Alma Prophesies of Nephite Apostasy

Event 106

Reference: Alma 45:1-19

The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars anddissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the recordof Helaman, which he kept in his days.BEHOLD, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi wereexceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again deliveredthem out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gavethanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast muchand pray much, and they did worship God with exceedinglygreat joy.MormonLand ofZarahemla74 B.C.2 And it came to pass in the nineteenth year of the reign ofthe judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma came untohis son Helaman and said unto him:73 B.C.Believest thou the words which I spake unto thee concerning thoserecords which have been kept?Alma3 And Helaman said unto him:MormonYea, I believe.Helaman4 And Alma said again:MormonBelievest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?Alma5 And he said:MormonYea, I believe all the words which thou hast spoken.Helaman6 And Alma said unto him again:MormonWill ye keep my commandments?Alma7 And he said:MormonYea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.Helaman8 Then Alma said unto him:MormonBlessed art thou; and the Lord shall prosper thee in this land. 9 Butbehold, I have somewhat to prophesy unto thee; but what Iprophesy unto thee ye shall not make known; yea, what I prophesyunto thee shall not be made known, even until the prophecy isfulfilled; therefore write the words which I shall say. 10 And theseare the words:AlmaBehold, I perceive that this very people, the Nephites, accordingto the spirit of revelation which is in me, in four hundred yearsfrom the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself untothem, shall dwindle in unbelief. 11 Yea, and then shall they see wars and pestilences, yea, famines and bloodshed, even until thepeople of Nephi shall become extinct— 12 Yea, and thisbecause they shall dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works ofdarkness, and lasciviousness, and all manner of iniquities; yea, Isay unto you, that because they shall sin against so great lightand knowledge, yea, I say unto you, that from that day, even thefourth generation shall not all pass away before this greatiniquity shall come.AlmaLand ofZarahemla73 B.C.13 And when that great day cometh, behold, the time very sooncometh that those who are now, or the seed of those who arenow numbered among the people of Nephi, shall no more benumbered among the people of Nephi. 14 But whosoeverremaineth, and is not destroyed in that great and dreadful day,shall be numbered among the Lamanites, and shall become likeunto them, all, save it be a few who shall be called the disciplesof the Lord; and them shall the Lamanites pursue even untilthey shall become extinct. And now, because of iniquity, thisprophecy shall be fulfilled.15 And now it came to pass that after Alma had said thesethings to Helaman, he blessed him, and also his other sons;and he also blessed the earth for the righteous’ sake. 16 Andhe said:MormonThus saith the Lord God—AlmaCursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation,kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which dowickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall itbe; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land,for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree ofallowance.The Lord God17 And now, when Alma had said these words he blessed thechurch, yea, all those who should stand fast in the faithfrom that time henceforth.Mormon18 And when Alma had done this he departed out of the landof Zarahemla, as if to go into the land of Melek. And itcame to pass that he was never heard of more; as to hisdeath or burial we know not of. 19 Behold, this we know,that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad inthe church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried bythe hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, thescriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and wesuppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, untohimself; therefore, for this cause we know nothingconcerning his death and burial.Between land ofZarahemla andland of Melek