Mosiah 23:2 2 And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to destroy them.
Mosiah 23:3 3 And they fled eight days" journey into the wilderness.
Mosiah 23:4 4 And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water.
Mosiah 23:5 5 And they pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea, they were industrious, and did labor exceedingly.
Mosiah 23:6 6 And the people were desirous that Alma should be their king, for he was beloved by his people.
Mosiah 23:7 7 But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.
Mosiah 23:8 8 Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king.
Mosiah 23:9 9 But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance;
Mosiah 23:10 10 Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth.
Mosiah 23:11 11 Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself.
Mosiah 23:12 12 And now I say unto you, ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the bands of iniquity.
Mosiah 23:13 13 And now as ye have been delivered by the power of G.o.d out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you.
Mosiah 23:14 14 And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of G.o.d, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.
Mosiah 23:15 15 Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them.
Mosiah 23:16 16 And now, Alma was their high priest, he being the founder of their church.
Mosiah 23:17 17 And it came to pa.s.s that none received authority to preach or to teach except it were by him from G.o.d. Therefore he consecrated all their priests and all their teachers; and none were consecrated except they were just men.
Mosiah 23:18 18 Therefore they did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.
Mosiah 23:19 19 And it came to pa.s.s that they began to prosper exceedingly in the land; and they called the land Helam.
Mosiah 23:20 20 And it came to pa.s.s that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam.
Mosiah 23:21 21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
Mosiah 23:22 22 Nevertheless--whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.
Mosiah 23:23 23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their G.o.d, yea, even the G.o.d of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.
Mosiah 23:24 24 And it came to pa.s.s that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.
Mosiah 23:25 25 For behold, it came to pa.s.s that while they were in the land of Helam, yea, in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about, behold an army of the Lamanites was in the borders of the land.
Mosiah 23:26 26 Now it came to pa.s.s that the brethren of Alma fled from their fields, and gathered themselves together in the city of Helam; and they were much frightened because of the appearance of the Lamanites.
Mosiah 23:27 27 But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their G.o.d and he would deliver them.
Mosiah 23:28 28 Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they would spare them, and their wives, and their children.
Mosiah 23:29 29 And it came to pa.s.s the the Lord did soften the hearts of the Lamanites. And Alma and his brethren went forth and delivered themselves up into their hands; and the Lamanites took possession of the land of Helam.
Mosiah 23:30 30 Now the armies of the Lamanites, which had followed after the people of king Limhi, had been lost in the wilderness for many days.
Mosiah 23:31 31 And behold, they had found those priests of king Noah, in a place which they called Amulon; and they had begun to possess the land of Amulon and had begun to till the ground.
Mosiah 23:32 32 Now the name of the leader of those priests was Amulon.
Mosiah 23:33 33 And it came to pa.s.s that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, who were the daughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.
Mosiah 23:34 34 And the Lamanites had compa.s.sion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.
Mosiah 23:35 35 And Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they were traveling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi when they discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his brethren.
Mosiah 23:36 36 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.
Mosiah 23:37 37 But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.
Mosiah 23:38 38 And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi; and a part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the wives and the children of the guards who had been left in the land.
Mosiah 23:39 39 And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam; nevertheless he should have no power to do anything contrary to the will of the king of the Lamanites.
Mosiah 24 Chapter 24
Mosiah 24:1 1 And it came to pa.s.s that Amulon did gain favor in the eyes of the king of the Lamanites; therefore, the king of the Lamanites granted unto him and his brethren that they should be appointed teachers over his people, yea, even over the people who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the land of Shilom, and in the land of Amulon.
Mosiah 24:2 2 For the Lamanites had taken possession of all these lands; therefore, the king of the Lamanites had appointed kings over all these lands.
Mosiah 24:3 3 And now the name of the king of the Lamanites was Laman, being called after the name of his father; and therefore he was called king Laman. And he was king over a numerous people.
Mosiah 24:4 4 And he appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon in every land which was possessed by his people; and thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.
Mosiah 24:5 5 And they were a people friendly one with another; nevertheless they knew not G.o.d; neither did the brethren of Amulon teach them anything concerning the Lord their G.o.d, neither the law of Moses; nor did they teach them the words of Abinadi;
Mosiah 24:6 6 But they taught them that they should keep their record, and that they might write one to another.
Mosiah 24:7 7 And thus the Lamanites began to increase in riches, and began to trade one with another and wax great, and began to be a cunning and a wise people, as to the wisdom of the world, yea, a very cunning people, delighting in all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren.
Mosiah 24:8 8 And now it came to pa.s.s that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children.
Mosiah 24:9 9 For Amulon knew Alma, that he had been one of the king"s priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi and was driven out before the king, and therefore he was wroth with him; for he was subject to king Laman, yet he exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them.
Mosiah 24:10 10 And it came to pa.s.s that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to G.o.d.
Mosiah 24:11 11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon G.o.d should be put to death.