- 8Then Alma returned from the land of Gideon after teaching Gideon’s people far too much to be written, having organized the congregation like he did before in Zarahemla. He went back to his own house at Zarahemla to rest. 2So the ninth year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites ended.
- 3At the start of the 10th year, Alma went to Melek, west of the Sidon River, on the western border of the wilderness. 4He began teaching there conforming to his calling in the Holy Order of God, teaching the people throughout the land of Melek.
- 5The people came to him to be baptized from the entire area, including the outskirts of the land near the wilderness. 6When he finished his work at Melek, he left there and traveled three days to the north of the land of Melek, arriving at a city called Ammonihah. 7Now it was the Nephites’ custom to call their lands, cities, and villages, even their small villages, after the person who first settled there.
- This was true of the land of Ammonihah. 8Once Alma arrived at Ammonihah, he began to preach God’s word to them. 9Now Satan had a firm hold on the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah; therefore they refused to listen to Alma. 10Despite this, Alma looked to heaven for help, pleading with God to intervene, humbly asking for Him to help influence the people to open their hearts and see their need for repentance and baptism. 11But they hardened their hearts and told him: We know you’re Alma, and we know you’re the high priest over the congregation, which you’ve established in many parts of the land based on your tradition. But we aren’t part of your congregation, and we don’t believe in such foolish traditions. 12Because we don’t belong to your congregation, we know you don’t have any power over us. You’ve handed over the judgment seat to Nephihah, therefore you’re no longer the chief judge over us. 13When the people said this and rejected everything he said and ridiculed him, spit on him, and had him thrown out of their city, he left there and traveled toward a city named Aaron.
- 14While he was on his way there, mourning and agonizing about the wickedness of the people in Ammonihah, while lamenting his failure, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: 15Alma, you are blessed. So look up and rejoice, because you have every reason to rejoice, since you’ve faithfully kept God’s commandments from His first message to you. I’m the one who delivered it to you. 16I now am sent to command you to return to Ammonihah and preach to them again, warning them that unless they repent, the Lord God will destroy them. 17The Lord wants you to know that right now they’re conspiring about how to destroy the freedom of your people. They violate the statutes, judgments, and commandments God has given His people.
- 18After Alma heard this from the angel of the Lord, he returned quickly to Ammonihah. He entered Ammonihah by a different way, on the south side of the city. 19Because he was hungry when he entered, he asked a man: Will you give a humble servant of God something to eat? 20The man replied: I’m a Nephite and I know you’re a holy prophet of God. You’re the man an angel told me in a vision I would meet and help. Come with me to my house, and I’ll feed you. I know you’ll bring a blessing for my household and me. 21The man named Amulek took him into his house. He gave Alma bread and meat to eat.
- 22Then Alma ate bread until he was full; and he blessed Amulek and his household, and thanked God. 23After eating his fill, he told Amulek: I’m Alma; I’m the high priest over the congregations of God throughout the land. 24I was called by the spirit of revelation and prophecy to preach God’s word to all these people. I was here before but they were unwilling to listen to me, and they threw me out. I was about to turn my back on this land forever. 25But I’ve been commanded to return and prophesy to the people and testify against their iniquities. 26Now Amulek, because you’ve fed me and taken me in, you are blessed. I was hungry because I had fasted for many days. 27Alma stayed with Amulek for many days before he began to preach to the people.
- 28Meanwhile the people grew more shameless in their iniquities. 29Then the Lord told Alma: Go. Also, tell my servant Amulek: Go out and prophesy to the people, saying: Repent, because this warning is from the Lord: Unless you repent, I’ll punish you people in My anger; and I won’t abandon My fierce anger. 30Then Alma and Amulek went to tell the people God’s warning to them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost. 31They had God’s power and they couldn’t be confined in dungeons or killed. Nevertheless, they didn’t use their power until after they were tied up and thrown in prison, and only then to show the Lord’s power was with them.
- 32They went to preach and prophesy to the people obeying the Spirit and using the power the Lord gave them.
Chapter 6