judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God. 12. Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just; 13. Therefore if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments; yea, if ye could have men for your kings, who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people: I say unto you, if this could always be the case, then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you. 14. And even I myself have laboured with all the power of faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity: 15. And whosoever has committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers. 16. Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just, it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you. 17. For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed! yea, and what great destruction! 18. Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations; and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities, they were brought into bondage. 19. And were it not for the interposition of their all-wise Creator, and this because of their sincere repentance, they must unavoidably remain in bondage until now. 20. But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him, he did deliver them out of bondage: and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him. 21. And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king, save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood. 22. For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him: and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him: and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God; 23. And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people; yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedf, Omni 1: 23-25. Words of Mormon, vers. 3, 10-18. g, Mos. 11: 1--15. 12: 17-19. 17:1-20. h, Mos. 12: 2-8. i, Mos. 21: 14. 22: 5-14. Mos. 1-6 ch. ness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws, he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him, he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can, he will destroy them: and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness. 24. And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you; 25. Therefore choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord. 26. Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe, and make it your law to do your business by the voice of the people. 27. And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you, yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land. 28. And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge: 29. If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the 'voice of the people. 30. And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king: that if these people commit sins and iniquities, they shall be answered upon their own heads. 31. For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings. 32. And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit, that we may live and inherit the land; yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land. 33. And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king; yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them. 34. And he told them that these things ought not to be; j, see e. k, Alma 2:3-7. 10: 19. Hela. 5: 2. 6: 38-40. 1, see e. , . Nep. 1: 7. Alma 46: 10-28, 54-36. but that the burden should come upon "all the people, that every man might bear his part. 35. And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they laboured under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them; 36. Yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated; telling them that these things ought not to be; that they were expressly repugnant to the commandments of God. 37. And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people, they were convinced of the truth of his words; 38. Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king. and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins. 39. Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them, according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced, because of the liberty which had been granted unto them. 40. And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah ; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant, who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them. neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly beyond measure. 41. And it came to pass that they did appoint judges to rule over them, or to judge them according to the law; and this they did throughout all the land. 42. And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge; he being also the high priest; his father having conferred the office upon him, and had given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church. 43. And now it came to pass that Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land; 44. And thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who were called the Nephites: and Alma was the first and chief judge. n, see e. o, see e. P, see m. 8, see e. q, see e. r, see g, Mos. 26. 45. And now u came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God. 46. And it came to pass that Mosiah died also, in the thirty and third year of his reign, being "sixty and three years old; making in the whole, five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem; 47. And thus ended the "reign of the kings over the people of Nephi: and thus "ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church. THE BOOK OF ALMA, THE SON OF ALMA. The account of Alma, who was the son of Alma the first, and Chief Judge over the people of Nephi, and also the High Priest over the Church. An account of the reign of the Judges, and the wars and contentions among the people. And also an account of a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, according to the record of Alma the first, and Chief Judge. CHAPTER 1. 1. Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, from this time forward, king Mosiah having "gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to reign in his stead; nevertheless he established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made. 2. And it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment seat, there was a man brought before him to be judged; a man who was large, and was noted for his much strength; 3. And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labour with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people; 4. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not u, Mos. 6: 4. v, vers. 41, 42. a, Mos. 29: 46. b, vers. 14, 18. 27:3-5. e, Alma 15: 15. 21: 6. w, ver. 45. 1 fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and in the end, all men should have eternal life. 5. And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much, that many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to support him and give him money; 6. And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel; yea, and even began to establish a church, after the manner of his preaching. 7. And it came to pass as he was going to preach to those who believed on his word, he met a man who belonged to the church of God, yea, even one of their teachers; and he began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church; but the man withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God. 8. Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was he who was an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage. 9. Now, because Gideon withstood him with the words of God, he was wroth with Gideon, and drew his sword and began to smite him. Now Gideon being stricken with many years, therefore he was not able to withstand his blows, therefore he was slain by the sword; 10. And the man who slew him was taken by the people of the church, and was brought before Alma, to be judged according to the crimes which he had committed. 11. And it came to pass that he stood before Alma, and pleaded for himself with much boldness. 12. But Alma said unto him, Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavoured to enforce it by the sword; and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people, it would prove their entire destruction. 13. And thou hast shed the blood of a righteous man, yea, a man who has done much good among this people; and were we to spare thee, his blood would come upon us for vengeance; 14. Therefore, thou art condemned to die, according to the law which has been given us by Mosiah, our last king; and they have been acknowledged by this people; therefore, this people must abide by the law. 15. And it came to pass that they took him; and his name was 'Nehor; and they carried him upon the top of the hill Manti, and there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens and the earth, that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God; and there he suffered an ignominious death. 16:11. f, Mos. 22: 3-16 24: 28--30. g, ver. 9. h, vers. 1. 18. i, Alma 2: 1, 20. |