Alma — Chapter 8
1 After Alma taught the people of Gideon many things (which cannot be written) and built up the church there as he had in Zarahemla, he went back to his own house in Zarahemla to rest.
2 This was how the ninth year of the judges ended.
3 Then in the beginning of the tenth year of the judges, Alma left Zarahemla and went over to the land of Melek, west of the river Sidon, by the borders of the wilderness.
4 He taught the gospel to all the people in the land of Melek by the power of God’s priesthood to which he had been called.
5 The people came to him from all the borders of the land on the wilderness side and were baptized throughout all that land.
6 When he was done with his work at Melek, he left and traveled north of Melek for three days until he came to a city called Ammonihah.
7 It was the Nephites’ way to call their lands and cities, even their small cities, after the first person to live there. That was how the land of Ammonihah got its name.
8 When Alma came to the city of Ammonihah, he began to teach the people the gospel.
9 But Satan had gotten great power over the hearts of the people in Ammonihah, so they would not listen to what Alma said.
10 Alma worked hard in the spirit, and prayed very hard to God, asking him to send his Spirit to the people in the city, so that he, Alma, could baptize them to repentance.
11 But they hardened their hearts, and said to him: “See here, we know you are Alma, and that you are the high priest over the church you have built up in many parts of the land. We do not belong to your church, and we do not believe in such foolish teachings.
12 “And since we are not part of your church, you do not have any power over us, because you gave the judgment-seat to Nephihah, and you are not our chief judge anymore.”
13 After the people said this, and would not listen to Alma, and called him names, and spit on him, and threw him out of their city, he left to go to the city of Aaron.
14 While Alma was on his way, he was very sorry and pained in his soul because of the wickedness of the people of the city of Ammonihah. But while he was so sad, an angel of the Lord came to him and said:
15 “You are blessed, Alma, so look up and be happy. You have great reason to be happy, because you have been faithful in keeping God’s commandments from the time you first heard from him. I am the same angel who spoke to you then.
16 “Now I have been sent to command you to go back to the city of Ammonihah, and teach the people there again. Yes, tell them that if they do not repent, the Lord God will destroy them.
17 “You see, even now they are planning to destroy the freedom of your people, which (as the Lord says) is against the laws and judgments and commandments he has given his people.”
18 After Alma heard the angel of the Lord, he quickly went back to the land of Ammonihah. He went back into the city a different way, on the south side.
19 When he came into the city, he was hungry, and said to a man: “Will you give something to eat to one of God’s humble servants?”
20 And the man said to him: “I am a Nephite. I know you are a holy prophet of God, because you are the one the angel told me in a vision to take into my house. Come with me to my house and I will give you food. I know you will be a blessing to me and my family.”
21 So the man, called Amulek, took Alma home and gave him bread and meat.
22 Alma ate the bread until he was full, and blessed Amulek and his family, and thanked God.
23 After he had eaten, he said to Amulek: “I am Alma, and I am the high priest over God’s church in all the land.
24 “I have been called to preach the gospel by the spirit of revelation and prophecy among all this people. I came here, but they would not listen to me and threw me out. I was going to go away from this land forever.
25 “But I have been commanded to come back and prophesy to this people, and to witness against them about their sins.
26 “Now, Amulek, since you have fed me and taken me in, you are blessed. I was very hungry because I had fasted for many days.”
27 Alma stayed with Amulek for many days before he began to preach to the people.
28 And the people became even more wicked.
29 Then the Lord said to Alma: “Tell my servant Amulek to prophesy to this people and say: ‘Repent, because the Lord says: If you do not repent, I will visit this people in my anger and punish them.’”
30 So Alma and Amulek went among the people to tell them what God had said, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.
31 They were given power so they could not be kept in prison, nor could anyone kill them. But they did not use this power until they had been tied up and put in prison. This was done so the Lord could show his power in them.
32 So they began to teach and prophesy to the people by the spirit and power the Lord had given them.
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