MosiahChapter27
1 And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests.
2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.
3 And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men;
4 That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.
5 Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.
6 And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth, yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.
7 And the Lord did visit them and prosper them, and they became a large and wealthy people.
8 Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.
9 And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them.
10 And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king—
11 And as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood;
12 And so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them.
13 Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.
14 And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.
15 And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God.
16 Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them. And now I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.
17 And now it came to pass that these were the last words which the angel spake unto Alma, and he departed.
18 And now Alma and those that were with him fell again to the earth, for great was their astonishment; for with their own eyes they had beheld an angel of the Lord; and his voice was as thunder, which shook the earth; and they knew that there was nothing save the power of God that could shake the earth and cause it to tremble as though it would part asunder.
19 And now the astonishment of Alma was so great that he became dumb, that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father.
20 And they rehearsed unto his father all that had happened unto them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God.
21 And he caused that a multitude should be gathered together that they might witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him.
22 And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength—that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.
23 And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort:
24 For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.
25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
27 I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.
28 Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulations, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
29 My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.
30 I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all.
31 Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.
32 And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them, traveling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them.
33 But notwithstanding all this, they did impart much consolation to the church, confirming their faith, and exhorting them with long-suffering and much travail to keep the commandments of God.
34 And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; and their names were Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni; these were the names of the sons of Mosiah.
35 And they traveled throughout all the lands of Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.
36 And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
37 And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.
The persecutions inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so severe that the church began to grumble and complain to their leaders about it; and they complained to Alma. Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah, and Mosiah consulted with his priests.
So king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the surrounding land that no unbeliever was to persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God. And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecution among them, that there should be equality among all people, that they should let no pride or arrogance disturb their peace, and that everyone should value his neighbor as himself, working with their own hands for their support. And all their priests and teachers were to work with their own hands for their support as well, except in cases of sickness or great need. By doing these things, they abounded in the grace of God.
And peace returned to the land. The people grew very numerous and began to spread out across the face of the earth, to the north and the south, the east and the west, building large cities and villages in all parts of the land. And the Lord visited them and prospered them, and they became a large and wealthy people.
Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers, and so was one of the sons of Alma, who was named Alma after his father. He became a very wicked and idolatrous man. He was a man of many words, and he spoke much flattery to the people, so he led many of the people to sin the way he did. He became a serious obstacle to the prosperity of the church of God, stealing away the hearts of the people, causing much dissension among the people, and giving the enemy of God a chance to exercise his power over them.
Now Alma went about trying to destroy the church of God; he went about secretly with the sons of Mosiah, trying to destroy the church and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, and even of the king.
And as I said, while they were going about rebelling against God, the angel of the Lord appeared to them. He came down as if in a cloud, and he spoke with what seemed like a voice of thunder, which made the earth shake under their feet. Their astonishment was so great that they fell to the earth, and they did not understand the words he was speaking to them.
But he cried out again: "Alma, stand up. Why do you persecute the church of God? For the Lord has said, 'This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, except the transgression of my people.'"
And again the angel said: "The Lord has heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant Alma, your father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning you, that you might be brought to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore I have come to convince you of the power and authority of God, so that the prayers of his servants may be answered according to their faith.
"Can you dispute the power of God? Does my voice not shake the earth? And can you not see me standing before you? And I am sent from God.
"Now I say to you: go, and remember the captivity of your fathers in the land of Helam and in the land of Nephi; and remember the great things he has done for them, for they were in slavery, and he has delivered them. And now I say to you, Alma: go your way, and seek to destroy the church no more, so that their prayers may be answered, even if you yourself should choose to be cast off."
These were the last words the angel spoke to Alma, and then he departed.
And now Alma and those who were with him fell to the earth again, for their astonishment was great; they had seen an angel of the Lord with their own eyes, and his voice was like thunder that shook the earth. And they knew that there was nothing except the power of God that could shake the earth and make it tremble as if it would split apart. And Alma's astonishment was so great that he became mute and could not open his mouth; and he became so weak that he could not even move his hands. So he was taken by those who were with him and carried, helpless, until he was laid before his father.
They told his father everything that had happened to them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God. And he had a large crowd gathered together so that they could witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those who were with him. He also had the priests assemble; and they began to fast and to pray to the Lord their God to open Alma's mouth so that he could speak, and to give his limbs back their strength, so that the eyes of the people would be opened to see and know the goodness and glory of God.
After they had fasted and prayed for two days and two nights, Alma's limbs received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak to them, telling them to take comfort.
He said, "I have repented of my sins, and I have been redeemed of the Lord. I am born of the Spirit.
"And the Lord said to me, 'Do not marvel that all humankind, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, must be born again; yes, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state to a state of righteousness, being redeemed by God, becoming his sons and daughters. And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in no way inherit the kingdom of God.'
"I say to you: unless this is the case, they must be cast off. And this I know, because I came close to being cast off. But after I had waded through much tribulation, repenting nearly to the point of death, the Lord in his mercy saw fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
"My soul has been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I see the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I have been rescued, and my soul is pained no more.
"I rejected my Redeemer, and denied what our fathers had spoken of; but now, so that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembers every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest to all. Yes, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yes, even at the last day, when everyone will stand to be judged by him, then they will confess that he is God. Then those who live without God in the world will confess that the judgment of everlasting punishment upon them is just; and they will quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye."
From that time on, Alma began to teach the people, and so did those who were with him when the angel appeared. They traveled all around through the whole land, proclaiming to all the people the things they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers and beaten by many of them. But despite all this, they brought much consolation to the church, confirming their faith and urging them, with patient endurance and through much hardship, to keep the commandments of God.
And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; their names were Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni. These were the names of the sons of Mosiah. And they traveled throughout all the lands of Zarahemla, and among all the people under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, making known all the things they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who wanted to hear them.
And in this way they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of their Redeemer. And how blessed are they! For they proclaimed peace; they proclaimed good tidings of good; and they declared to the people that the Lord reigns.
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And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests.
The persecutions inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so severe that the church began to grumble and complain to their leaders about it; and they complained to Alma. Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah, and Mosiah consulted with his priests.
And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.
So king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the surrounding land that no unbeliever was to persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.
And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men;
And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecution among them, that there should be equality among all people,
That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.
that they should let no pride or arrogance disturb their peace, and that everyone should value his neighbor as himself, working with their own hands for their support.
Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.
And all their priests and teachers were to work with their own hands for their support as well, except in cases of sickness or great need. By doing these things, they abounded in the grace of God.
And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth, yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.
And peace returned to the land. The people grew very numerous and began to spread out across the face of the earth, to the north and the south, the east and the west, building large cities and villages in all parts of the land.
And the Lord did visit them and prosper them, and they became a large and wealthy people.
And the Lord visited them and prospered them, and they became a large and wealthy people.
Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.
Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers, and so was one of the sons of Alma, who was named Alma after his father. He became a very wicked and idolatrous man. He was a man of many words, and he spoke much flattery to the people, so he led many of the people to sin the way he did.
And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them.
He became a serious obstacle to the prosperity of the church of God, stealing away the hearts of the people, causing much dissension among the people, and giving the enemy of God a chance to exercise his power over them.
And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king—
Now Alma went about trying to destroy the church of God; he went about secretly with the sons of Mosiah, trying to destroy the church and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, and even of the king.
And as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood;
And as I said, while they were going about rebelling against God, the angel of the Lord appeared to them. He came down as if in a cloud, and he spoke with what seemed like a voice of thunder, which made the earth shake under their feet.
And so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them.
Their astonishment was so great that they fell to the earth, and they did not understand the words he was speaking to them.
Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.
But he cried out again: "Alma, stand up. Why do you persecute the church of God? For the Lord has said, 'This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, except the transgression of my people.'"
And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.
And again the angel said: "The Lord has heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant Alma, your father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning you, that you might be brought to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore I have come to convince you of the power and authority of God, so that the prayers of his servants may be answered according to their faith.
And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God.
"Can you dispute the power of God? Does my voice not shake the earth? And can you not see me standing before you? And I am sent from God.
Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them. And now I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.
"Now I say to you: go, and remember the captivity of your fathers in the land of Helam and in the land of Nephi; and remember the great things he has done for them, for they were in slavery, and he has delivered them. And now I say to you, Alma: go your way, and seek to destroy the church no more, so that their prayers may be answered, even if you yourself should choose to be cast off."
And now it came to pass that these were the last words which the angel spake unto Alma, and he departed.
These were the last words the angel spoke to Alma, and then he departed.
And now Alma and those that were with him fell again to the earth, for great was their astonishment; for with their own eyes they had beheld an angel of the Lord; and his voice was as thunder, which shook the earth; and they knew that there was nothing save the power of God that could shake the earth and cause it to tremble as though it would part asunder.
And now Alma and those who were with him fell to the earth again, for their astonishment was great; they had seen an angel of the Lord with their own eyes, and his voice was like thunder that shook the earth. And they knew that there was nothing except the power of God that could shake the earth and make it tremble as if it would split apart.
And now the astonishment of Alma was so great that he became dumb, that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father.
And Alma's astonishment was so great that he became mute and could not open his mouth; and he became so weak that he could not even move his hands. So he was taken by those who were with him and carried, helpless, until he was laid before his father.
And they rehearsed unto his father all that had happened unto them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God.
They told his father everything that had happened to them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God.
And he caused that a multitude should be gathered together that they might witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him.
And he had a large crowd gathered together so that they could witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those who were with him.
And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength—that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.
He also had the priests assemble; and they began to fast and to pray to the Lord their God to open Alma's mouth so that he could speak, and to give his limbs back their strength, so that the eyes of the people would be opened to see and know the goodness and glory of God.
And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort:
After they had fasted and prayed for two days and two nights, Alma's limbs received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak to them, telling them to take comfort.
For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.
He said, "I have repented of my sins, and I have been redeemed of the Lord. I am born of the Spirit.
And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
"And the Lord said to me, 'Do not marvel that all humankind, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, must be born again; yes, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state to a state of righteousness, being redeemed by God, becoming his sons and daughters.
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in no way inherit the kingdom of God.'
I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.
"I say to you: unless this is the case, they must be cast off. And this I know, because I came close to being cast off.
Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulations, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
But after I had waded through much tribulation, repenting nearly to the point of death, the Lord in his mercy saw fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.
"My soul has been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I see the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I have been rescued, and my soul is pained no more.
I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all.
"I rejected my Redeemer, and denied what our fathers had spoken of; but now, so that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembers every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest to all.
Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.
Yes, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yes, even at the last day, when everyone will stand to be judged by him, then they will confess that he is God. Then those who live without God in the world will confess that the judgment of everlasting punishment upon them is just; and they will quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye."
And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them, traveling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them.
From that time on, Alma began to teach the people, and so did those who were with him when the angel appeared. They traveled all around through the whole land, proclaiming to all the people the things they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers and beaten by many of them.
But notwithstanding all this, they did impart much consolation to the church, confirming their faith, and exhorting them with long-suffering and much travail to keep the commandments of God.
But despite all this, they brought much consolation to the church, confirming their faith and urging them, with patient endurance and through much hardship, to keep the commandments of God.
And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; and their names were Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni; these were the names of the sons of Mosiah.
And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; their names were Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni. These were the names of the sons of Mosiah.
And they traveled throughout all the lands of Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.
And they traveled throughout all the lands of Zarahemla, and among all the people under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, making known all the things they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who wanted to hear them.
And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
And in this way they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.
And how blessed are they! For they proclaimed peace; they proclaimed good tidings of good; and they declared to the people that the Lord reigns.
And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests.
The persecutions inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so severe that the church began to grumble and complain to their leaders about it; and they complained to Alma. Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah, and Mosiah consulted with his priests.
And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.
So king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the surrounding land that no unbeliever was to persecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.
And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men;
And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecution among them, that there should be equality among all people,
That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.
that they should let no pride or arrogance disturb their peace, and that everyone should value his neighbor as himself, working with their own hands for their support.
Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God.
And all their priests and teachers were to work with their own hands for their support as well, except in cases of sickness or great need. By doing these things, they abounded in the grace of God.
And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth, yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.
And peace returned to the land. The people grew very numerous and began to spread out across the face of the earth, to the north and the south, the east and the west, building large cities and villages in all parts of the land.
And the Lord did visit them and prosper them, and they became a large and wealthy people.
And the Lord visited them and prospered them, and they became a large and wealthy people.
Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.
Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers, and so was one of the sons of Alma, who was named Alma after his father. He became a very wicked and idolatrous man. He was a man of many words, and he spoke much flattery to the people, so he led many of the people to sin the way he did.
And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them.
He became a serious obstacle to the prosperity of the church of God, stealing away the hearts of the people, causing much dissension among the people, and giving the enemy of God a chance to exercise his power over them.
And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king—
Now Alma went about trying to destroy the church of God; he went about secretly with the sons of Mosiah, trying to destroy the church and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, and even of the king.
And as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood;
And as I said, while they were going about rebelling against God, the angel of the Lord appeared to them. He came down as if in a cloud, and he spoke with what seemed like a voice of thunder, which made the earth shake under their feet.
And so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them.
Their astonishment was so great that they fell to the earth, and they did not understand the words he was speaking to them.
Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.
But he cried out again: "Alma, stand up. Why do you persecute the church of God? For the Lord has said, 'This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, except the transgression of my people.'"
And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.
And again the angel said: "The Lord has heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant Alma, your father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning you, that you might be brought to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore I have come to convince you of the power and authority of God, so that the prayers of his servants may be answered according to their faith.
And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also behold me before you? And I am sent from God.
"Can you dispute the power of God? Does my voice not shake the earth? And can you not see me standing before you? And I am sent from God.
Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them. And now I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.
"Now I say to you: go, and remember the captivity of your fathers in the land of Helam and in the land of Nephi; and remember the great things he has done for them, for they were in slavery, and he has delivered them. And now I say to you, Alma: go your way, and seek to destroy the church no more, so that their prayers may be answered, even if you yourself should choose to be cast off."
And now it came to pass that these were the last words which the angel spake unto Alma, and he departed.
These were the last words the angel spoke to Alma, and then he departed.
And now Alma and those that were with him fell again to the earth, for great was their astonishment; for with their own eyes they had beheld an angel of the Lord; and his voice was as thunder, which shook the earth; and they knew that there was nothing save the power of God that could shake the earth and cause it to tremble as though it would part asunder.
And now Alma and those who were with him fell to the earth again, for their astonishment was great; they had seen an angel of the Lord with their own eyes, and his voice was like thunder that shook the earth. And they knew that there was nothing except the power of God that could shake the earth and make it tremble as if it would split apart.
And now the astonishment of Alma was so great that he became dumb, that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father.
And Alma's astonishment was so great that he became mute and could not open his mouth; and he became so weak that he could not even move his hands. So he was taken by those who were with him and carried, helpless, until he was laid before his father.
And they rehearsed unto his father all that had happened unto them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God.
They told his father everything that had happened to them; and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God.
And he caused that a multitude should be gathered together that they might witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those that were with him.
And he had a large crowd gathered together so that they could witness what the Lord had done for his son, and also for those who were with him.
And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength—that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.
He also had the priests assemble; and they began to fast and to pray to the Lord their God to open Alma's mouth so that he could speak, and to give his limbs back their strength, so that the eyes of the people would be opened to see and know the goodness and glory of God.
And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort:
After they had fasted and prayed for two days and two nights, Alma's limbs received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak to them, telling them to take comfort.
For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.
He said, "I have repented of my sins, and I have been redeemed of the Lord. I am born of the Spirit.
And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
"And the Lord said to me, 'Do not marvel that all humankind, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, must be born again; yes, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state to a state of righteousness, being redeemed by God, becoming his sons and daughters.
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in no way inherit the kingdom of God.'
I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.
"I say to you: unless this is the case, they must be cast off. And this I know, because I came close to being cast off.
Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulations, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
But after I had waded through much tribulation, repenting nearly to the point of death, the Lord in his mercy saw fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.
"My soul has been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I see the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I have been rescued, and my soul is pained no more.
I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all.
"I rejected my Redeemer, and denied what our fathers had spoken of; but now, so that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembers every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest to all.
Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.
Yes, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yes, even at the last day, when everyone will stand to be judged by him, then they will confess that he is God. Then those who live without God in the world will confess that the judgment of everlasting punishment upon them is just; and they will quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye."
And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them, traveling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them.
From that time on, Alma began to teach the people, and so did those who were with him when the angel appeared. They traveled all around through the whole land, proclaiming to all the people the things they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers and beaten by many of them.
But notwithstanding all this, they did impart much consolation to the church, confirming their faith, and exhorting them with long-suffering and much travail to keep the commandments of God.
But despite all this, they brought much consolation to the church, confirming their faith and urging them, with patient endurance and through much hardship, to keep the commandments of God.
And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; and their names were Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni; these were the names of the sons of Mosiah.
And four of them were the sons of Mosiah; their names were Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni. These were the names of the sons of Mosiah.
And they traveled throughout all the lands of Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.
And they traveled throughout all the lands of Zarahemla, and among all the people under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, making known all the things they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who wanted to hear them.
And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
And in this way they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.
And how blessed are they! For they proclaimed peace; they proclaimed good tidings of good; and they declared to the people that the Lord reigns.