And Alma also related unto them his "conversion with Ammon, and Aaron, and his brethren. 26. And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the Nephites the people of Ammon: therefore, they were distinguished by that name ever after. 27. And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, "even unto the end. 28. And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the "resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the "victory of Christ over it; 29. Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them. 30. And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favoured people of the Lord. CHAPTER 28. 1. AND now it came to pass, that after the "people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, and a church also established in the land of Jershon; and the armies of the Nephites were set round about the land of Jershon; yea, in all the borders round about the land of Zarahemla; behold the armies of the Lamanites had followed their brethren into the wilderness. 2. And thus there was a tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left "Jerusalem; yea, and tens of thousands of the Lamanites were slain and scattered abroad. 3. Yea, and also there was a tremendous_slaughter among the people of Nephi; nevertheless, the Lamanites u, Mos. 27: 10-17. Nep. 11. y, see h, Mos. 16. z, Alma 24: 20-23. 27: 3. v, see q. w, see 1, Alma 23. x, see d, II. a, Alma 27: 26. b, see q, Alma 27. c, see h, Omni 1. d, L. Nep. 2:2, 3. were driven and scattered, and the people of Nephi returned again to their land. 4. And now this was a time that there was a great mourning and lamentation heard throughout all the land, among all the people of Nephi ; 5. Yea, the cry of widows mourning for their husbands, and also of fathers mourning for their sons, and the daughter for the brother; yea, the brother for the father: and thus the cry of mourning was heard among every one of them: mourning for their kindred who had been slain. 6. And now surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time of solemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer; 7. And thus endeth the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; 8. And this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their fincomprehensible joy, and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon. And now may the Lord, the Redeemer of all men, bless their souls for ever. 9. And this is the account of the wars and contentions among the Nephites, and also the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites; and the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges is ended; 10. And "from the first year to the fifteenth, has brought to pass the destruction of many thousand lives; yea, it has brought to pass an awful scene of bloodshed; 11. And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are 'mouldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo; 12. While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never ending happiness; 13. And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men; 14. And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labour in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing; sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life. e, see t, Mos. 27. ƒ, Alma 26. 27: 16-19. h, Alma 1-28. i, Alma 16: 11. j, Jacob 5. 9, see q, Alma 27. CHAPTER 29. 1. O THAT I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people; 2. Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. 3. But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. 4. I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. 5. Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men ; or he that "knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that 'knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience. 6. Now seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? 7. Why should I desire that I was an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? 8. For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, dall that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. 9. I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it: I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God, to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. 10. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me; yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me; 11. Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of d, Alma 12: 9-11. a, see j, Mos. 3. e, Alma 26: 12. b, see l, II. Nep. 2. f, Mos. 27: 11-31. c, ver. 1. bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage; 12. Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians, did deliver them out of bondage; 13. Yea, and that same God did establish his church among them; yea, and that same God hath called me by a "holy calling, to preach the word unto this people, and hath given me much success, in the which my joy is full; 14. But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi. 15. Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward. 16. Now when I think of the success of these my brethren, my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy. 17. And now may God grant unto these my brethren, that they may sit down in the kingdom of God; yea, and also all those who are the fruit of their labors that they may go no more out, but that they may praise him for ever. And may God grant that it may be done according to my words, even as I have spoken. Amen. CHAPTER 30. 1. BEHOLD, now it came to pass that after the "people of Ammon were established in the 'land of Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were driven out of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land. 2. Now their dead were not numbered because of the "greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered. But it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of fasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi,) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land, 3. Yea, and the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to keep the law of Moses, until it should be fulfilled; 4. And thus the people did have no disturbance in all the g. Mos. 24: 16-22. II. Nep. 5. a, Alma 27: 26. e, see t, Mos. 27. j, see b, h, Alma 5: 3. i, Alma 17: 8. b, see q, Alma 27. f, see o, II. Nep. 25. c, Alma 28: 2, 3. d, see c. 3 sixteenth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi. 5. And it came to pass in the seventeenth year of the reign of the Judges, there was continual peace. 6. But it came to pass in the latter end of the seventeenth year, there came a man into the land of Zarahemla; and he was Anti-Christ, for he began to preach unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ. 7. Now there was no law against a man's belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds. 8. For thus saith the scripture, "Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve. 9. Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege, or rather if he believed in God, it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him, there was no law to punish him. 10. But if he murdered, he was punished unto death; and if he robbed, he was also punished; and if he stole, he was also punished; and if he committed adultery, he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness, they were punished; 11. For there was a law, that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man's belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds. 12. And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him,) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying: 13. O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of any thing which is to come. 14. Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers. 15. How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ. 16. Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so. 27: 3. 17. And many more such things did he say unto them, g, vers. 9, 11. h, Joshua 24: 15. 29:32. |