Alma
29 verses
After he finished speaking to the people, many of them believed his words, began to repent, and started to study the scriptures.
And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures.
Most of the people wanted to destroy Alma and Amulek, because they were angry with Alma for speaking so plainly to Zeezrom. They also said that Amulek had lied to them and spoken against their law, as well as against their lawyers and judges.
But the more part of them were desirous that they might destroy Alma and Amulek; for they were angry with Alma, because of the plainness of his words unto Zeezrom; and they also said that Amulek had lied unto them, and had reviled against their law and also against their lawyers and judges.
They were also angry with Alma and Amulek, and because they had testified so clearly against their wickedness, they tried to get rid of them secretly.
And they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily.
They didn’t do it; instead, they tied them up with strong cords and brought them before the chief judge of the land.
But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land.
The people came forward and testified against them, saying that they had spoken against the law, against the lawyers and judges of the land, and against all the people in the land. They also testified that Alma and Amulek claimed there was only one God, that He would send His Son among the people, but that He would not save them. The people testified to many such things against Alma and Amulek. All of this was done before the chief judge of the land.
And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of the land.
Zeezrom was astonished at the words that had been spoken, and he realized the blindness of mind he had caused among the people with his lies. His soul began to be troubled by the awareness of his own guilt, and he started to be surrounded by the pains of hell.
And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.
He began to cry out to the people, saying, “I am guilty, and these men are innocent before God. ” From that time on, he pleaded for them, but they insulted him, saying, “Are you also possessed by the devil? ” They spit on him and cast him out from among them, along with all those who believed the words spoken by Alma and Amulek. They cast them out and sent men to throw stones at them.
And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. And he began to plead for them from that time forth; but they reviled him, saying: Art thou also possessed with the devil? And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them.
They gathered their wives and children, and anyone who believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they threw into the fire. They also brought out their records containing the holy scriptures and threw them into the fire as well, so they would be burned and destroyed.
And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire, and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.
They took Alma and Amulek and brought them to the place of execution so they could witness the destruction of those who were burned.
And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
When Amulek saw the suffering of the women and children being burned in the fire, he was also deeply hurt. He said to Alma, “How can we watch this terrible scene? Let’s reach out our hands, use the power of God that is in us, and save them from the flames. ”
And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
But Alma said to him, “The Spirit is restraining me and I can’t reach out my hand; the Lord is receiving them to himself in glory, and he allows this to happen to them because of the hardness of the people’s hearts, so that his judgments on them in his anger will be just. The blood of the innocent will stand as a witness against them and cry out powerfully against them at the last day. ”
But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
Amulek said to Alma, "Maybe they will burn us too.
Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.
Alma said, “Let it be according to the will of the Lord. But our work isn’t finished yet, so they aren’t burning us. ”
And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.
When the bodies of those who had been thrown into the fire were burned, along with the records that were thrown in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek while they were tied up. He struck them on their cheeks 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?
Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto them: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone?
You see that you didn’t have the power to save those who were thrown into the fire; God hasn’t saved them either, even though they shared your faith. The judge struck them again on their cheeks and asked, “What do you have to say for yourselves? ”
Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thy faith. And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, and asked: What say ye for yourselves?
This judge followed the beliefs and teachings of Nehor, who killed Gideon.
Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who slew Gideon.
Alma and Amulek didn’t answer him; he hit them again and handed them over to the officers to be thrown into prison.
And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered him nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison.
After they had been in prison for three days, many lawyers, judges, priests, and teachers who followed the teachings of Nehor came to the prison to see them. They questioned them about many things, but they didn’t answer them.
And when they had been cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers, and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of the profession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison to see them, and they questioned them about many words; but they answered them nothing.
The judge stood before them and said, “Why don’t you answer what these people are saying? Don’t you know that I have the power to hand you over to be burned? ” He ordered them to speak, but they didn’t say anything.
And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames? And he commanded them to speak; but they answered nothing.
They left and went their own ways, but returned the next day; the judge also struck them again on their cheeks. Many others came and struck them as well, saying, “Will you stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If you have such great power, why don’t you deliver yourselves? ”
And it came to pass that they departed and went their ways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge also smote them again on their cheeks. And many came forth also, and smote them, saying: Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law? If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?
They said many similar things to them, grinding their teeth at them and spitting on them, and saying, “How will we look when we are damned? ”
And many such things did they say unto them, gnashing their teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying: How shall we look when we are damned?
They said many things like this to them, mocking them for many days. They withheld food so they would be hungry, and water so they would be thirsty. They also took their clothes so they were naked. They were bound with strong cords and kept in prison.
And many such things, yea, all manner of such things did they say unto them; and thus they did mock them for many days. And they did withhold food from them that they might hunger, and water that they might thirst; and they also did take from them their clothes that they were naked; and thus they were bound with strong cords, and confined in prison.
After they had suffered for many days, on the twelfth day of the tenth month in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, the chief judge of the land of Ammonihah, along with many of their teachers and lawyers, went into the prison where Alma and Amulek were tied up with cords.
And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for many days, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.
The chief judge stood in front of them, hit them again, and said, “If you have the power of God, free yourselves from these ropes, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people as you have said. ”
And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye 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.
They all went out and struck them, repeating the same words, even until the last person. When the last had spoken to them, the power of God came upon Alma and Amulek, and they got up and stood on their feet.
And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet.
Alma called out, “How long will we have to endure these great afflictions, Lord? Lord, give us strength according to our faith in Christ, even to the point of deliverance. ” They broke the cords that bound them, and when the people saw this, they began to run away, because they were afraid of being destroyed.
And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.
Their fear was so great that they fell to the ground and couldn't reach the outer door of the prison. The earth shook powerfully, and the prison walls split in two and collapsed. The chief judge, along with the lawyers, priests, and teachers who had struck Alma and Amulek, were killed by the falling walls.
And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.
Alma and Amulek came out of the prison unharmed, because the Lord had given them power according to their faith in Christ. They immediately walked out of the prison, freed from their bonds. The prison had collapsed, and everyone inside, except for Alma and Amulek, was killed. They immediately went into the city.
And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city.
When the people heard a loud noise, large crowds ran together to find out what was happening. When they saw Alma and Amulek coming out of the prison and the walls had collapsed to the ground, they were filled with fear and ran away from Alma and Amulek, just like a goat runs with her young from two lions. That is how they fled from Alma and Amulek.
Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.