Alma and Amulek Taken to Chief Judge

Event 82

Reference: Alma 14:1-29

AND it came to pass after he had made an end of speakingunto the people many of them did believe on his words, andbegan to repent, and to search the scriptures. 2 But the morepart of them were desirous that they might destroy Almaand Amulek; for they were angry with Alma, because of theplainness of his words unto Zeezrom; and they also saidthat Amulek had lied unto them, and had reviled againsttheir law and also against their lawyers and judges. 3 Andthey were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and becausethey had testified so plainly against their wickedness, theysought to put them away privily.MormonLand ofAmmonihah82 B.C.4 But it came to pass that they did not; but they took themand bound them with strong cords, and took them beforethe chief judge of the land. 5 And the people went forth andwitnessed against them—testifying that they had reviledagainst the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land,and also of all the people that were in the land; and alsotestified that there was but one God, and that he should sendhis Son among the people, but he should not save them; andmany such things did the people testify against Alma andAmulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of theland.6 And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at thewords which had been spoken; and he also knewconcerning the blindness of the minds, which he had causedamong the people by his lying words; and his soul began tobe harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea,he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.7 And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people,saying:Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God.ZeezromAnd he began to plead for them from that time forth; butthey reviled him, saying:MormonArt thou also possessed with the devil?PeopleAnd they spit upon him, and cast him out from amongthem, and also all those who believed in the words whichhad been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast themMormon out, and sent men to cast stones at them. 8 And they broughttheir wives and children together, and whosoever believedor had been taught to believe in the word of God theycaused that they should be cast into the fire; and they alsobrought forth their records which contained the holyscriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they mightbe burned and destroyed by fire.MormonLand ofAmmonihah82 B.C.9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, andcarried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that theymight witness the destruction of those who were consumedby fire. 10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the womenand children who were consuming in the fire, he also waspained; and he said unto Alma:How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretchforth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, andsave them from the flames.Amulek11 But Alma said unto him:MormonThe Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand;for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; andhe doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people maydo this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts,that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrathmay be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witnessagainst them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.Alma12 Now Amulek said unto Alma:MormonBehold, perhaps they will burn us also.Amulek13 And Alma said:MormonBe it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work isnot finished; therefore they burn us not.Alma14 Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those whohad been cast into the fire were consumed, and also therecords which were cast in with them, the chief judge of theland came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they werebound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks,and said unto them:MormonAfter what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people,that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone? 15 Behold,ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast intothe fire; neither has God saved them because they were of thyfaith.Chief Judge And the judge smote them again upon their cheeks, andasked:MormonLand ofAmmonihah82 B.C.What say ye for yourselves?Chief Judge16 Now this judge was after the order and faith of Nehor,who slew Gideon.Mormon17 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered himnothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them tothe officers to be cast into prison. 18 And when they hadbeen cast into prison three days, there came many lawyers,and judges, and priests, and teachers, who were of theprofession of Nehor; and they came in unto the prison tosee them, and they questioned them about many words; butthey answered them nothing.Prison in city ofAmmonihah19 And it came to pass that the judge stood before them, andsaid:Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not thatI have power to deliver you up unto the flames?Chief JudgeAnd he commanded them to speak; but they answerednothing.Mormon20 And it came to pass that they departed and went theirways, but came again on the morrow; and the judge alsosmote them again on their cheeks. And many came forthalso, and smote them, saying:Will ye stand again and judge this people, and condemn our law?If ye have such great power why do ye not deliver yourselves?People21 And many such things did they say unto them, gnashingtheir teeth upon them, and spitting upon them, and saying:MormonHow shall we look when we are damned?People22 And many such things, yea, all manner of such things didthey say unto them; and thus they did mock them for manydays. And they did withhold food from them that theymight hunger, and water that they might thirst; and theyalso did take from them their clothes that they were naked;and thus they were bound with strong cords, and confinedin prison.Mormon23 And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for manydays, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, inthe tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people ofNephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in untothe prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote themagain, and said unto them:MormonPrison in city ofAmmonihah82 B.C.If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands,and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this peopleaccording to your words.Chief Judge25 And it came to pass that they all went forth and smotethem, saying the same words, even until the last; and whenthe last had spoken unto them the power of God was uponAlma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet.26 And Alma cried, saying:MormonHow long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord,give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, evenunto deliverance.AlmaAnd they broke the cords with which they were bound; andwhen the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear ofdestruction had come upon them.Mormon27 And it came to pass that so great was their fear that theyfell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of theprison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of theprison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; andthe chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers,who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fallthereof. 28 And Alma and Amulek came forth out of theprison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had grantedunto them power, according to their faith which was inChrist. And they straightway came forth out of the prison;and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison hadfallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof,save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and theystraightway came forth into the city. 29 Now the peoplehaving heard a great noise came running together bymultitudes to know the cause of it; and when they sawAlma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and thewalls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck withgreat fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulekeven as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; andthus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek.City ofAmmonihah