Alma
25 verses
Overview
Amalickiah stirs up the Lamanites for war and prepares to attack, while Moroni strengthens Nephite defenses and is praised for his faith, leadership, and commitment to liberty.
As soon as Amalickiah took control of the kingdom, he began to stir up the Lamanites against the people of Nephi. He appointed men to speak to the Lamanites from their towers, turning them against the Nephites.
And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites.
He inspired them to hate the Nephites so much that, by the end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges, after accomplishing his goals and becoming king over the Lamanites, he also wanted to rule over the entire land and all the people in it, both the Nephites and the Lamanites.
And thus he did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far, yea, having been made king over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all the land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites.
He had achieved his goal, because he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and made them angry, so much that he gathered a large army to go to battle against the Nephites.
Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites.
He was determined, because of the large number of his people, to overpower the Nephites and bring them into bondage.
For he was determined, because of the greatness of the number of his people, to overpower the Nephites and to bring them into bondage.
He appointed the Zoramites as chief captains because they were most familiar with the strength of the Nephites, their gathering places, and the weakest parts of their cities. So he made them chief captains over his armies.
And thus he did appoint chief captains of the Zoramites, they being the most acquainted with the strength of the Nephites, and their places of resort, and the weakest parts of their cities; therefore he appointed them to be chief captains over his armies.
They packed up their camp and moved toward the land of Zarahemla through the wilderness.
And it came to pass that they took their camp, and moved forth toward the land of Zarahemla in the wilderness.
While Amalickiah had been gaining power through fraud and deceit, Moroni had been preparing the people to remain faithful to the Lord their God.
Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.
He had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites and building small forts or places of refuge, piling up banks of earth around them to enclose his armies, and also building stone walls to surround them, around their cities and the borders of their lands—all around the land.
Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land.
He placed more men in their weakest fortifications, and in this way he fortified and strengthened the land held by the Nephites.
And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
In this way, he was getting ready to defend their freedom, their lands, their wives and children, and their peace, so they could live for the Lord their God and maintain what their enemies called the cause of Christians.
And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.
Moroni was a strong and mighty man with perfect understanding. He did not take pleasure in bloodshed. His soul rejoiced in the liberty and freedom of his country and in his brothers being freed from bondage and slavery.
And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
He was a man whose heart was filled with gratitude to his God for the many privileges and blessings He gave to his people; a man who worked tirelessly for the welfare and safety of his people.
Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
He was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, his country, and his religion, even if it cost him his life.
Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
The Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the point of shedding blood if necessary. They were also taught never to offend others and never to use the sword except against an enemy, and only to preserve their lives.
Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
This was their faith: by doing this, God would help them succeed in the land. In other words, if they were faithful in keeping God's commandments, he would help them prosper in the land—warning them to flee or prepare for war, depending on the danger they faced.
And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
They also prayed that God would show them where to go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by doing this, the Lord would deliver them. This was Moroni's faith, and he took pride in it—not in shedding blood, but in doing good, preserving his people, keeping God's commandments, and resisting evil.
And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
Truly, I tell you, if all people had been, were, and always would be like Moroni, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
He was a man like Ammon, the son of Mosiah, and also like the other sons of Mosiah, and Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.
Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.
Helaman and his brothers were just as helpful to the people as Moroni was, because they preached the word of God and baptized everyone who was willing to listen to them and repent.
Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words.
They went out, and the people humbled themselves because of their words, so they were highly favored by the Lord and were free from wars and conflicts among themselves for four years.
And thus they went forth, and the people did humble themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were highly favored of the Lord, and thus they were free from wars and contentions among themselves, yea, even for the space of four years.
But, as I said, at the end of the nineteenth year, even though they had peace among themselves, they were reluctantly forced to fight against their brothers, the Lamanites.
But, as I have said, in the latter end of the nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites.
Their wars with the Lamanites continued for many years, even though they were very reluctant.
Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.
They were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not take pleasure in shedding blood. They were also sorry to be the reason so many of their brothers were sent from this life into the next, unprepared to meet God.
Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God.
However, they could not allow themselves to be killed and have their wives and children massacred by the cruel actions of those who were once their brothers, who had left their church, abandoned them, and joined the Lamanites to destroy them.
Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their wives and their children should be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and had dissented from their church, and had left them and had gone to destroy them by joining the Lamanites.
They couldn't stand the thought of their brothers rejoicing over the blood of the Nephites as long as there were any who kept God's commandments, because the Lord had promised that if they kept His commandments, they would prosper in the land.
Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord was, if they should keep his commandments they should prosper in the land.