devil, and he will seal you his. So the Spirit of the Lord will withdraw from you, and the devil will have all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

36 I know this because the Lord has said he doesn’t stay in unholy temples but only in the hearts of the righteous. He has also said that the righteous will sit down in his kingdom, never to leave, with their garments made white through the blood of the Lamb.

37 And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that you should remember these things, and work out your salvation with fear before God, and no more deny the coming of Christ or fight against the Holy Ghost, but that you receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ. I desire that you humble yourselves even to the dust and worship God in whatever place you are, in spirit and in truth; and that you live in thanksgiving daily for the many mercies and blessings that he gives you.

39 I encourage you, my brethren, to pray continually, so you are not led away by the temptations of the devil, so he will not overpower you, so you won’t become his subjects at the last day, because the devil will give you no good thing.

40 I appeal to you to have patience, and bear all manner of afflictions; and don’t speak evil against those who cast you out because of your poverty, or you would become sinners like them.

41 But have patience and bear your afflictions with a firm hope that one day you will rest from all your afflictions.

CHAPTER 35

The preaching of the word destroys the craft of the Zoramites—They expel the converts, who then join the people of Ammon in Jershon—Alma sorrows because of the wickedness of the people. About 74 B.C.

1 After Amulek spoke to the Zoramites, he and his companions traveled to the land of Jershon.

3 After the leaders of the Zoramites had consulted about what Alma had preached, they were angry because the word destroyed their craft. So they would not listen to the word, and they gathered all the people in the land and talked with them about Alma’s words.

5 The rulers, priests, and teachers secretly gathered everyone’s opinion about what they said, and when they found out what all the people thought, they threw out of the land all the people who supported the words of Alma and his brethren. These many people went to Jershon, where Alma and his brethren ministered to them.

8 The Zoramites were angry with the people of Ammon in Jershon, and the wicked chief Zoramite ruler demanded that the people of Ammon throw out of their land all the former Zoramites who had gone to the land of Jershon.

9 He was threatening with his demands, but the people of Ammon were not afraid, so they did not throw out the converted and poor Zoramites but nourished them, clothed them, ministered to them, and gave them permanent lands.

10 The Zoramites were angry at being refused, and they mixed with the Lamanites, to stir them up also to anger against the Zoramites.

11 So the Zoramites and Lamanites prepared for war against the people of Ammon and the Nephites. Thus ended the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges.

13 The people of Ammon left Jershon, and went to the land of Melek, leaving Jershon for the Nephite armies, who would then fight with the armies of the Lamanites and Zoramites, which began in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges.

14 Alma, Ammon, and their brethren, returned to Zarahemla after God helped them to bring many of the Zoramites to repentance. All Zoramites who repented were driven out of their land and lived in the land of Jershon, and they have taken up arms to defend themselves, their wives and children, and their lands.

15 Alma was grieved for the iniquity of his people, and for the wars, bloodsheds, and contentions among them. He was exceedingly sorrowful that so many began to be hard-hearted and offended by the strictness of the word after he had been sent to declare the word among all the people in every city.

16 He gathered his sons, to give them instructions about righteousness, and we have his record of the commandments he gave them.

The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman.

Comprising chapters 36 and 37.

CHAPTER 36

Alma testifies to Helaman of his conversion after seeing an angel—He suffered the pains of a damned soul; he called on the name of Jesus, and was then born of God—Sweet joy filled his soul—He saw concourses of angels praising God—Many converts have tasted and seen as he has tasted and seen. About 74 B.C.

1 My son, if you keep the commandments of God you will prosper in the land.

2 I prefer that you do as I did in remembering the captivity of our fathers, because they were in bondage and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And he delivered them from their afflictions.

3 My son Helaman, you are young, so I beg you to hear my words and learn, because I know that whoever will put their trust in God will be supported in their trials, troubles, and afflictions, and will be lifted up at the last day.

4 I know this spiritually from God, not from the mind of man.

5 If I had not been born of God I would not have known these things, but God has made these things known to me by the mouth of his holy angel.

6 I went around with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church of God, but God sent his holy angel to stop us as we traveled.

7 He spoke to us in the voice of thunder, and the whole earth trembled, and we all fell to the ground because the fear of the Lord came over us.

8 The voice said, Arise. And I arose and stood up and saw the angel.

9 He said, if you don’t want to be destroyed, stop trying to destroy the church of God.

10 I fell to the ground, and for three days and nights I could not open my mouth or move my limbs.

11 The angel said more things to me, which my brethren heard but I did not because I was struck with fear and amazement, and I fell to the earth deaf when I heard the words, If you don’t want to be destroyed, stop trying to destroy the church of God.

12 I was tortured with eternal pain because my soul was distressed greatly by all my sins.

13 I remembered all my sins, so I was tormented with the pains of hell. I saw that I had rebelled against God and not kept his holy commandments.

14 I had murdered many of his children, meaning that I had led them to spiritual destruction. My sins were so great that the very thought of coming into the presence of God tortured my soul with inexpressible horror.

15 I wished that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, so I would not have to stand in the presence of my God to be judged for my deeds.

16 For three days and nights was I tortured with the pains of a damned soul.

17 As I was tormented and distressed by the memory of my many sins, I remembered that my father had prophesied to the people about the coming of Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 As I remembered this, I cried in my heart, O Jesus, you Son of God, have mercy on me in my state of bitterness and being encircled by the everlasting chains of death.

19 Suddenly I could not remember my pains, no more tortured by the memory of my sins.

20 I saw marvelous light, and my soul was filled with joy as great as my pain had been.

21 I tell you, my son, that nothing could be as bitter to the highest degree as my pains were, nor as sweet to the highest degree as my joy was.

22 Even as our father Lehi saw, I thought I saw God sitting on his throne, surrounded with numberless multitudes of angels who were singing and praising their God; and my soul wished to be there.

23 But my limbs received their strength again, and I stood on my feet, and told the people that I had been born of God.

24 From that time until now I have labored without stopping to bring souls to repentance so they could taste the exceeding joy I tasted, so they could also be born of God and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

25 And now, my son, the Lord gives me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors.

26 Because of the word he has given me, many have been born of God and tasted as I have, and have seen as I have seen; so they know of these things I have spoken of, and the knowledge I have is from God.

27 I have been supported during trials, troubles, and afflictions of every kind. God has delivered me from prison, bonds, and death. I put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.

28 I know he will raise me up at the last day to live with him in glory, and I will praise him forever because he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea, and led them by his power into the promised land, and has delivered them from captivity from time to time.

29 He has brought our fathers out of Jerusalem, and by his everlasting power he has delivered them out of captivity at times down to the present day. I have always remembered their captivity, as you should.

30 You must know as I do that if you keep the commandments of God you will prosper in the land; and if you do not keep the commandments of God you will be cut off from his presence. All this is according to his word.

CHAPTER 37

The plates of brass and other scriptures are preserved to bring souls to salvation—The Jaredites were destroyed because of their wickedness—Their secret oaths and covenants must be kept from the people—Counsel with the Lord in all your doings—As the Liahona guided the Nephites, so the word of Christ leads men to eternal life. About 74 B.C.

1 Helaman, I command you to take the records I have been trusted with. As I have done, you will keep a record of this people on the plates of Nephi and keep all these things sacred as I have done, for a wise purpose.

3 And keep these plates of brass, engraved with the records of the holy scriptures and the genealogy of our forefathers from the beginning. Our fathers prophesied that they would be handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they would be spread to every people on earth so they will know of God’s words.

5 And the plates will be preserved like new, along with all the plates containing holy writings.

6 You might think I sound foolish, but great things happen through small and simple things, and often small things overpower the wisdom of men. By small things the Lord God works to accomplish his great and eternal purposes, and brings salvation to many souls.

8 It has always been God’s wisdom that these things should be preserved because they have enlarged the memory of this people, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them a knowledge of their God for the salvation of their souls.

9 If it were not for these writings, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers, and brought them to repentance and a knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. And he will show this power to future generations.

10 Perhaps they will help to bring many thousands of men to a knowledge of their Redeemer, including the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquity. I do not know all about this, so I will stop talking about it.

12 It’s enough to say that these records are preserved for a wise purpose known to God, who wisely advises over all his works, whose paths are straight, whose course is one eternal round.

13 Remember, my son Helaman, how strict the commandments of God are. He said, If you keep my commandments you will prosper in the land, but if you don’t keep his commandments you will be cut off from his presence.

14 Remember that God has entrusted you with these things, which he has kept sacred and will preserve for a wise purpose, so he can show his power to future generations.

15 I tell you by the spirit of prophecy that if you transgress the commandments of God, these sacred things will be taken away from you by the power of God, and you will be delivered to Satan, who will sift you like wheat dust before the wind.

16 But if you keep the commandments of God and do what God will tell you to do with these sacred things, no power of earth or hell can take them from you because God is powerful and fulfills all his words.

20 So I command you, my son Helaman, to be diligent in fulfilling all my words and in keeping the commandments of God as they are written.

21 Now I speak to you about those twenty-four plates, that you keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness of those people who have been destroyed may be made shown to this people—all their murders, robbing, and plundering—and that you preserve these interpreters.

22 The Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness, with secret murders and abominations, so He said that if they did not repent they would be destroyed from the earth.

23 The Lord said, I will prepare a stone for my servant Gazelem, which will shine in darkness so I can show to my servants the works of their brethren who do secret works of darkness, wickedness, and abominations.

24 These interpreters were prepared so the word of God might be fulfilled, where he said, I will bring light to show all their secret works and abominations everywhere, and unless they repent I will destroy them.

26 We see that they did not repent, so they were destroyed, so the word of God has been fulfilled, and their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and made known to us.

27 I command you to keep all their oaths, covenants, signs, and agreements in their secret abominations; and you will keep them from this people to prevent them from falling into darkness also and be destroyed.

28 According to the power of God, there is a curse that all these workers of darkness will be destroyed when they are fully ripe, so I desire that this people will not be destroyed.

29 So keep hidden these secret plans of their oaths and covenants, and tell only about their murders and abominations so the people will avoid such wickedness. And you will also teach them that these people were destroyed because of their wickedness.

30 They murdered all the prophets of the Lord who told them about their iniquities, and the blood of those they murdered cried to the Lord for vengeance on those who murdered them, so the judgments of God came upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations.

31 The land will forever be cursed to destruction for those workers of darkness and secret combinations unless they repent before they are fully ripe.

32 Remember the words I have spoken. Do not trust these secret plans to this people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.

33 Preach repentance to them, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart. Teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil with their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

34 Teach them never to be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart because those will find rest for their souls.

35 Remember, my son, to learn wisdom in your youth and to keep the commandments of God.

36 Cry to God for all your support; do everything to the Lord, and go everywhere in the Lord, and let your thoughts be directed to the Lord; let the affections of your heart be poured out on the Lord forever.

37 Ask for God’s wisdom in everything, and he will direct you for good. When you lie down at night, lie down to the Lord so he will watch over you in your sleep; and when you arise in the morning let your heart be full of thanks to God; and if you do these things, you will be lifted up at the last day.

38 I tell you about the thing our fathers call a ball, or director, or Liahona, or compass, prepared by the Lord. The workmanship was extraordinary, beyond the capacity of man to make. And it was prepared to show our fathers the path they should travel in the wilderness.

40 It worked according to their faith in God, so if they had faith that God could point those spindles the way they should go, it was done. Day by day, they had this miracle and many others from the power of God.

41 These miracles worked in small ways but showed them marvelous works. They were lazy and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence, so the marvelous works stopped, and they did not progress in their journey. Then they waited in the wilderness or wandered without direction, suffering hunger and thirst because of their transgressions.

43 These things taught a lesson, because even as our fathers failed to prosper when they were lazy in following the compass, so it is with spiritual things.

44 It is as easy to follow the word of Christ, which will point you on a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to follow the compass, which pointed them on a straight course to the promised land.

45 There is a symbol in this. Just as surely as following this director brought our fathers to the promised land, so our following the words of Christ will carry us beyond this sorrowful world to a far better land of promise.

46 My son, let’s not be lazy because of the easiness of the way, as our fathers were. It was prepared for them that if they would look they might live, and it is the same with us. The way is prepared, and if we look we can live forever.

47 Take care of these sacred things. Look to God and live. Declare the word to this people, and be solemn. My son, farewell.

The commandments of Alma to his son Shiblon.

Comprising chapter 38.

CHAPTER 38

Shiblon was persecuted for righteousness’ sake—Salvation is in Christ, who is the life and the light of the world—Bridle all your passions. About 74 B.C.

1 My son, listen to me as I say, just as I said to Helaman, that if you keep the commandments of God, you will prosper in the land, but if you don’t, you will be cut off from his presence.

2 I trust that I will have great joy because of your steadiness and faithfulness to God. In your youth you began to look to the Lord your God, and I hope that you will continue keeping his commandments because he who endures to the end is blessed.

3 Already I have had great joy because of your faithfulness, diligence, patience, and endurance of offenses among the Zoramites.

4 I know you were tied up and also stoned for preaching the word, and you bore all these things with patience because the Lord was with you; and you know the Lord delivered you.

5 Remember that when you put your trust in God you will be delivered from your trials, troubles, and afflictions, and you will be lifted up at the last day.

6 Do not think I know these things on my own but because of the Spirit of God who teaches me. If I had not been born of God I would not have known these things.

7 In his great mercy the Lord sent his angel to tell me to stop the work of destruction among his people. I saw an angel face to face, and he spoke to me with a voice like thunder, which shook the ground.

8 For three days and nights I was in the most bitter anguish of soul, and I did not receive a remission of my sins until I cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy. But I did cry to him and found peace in my soul.

9 I tell you this so you can learn wisdom, that there is no other way man can be saved except through Christ. He is the life and light of the world, and the word of truth and righteousness.

10 I have hope that you will continue to teach and be diligent and temperate in all things.

11 Avoid pride. Do not boast of your own wisdom or strength.

12 Be bold but not overbearing, and control your passions, that you may be filled with love. Do not be idle.

13 Do not pray as the Zoramites, because you have seen that they pray to be heard by men and to be praised for their wisdom.

14 Do not say, O God, I thank you that we are better than our brethren, but instead  say, O Lord, forgive my unworthiness and remember my brethren in mercy. Be aware of your unworthiness before God at all times.

15 May the Lord bless your soul and receive you at the last day into his kingdom, to sit down in peace. Now go, my son, and teach the word to this people. Be righteous. My son, farewell.

The commandments of Alma to his son Corianton.

Comprising chapters 39 through 42.

CHAPTER 39

Sexual sin is an abomination—Corianton’s sins kept the Zoramites from receiving the word—Christ’s redemption is retroactive in saving the faithful who preceded it. About 74 B.C.

1 My son, I have more to say to you than to your brother, because you have seen his steadiness, faithfulness, and diligence in keeping the commandments of God. He has set a good example for you, yes?

2 Working among the Zoramites, you did not listen to my words as your brother did. I object to how you boasted in your strength and wisdom.

3 And I am grieved that you left the ministry and went into the land of Siron to pursue the harlot Isabel.

4 She stole the hearts of many, but this was no excuse for you, my son. You should have stayed with the ministry entrusted to you.

5 You know that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord, yes? And most abominable above all sins except for the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?

6 If you deny the Holy Ghost after you feel it, and you know that you deny it, this is an unpardonable sin. It is not easy to get forgiveness if a man murders against the light and knowledge of God.

7 My son, I wish that you had not been guilty of so great a crime. I would not persist in talking about your crimes to distress you unless it were for your good.

8 You cannot hide your crimes from God, and unless you repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day.

9 So I hope you will repent and give up your sins, and don’t follow your lusts but rise above them. Unless you do this you can’t inherit the kingdom of God. Remember these things.

10 I command you to listen to the counsel of your elder brothers, because you are young and need their nourishment.

11 Don’t allow yourself to be led away by vain or foolish things. Don’t allow the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots. You caused great iniquity among the Zoramites because when they saw your behavior they would not believe in my words.

12 The Spirit of the Lord says to me, Command your children to do good so they won’t lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; so I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that you avoid your iniquities, that you turn to the Lord with all your mind, might, and strength, and no more lead away the hearts of people to do wickedly but return to them and admit the mistakes you have made.

14 Don’t seek the riches or vain things of this world, because you cannot carry them with you.

15 Christ surely will come to take away the sins of the world; he comes to declare glad tidings of salvation to his people.

16 You were called to declare this good news to this people, to prepare their minds for salvation and so they might prepare the minds of their children to hear the word at the time of his coming.

17 You marvel why these things would be known so long beforehand, but I ask you, is not a soul today as precious to God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?

18 Is it not as necessary that the plan of redemption would be made known to this people as well as to their children?

19 Is it not as easy at this time for the Lord to send his angel to declare this good news to us as to our children, or after the time of his coming?

CHAPTER 40

Christ brings to pass the resurrection of all men—The righteous dead go to paradise and the wicked to outer darkness to await the day of their resurrection—All things will be restored to their proper and perfect frame in the Resurrection. About 74 B.C.

1 I perceive that you are worried about the resurrection of the dead.

2 There is no resurrection—where the mortal body becomes immortal—until after the coming of Christ.

3 He causes the resurrection of the dead. But the resurrection is not yet. Many mysteries are known only to God, but I will show you one about the resurrection, which I have learned from Him.

4 There is a time appointed where everyone will be resurrected. We don’t know when this will be, but God knows.

5 Whether there will be one time of resurrection, or a second time, or a third time, it doesn’t matter because all do not die at once, and all is as one day with God, and time only is measured to men.

6 There must be a space of time between death and the resurrection. So what happens to men’s souls during this time? An angel told me that as soon as the spirits of all men—good or evil—have left this mortal body, their spirits are taken home to that God who gave them life.

12 And then the spirits of the righteous are received into a state of happiness, called paradise, a state of rest and peace, where they will rest from all their troubles, care, and sorrow.

13 And the spirits of those who chose evil rather than good, have no portion of the Spirit of the Lord, so the spirit of the devil took possession of them, and these will be cast out into outer darkness, where there will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

14 This is the state of the souls of the wicked: in darkness and a state of awful fear, looking for the fiery indignation of the anger of God upon them. And they remain in this state until the time of their resurrection, while the righteous are in paradise.

15 Some people believe that this state of happiness or misery of the soul, before the resurrection, is a first resurrection. I admit it could be called a resurrection, since the spirit is raised to happiness or misery.

16 There is a sure first resurrection, of all those from the beginning down to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. But we don’t know that this first resurrection, is the so-called resurrection of the souls to happiness or misery.

18 This first resurrection means the reuniting of the soul with the body, for those from the days of Adam down to the resurrection of Christ.

19 I do not say whether the souls and the bodies of all these will be reunited at once, the wicked as well as the righteous. I just say that all these resurrections will happen before the resurrection of those who die after the resurrection of Christ.

20 I’m not saying that their resurrection comes at the resurrection of Christ; but it is my opinion that the souls and the bodies of the righteous are reunited at the resurrection of Christ and his ascension into heaven.

21 There is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead will come forth and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

22 This causes the restoration of those things spoken by the prophets.

23 The soul will be restored to the body, and every limb and joint and hair will be restored to its body. All things will be restored to their perfect condition.

24 This is the restoration spoken by the prophets.

25 And then the righteous will shine forth in the kingdom of God.

26 But an awful death comes on the wicked because they die regarding things of righteousness, because they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God. They are cast out and experience the consequences of their choices, which have been evil, and it will be bitter for them.

CHAPTER 41

In the Resurrection men come forth to a state of endless happiness or endless misery—Wickedness never was happiness—Carnal men are without God in the world—Every person receives again in the Restoration the characteristics and attributes acquired in mortality. About 74 B.C.

1 I say more about the restoration because some have twisted the scriptures about this, and I know you have worried about it too.

2 The plan of restoration is a necessary part of the justice of God because it is required and good that all things should be restored to their proper order according to the power and resurrection of Christ. The soul of man should be restored to its body, and every part of the body should be restored to itself.

3 It is consistent with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works, and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that at the last day they should be restored to that which is good.

4 If their works are evil, evil will be restored to them. So all things will be restored to their proper order—mortality raised to immortality, imperfect to perfection—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil.

5 One person will be raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires for good; and another person to evil according to his desires for evil. Because he has desired to do evil all the day long, he will have his reward of evil when the end comes.

6 And if someone has repented of his sins and desired righteousness until the end of his days, he will be rewarded with righteousness.

7 These are the ones redeemed by the Lord, who are delivered from endless darkness, and thus they stand or fall, because they are their own judges, whether to do good or evil.

8 God’s words are unchangeable, so the way is prepared that whoever wants to walk it will be saved.

9 My son, do not risk one more offense against God on these points of doctrine, as you have done before.

10 When I speak about restoration, do not think that you will be restored from sin to happiness. No, wickedness never was happiness.

11 All men who are in a worldly state are in a condition of bitterness and chained by wickedness. They are without God in the world and have gone against the nature of God. They are living against the nature of happiness.

12 So does restoration mean to take something worldly and put it in a righteous condition, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?

13 No, the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back evil for evil, or worldly for worldly, or devilish for devilish, good for good, righteous for righteous, just for just, merciful for merciful.

14 So make sure that you are merciful to your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if you do all these things, then you will receive your reward. You will have mercy restored to you, you will have justice restored to you, you will have a righteous judgment restored to you; and you will have good rewarded to you.

15 What you send out will return to you and be restored, so the word restoration more fully condemns the sinner and does not justify him at all.

CHAPTER 42

Mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve God—The Fall brought temporal and spiritual death on all mankind—Redemption comes through repentance—God Himself atones for the sins of the world—Mercy is for those who repent—All others are subject to God’s justice—Mercy comes because of the Atonement—Only the truly penitent are saved. About 74 B.C.

1 I sense that there is another thing worrying you that you don’t understand, about the justice of God in punishing the sinner. You want to believe that it’s unjust that sinners would be assigned to a condition of misery.

2 After the Lord God sent our first parents out of the garden of Eden to till the ground, he placed angels and a flaming sword to protect the tree of life.

3 Man had become like God, knowing good and evil, so God put angels and a flaming sword at the tree so man would not take fruit from the tree of life and live forever.

4 A time was given to man to repent, a probationary time to repent and serve God.

5 If Adam had immediately reached out and eaten from the tree of life—after eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil—he would have lived forever, having no space for repentance; and then God’s word would have been void and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.

6 But it was meant for man to die, so they were cut off from the tree of life and became fallen.

7 So our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord, and they were allowed to make their own choices.

8 It was not good that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.

9 Because the soul could never die, and the fall had caused for all mankind a spiritual and temporal death, cut off from the presence of the Lord, it was necessary that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death.

10 Because they had become worldly and devilish by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare.

11 Remember, if it were not for the plan of redemption, as soon as they were dead their souls would have been miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.

12 There was no way to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought on himself because of his own disobedience, so according to justice the plan of redemption could not be brought about except on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary and preparatory state. Except for these conditions, mercy could not take effect without destroying justice. And justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.

14 So we see that all mankind was fallen, in the grasp of the justice of God, which cut them off from his presence forever.

15 The plan of mercy could not happen unless an atonement were made, so God himself atoned for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and also a merciful God.

16 Repentance could not be possible without a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul would be, the punishment fixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which also was eternal, like the life of the soul.

17 How could a man repent unless he could sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law without a punishment?

18 So there was a punishment attached, and a righteous law given, which caused a guilty conscience in man.

19 If there was no law given—for example, a murderer being put to death—would he be afraid he would die if he murdered?

20 If there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin.

21 Without a law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they could have no claim on the creature?

22 But there is a law given, and a punishment attached, and a repentance granted that is claimed by mercy. Otherwise, justice would claim the man and execute the law, and the law inflicts the punishment. If not so, justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

23 But God does not stop being God, and mercy claims the penitent, and mercy comes because of the atonement, and the atonement causes the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead brings men back to the presence of God; and thus they are restored to his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

24 Justice works all its demands, and also mercy claims all her own, so none but the truly penitent are saved.

25 Do you suppose that mercy can rob justice? No, not a bit. If so, God would cease to be God.

26 Thus God accomplishes his great and eternal purposes, prepared from the foundation of the world. Thus is accomplished the salvation and redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery.

27 So whoever chooses may come and partake freely of the waters of life, and whoever will not come the same is not forced to come, but in the last day it will be restored to him according to his deeds.

28 If he has desired to do evil and has not repented in his days, evil will be done to him, according to the restoration of God.

29 My son, I want you not to worry about this anymore, but only let your sins trouble you with the worry that will bring you to repentance.

30 I hope you won’t deny the justice of God anymore. Don’t try to excuse yourself in the least because of your sins by denying the justice of God, but let your heart be filled with the justice of God, and his mercy, and his great patience, and let it bring you down to the dust in humility.

31 Now you are called of God to preach the word to this people. Go and declare the word with truth and a dedicated mind, so you can bring souls to repentance, so the great plan of mercy may have claim on them. And may God grant to you according to my words. Amen.

CHAPTER 43

Alma and his sons preach the word—The Zoramites and other Nephite dissenters become Lamanites—The Lamanites come against the Nephites in war—Moroni arms the Nephites with defensive armor—The Lord reveals to Alma the strategy of the Lamanites—The Nephites defend their homes, liberties, families, and religion—The armies of Moroni and Lehi surround the Lamanites. About 74 B.C.

1 The sons of Alma declared the word to the people, and Alma went with them.

2 They preached the word according to the spirit of prophecy and revelation, and after the holy order of God.

3 Now I return to an account of the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges.

4 The Zoramites became Lamanites, so when the Nephites saw the Lamanites coming upon them, they prepared for war and gathered their armies in the land of Jershon.

5 The Lamanites, led by Zerahemnah, came by the thousands into the land of the Zoramites.

6 The Amalekites were more wicked and murderous than the Lamanites, so Zerahemnah appointed Amalekites and Zoramites to be all the chief captains over the Lamanites.

7 He did this to keep up their hatred towards the Nephites, so he could control them and use them to bring the Nephites into bondage.

9 The Nephites wanted to keep their lands, houses, wives, and children from their enemies, and to preserve their rights, privileges, and liberty, so they could worship God as they desired.

10 They knew that if possible, the Lamanites would destroy anybody who worshiped the true and living God.

11 And they knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites toward the people of Ammon, who would not use weapons to defend themselves, so the Lamanites would try to destroy them.

12 The Nephites would not allow this, so they gave them lands to live in.

13 The people of Ammon gave liberally to support their Nephite defenders, who stood against the Lamanites, consisting of the descendants of Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, as well as all Nephite dissenters, like the Amalekites, Zoramites, and descendants of the priests of Noah.

14 Those descendants were nearly as numerous as the Nephites, so the Nephites had to fight their brethren.

15 The Lamanite armies gathered in the land of Antionum, with the Nephite armies prepared to meet them in the land of Jershon.

16 The chief captain of the Nephites was Moroni, and he took all the command of their wars. He was only twenty-five years old.

18 His people were armed with swords and all manner of weapons of war, and were protected with breastplates, head shields, arm shields, and thick clothing. The army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with these protections, but had only their swords, bows, arrows, stones, and slings. They were naked except for a skin around their waist, except for Zoramites and Amalekites.

19 When the Lamanite armies saw the preparations of Moroni and the Nephites, they didn’t dare to fight the Nephites near Jershon. So they journeyed in the wilderness to take possession of the land of Manti, hoping that Moroni wouldn’t know where they’d gone.

23 But as soon as they went into the wilderness, Moroni sent spies to watch them, and he asked Alma the prophet to ask God where the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.

24 God told Alma to inform Moroni that the Lamanite armies were traveling through the wilderness to the land of Manti so they could attack a weaker group of Nephites.

25 Moroni left part of his army in Jershon, in case a part of the Lamanites would come back to Jershon, and he took the rest of his army to the land of Manti.

26 Moroni organized all the people near Manti to defend their lands, country, rights, and liberties against the Lamanites.

27 Moroni hid his army in the valley near the river Sidon in the wilderness, and used spies to learn when the Lamanites would come.

29 Moroni thought it was not wrong to use spies and secret plans, because he knew that the Lamanites wanted to destroy the Nephites or take them as slaves, and to make their own kingdom.

31 So he divided his army, hiding the first part on one side of the river and the other part on the other side of the river.

34 As the Lamanites began to cross the river Sidon, Moroni’s second army, led by Lehi, came up on the Lamanites from the rear.

36 When the Lamanites saw the Nephites coming from behind, they turned around and began to fight the army of Lehi.

37 The work of death was awful on both sides, but it was worse for the Lamanites because their nakedness exposed them to the swords and other weapons of the Nephites, who killed with almost every stroke.

38 Only now and then did a man fall among the Nephites, because they were shielded. So they kept killing Lamanites.

39 The Lamanites became frightened because of the great destruction among them, so they began to run back toward the river Sidon, driven by Lehi.

40 Moroni and his army met the Lamanites on the other side of the river and began to kill them.

42 The Lamanites fled toward the land of Manti, and again they were met by the armies of Moroni.

43 The Lamanites fought back with more strength and courage than in all their history.

44 They were inspired by the Zoramites and Amalekites, who were their captains, and by Zerahemnah, who was their chief leader. They fought like angry dragons and killed many Nephites, even through their armor, and by cutting off their arms.

45 But the Nephites were inspired by a better cause—not for power but for their homes, liberties, wives, children, and everything they had, even for their rites of worship and their church.

46 They were fighting out of a duty to God because the Lord had said to them and their fathers, If you are not guilty of the first offense or the second, you will not allow yourselves to be killed by your enemies.

47 The Lord has said, You will defend your families even with bloodshed. And this is why the Nephites were fighting with the Lamanites—to defend themselves, their families, their lands, their country, their rights, and their religion.

48 When Moroni’s men saw the fierceness and anger of the Lamanites, they almost ran away, but Moroni saw their intent, so he inspired their hearts with the thoughts of their lands and liberty.

49 So they turned on the Lamanites and cried with one voice to the Lord their God for their liberty and their freedom from bondage.

50 They began to stand against the Lamanites with power, and in that same hour that they cried to the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to run from them to the river.

51 The Lamanites numbered more than double the Nephites, but they were still driven into one mass on the bank of the river Sidon.

52 The armies of Moroni surrounded them on both sides of the river.

53 When Zerahemnah’s men saw the men of Lehi on the east of the river, and the armies of Moroni on the west side, they were terrified.

54 When Moroni saw their terror, he commanded his men to stop the killing.

CHAPTER 44

Moroni commands the Lamanites to make a covenant of peace or be destroyed—Zerahemnah rejects the offer, and the battle resumes—Moroni’s armies defeat the Lamanites. About 74–73 B.C.

1 Moroni’s men stopped and withdrew. And Moroni said to Zerahemnah, We do not want to be men of blood. You know that you are in our hands, but we don’t want to kill you.

2 We have not come to battle you for power, nor do we want to take you into bondage. But this is exactly why you have come against us. You are angry with us because of our religion.

3 You see that the Lord is with us and has delivered you into our hands. And I want you to understand that this happened because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now you see that you can’t destroy our faith.

4 Now you see that this is the true faith of God and that God will support and preserve us, as long as we are faithful to him, and to our faith and religion. The Lord will never allow us to be destroyed unless we fall into sin and deny our faith.

5 Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened us to overpower you, to deliver your weapons of war to us. I command you by our faith, our religion, our rites of worship, our church, by the sacred support we owe to our wives and children, by that liberty that binds us to our lands and our country, and by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness, and by all that is most dear to us, and by all your own desires to live. If you obey and surrender, we will not try to kill you but will spare your lives if you will go your way and not come again to war against us.

7 If you don’t do this, you are in our hands, and I will command my men to kill you until you don’t exist, and then we will see who will have power over this people.

8 When Zerahemnah heard this, he gave up his sword and bow to Moroni and said, We give up our weapons to you, but we will not take an oath not to return, which we know we will break, and also our children. But take our weapons, and allow us to leave into the wilderness; otherwise we will keep our swords, and we will perish or conquer.

9 We are not of your faith. We do not believe that it is God who has delivered us into your hands but only your cleverness that has preserved you from our swords. It is your breastplates and swords that have preserved you.

10 Then Moroni returned the sword and other weapons to Zerahemnah, saying, Then we will fight and end the conflict. I cannot take back the words I have spoken, so as the Lord lives, you will not leave except with an oath that you will not return to war against us. Because we are in control, you will submit to my conditions or we will spill your blood on the ground.

12 Zerahemnah was angry with Moroni and rushed forward with his sword to kill Moroni. But as he raised his sword, one of Moroni’s soldiers struck it to the ground, where it broke by the hilt. He also struck Zerahemnah and took off his scalp, which fell to the ground. And Zerahemnah withdrew into his soldiers.

13 The soldier who struck Zerahemnah put the scalp on the point of his sword and held it out, saying, Just like this scalp of your chief has fallen to the earth, so you will fall to the earth unless you deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace.

15 Many heard these words, saw the scalp on the sword, and were struck with fear, so they threw down their weapons at the feet of Moroni and entered into a covenant of peace. And these were allowed to leave into the wilderness.

16 But Zerahemnah was exceedingly angry, and he stirred up the rest of his soldiers to anger, to fight more powerfully against the Nephites.

17 Moroni was angry because of the stubbornness of the Lamanites, so he commanded his people to kill them. The Lamanites fought with their swords and their might, but their naked skins and bare heads were exposed to the sharp swords of the Nephites, so they were pierced and cut, and fell exceedingly fast, and began to be swept away, even as the soldier of Moroni had prophesied.

19 When Zerahemnah saw that they were all about to be destroyed, he cried mightily to Moroni, promising that he and his people would covenant never to come to war again if Moroni would spare the remainder of their lives.

20 Moroni stopped the killing and took the weapons from the Lamanites, and after they had entered into a covenant of peace they were allowed to depart into the wilderness.

21 Their dead were beyond numbering, both with the Nephites and Lamanites.

22 They threw the dead into the river, where they were carried to be buried in the depths of the sea.

23 The armies of the Nephites returned to their lands.

24 Thus ended the eighteenth year, as well as the record of Alma, which was written on the plates of Nephi.

The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars and dissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman, which he kept in his days.

Comprising chapters 45 through 62.

CHAPTER 45

Helaman believes the words of Alma—Alma prophesies the destruction of the Nephites—He blesses and curses the land—Alma may have been taken up by the Spirit, even as Moses—Dissension grows in the Church. About 73 B.C.

1 The people of Nephi were exceedingly joyful because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, so they gave thanks to the Lord their God, and they fasted and prayed much, and they worshiped God with great joy.

2 In the nineteenth year, Alma said to his son Helaman, Do you believe the words I spoke about those records that have been kept?

3 Helaman said, Yes, I believe.

4 Alma said, Do you believe in Jesus Christ, who will come?

5 He said, Yes, I believe all the words you have spoken.

6 Alma said, Will you keep my commandments?

7 Yes, I will keep your commandments with all my heart.

8 Alma said, The Lord will bless you in this land. Now I prophesy to you, and you will not tell anyone until the prophecy is fulfilled. So write the words I speak.

10 These are the words: According to the spirit of revelation I have, I see that this people, the Nephites, will shrink into unbelief in four hundred years from the time Jesus Christ will appear to them.

11 And they will see wars and plagues, famines and bloodshed, until the people of Nephi will become extinct—all because they will shrink in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lust, and all manner of iniquities. Because they will sin against so great light and knowledge, I say that from that day even the fourth generation will not all pass away before this great iniquity will come.

13 When that great day comes, the time comes very soon when those who are the seed of the people of Nephi will no more be numbered among the people of Nephi.

14 Whoever remains and is not destroyed in that great and dreadful day, will be numbered among the Lamanites and will become like them, except a few who will be called the disciples of the Lord. They will be pursued by the Lamanites until they are extinct. And this prophecy will be fulfilled because of iniquity.

15 Then Alma blessed Helaman and his other sons, and he also blessed the earth for the good of the righteous.

16 He said, The Lord God says, This land will be cursed to destruction to every nation, culture, tongue, and people who do wickedly, when they are fully ripe. This is the cursing and the blessing of God on the land because the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

17 Then Alma blessed the church, all those who would stand firmly in the faith from that time forth.

18 Then Alma left the land of Zarahemla, toward the land of Melek, and nobody ever heard of him again. We know nothing of his death or burial.

19 We know that he was a righteous man, and the belief spread in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit or buried by the hand of the Lord, like Moses. The scriptures say the Lord took Moses to himself, and we suppose that he has also received Alma to himself in the spirit.

20 In the beginning of the nineteenth year, Helaman went out among the people to declare the word to them.

21 Because of their wars with the Lamanites and the many little dissensions and disturbances among the people, it became necessary that the word of God should be declared among them, and that a regulation should be made throughout the church.

22 So Helaman and his brethren went out to establish the church again in all the land, in every city possessed by the people of Nephi. And they appointed priests and teachers over all the churches.

23 After Helaman and his brethren had appointed priests and teachers over the churches, a dissension occurred among them, and they would not listen to the words of Helaman and his brethren.

24 They became proud in their hearts because of their exceedingly great riches, so they grew rich in their own eyes and would not listen to the words to walk rightly before God.

CHAPTER 46

Amalickiah conspires to be king—Moroni raises the title of liberty—He rallies the people to defend their religion—True believers are called Christians—A remnant of Joseph will be preserved—Amalickiah and the dissenters flee to the land of Nephi—Those who will not support the cause of freedom are put to death. About 73–72 B.C.

1 The people who would not listen to Helaman and his brethren were angry and gathered against their own people, determined to kill them.

3 They were led by a large and a strong man, Amalickiah, who wanted to be king. And the angry people wanted him to be king, most of them being the lower judges of the land, who wanted power.

5 Amalickiah flattered them that if they would support him and make him king, he would make them rulers over the people.

6 So Amalickiah led them to rebellion, despite the preaching of Helaman and his brethren and their great care as high priests over the church.

7 Many left the church because of Amalickiah’s flattering words, so the condition of the Nephites became unstable and dangerous, even though they had won the war against the Lamanites and rejoiced that God had delivered them.

8 So we see how quickly people forget the Lord, and how quick to do iniquity and be led away by the evil one.

9 We also see the great wickedness that one very wicked man can cause.

10 Amalickiah used cunning and flattery to lead the hearts of many people to do wickedly, and to try to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty that God had granted as a blessing on the land for the benefit of the righteous.

11 When Moroni, chief commander of the Nephite armies, heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

12 He tore his coat and wrote on a piece of it: In memory of our God, our religion, our freedom, our peace, our wives, and our children. And he fastened it on the end of a pole.

13 He put on his helmet, breastplate, shields, and waist armor, and he named the pole with the cloth and writing the title of liberty. He bowed himself to the earth and prayed mightily to his God for the blessings of liberty to rest on his brethren as long as a band of Christians would remain to possess the land.

14 Christians was the name used by those who did not belong to the church to designate all true believers of Christ who belonged to the church of God.

15 All those who were true believers in Christ faithfully and gladly took Christ upon them, so they were called Christians because of their belief in Christ who would come.

16 Moroni prayed for the Lord’s blessings on the Christians and the freedom of the land.

17 When Moroni had poured out his soul to God, he named all the land a chosen land and the land of liberty.

18 He said, Surely God will not allow us to be stepped on and destroyed, we who are despised because we take the name of Christ, unless we bring it on ourselves by our own transgressions.

19 Then Moroni went forth among the people, waving the torn coat in the air, so everyone could see the writing on the cloth. Crying with a loud voice he said,

20 Whoever will maintain this title on the land, let them come in the strength of the Lord and make a covenant that they will maintain their rights and religion so the Lord God can bless them.

21 When Moroni spoke, the people came running together with their armor, tearing their clothing as a sign that they would not forsake the Lord their God, or that if they broke the commandments of God and were ashamed to take the name of Christ on them, the Lord would tear them just as they had torn their clothing.

22 This was the covenant they made, and they threw their clothes at the feet of Moroni, saying, We covenant with God that if we fall into transgression, we will be destroyed like our brothers in the north. He can throw us at the feet of our enemies, just as we have thrown our clothing at your feet.

23 Moroni said, we are from the children of Jacob and Joseph, whose coat was torn by his brothers into many pieces. So let us remember to keep the commandments of God, or our clothing will be torn by our brothers, and we will be cast into prison or sold or killed.

24 Let’s preserve our freedom as a remnant of Joseph and remember the words of Jacob because he saw before his death that a part of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said, Even as this remnant of my son’s garment has been preserved, so will a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God and be taken to himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph will perish, even as the rest of his garment.

25 Jacob said, This gives me sorrow, but my soul has joy in my son because of that part of his seed which will be taken to God.

27 Who knows but what the remnant of the seed of Joseph, which will perish as his garment, are those who have dissented from us? And so will we if we do not stand firm in the faith of Christ.

28 Moroni sent out his word everywhere there were dissensions, and gathered all the people who wanted to maintain their liberty, to fight Amalickiah and his dissenters.

29 When Amalickiah saw that Moroni’s people were more numerous than his, and that his people doubted the justice of their cause, he took his people and left for the land of Nephi.

30 Moroni knew Amalickiah would stir up the Lamanites to war against the Nephites, and he did not want the Lamanites to have any more strength, so his goal was to cut off the people of Amalickiah, capture them, and kill Amalickiah.

31 So Moroni took his armies into the wilderness to cut off Amalickiah there.

33 Amalickiah fled with a small number of his men, and the rest were captured by Moroni and taken back to the land of Zarahemla.

34 Moroni was given power by the chief judges and the people to command the armies of the Nephites.

35 Moroni executed whatever Amalickiahites who would not promise to support the cause of freedom, and only a few denied the covenant of freedom.

36 Moroni lifted the title of liberty on every tower in all the land of the Nephites.

37 They maintained peace in the land until nearly the end of the nineteenth year.

38 Helaman and the high priests maintained order in the church, and there was peace and rejoicing in the church for four years.

39 There were many who died, firmly believing that their souls were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ, so they went out of the world rejoicing.

40 Some died with fevers, which at some seasons were very frequent in the land, but many fevers were cured by the plants and roots God had prepared to treat them.

41 Many died from old age, and those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in him.

CHAPTER 47

Amalickiah uses treachery, murder, and intrigue to become king of the Lamanites—The Nephite dissenters are more wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites. About 72 B.C.

1 Amalickiah took some with him to the land of Nephi among the Lamanites, and stirred up the Lamanites so they gathered to battle against the Nephites.

2 But the Lamanites were afraid, both to displease their king and to lose their lives against the Nephites. Most of them would not obey the commandments of the king.

3 The king was angry at this, so he gave Amalickiah command of that part of his army that was obedient to him.

4 This was the desire of Amalickiah because he was subtle and wanted to dethrone the king.

5 Having command of the Lamanites following the king, he went to gain the loyalty of those who had not been obedient. The Lamanite rebels gathered on top of a mountain to defend themselves, determined not to fight the Nephites.

8 Amalickiah did not want to battle these rebels but only to get their support, to place him as their leader and dethrone the Lamanite king.

9 He sent a secret group to ask the rebel leader, Lehonti, to come to the foot of the mountain and speak with him.

11 But Lehonti refused, so Amalickiah asked again and again.

12 When Amalickiah found that he could not get Lehonti to come down from the mount, he went up the mount, nearly to Lehonti’s camp, and again he sent his message to Lehonti.

13 When Lehonti finally came down, Amalickiah shared his plan for Lehonti to bring down his army in the night and surround the men the king had given Amalickiah to command. Then he would surrender them to Lehonti if he would make Amalickiah the second leader over the whole army.

14 Lehonti did bring down his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so in the morning the men begged Amalickiah to allow them to join their rebel brothers, so they would not be destroyed—just as Amalickiah had hoped.

16 So Amalickiah achieved his goal of gaining men to dethrone the king.

17 It was Lamanite custom that if their chief leader was killed, the second leader would become the new chief leader.

18 Amalickiah directed one of his servants to gradually administer poison to Lehonti, so he died and Amalickiah was made the chief commander.

20 Amalickiah marched with his armies to the land of Nephi, and the king came out to meet him with his guards because he supposed that Amalickiah had fulfilled his commands and gathered together a great army to battle the Nephites.

22 Amalickiah ordered his servants to meet the king, so they went and bowed themselves before the king, in a token of respect.

23 When the king extended his hand to raise them, the Lamanite token of peace, the first man stabbed the king to the heart, and he died.

25 The servants of the king fled, and the servants of Amalickiah cried out, saying, The king’s servants have stabbed him. Come and see.

27 Amalickiah commanded his armies to march and see what had happened to the king, and when they arrived to find the king lying in his blood, Amalickiah pretended to be angry and said, Whoever loved the king, let him pursue his servants and kill them.

28 So the people who loved the king pursued the servants of the king.

29 When the servants of the king saw an army pursuing them, they were frightened and fled to the land of Zarahemla, joining the people of Ammon.

30 The pursuing army returned, failing to catch the servants. So Amalickiah deceived everyone.

31 The next day he entered the city Nephi with his armies and took control of it.

32 When the queen heard that the king was killed by his own servants, who escaped, she sent a message to Amalickiah, asking that he would spare the people of the city. And she asked him to come with witnesses to testify about the death of the king.

34 Amalickiah took the servant who killed the king, and others, and met with the queen, where everyone testified to her that the king was killed by his own servants. They said, those servants ran away, so does that not testify against them? And the queen was satisfied about the death of the king.

35 Amalickiah married the queen, so by fraud he obtained all the kingdom of the Lamanites, who were composed of the Lamanites, Lemuelites, Ishmaelites, and all the dissenters of the Nephites.

36 These dissenters, once having the same beliefs of the Nephites in God, became more hardened and unrepentant, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites, along with their laziness, and wickedness, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.

CHAPTER 48

Amalickiah incites the Lamanites against the Nephites—Moroni prepares his people to defend the cause of the Christians—He rejoices in liberty and freedom and is a mighty man of God. About 72 B.C.

1 As soon as Amalickiah obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the Lamanites against the Nephites, even appointing men to speak to the Lamanites from their towers.

2 He succeeded in hardening the hearts and blinding the minds of the Lamanites, so he gathered a numerous army to go against the Nephites, overpower them, and keep them in slavery.

5 He made Zoramites his chief captains, because they knew best the strengths of the Nephites, and they moved toward Zarahemla.

7 During Amalickiah’s rise to power, Moroni had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful to the Lord their God.

8 He had been strengthening the Nephite armies and building small forts, with banks of earth to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to protect their cities and borders throughout the land.

9 In their weakest fortifications he placed the greater number of men.

10 He was preparing to support their liberty, lands, wives, children, and their peace, and so they could live as Christians to the Lord their God.

11 Moroni was a strong and mighty man, a man of a perfect understanding, a man who did not delight in bloodshed, a man firm in the faith of Christ, whose soul joyed in the liberty and freedom of his brethren and country, and who worked hard for the welfare and safety of his people. His heart was filled with thanksgiving to God for the many blessings he gave his people.

13 He had sworn an oath to defend his people, his rights, his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

14 The Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even with bloodshed if necessary, and they were taught never to give an offense, never to raise the sword except against an enemy, and only to preserve their lives.

15 This was their faith, that by doing so—by keeping God’s commandments—he would prosper them in the land, that he would warn them when to flee or to prepare to defend themselves in war, as needed, and deliver them.

16 This was the faith of Moroni, and his heart rejoiced not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, in keeping the commandments of God and resisting iniquity.

17 If all men had been, and were, and ever would be like Moroni, the powers of hell would have been shaken forever, and the devil would never have power over the hearts of the people.

18 Moroni was a man like Ammon, the son of Mosiah, and the other sons of Mosiah, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.

19 Helaman and his brethren were no less useful to the people than Moroni because they preached the word of God and baptized to repentance all men who would listen to their words. The people humbled themselves because of their words, so God favored them, so they were free from wars and contentions among themselves for the space of four years.

21 But in the end of the nineteenth year, despite the peace among themselves, they were forced reluctantly to fight with their brethren, the Lamanites, with the wars continuing for many years.

23 The Nephites did not like the killing and were sorry to send so many of their brethren out of this world into the eternal world unprepared to meet their God.

24 But they could not allow their lives to be taken, or their wives and children to be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren, who had dissented from their church, and had left them to join the Lamanites.

25 They could not bear that their brethren would rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who would keep the commandments of God because the promise of the Lord was, if they would keep his commandments they would prosper in the land.

CHAPTER 49

The invading Lamanites are unable to take the fortified cities of Ammonihah and Noah—Amalickiah curses God and swears to drink the blood of Moroni—Helaman and his brethren continue to strengthen the Church. About 72 B.C.

1 The armies of the Lamanites approached the land of Ammonihah, which had been rebuilt. Moroni had put an army near the city, and put up a dirt fort to protect them from the arrows and stones the Lamanites used.

3 The Lamanites thought Ammonihah would be easy prey because years before they had destroyed it because of the iniquity of the people.

4 But they were greatly disappointed because the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth around their fortifications, so high that the Lamanites could not effectively cast their stones and arrows, nor could they reach them except at one place of entrance.

5 The chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security.

6 Because of the greatness of their numbers, the leaders of the Lamanites had supposed that they could destroy the city as they had done before. And they had prepared themselves with shields, breastplates, and very thick skins to protect them.

7 So they thought they could easily overpower the Nephites and kill them or enslave them. But they were astonished at Moroni’s leadership in preparations, which had never been done in this way before.

10 If king Amalickiah had led the Lamanite army, he probably would have attacked Ammonihah because he didn’t care if his people died. But he sent his chief captains instead, and they dared not attack a city so well fortified.

12 So they retreated into the wilderness and marched towards the land of Noah, supposing it would be easier to attack.

13 As they marched toward Noah their chief captains took an oath that they would destroy the people of that city, but they didn’t know that Moroni had fortified every city in the land.

14 They were astonished to discover that the city of Noah, which used to be weak, had now, by the ways of Moroni, become even stronger than Ammonihah.

15 Moroni was wise, because he had assumed they would be frightened at Ammonihah and then would go to the city of Noah, supposing it to be weak.

16 Moroni had appointed Lehi to be chief captain over Noah, the same Lehi who fought with him against the Lamanites on the other side of the river Sidon.

17 When the Lamanites found that Lehi commanded the city they were again disappointed, because they greatly feared him, but their chief captains had sworn with an oath to attack the city, so they prepared for battle.

18 The Lamanites could not get into the forts except through the one entrance because of the height of the bank and the depth of the ditch surrounding the city.

19 The Nephites were prepared to destroy everyone trying to enter, by throwing stones and shooting arrows.

20 They placed a body of their strongest men, with swords and slings, to strike down anyone who would try to come through the entrance. So they were well prepared.

21 The Lamanites brought their armies to the entrance and began to fight the Nephites, but they were driven back repeatedly in a great slaughter.

22 When they found that they could not overpower the Nephites by the entrance, they began to dig down their banks of earth to create an opening for their armies, but they were swept off by the stones and arrows thrown at them. So instead of filling up their ditches by pulling down the banks of earth, they were partly filled up with their dead and wounded bodies.

23 The Nephites had all power over their enemies, but the Lamanites attempted to destroy the Nephites until their chief captains were all killed, along with more than a thousand of the Lamanites, while not a single Nephite was killed.

24 About fifty were wounded, exposed to the arrows of the Lamanites through the entrance, but they were protected by their shields, breastplates, and helmets, so their wounds were on their legs, many of which were very severe.

25 When the Lamanites saw that their chief captains were all dead, they fled into the wilderness and returned to the land of Nephi to tell their king, Amalickiah.

26 He was exceedingly angry with his people because he had not achieved his goal to make the Nephites slaves.

27 He was so angry that he cursed God and Moroni, swearing with an oath that he would drink his blood, all because Moroni had kept the commandments of God in preparing for the safety of his people.

28 The Nephites thanked the Lord because of his matchless power in delivering them from their enemies.

29 The nineteenth year of the reign of the judges ended.

30 There was continual peace among them, and exceedingly great prosperity in the church because of their listening to the word of God, which was declared to them by Helaman, Shiblon, Corianton, and Ammon and his brethren, and by all those who had been ordained by the holy order of God, being baptized to repentance and sent forth to preach among the people.

CHAPTER 50

Moroni fortifies the lands of the Nephites—They build many new cities—Wars and destructions befell the Nephites in the days of their wickedness and abominations—Morianton and his dissenters are defeated by Teancum—Nephihah dies, and his son Pahoran fills the judgment seat. About 72–67 B.C.

1 Moroni kept preparing for war, to defend his people against the Lamanites. In the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, they began digging up heaps of earth around all the cities.

2 On top of these earthen ridges he built timbers up to the height of a man, and above the timbers he put pointed stakes, strong and high.

4 He also built towers that looked over the walls, with places of security on the towers, so the stones and arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

5 So they were prepared to throw down stones from the tops of their defenses to keep out anyone that approached the walls of the city.

7 Moroni’s armies went into the wilderness and drove all the Lamanites into their own lands, south of Zarahemla.

8 The land of Nephi ran in a straight course from the east sea to the west. When Moroni had driven all the Lamanites out of the east wilderness, he moved Nephites to possess the east wilderness. And he placed armies on the south and built fortifications to keep their people safe.

11 So he cut off all the strongholds of the Lamanites in the east wilderness, and also on the west, fortifying the line between the Nephites and the Lamanites, between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi, so the Nephites possessed everything north of the land Bountiful.

12 Moroni and his armies increased daily because of the assurance of protection provided by their work to cut off the strength of the Lamanites.

13 The Nephites began the foundation of a city called Moroni, which was by the east sea, and it was on the south by the border with the Lamanites. And they began the foundation of another city, Nephihah, between the cities of Moroni and Aaron.

15 And they began to build many cities on the north, one in a special way called Lehi, which was in the north by the borders of the seashore.

16 The twentieth year ended, and in the next year the Nephites were strong and became exceedingly rich and multiplied in the land.

19 So we see how merciful and good are all the dealings of the Lord, fulfilling all his words to his children. We can see that his words are verified, when he said this to Lehi:

20 You and your children will be blessed and prosper in the land if they keep my commandments, but if they don’t keep my commandments they will be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

21 We see that these promises have been verified to the people of Nephi because their wars and destructions came on them only because of their quarreling, contentions, murders, plundering, idolatry, whoredoms, and abominations.

22 Those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, while thousands of their wicked brethren have been taken in slavery, or perished by the sword, or weakened in unbelief and mingled with the Lamanites.

23 Not since the days of Nephi had there been a happier time among the people of Nephi than in the days of Moroni in the twenty-first year.

24 The twenty-second year also ended in peace, and the twenty-third year.

25 In the beginning of the twenty-fourth year, there was a contention about the land of Lehi and the adjacent land of Morianton, both of which were on the borders by the seashore.

26 The people of Morianton laid claim on a part of Lehi, so they argued, and the people of Morianton took up arms against their brethren and were determined to kill them.

27 But the people of Lehi fled to the camp of Moroni and appealed to him for assistance because they were not in the wrong.

28 When the people of Morianton, led by a man named Morianton, found that the people of Lehi had fled to Moroni’s camp, they were exceedingly afraid that the army of Moroni would destroy them.

29 So Morianton suggested that they flee to the land northward, which was covered with large bodies of water, and take possession of the land.

30 They would have done this, but Morianton was a man of much passion, so he was angry with one of his maid servants and beat her badly.

31 She fled and told Moroni all things that had happened, and about the people’s plans to flee to the land northward.

32 Moroni was afraid that the land Bountiful would join with Morianton so he would possess those lands and create serious consequences among the people of Nephi, which could lead to the overthrow of their liberty.

33 So Moroni sent an army to stop the people of Morianton from going into the land northward.

34 They did not stop them until they came to the borders of the land Desolation, where they stopped them by the narrow pass that led by the sea into the land northward.

35 The Nephite army was led by Teancum, and the people of Morianton were so stubborn (inspired by his wickedness and flattering words) that a battle began, where Teancum killed Morianton, defeated his army, took them prisoner, and returned to the camp of Moroni. And thus ended the twenty-fourth year.

36 After they covenanted to keep the peace, the people of Morianton were restored to the land of Morianton, and there was a union between them and the people of Lehi.

37 In this year of peace, Nephihah, the second chief judge, died, having filled the judgment-seat with perfect uprightness before God. But Helaman was the keeper of all the sacred records, received from his father Alma.

39 The son of Nephihah was appointed to fill the judgment-seat, to be chief judge and governor over the people, with an oath and sacred ordinance to judge righteously and to keep the peace and freedom of the people, and to give to them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord their God, and to support and maintain the cause of God all his days, and to bring the wicked to justice according to their crime.

40 His name was Pahoran, and he filled the seat of his father in the twenty-fourth year.

CHAPTER 51

The king-men seek to change the law and set up a king—Pahoran and the freemen are supported by the voice of the people—Moroni compels the king-men to defend their country or be put to death—Amalickiah and the Lamanites capture many fortified cities—Teancum repels the Lamanite invasion and slays Amalickiah in his tent. About 67–66 B.C.

1 In the twenty-fifth year, contention began among the people about the chief judge Pahoran, because some people wanted parts of the law to be changed.

3 But Pahoran would not change the law, so those people were angry—although not to bloodshed—and wanted Pahoran removed from office.

5 Those who wanted Pahoran removed were called king-men because they wanted to overthrow the free government and have a king over the land.

6 Those who wanted Pahoran to remain chief judge were called freemen, who covenanted to maintain their rights and privileges of religion with a free government.

7 They had an election to decide the matter, and the freemen prevailed, retaining Pahoran in the judgment-seat and causing much rejoicing among the brethren of Pahoran and also many of the people of liberty.

8 Those in favor of kings were of high birth, who wanted to be kings, and they were supported by those who wanted power and authority over the people.

9 This was a critical time for such contentions to be among the Nephites because Amalickiah had again stirred up the Lamanites against the Nephites, and he was gathering soldiers and diligently preparing for war because he had sworn to drink the blood of Moroni.

10 We will see that his promise was rash, but he prepared his armies to fight the Nephites.

11 His armies were not as great as they once had been because of the many thousands who had been killed by the Nephites, but still Amalickiah had gathered together a great army, so he did not fear to come to the land of Zarahemla.

12 Amalickiah himself led the Lamanites, in the twenty-fifth year, about the same time that the contention about Pahoran had begun to settle.

13 When the king-men heard that the Lamanites were coming to battle against them, they were happy and refused to take up arms and defend their country because they were angry with the chief judge, and also with the people of liberty.

14 When Moroni saw this, and also saw that the Lamanites were coming into the land, he was exceedingly angry because of the stubbornness of those people he had worked so hard to save.

15 He sent a petition, with the support of the people, to the governor of the land, which would give Moroni power to force those dissenters to defend their country or put them to death.

16 It was his first concern to put an end to the contentions among the people because so far this had been a cause of all their destruction. And Moroni’s petition was granted by vote.

17 So Moroni commanded his army to go against the king-men, to pull down their pride and nobility, or they could choose to take up arms and support the cause of liberty.

18 And the armies did pull down their pride and nobility, with Moroni’s men killing whoever resisted them with weapons.

19 Four thousand dissenters were killed, and their leaders not killed in battle were put in prison because there was no time for their trials.

20 Rather than be killed, the rest of the dissenters yielded to the standard of liberty and were forced to lift the title of liberty on their towers and in their cities, and to take up arms in defense of their country.

21 So Moroni put an end to the king-men and to the stubbornness and pride of those people who claimed noble blood. They were humbled like their brethren and required to fight valiantly for their freedom from bondage.

22 While Moroni was stopping the contentions among his own people, and making regulations to prepare for war against the Lamanites, the Lamanites came into the land of Moroni, which was in the borders by the seashore.

23 The Nephites were not sufficiently strong in the city of Moroni, so Amalickiah drove them out, killing many and taking the city.

24 The people who fled from the city of Moroni came to the city of Nephihah; and also the people of the city of Lehi gathered together and made preparations to battle the Lamanites.

25 Amalickiah refused to go against the city of Nephihah but kept by the seashore, leaving men in every city to maintain and defend it.

26 He continued taking many cities: Nephihah, Lehi, Morianton, Omner, Gid, and Mulek, all of which were on the east borders by the seashore.

27 So Amalickiah cleverly took many cities with his vast army, all of which had been strongly fortified by Moroni, all of which were now strongholds for the Lamanites.

28 They marched near the land Bountiful, driving Nephites before them and killing many.

29 But they were met by Teancum, who had killed Morianton and stopped his people.

30 He stopped Amalickiah too, as his numerous army was marching toward Bountiful.

31 Amalickiah was disappointed at being stopped by Teancum and his men, every one of whom was stronger and more skillful in war than the Lamanites.

32 Teancum killed them until it was dark and then pitched their tents near Bountiful. Amalickiah pitched his tents by the seashore.

33 In the night Teancum and his servant snuck into the camp of Amalickiah, where everyone was exhausted in sleep.

34 Teancum quietly entered the tent of the king and put a javelin in his heart; and the king died immediately, not waking his servants.

35 He returned secretly to his own camp, where he woke his men and told them what he’d done.

36 He instructed his armies to stand ready, in case the Lamanites had awakened and would come upon them.

37 The twenty-fifth year ended, as did the days of Amalickiah.

CHAPTER 52

Ammoron succeeds Amalickiah as king of the Lamanites—Moroni, Teancum, and Lehi lead the Nephites in a victorious war against the Lamanites—The city of Mulek is retaken, and Jacob the Zoramite is slain. About 66–64 B.C.

1 In the twenty-sixth year, the Lamanites awoke on the first morning of the first month and found Amalickiah dead in his tent, and they saw that Teancum was ready to give them battle.

2 When the Lamanites saw this they were afraid, so they retreated to the city of Mulek, which was fortified.

3 The brother of Amalickiah was appointed king over the people, and his name was Ammoron.

4 He commanded his people to maintain the cities they had taken by the shedding of much blood.

5 Teancum saw that the Lamanites were determined to maintain the cities and lands they had taken. And he saw the enormity of their number, so he thought it was not wise to attack them in their forts.

6 But he kept his men preparing for war, by throwing up walls around forts to defend themselves. And he kept preparing for war until Moroni sent a large number of men to strengthen his army.

8 Moroni sent orders that Teancum should keep all their prisoners, to use in exchange for all the many prisoners the Lamanites had taken.

9 Moroni also sent orders that he should fortify the land Bountiful and secure the narrow pass that led into the land northward so the Lamanites could not take that place and have power to harass them on every side.

10 Moroni also told him to be faithful in maintaining that part of the land, and to look for every opportunity to harass the Lamanites so he could strategically take the cities the Lamanites had taken from them, and to fortify all the cities that had not fallen into the hands of the Lamanites.

11 Moroni said, I would help you, but I must battle the Lamanites by the west sea.

12 Ammoron left the land of Zarahemla, told the queen about the death of his brother, and with a large number of men marched against the Nephites by the west sea.

13 He was attacking the Nephites on the west while commanding his captains in their captured cities to attack the Nephites by the east sea and take possession of as much land as possible.

14 So at the end of the twenty-sixth year the Nephites were in dangerous circumstances.

15 But in the twenty-seventh year Moroni established armies to protect the south and the west borders of the land, and began his march toward the land Bountiful so he could assist Teancum in retaking the cities they had lost.

16 So Teancum received orders to attack and retake the city of Mulek, if possible.

17 Teancum prepared to attack Mulek, but he saw that it was impossible to overpower them in their fortifications. So he returned to the city Bountiful, to wait for the additional strength of the coming of Moroni.

18 Moroni arrived with his army and held a council of war with Teancum and many of the chief captains about how they could make the Lamanites come out against them to battle, so they could beat them and take the city of Mulek.

20 They sent messengers to the Lamanite leader of Mulek, whose name was Jacob, persuading him to come out with his armies to meet them on the plains between the two cities. But Jacob, a Zoramite, would not do this.

21 Since Moroni had no hope of meeting them on favorable grounds, he created a plan to decoy the Lamanites out of their strongholds.

22 He directed Teancum to take a small number of men and march near the seashore, while Moroni and his army, by night, marched in the wilderness, on the west of the city Mulek. The next day the Lamanite guards discovered Teancum, and told Jacob, their leader.

23 The Lamanite armies marched out against Teancum, supposing to overpower him because of their greater numbers. As Teancum saw the Lamanite armies coming out against him he began to retreat northward, by the seashore.

24 When the Lamanites saw him retreating, they took courage and pursued them vigorously. And while Teancum was leading away the Lamanites, Moroni and part of his army marched into the city and took it.

25 They killed everyone left to protect the city who would not surrender their weapons.

26 So Moroni took the city Mulek with a part of his army, while he marched with the remainder to meet the Lamanites when they would return from the pursuit of Teancum.

27 The Lamanites pursued Teancum until they came near the city Bountiful, where they were met by Lehi and a small army, which had been left to protect the city.

28 When the chief captains of the Lamanites saw Lehi’s army coming against them, they fled in much confusion, afraid they might not reach the city Mulek before Lehi would overtake them because they were tired from their march, while the men of Lehi were fresh.

29 The Lamanites did not know that Moroni had been in their rear with his army, and Lehi didn’t want to catch them until they met Moroni and his army.

31 Shortly the Lamanites were surrounded by Nephites, by the men of Moroni on one hand and the men of Lehi on the other, all of whom were fresh and full of strength.

32 And Moroni commanded his men to attack them until they gave up their weapons.

33 But Jacob, being a Zoramite and having an unconquerable spirit, led the Lamanites to battle Moroni with exceeding fury.

34 Jacob was determined to kill Moroni’s army and cut his way through to the city of Mulek. But Moroni and his men were more powerful, so they did not yield to the Lamanites.

35 Both sides fought with exceeding fury, and many were killed on both sides. Moroni was wounded and Jacob killed.

36 Lehi pressed on their rear with such fury that the Lamanites in the rear delivered up their weapons, and the rest of them were confused about whether to fight, or where to go.

37 Moroni saw their confusion and said, If you will deliver your weapons, we will stop killing you.

38 When the Lamanites heard this, they threw down their weapons at the feet of Moroni.

39 But many would not surrender, and these were tied up and forced to march with their brethren to the land Bountiful.

40 The number of prisoners taken exceeded the number of those who had been killed.

CHAPTER 53

The Lamanite prisoners are used to fortify the city Bountiful—Dissensions among the Nephites give rise to Lamanite victories—Helaman takes command of the two thousand stripling sons of the people of Ammon. About 64–63 B.C.

1 They put guards over the Lamanite prisoners and forced them to bury their dead and the Nephite dead.

2 Moroni and Lehi went to the city of Mulek, took command of the city, and gave it to Lehi, the man who had been with Moroni in most of his battles. He was a man like Moroni, and they rejoiced in each other’s safety. They were beloved by each other and by all the people of Nephi.

3 After the Lamanites had finished burying their dead and the Nephite dead, they were marched back into the land Bountiful; and Teancum, by order of Moroni, ordered them to dig round about the city, Bountiful.

4 He made them build a strong wall of timbers and earth to an exceeding height, which encircled the city of Bountiful on the inner bank of the ditch.

5 This city became an exceeding stronghold ever after, and here they guarded the Lamanite prisoners within a wall they had built with their own hands. Moroni found it necessary to make the Lamanites work because it was easy to guard them while they worked, and he needed all his forces for fighting the Lamanites.

6 So Moroni had defeated one of the greatest Lamanite armies, and taken the city of Mulek, which was one of the strongest forts of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi, and he had also built a stronghold to retain his prisoners.

7 There were no more battles that year, but Moroni’s men prepared for war and made fortifications to guard against the Lamanites, and provided food for their armies, and delivered their women and their children from famine and affliction.

8 The Lamanite armies gained some ground over the Nephites—taking some of their cities—because Moroni was absent, involved in some dissensions among the Nephites.

9 So the Nephites were in danger because of iniquity and dissensions among themselves.

10 Remember the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites but who had been converted to the Lord and brought into the land of Zarahemla to be protected by the Nephites because they had taken an oath never to shed blood again.

13 When they saw the danger and many afflictions the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and wanted to take up arms in defense of their country.

14 But as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were persuaded by Helaman and his brethren because they were about to break the oath they had made.

15 Helaman feared that by doing so they would lose their souls, so everyone who had made this covenant was forced to watch their brethren wade through their afflictions and dangers.

16 But they had many sons who had not made the covenant not to take weapons to defend themselves against their enemies, so these sons assembled to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites.

17 And they made a covenant to fight with their lives for the liberty of the Nephites. They covenanted that never would they give up their liberty but would always fight to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.

18 There were two thousand of those young men who made a covenant and took their weapons to defend their country.

19 They had never been a disadvantage to the Nephites, but now they became a great support because they took their weapons and asked Helaman to be their leader.

20 They were all young men and exceedingly courageous, strong, and active, and they were trustworthy in all things given to them.

21 They were men of truth and dedication because they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.

22 Helaman marched at the head of his two thousand young soldiers to support the people in the borders of the land on the south by the west sea. The twenty-eighth year ended.

CHAPTER 54

Ammoron and Moroni negotiate for the exchange of prisoners—Moroni demands that the Lamanites withdraw and cease their murderous attacks—Ammoron demands that the Nephites lay down their arms and become subject to the Lamanites. About 63 B.C.

1 In the beginning of the twenty-ninth year, Ammoron suggested a prisoner exchange to Moroni.

2 Moroni rejoiced at this because his own people needed the supplies he was giving to the Lamanite prisoners. And he wanted his own people back to strengthen his army.

3 The Lamanites had taken many women and children, while there was not a woman or child among all the prisoners of Moroni. So Moroni planned to obtain as many Nephite prisoners as possible from the Lamanites.

4 He wrote a letter, saying, Ammoron, I have written to you concerning this war that you and your brother have waged against my people.

6 I want to tell you about the justice of God and the sword of his almighty anger, which hangs over you unless you repent and withdraw your armies into your own lands.

7 I would tell you these things if you were capable of hearing them. I would tell you about the awful hell that waits to receive murderers like you and your brother unless you repent and withdraw your murderous purposes, and return with your armies to your own lands.

8 But because you have rejected these things once already, and have fought against the people of the Lord, I expect you will do it again.

9 Unless you withdraw your purposes, we are prepared to bring on you the anger of that God you have rejected, to your utter destruction.

10 As the Lord lives, unless you withdraw, our armies will come upon you and kill you because we will keep our cities and lands, and we will maintain our religion and the cause of our God.

11 But I suppose that I tell you all this for nothing, and I suppose that you are a child of hell, so I will close my letter by telling you that I will not exchange prisoners unless you give up a man and his wife and children for one prisoner we possess.

12 If you don’t do this, I will come against you with my armies; and I will arm my women and my children, and I will follow you into your own land, which is the land of our first inheritance. And it will be blood for blood, life for life, and I will destroy you from off the face of the earth.

13 My people and I are angry. You have tried to murder us, but we have only tried to defend ourselves. But if you keep trying to destroy us, we will destroy you and take our land, the land of our first inheritance.

14 Now I close my letter. I am Moroni, a leader of the Nephites.

15 When Ammoron received this letter, he was angry, and he wrote another letter to Moroni, saying:

16 I am Ammoron, king of the Lamanites and brother of Amalickiah, whom you have murdered. I will avenge his blood on you, and will come on you with my armies, because I do not fear your threats.

17 Your fathers wronged their brethren, robbing them of their right to the government when it rightly belonged to them.

18 If you will lay down your arms and subject yourselves to be governed by those to whom the government rightly belongs, I will tell my people to lay down their weapons and stop the war.

19 You have spoken many threats against me and my people, but we do not fear them.

20 But I will gladly allow the prisoner exchange you have requested, so I can use my food for my soldiers, and we will wage an eternal war, either to subjecting the Nephites to our authority or to their eternal extinction.

21 We know nothing about that God you say we have rejected, and neither do you, but if there is such a being, he would have made us as well as you.

22 And if there is a devil and a hell, will he not send you there to live with my brother whom you have murdered, whom you have hinted has gone to such a place? But these things don’t matter.

23 I am Ammoron, a descendant of Zoram, whom your fathers kidnapped and brought out of Jerusalem.

24 Now I am a bold Lamanite. This war has been waged to avenge their wrongs, and to obtain their rights to the government; and I close my letter to Moroni.

CHAPTER 55

Moroni refuses to exchange prisoners—The Lamanite guards are enticed to become drunk, and the Nephite prisoners are freed—The city of Gid is taken without bloodshed. About 63–62 B.C.

1 When Moroni received this letter, he was more angry because he knew that Ammoron had a perfect knowledge of his lies and that he had no just cause for war against the Nephites.

2 And he said, I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron unless he withdraws his purpose, as I have stated in my letter. I will not give him any more power than he has.

3 I know where the Lamanites guard my people who are prisoners, and since Ammoron would not listen to my letter, I will give him what I wrote, that I will kill them until they ask for peace.

4 Then Moroni searched among his men to find a man who was a descendant of Laman.

5 They found one, whose name was Laman, and he was one of the servants of the king who was murdered by Amalickiah.

6 Moroni sent Laman and a few others to the guards who were over the Nephites, who were in the city of Gid.

8 In the evening Laman went to the guards over the Nephites, and they called out to him. He said, Don’t worry, I am a Lamanite. We have escaped from the Nephites, who are sleeping, and we have brought some of their wine with us.

9 The Lamanites were happy to hear this and said, Share your wine, so we can drink, because we are weary.

10 Laman said, Let’s keep the wine till we battle the Nephites. But this only made them want the wine more, so they said, We are tired, so let’s drink the wine, and soon we will receive wine for our rations, to strengthen us to go against the Nephites.

12 Laman said, Do as you wish, and they drank a lot, even more when they found that it was delicious. It had been prepared to be extra strong, so before long they were all drunk.

15 When Laman and his men saw that they were all drunk and in a deep sleep, they returned to Moroni and told him what had happened.

16 This was Moroni’s plan all along, so he had prepared his men with weapons, and he went to the city Gid while the Lamanites were drunk and deeply asleep, and very quietly he threw weapons in to the prisoners, so they were all armed, even their women and children.

19 Moroni did not want to kill the guards because he did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in saving his people from destruction. This is why he didn’t simply kill the Lamanites while they were drunk, which would have been unrighteous.

20 So his plan was complete. He had armed the Nephite prisoners within the wall of the city, and had given them power to take the parts which were within the walls. Then he and his men surrounded the armies of the Lamanites.

22 This was done at night, so when the Lamanites awoke in the morning they saw that they were surrounded by the Nephites outside the walls, and their prisoners inside were armed.

23 Seeing that the Nephites had power over them, they decided it was not wise to fight them. Their chief captains demanded their weapons of war and threw them at the feet of the Nephites, pleading for mercy.

24 This was what Moroni wanted. He took them prisoner, and took the city, and freed all the Nephite prisoners, who joined with and greatly strengthened the army of Moroni.

25 He made the Lamanite prisoners work to strengthen the fortifications around the city Gid.

26 When he had fortified Gid, he sent the prisoners to the city Bountiful, guarding them with an exceedingly strong force.

27 So despite all the Lamanite plans, the Nephites kept and protected all the prisoners they had taken, and also maintained all the lands and advantages which they had retaken.

28 The Nephites began again to be victorious and to reclaim their rights and privileges.

29 Many times the Lamanites attempted to encircle them at night, but they only lost many prisoners. Many times they attempted to give wine to the Nephites, to destroy them with poison or drunkenness.

31 But the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in their afflictions. They could not be deceived because they would not drink the wine unless first they had given some to Lamanite prisoners, knowing that if the wine would poison a Lamanite, it would also poison a Nephite.

33 It was necessary for Moroni to prepare to attack the city Morianton because the Lamanites had fortified the city exceedingly, continuously reinforcing it with men and supplies.

35 The twenty-ninth year ended.

CHAPTER 56

Helaman sends an epistle to Moroni, recounting the state of the war with the Lamanites—Antipus and Helaman gain a great victory over the Lamanites—Helaman’s two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power, and none of them are slain. Verse 1, about 62 B.C.; verses 2–19, about 66 B.C.; and verses 20–57, about 65–64 B.C.

1 In the beginning of the thirtieth year, Moroni received a letter from Helaman, who wrote, My dearly beloved Moroni, my brother in the Lord and in the afflictions of war, I write to tell you about the war in this part of the land.

3 Two thousand of the sons of the people of Ammon, once Lamanites, have taken up weapons and asked me to be their leader, and we have come to defend our country. And you know that their fathers made a covenant not to use weapons again to shed blood.

7 But in the twenty-sixth year, when they saw our afflictions defending them, they were about to break the covenant they had made and take up their weapons of war in our defense.

8 But I would not allow them to break this covenant, supposing that God would strengthen us so we would not suffer more because of them fulfilling their oath.

9 We rejoice that I marched at the head of these two thousand young men to the city of Judea to assist Antipus, whom you had appointed a leader over the people of that land.

10 I joined my two thousand sons to the army of Antipus, who rejoiced because his army had been greatly reduced by the Lamanite forces.

11 We may console ourselves that they have died in the cause of their country and their God, and they are happy.

12 The Lamanites had kept many prisoners, sparing alive only the chief captains. And we suppose that they are kept in the land of Nephi.

13 These are the cities the Lamanites have captured with the shedding of the blood of so many of our valiant men: the cities of Manti, Zeezrom, Cumeni, and Antiparah.

15 When I arrived at the city of Judea, I found Antipus and his men working hard to fortify the city.

16 They were depressed in body and spirit because they had fought valiantly by day and toiled by night to maintain their cities, and they had suffered great afflictions of every kind.

17 They were determined to conquer in this place or die, so you can imagine how much hope and joy they felt when I brought this little force with me.

18 The Lamanites saw that Antipus had received reinforcements, so Ammoron ordered them not to battle us at Judea.

19 We were favored of the Lord because if they had attacked us while we were weak, they might have destroyed our little army, but we were preserved.

20 Ammoron commanded his armies to keep the cities they had taken. The twenty-sixth year ended, and in the beginning of the twenty-seventh year we prepared our city for defense.

21 We wanted the Lamanites to attack us because we didn’t want to attack them in their strongholds.

22 We used spies to watch the movements of the Lamanites so they could not pass by us night or day to attack our other cities in the north because in those cities we were not strong enough to meet them. But if they passed by us, we wanted to attack them from the front and the rear and overpower them. But this did not happen. They did not dare pass us, in case they would be weak and fall.

25 Nor did they dare march against the city of Zarahemla, nor cross the river Sidon to the city of Nephihah.

26 So they kept the cities they had taken.

27 The fathers of my two thousand sons sent us many supplies. And two thousand men were sent to us from Zarahemla. So we were prepared with ten thousand men, with provisions for them and their wives and children.

29 When the Lamanites saw our forces increase daily, and provisions arriving, they became afraid and began to come out of their forts to stop our receiving provisions and strength.

30 When we saw the Lamanites grow uneasy, we wanted to execute a strategy on them, so Antipus ordered that I should march with my little sons to a neighboring city, as if we were carrying provisions.

31 We marched near the city of Antiparah as if we were carrying provisions to the city beyond. And Antipus marched some distance behind us with a part of his army, leaving the remainder to maintain the city. The strongest, most numerous Lamanite army was in Antiparah.

35 Informed by spies, the Lamanites came out and marched against us.

36 We fled from them northward, leading away the most powerful army of the Lamanites to a considerable distance. When the Lamanites saw the army of Antipus pursuing them, they did not turn but pursued us directly, hoping to kill us before Antipus could overtake them and be surrounded by our people.

38 Antipus saw our danger, so he hurried his army. They did not overtake us by night, nor did Antipus catch them, so we camped for the night.

39 Before dawn the Lamanites were pursuing us, so we marched into the wilderness because we were not strong enough to fight them, and I didn’t want my little sons to fall into their hands.

40 They dared not turn, or they would be surrounded, and I would not turn, so they could not catch me, so we fled all that day into the wilderness until it was dark.

41 The next morning we saw the Lamanites upon us, and we fled from them.

42 But soon they stopped, and we didn’t know whether Antipus had caught them, or they wanted to trick us into turning to fight them. So I asked my men, will you go against them to battle?

45 Never had I seen such great courage among all the Nephites. They said to me, Father, our God is with us, and he will not allow us to fall. So let us go to battle. We would not kill our brethren if they would leave us alone, but let us go and help Antipus.

47 They had never fought, but they did not fear death, and they thought more of the liberty of their fathers than they did of their lives. They had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them, and they believed their mothers.

49 So I returned with my two thousand against these Lamanites who had pursued us. And the armies of Antipus had overtaken them too, so a terrible battle commenced.

50 The army of Antipus was weary because of their long march in a short time, so they would have fallen to the Lamanites if I had not returned with my two thousand.

51 Antipus fell by the sword, and many of his leaders, because of their weariness, and they began to lose the battle with the Lamanites.

52 The Lamanites took courage and began to pursue them vigorously when Helaman came on their rear with his two thousand, and began to kill them terribly, so the whole army of the Lamanites halted and turned on Helaman.

53 When the people of Antipus saw that the Lamanites had turned around, they attacked the rear of the Lamanites.

54 So the people of Antipus, and I with my two thousand, surrounded the Lamanites and killed them, so they were forced to deliver up their weapons and themselves as prisoners of war.

55 When they had surrendered to us, I numbered my young men who had fought with me, fearing that many were dead.

56 But to my great joy, not one of them had fallen. They had fought with the strength of God. Never had men been known to fight with such miraculous strength, and they fell upon the Lamanites and frightened them, and that’s why the Lamanites delivered themselves up as prisoners of war.

57 Because we had no place for the prisoners, to guard and keep them from the armies of the Lamanites, we sent them to Zarahemla. Some of the men of Antipus went with them, and the rest joined my young Ammonites, and we marched back to the city of Judea.

CHAPTER 57

Helaman recounts the taking of Antiparah and the surrender and later the defense of Cumeni—His Ammonite striplings fight valiantly; all are wounded, but none are slain—Gid reports the slaying and the escape of the Lamanite prisoners. About 63 B.C.

1 I received a letter from Ammoron, the king, stating that if I would deliver up the prisoners of war we had taken, he would give us the city of Antiparah.

2 I replied that we could take the city of Antiparah by force, so giving up the prisoners we had from that city would be unwise except by exchange.

3 Ammoron refused my suggestion of prisoner exchange, so we prepared to battle the city of Antiparah.

4 But the people of Antiparah left the city, which we took, and fled to their other cities to fortify them.

6 In the beginning of the twenty-ninth year, we received supplies from the land of Zarahemla and other lands, including six thousand men plus sixty of the sons of the Ammonites who came to join their brethren, my little band of two thousand. So now we were strong and well-supplied.

7 With part of our force we surrounded the city Cumeni by night, shortly before they were to receive supplies. We camped around the city for many nights, sleeping on our swords and keeping guards so the Lamanites could not come by night and kill us. They attempted this many times, but each time we spilled their blood.

10 Eventually their supplies arrived at night, and we took them and the men bringing them before they could enter the city.

11 Although the Lamanites were cut off from their support, they were still determined to maintain the city. We sent the supplies to Judea and our prisoners to Zarahemla.

12 After not many days the Lamanites began to lose all hope of help, so they yielded the city to us.

13 But now our prisoners were so numerous that we required all our great numbers to keep them or kill them because they would break out in great numbers and fight with stones, clubs, or anything else. We killed more than two thousand of them after they had surrendered.

15 So we had to either kill them or guard them with swords to Zarahemla, and our supplies were just enough for our own people.

16 We decided to send the prisoners to Zarahemla, with part of our men to guard them.

17 But the next day those guards returned early, and we didn’t ask about the prisoners because the Lamanites were attacking us, and we needed the returning guards to save us from destruction. Ammoron had sent a numerous army and new supplies.

20 As the remainder of our army was about to give way to the Lamanites, my little band of two thousand and sixty fought firmly and killed all those who opposed them.

21 They obeyed exactly every word of command, and their faith was rewarded. I remembered the words they told me that their mothers had taught them.

22 We owed our victory to my sons and the men who had been guarding the prisoners because these men drove the Lamanites back to the city of Manti.

23 We retained our city Cumeni, but we suffered great loss and cared for the wounded.

25 Of my two thousand and sixty, two hundred had fainted because of the loss of blood, and every one had received many wounds, but by the goodness of God and to our great surprise and joy, not one soul had died.

26 This preservation astonished our whole army, since a thousand of our brethren were killed. We rightly believe it to be a miracle because of their great faith in what they had been taught to believe—that there was a righteous God, and whoever did not doubt would be preserved by his marvelous power.

27 This was the faith of these young men, whose minds were firm in their continual trust in God.

28 After we took care of our wounded and buried our dead and the many Lamanite dead, we asked Gid about the prisoners they had begun to take to Zarahemla.

29 Gid was the chief captain over the men appointed to guard them to Zarahemla.

30 Gid said, We started toward Zarahemla with our prisoners, but we met the spies of our armies who had been sent to watch the camp of the Lamanites.

31 The spies said, the Lamanite armies are marching toward the city of Cumeni, where they will destroy our people.

32 Our prisoners heard this, which gave them courage, so they rose up in rebellion against us.

33 So we had to fight them with our swords. But they ran at us in a mob, and we killed most of them, but the rest broke through and fled from us.

34 When we could not catch them, we marched with speed toward the city Cumeni, and we arrived in time to assist our brethren in preserving the city.

35 Again we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies. Blessed is the name of our God because he delivered us.

36 When I, Helaman, heard these words of Gid, I was filled with exceeding joy because of the goodness of God in preserving us, and I trust that the souls of those killed have entered into the rest of their God.

CHAPTER 58

Helaman, Gid, and Teomner take the city of Manti by a stratagem—The Lamanites withdraw—The sons of the people of Ammon are preserved as they stand fast in defense of their liberty and faith. About 63–62 B.C.

1 Our next goal was to take the city of Manti, but we could not lead them out of the city by the trick we had used before of marching small bands by the city.

2 And they were so much more numerous than our army that we dared not attack them in their strongholds.

3 We had to use our men to maintain our own cities, waiting for reinforcements and supplies from Zarahemla. I sent a messenger to tell all this to the governor of our land.

5 But this didn’t help because the Lamanites were also receiving many men and supplies from day to day.

6 Occasionally the Lamanites would come out of their forts, cleverly trying to destroy us, but we could not battle them because of their strongholds.

7 For many months we waited in these difficult circumstances, about to perish for lack of food.

8 We received food, along with two thousand men, but this is all the help we received to defend ourselves and our country from falling into the hands of our innumerable enemies.

9 We did not know why we were forced to suffer, so we were grieved and fearful that by the judgments of God we would be destroyed.

10 We poured out our souls in prayer to God that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.

11 And the Lord assured us that he would deliver us, and he spoke peace to our souls, and gave us great faith, so we could hope in him for our deliverance.

12 We took courage with the small force we received and were determined to conquer our enemies and maintain our lands, possessions, wives, children, and the cause of our liberty.

13 So with all our might we went against the Lamanites in the city of Manti, first pitching our tents near the city on the wilderness side.

14 The next day, when the Lamanites saw us, they sent their spies to discover the number and strength of our army.

15 When they saw that we were not strong in number, but fearing that we might cut them off from their outside support, they prepared to come out to battle us, supposing that they could easily kill us with their great numbers.

16 When we saw that they were preparing to come out against us, I sent Gid, with a small number of men, to hide himself in the wilderness, and also Teomner and a small number of men.

17 Gid was on the right and the others on the left, and I remained with the rest of my army in the place where we had first pitched our tents.

18 When the Lamanites came out with their numerous army against us, my men and I retreated into the wilderness.

19 The Lamanites pursued us into the wilderness with great speed, and we passed by in the midst of Gid and Teomner, who were not seen by the Lamanites.

20 When the Lamanites passed by, Gid and Teomner came out of their secret places and cut off the spies of the Lamanites so they could not return to the city.

21 Then they ran to the city, attacked the remaining guards, and took the city.

22 This happened because the Lamanites allowed their whole army to be led into the wilderness, except for a few guards.

23 So Gid and Teomner took their strongholds, and we traveled in the wilderness toward the land of Zarahemla.

24 When the Lamanites saw that they were marching toward Zarahemla, they were exceedingly afraid of a plan to destroy them, so they began to retreat back into the wilderness.

25 At night they slept, because the Lamanite chief captains had supposed that the Nephites were weary from their march, and they were not worried about the city of Manti, supposing that they had driven the whole Nephite army before them.

26 In the night I marched my men toward the land of Manti.

27 So in the morning we arrived at the city of Manti before the Lamanites, so we had taken Manti without shedding blood.

29 When the Lamanite armies arrived near the city and saw that we were prepared to meet them, they were astonished and greatly afraid, so they fled into the wilderness.

30 The armies of the Lamanites fled from all this quarter of the land, but they carried with them many women and children.

31 We now possess all those cities which had been taken by the Lamanites, and our fathers, women, and children are returning to their homes, except those carried off by the Lamanites.

32 Our armies are small to maintain so many cities, but we trust in our God who has given us victory over those lands that were ours.

34 We do not know why the government does not give us more strength, nor do our reinforcements know why.

35 Perhaps you are not doing well, and you have taken available reinforcements into your part of the land. If so, we do not desire to complain.

36 But if not, we fear that there is some faction in the government that prevents sending more men to us, because we know they have more men than they have sent.

37 But it doesn’t matter. We trust God will deliver us, despite the weakness of our armies.

38 At the end of the twenty-ninth year, we are in the possession of our lands, and the Lamanites have fled to the land of Nephi.

39 Those sons of the people of Ammon are with me in the city of Manti, and the Lord has supported them and kept them from falling by the sword, so that not one has been slain.

40 They have received many wounds, but they stand strong in that liberty God has given them, and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day. They keep his commandments continually, and their faith is strong in the prophecies about what is to come.

41 And now, my beloved brother Moroni, may the Lord our God, who has redeemed us and made us free, keep you continually in his presence. And may he favor this people so you succeed in obtaining everything the Lamanites have taken from us. And I close my letter, Helaman, the son of Alma.

CHAPTER 59

Moroni asks Pahoran to strengthen the forces of Helaman—The Lamanites take the city of Nephihah—Moroni is angry with the government. About 62 B.C.

1 In the thirtieth year, after Moroni had read Helaman’s letter, he rejoiced because of the great success Helaman had in obtaining the lands that were lost.

2 He told the stories to everyone around him, so they might rejoice also.

3 Immediately he sent a letter to Pahoran, asking for men to be sent to strengthen Helaman, so he might easily keep holding the lands he had miraculously regained.

4 When Moroni had sent this letter to Zarahemla, he began to plan how to retake the rest of the cities the Lamanites had taken from them.

5 While Moroni was preparing to battle the Lamanites, the people of Nephihah, who were gathered from the cities of Moroni, Lehi, and Morianton, were attacked by the Lamanites.

6 Even those who had been forced to flee from the land of Manti and surrounding lands had come over and joined the Lamanites at Nephihah.

7 Being exceedingly numerous, and receiving strength daily, Ammoron commanded them to go against Nephihah, and they began to kill Nephites with a great slaughter.

8 Their armies were so numerous that the rest of the people of Nephihah had to run and join the army of Moroni.

9 Moroni had supposed that men would be sent to Nephihah to easily defend the city because keeping it would be much easier than losing it and having to retake it. So he used all his forces to maintain the places he had recovered.

11 When Moroni saw that Nephihah was lost he was very sad and began to wonder if his people had become so wicked that they would be taken by the Lamanites.

12 All his chief captains also doubted and marveled at the wickedness of the people because of the success of the Lamanites over them.

13 Moroni was angry with the government because they didn’t seem to care about the freedom of their country.

CHAPTER 60

Moroni complains to Pahoran of the government’s neglect of the armies—The Lord suffers the righteous to be slain—The Nephites must use all of their power and means to deliver themselves from their enemies—Moroni threatens to fight against the government unless help is supplied to his armies. About 62 B.C.

1 Moroni wrote again to Pahoran the governor, saying, I write to condemn the people managing the affairs of this war. You have been appointed to gather men armed with all manner of weapons, and send them against the Lamanites.

3 But my men and I, and Helaman and his men, have suffered exceeding hunger, thirst, fatigue, and all manner of afflictions. And we would not complain if this suffering were all.

5 Thousands of our people have fallen by the sword when it could have been prevented if you had given our armies sufficient strength and support. You have neglected us greatly.

6 We want to know why you have thoughtlessly neglected us. Can you sit on your thrones in thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are murdering thousands of your brethren, those who have looked to you for protection and appointed you to support them? Can you do nothing when you might have helped them and saved thousands of them from falling by the sword?

9 But this is not all. You have withheld your provisions from them, so they were starving while they fought and died because of their great desires for the welfare of this people.

10 You should have worked more diligently for the welfare and freedom of this people, but you have neglected them so that the blood of thousands will weigh on your heads for vengeance because God knows all their sufferings.

11 Did you believe you could sit on your thrones, and that God would deliver you because of his great goodness? If so you have believed in vain.

12 Do you suppose that so many of your brethren have been killed because of their wickedness? No, many have fallen by the sword, and you are condemned for it.

13 The Lord allows the righteous to be killed so his judgment may come upon the wicked, so do not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are killed, but believe that they enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

14 I greatly fear that the judgments of God will come on this people because of their exceeding laziness and that of our government in neglecting their brethren who have been killed.

15 If it were not for the wickedness which began at our leaders, we could have fought so that our enemies would not have overpowered us.

16 If not for the contentions and wars among ourselves, including the king-men who caused so much bloodshed, we could have united our strength and conquered our enemies according to the word of God.

17 But now the Lamanites are attacking, taking our lands, and murdering our men, women, and children, and carrying them away captive, causing them all manner of afflictions. And all this because of the great wickedness of those king-men, wanting power and authority.

18 But why should I say much about this? Because perhaps you are looking for authority as traitors to your country.

19 Or have you neglected us because you are in the center of our country, surrounded by security, and see no need to send us men and food?

20 Have you forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Have you forgotten the captivity of our fathers and the many times we have been delivered from our enemies?

21 Do you suppose that the Lord will still deliver us while we sit on our thrones and do not use the means the Lord has given us?

22 Will you sit idly by, surrounded by tens of thousands of others who idle, while thousands of us are falling by the sword, wounded and bleeding?

23 Do you suppose that God will hold you guiltless while you do this? No. God has said that the inner container will be cleansed before the outside.

24 Unless you repent of what you have done and begin to send food and men to us and Helaman, so we can recover and maintain our lands, we will need to stop battling the Lamanites until we have first cleansed our inner container, the great head of our government.

25 Unless you do this and show me a true spirit of freedom, and work to strengthen our armies and give them food, I will leave a part of my freemen to maintain this land, and I will leave the strength and blessings of God upon them—because of their exceeding faith and patience in their afflictions—and I will come to you, and if any of you has a desire for freedom, I will stir up rebellions among you until those with desires to take power and authority are extinct.

28 I do not fear your power or authority, only God, and I follow his commandments in taking my sword to defend my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.

29 Unless you become active in the defense of your country and your little ones, now is the time that the sword of justice will fall upon you and destroy you.

30 I wait for your assistance, and unless you give us relief, I will come to you in Zarahemla and strike you with the sword, so you can no more slow the progress of this people in the cause of freedom.

31 The Lord will not allow you to live and become strong in your sins to destroy his righteous people.

32 Do you suppose that the Lord will spare you but judge the Lamanites when it is only the tradition of their fathers that has caused their hatred, while your iniquity is because of your love of glory and the vain things of the world?

33 You know that you break the laws of God and trample them under your feet. The Lord said to me, If your elected governors do not repent of their sins, you will go to battle against them.

34 I, Moroni, am compelled by my covenant to keep God’s commandments, so I want you to follow God’s word and quickly send men and supplies to me and to Helaman.

35 If you don’t, I will speedily come to you because God will not allow us to die of hunger, so he will give us your food, even if by the sword. Be sure to fulfil the word of God.

36 I am Moroni, your chief captain. I don’t seek power but pull it down. I don’t seek for honor of the world but for the glory of my God and the freedom and welfare of my country. And I close my letter.

CHAPTER 61

Pahoran tells Moroni of the insurrection and rebellion against the government—The king-men take Zarahemla and are in league with the Lamanites—Pahoran asks for military aid against the rebels. About 62 B.C.

1 Soon after Moroni sent his letter to the chief governor, he received a letter from Pahoran:

2 I, Pahoran, send these words to Moroni, chief captain over the army. I do not joy in your great afflictions; it grieves my soul.

3 But there are those who do joy in your afflictions. They have risen up in rebellion against me and the freemen of my people, and the rebels are very numerous.

4 These who have tried to take the judgment-seat from me have been the cause of this great iniquity because they have used great flattery and persuaded freemen not to come and help you or bring supplies.

5 They have driven me out, and I have fled to the land of Gideon with as many men as I could get.

6 I have sent a proclamation throughout the land, and they are flocking to us daily to defend their country and freedom and to avenge our wrongs, so now the rebels don’t dare fight us.

8 They have possession of Zarahemla, they have appointed a king, and he has written to the king of the Lamanites, to create an alliance so that the rebel king will maintain Zarahemla, which he hopes will enable the Lamanites to conquer the remainder of the land. Then he will be made king over this people when the Lamanites conquer them.

9 In your letter you judged me, but that doesn’t matter. I am not angry but rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I do not seek power, only to keep my judgment-seat so I may preserve the rights and liberty of my people. My soul stands firm in that liberty given to us by God.

10 We will resist wickedness even with bloodshed. We would not battle the Lamanites if they would stay in their own land.

11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren if they would not take the sword and rebel against us.

12 If it were required by God’s justice, we would become slaves, but he does not command us to do this with our enemies. He commands that we should put our trust in him, and he will deliver us.

14 So my beloved brother Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatever evil we cannot resist with our words, let us resist them with our swords so we may keep our freedom, so we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God.

15 So come to me speedily with a few of your men, leaving the remainder under Lehi and Teancum, who will have power to conduct the war in that part of the land according to the Spirit of God and the spirit of freedom.

16 I have sent a few supplies to them so they won’t perish until you can come to me.

17 Gather together whatever force you can as you march here, and we will go speedily against the rebels in the strength of our God according to our faith.

18 We will take Zarahemla so we can obtain more food to send to Lehi and Teancum. We will fight them in the strength of the Lord and put an end to this great iniquity.

19 Moroni, I rejoice in your letter because I was worried about what we should do, whether it would be right for us to fight our brethren.

20 But you have said, unless they repent the Lord has commanded you to fight them.

21 Strengthen Lehi and Teancum in the Lord. Tell them not to fear because God will deliver them and all who stand firm in the freedom God gave them. Now I close my letter to my beloved brother, Moroni.

CHAPTER 62

Moroni marches to the aid of Pahoran in the land of Gideon—The king-men who refuse to defend their country are put to death—Pahoran and Moroni retake Nephihah—Many Lamanites join the people of Ammon—Teancum slays Ammoron and is in turn slain—The Lamanites are driven from the land, and peace is established—Helaman returns to the ministry and builds up the Church. About 62–57 B.C.

1 When Moroni received this letter his heart was filled with courage and great joy because of the faithfulness of Pahoran, and that he was not a traitor to the freedom and cause of his country.

2 But he also greatly grieved the wickedness of those who had driven Pahoran from the judgment-seat and rebelled against their country and their God.

3 As suggested by Pahoran, Moroni took a small number of men, gave Lehi and Teancum command over the remainder of his army, and marched toward the land of Gideon.

4 He raised the standard of liberty wherever he went and gathered whatever force he could.

5 Thousands gathered to his standard and took up their swords in defense of their freedom.

6 When Moroni had gathered all the men he could in his march to Gideon, he united his forces with those of Pahoran, so they became exceedingly strong, stronger than the men of Pachus, who was the king of the rebels who had driven the freemen out of Zarahemla.

7 Moroni and Pahoran took their armies to Zarahemla and battled the men of Pachus.

8 Pachus was killed, and his men were taken prisoner, and Pahoran was restored to his judgment-seat.

9 The king-men of Pachus were judged according to the law—all those who would not defend their country—and they were executed according to the law.

10 It was necessary that this law should be strictly obeyed for the safety of their country, so whoever denied their freedom was speedily executed according to the law.

11 By the end of the thirtieth year, Moroni and Pahoran had restored peace to Zarahemla, having executed all those who were not true to the cause of freedom.

12 Moroni immediately sent provisions and six thousand men to Helaman.

13 And he sent six thousand men and supplies to Lehi and Teancum.

14 Moroni and Pahoran left many men in Zarahemla and marched a large army toward the land of Nephihah, determined to overthrow the Lamanites in that city.

15 As they marched, they took a large group of Lamanites, killing many of them and taking their supplies and weapons. They required the rest, about four thousand, to make a covenant that never again would they war against the Nephites. And they sent them to live with the people of Ammon.

18 Then they continued their march until they made camp near the city of Nephihah.

19 Moroni wanted the Lamanites to come out to battle on the plains, but the Lamanites knew of their great courage and numbers, so they dared not come to battle that day.

20 At night Moroni made his way in the dark to the top of the wall to see where in the city the Lamanite army camped.

21 They were on the east, by the entrance, all asleep. So Moroni returned to his army and ordered them to quickly prepare strong cords and ladders, to be let down from the top of the wall into the city.

22 Moroni’s men let themselves down into the other side of the city, away from the Lamanites. So in the morning the Lamanites awoke to see the armies of Moroni inside the city. They were so afraid that they fled the city by way of the open pass.

25 Moroni’s men marched after them, killed many, and surrounded many others, taking them prisoner. The remainder fled into the land of Moroni, by the seashore.

26 So Moroni and Pahoran took Nephihah without the loss of one soul, and many Lamanites were killed.

27 Many of the Lamanite prisoners wanted to join the people of Ammon and become free, so their wish was granted. And there they worked hard, tilled the ground, raising grain, flocks, and herds, thereby relieving the Nephites of a great burden.

30 After Moroni took Nephihah, the armies of the Lamanites were reduced greatly, while Moroni’s army was strengthened by regaining many Nephite prisoners. So Moroni went from Nephihah to the land of Lehi.

31 When the Lamanites saw Moroni coming against them, again they were afraid and ran.

32 Moroni and his army pursued them from city to city, until they were met by Lehi and Teancum. And the Lamanites fled from them too, until they came to the land of Moroni.

33 The Lamanite armies were all gathered together in the land of Moroni, and Ammoron, their king, was with them.

34 Moroni, Lehi, and Teancum camped in a circle around the Lamanites for the night, because all the armies were weary.

35 Teancum was very angry with Ammoron, believing that he and his brother Amalickiah had caused this great and lasting war, with so much bloodshed and famine.

36 So Teancum let himself down over the walls of the city, and found the king, and pierced him near the heart with a javelin. But before he died, the king awoke his servants, so they pursued and killed Teancum.

37 When Lehi and Moroni knew that Teancum was dead they mourned greatly because he had been a man who fought valiantly for his country, a true friend to liberty who had suffered very many exceedingly sore afflictions. But he was dead and had gone the way of all the earth.

38 In the morning Moroni marched upon the Lamanites and slaughtered them and drove them out of the land, and they fled and did not return at that time against the Nephites.

39 The thirty-first year ended, after many years of wars, bloodshed, famine, and affliction. And there had been murders, contentions, dissensions, and all manner of wickedness among the people of Nephi, but they were spared for the cause of the righteous and their prayers.

41 But because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, while others were softened because of their afflictions, humbling themselves deeply before God.

42 After Moroni had fortified the lands most exposed to the Lamanites, he returned to Zarahemla; and Helaman returned to his home; and once more there was peace among the people of Nephi.

43 Moroni gave command of his armies to his son, Moronihah, and he retired to his own house to  spend the rest of his days in peace.

44 Pahoran returned to the judgment-seat, and Helaman went back to preaching the word of God to the people. Because of so many wars and contentions it had become necessary that an ordering should be made again in the church.

45 So Helaman and his brethren traveled and declared the word of God with much power to the convincing of many people of their wickedness, which caused them to repent of their sins and be baptized to the Lord their God.

46 They established the church of God again throughout all the land.

47 Regulations were made concerning the law. And their judges and chief judges were chosen.

48 The Nephites began to prosper again in the land, becoming exceedingly rich and to multiply and become strong in the land.

49 But despite their riches, strength, and prosperity, they did not become prideful, and they were not slow to remember the Lord their God but humbled themselves exceedingly before him.

50 They remembered what great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, bonds, prisons, all manner of afflictions, and from their enemies.

51 And they prayed to the Lord their God continually, so he blessed them according to his word so they became strong and prospered in the land.

52 Helaman died in the thirty-fifth year.

CHAPTER 63

Shiblon and later Helaman take possession of the sacred records—Many Nephites travel to the land northward—Hagoth builds ships, which sail forth in the west sea—Moronihah defeats the Lamanites in battle. About 56–52 B.C.

1 In the beginning of the thirty-sixth year, Shiblon took possession of those sacred things which had been delivered to Helaman by Alma. He was a just man who walked uprightly before God. And he did good continually, to keep the commandments of the Lord his God; and also did his brother.

3 Moroni died, and thus ended the thirty-sixth year of the reign of the judges.

4 In the thirty-seventh year, five thousand and four hundred men, with their wives and their children, left Zarahemla to go into the land northward.

5 And Hagoth, a very curious man, built an exceedingly large ship on the borders of the land Bountiful, and he sailed into the west sea, by the narrow neck into the land northward.

6 Many Nephites went with him, with many women, children, and supplies, and they sailed north. And the thirty-seventh year ended.

7 In the thirty-eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship returned, and many more people sailed north in it, with many supplies.

8 No one heard from them again, and we suppose they were drowned in the sea. One other ship sailed, but we don’t know where it went.

9 In this year many people went into the land northward. And the thirty-eighth year ended.

10 In the thirty-ninth year, Shiblon died, and Corianton went to the land northward in a ship, to carry supplies to the people who had gone into that land.

11 Before his death, Shiblon conferred those sacred things on the son of Helaman, who was also called Helaman.

12 All those engravings possessed by Helaman were written and sent among people throughout all the land, except the parts Alma had commanded not to go forth.

13 These things were to be kept sacred, and handed down from one generation to another; and in this year they had been given by Shiblon to Helaman.

14 In this year some dissenters again went to the Lamanites and stirred up their anger against the Nephites.

15 In this same year they came with a numerous army to war against the people of Moronihah, but they were beaten and driven back again to their own lands, suffering great loss.

16 The thirty-ninth year ended, and so ended the account of Alma, and Helaman his son, and also Shiblon, who was his son.