Alma
20 verses
In the sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no conflicts or wars in the land of Zarahemla.
Now it came to pass in the sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no contentions nor wars in the land of Zarahemla;
But the people were afflicted, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brothers, and also for the loss of their flocks and herds, and for the loss of their fields of grain, which were trampled and destroyed by the Lamanites.
But the people were afflicted, yea, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the loss of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain, which were trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.
Their suffering was so great that everyone had reason to mourn, and they believed these were God's judgments sent because of their wickedness and abominations. This caused them to remember their duty.
And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.
They began to strengthen the church, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and joined the church of God. They were baptized by Alma, who had been appointed high priest over the people of the church by his father Alma.
And they began to establish the church more fully; yea, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the high priest over the people of the church, by the hand of his father Alma.
In the seventh year of the reign of the judges, about three thousand five hundred people joined the church of God and were baptized. That is how the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi ended, and there was continual peace throughout that time.
And it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of God and were baptized. And thus endeth the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.
In the eighth year of the reign of the judges, the people of the church began to grow proud because of their great wealth, their fine silks and finely woven linen, their many flocks and herds, their gold and silver, and all kinds of precious things they had gained through their hard work. Because of all these things, they became prideful and started to wear very expensive clothing.
And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.
This caused a lot of suffering for Alma and for many of the people whom Alma had appointed to be teachers, priests, and elders over the church. Many of them were deeply troubled by the wickedness they saw starting to appear among their people.
Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.
They saw with great sorrow that the people of the church were becoming prideful and setting their hearts on riches and the vain things of the world. They began to be scornful toward each other and started to persecute those who did not believe as they did.
For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.
So, in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, there were serious arguments among the people of the church. There was envy, conflict, malice, persecution, and pride—even greater than the pride of those who were not part of the church of God.
And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.
The eighth year of the reign of the judges ended, and the wickedness within the church became a major obstacle for those who were not members; as a result, the church began to lose progress.
And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.
At the beginning of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness in the church, and he also saw that the example set by the church was leading those who didn’t believe from one sin to another, which was bringing about the destruction of the people.
And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people.
He saw great inequality among the people. Some were full of pride, looking down on others, ignoring the needy and the naked, those who were hungry, those who were thirsty, and those who were sick and suffering.
Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.
This was a great reason for sorrow among the people, while others were humbling themselves, helping those who needed help by giving their resources to the poor and needy, feeding the hungry, and enduring all kinds of hardships for Christ’s sake, who would come as foretold by the spirit of prophecy.
Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the poor and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of afflictions, for Christ’s sake, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy;
They looked forward to that day, keeping a remission of their sins and feeling great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will, power, and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bonds of death.
Looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of their sins; 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.
Alma saw the suffering of the humble followers of God and the persecution they endured from the rest of his people. Seeing all this inequality made him very sorrowful, but the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.
And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.
He chose a wise man from among the elders of the church and gave him authority, as the people wanted, so he could make laws based on the laws that had already been given and enforce them according to the wickedness and crimes of the people.
And he selected a wise man who was among the elders of the church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people, that he might have power to enact laws according to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.
This man’s name was Nephihah, and he was appointed chief judge; he sat in the judgment seat to judge and govern the people.
Now this man’s name was Nephihah, and he was appointed chief judge; and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the people.
Alma did not give him the position of high priest over the church, but kept the office of high priest for himself; however, he gave the judgment seat to Nephihah.
Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.
He did this so he could go among his people, the people of Nephi, to preach the word of God to them, to remind them of their duty, and to use the word of God to overcome all the pride, craftiness, and arguments among his people, seeing no other way to help them except by sharing pure testimony against them.
And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.
At the beginning of the ninth year of the judges’ reign over the people of Nephi, Alma gave up the judgment seat to Nephihah and devoted himself completely to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, focusing on sharing the word according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.
And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.