2. And it came to pass that he went in unto him into the king's palace, with his brethren, and bowed himself before the king, and said unto him, Behold, O king, we are the brethren of Ammon, whom thou hast delivered out of prison.

3. And now, O king, if thou wilt spare our lives, we will be thy servants. And the king said unto them, Arise, for I will grant unto you your lives, and I will not suffer that ye shall be my servants; but I will insist that ye shall administer unto me; for I have been somewhat troubled in mind, because of the generosity, and the greatness of the words of thy brother Ammon; and I desire to know the cause why he has not come up out of "Middoni with thee.

4. And Aaron said unto the king, Behold, the Spirit of the Lord has called him another way; he has gone to the land of Ishmael, to teach the people of Lamoni.

5. Now the king said unto them, What is this that ye have said concerning the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth trouble me.

6. And also, what is this that Ammon said-'If ye will repent ye shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at the last day?

7. And Aaron answered him and said unto him, Believest thou that there is a God? And the king said, I know that the Amalekites say that there is a God, and I have granted unto them that they should build 'sanctuaries, that they may assemble themselves together to worship him. And if now thou sayest there is a God, behold I will believe.

8. And now when Aaron heard this, his heart began to rejoice, and he said, Behold, assuredly as thou livest, O king, there is a God.

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

10. And Aaron said unto him, Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth: Believest thou this?

11. And he said yea, I believe that the Great Spirit created all things, and I desire that ye should tell me concerning all these things, and I will believe thy words.

12. And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the "creation of Adam, 'reading the scriptures unto the king: how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had

fallen.

13. And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures, from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world,

w, Alma 17.

g, Alma 20: 26. h, see b, Alma 20.
i, see
k, Alma 20: 17, 18. 1, see t, Alma 15.
See m, Mos. 2. o, copy from the Brass
Mos. 4.

f. Alma 20: 26, 27. j, ver. 4. m, see b, Alma 18.1 n, ver: 13. Plates. Alma 63: 12.

P, see d.

through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his

name.

14. And since man had fallen, he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ, atoneth for their sins, through faith and repentance, &c.; and that he "breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the 'sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.

15. And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said, What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do, that I may 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 may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess; yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.

16. But Aaron said unto him, If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt "bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and "call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.

17. And it came to pass that when Aaron_had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did "prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying,

18. O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck 2 "as if he were dead.

19. And it came to pass that his servants ran and told the queen all that had happened unto the king, And she came in unto the king; and when she saw him lay as if he were dead, and also Aaron and his brethren standing as though they had been the cause of his fall, she was angry with them, and commanded that her servants, or the servants of the king, should take them and slay them.

20. Now the servants had seen the cause of the king's fall, therefore they durst not lay their hands on Aaron and his brethren; and they plead with the queen, saying, Why commandest thou that we should slay these men, when behold one of them is mightier than us all? Therefore we shall fall before them.

21. Now when the queen saw the fear of the servants, she r, see g and j, II. Nep. 9.

q, see f, II. Nep. 2. t, see i, Mos. 16. 17, 18.

2 a, ver. 19.

u, see c, Mos. 5.
x, see e, II. Nep. 32.
2 b, ver. 18.

v, see q,

y, ver. 16.

8, see h, Mos. 16. Mos. 2. w, vers. z, see e, II. Nep. 32.

also began to fear exceedingly, lest there should some evil come upon her. And she commanded her servants that they should go and 2ccall the people, that they might slay Aaron and his brethren.

22. Now when Aaron saw the determination of the queen, and he also knowing the hardness of the hearts of the people, feared lest that a multitude should assemble themselves together, and there should be a great contention, and a disturbance among them; therefore he put forth his hand and raised the king from the earth, and said unto him, Stand: and he stood upon his feet, receiving his strength.

23. Now this was done in the presence of the queen and many of the servants. And when they saw it, they greatly marvelled, and began to fear. And the king stood forth, and began to minister unto them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that his 2dwhole household were converted unto the Lord.

24. Now there was a 2 multitude gathered together because of the commandment of the queen, and there began te be great murmurings among them, because of Aaron and his brethren.

25. But the king stood forth among them, and administered unto them. And they were pacified towards Aaron, and those who were with him.

26. And it came to pass that when the king saw that the people were pacified, he caused that Aaron and his brethren should stand forth in the midst of the multitude, and that they should preach the word unto them.

27. And it came to pass that the king sent a 2/proclamation throughout all the land, amongst all his people who were in all his land, who were in all the regions round about, which was bordering even to the sea, on the east, and on the west, and which was divided from the 29land of Zarahemla by a narrow strip of wilderness, which ran from the sea east, even to the sea west, and round about on the borders of the seashore, and the borders of the wilderness which was on the north, by the land of Zarahemla, through the borders of Manti, by the head of the river Sidon, running from the east towards the west: and thus were the Lamanites and the Nephites divided.

28. Now, the more idle part of the Lamanites lived in the wilderness, and dwelt in tents; and they were spread through the wilderness, on the west, in the land of Nephi : yea, and also on the west of the land of Zarahemla, in the borders by the seashore, and on the west, in the land of Nephi, in the place of their fathers' first inheritance, and thus bordering along by the seashore.

1-4.

29. And also there were many Lamanites on the east by

2c, ver. 24.

2d, Alma 23: 3.
2e, ver. 21.
2h, see h, Alma 16.

2g, see h, Omni 1. 2j, see b, II. Nep. 5.

2ƒ, Alma 23: 2i, see g, Alma 2.

the seashore, whither the Nephites had driven them. And thus the Nephites were nearly surrounded by the Lamanites; nevertheless the Nephites had taken possession of all the northern parts of the land, bordering on the wilderness, at the head of the river Sidon, from the east to the west, round about on the wilderness side; on the north, even until they came to the land which they called 2*Bountiful.

30. And it bordered upon the land which they called 'Desolation; it being so far northward that it came into the land which had 2mbeen peopled, and been destroyed, of whose 2"bones we have spoken, which was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; it being the place of their 2pfirst landing.

31. And they came from there 29up into the south wilderness. Thus the land on the northward was called "Desolation, and the land on the southward was called 2 Bountiful; it being the wilderness which is filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind; a part of which had come from the land northward for food.

32. And now it was only the 2"distance of a day and a half's journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful, and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi, and the land of Zarahemla, were nearly surrounded by water; there being a small "neck of land between the land northward and the land southward.

33. And it came to pass that the Nephites had inhabited the land Bountiful, even from the east unto the west sea, and thus the Nephites in their wisdom, with their guards and their armies, had hemmed in the Lamanites on the south, that thereby they should have no more possession on the north, that they might not overrun the land northward;

more

34. Therefore the Lamanites could have no possessions only in the land of Nephi, and the wilderness round about. Now this was wisdom in the Nephites; as the Lamanites were an enemy to them, they would not suffer their afflictions on every hand, and also that they might have a country whither they might flee, according to their desires.

35. And now I, after having said this, return again to the account of Ammon and Aaron, Omner and Himni, and their brethren.

2k, vers. 31-33. 53: 3, 4. 55

3:23. 11: 1.

Alma 50: 32. 51: 28, 30, 32. 529, 15, 17, 18, 27, 39. 26. 63: 5. Hela. 1: 23, 28, 29. 4: 5, 6. 5: 14. III. Nep. 21, vers. 31, 32. Alma 46: 17. 50:34. 63: 5. I. Nep. 3: 23. Mor. 3: 5, 7. 4: 1--3, 8, 13, 19. 2m, Book of Ether. 2n, Mos. 8: 7-12. 21:25-28. 28:11-19. Book of Ether. 20, Omni 1: 20-22. 2p, vers. 31, 32. Omni 1: 14-22. Hela. 6:10. 8:21, 22. 24, Into Bountiful and North America, Mulek. 28, see 2k. 2 t, see m, 52:9. Hela. 4: 7.

Zarahemla, South America being called Lehi, and
See Hela. 6: 10. 2 r, see 21. Also Hela. 3: 5, 6.
I. Nep. 18. 2u, Hela, 4:7.
2v, Alma 50: 34.
Mor. 2: 29. 3:5,

63:5.

CHAPTER 23.

1. BEHOLD, now it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites sent a "proclamation among all his people, that they should not lay their hands on Ammon, or Aaron, or Omner, or Himni, nor either of their brethren who should go forth preaching the word of God, in whatsoever place they should be, in any part of their land;

2. Yea, he sent a decree among them, that they should not lay their hands on them to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should they spit upon them, nor smite them, nor cast them out of their 'synagogues, nor scourge them neither should they cast stones at them, but that they should have free access to their houses, and also their temples, and their sanctuaries;

3. And thus they might go forth and preach the word according to their desires, for the king had been converted unto the Lord, and all his household: therefore, he sent his proclamation throughout the land unto his people, that the word of God might have no obstruction, but that it might go forth throughout all the land, that his people might be convinced concerning the wicked traditions of their fathers, and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness.

4. And now it came to pass that when the king had sent forth this "proclamation, that Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, and from one house of worship to another, establishing churches, and consecrating priests and teachers throughout the land among the Lamanites, to preach and to teach the word of God among them; and thus they began to have great success.

5. And thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe in the traditions of the Nephites; and they were taught the records and the prophecies which were handed down, even to the present time;

6. And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the Spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them; yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, 'never did fall away,

f, see a.

7. For they became a righteous people: they did lay a, vers. 2-4. Alma 22 27. b, see u, Alma 16. c, see h, II. Nep. 5. d, see t, Alma 15. e, Alma 22: 23. g, see n, Jacob 7. h, see a. i, see u, Alma 16. See h, 11. Nep. 5. See t, Alma 15. j, see c, Mos. 6. k, Copies from the Plates of Brass, Plates of Nephi, &c. i, Alma 27:27. Hela. 15: 6-16.