The Book Of Alma (Chap. 10)

Alma 10:1
Now these are the words which Amulek preached unto the people
who were in the land of Ammonihah, saying:

Alma 10:2
I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of
Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi; and it was the same
Aminadi who interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of
the temple, which was written by the finger of God.

Alma 10:3
And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of
Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant
of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by
the hands of his brethren.

Alma 10:4
And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all
those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and
friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my
industry.

Alma 10:5
Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the
ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said
I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake,
for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power;
yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

Alma 10:6
Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many
times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these
things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling
against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth
day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the
reign of the judges.

Alma 10:7
As I was journeying to see a very near kindred, behold an
angel of the Lord appeared unto me and said: Amulek, return to
thine own house, for thou shalt feed a prophet of the Lord; yea,
a holy man, who is a chosen man of God; for he has fasted many
days because of the sins of this people, and he is an hungered,
and thou shalt receive him into thy house and feed him, and he
shall bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord
shall rest upon thee and thy house.

Alma 10:8
And it came to pass that I obeyed the voice of the angel, and
returned towards my house. And as I was going thither I found
the man whom the angel said unto me: Thou shalt receive into thy
house—and behold it was this same man who has been speaking unto
you concerning the things of God.

Alma 10:9
And the angel said unto me he is a holy man; wherefore I know
he is a holy man because it was said by an angel of God.

Alma 10:10
And again, I know that the things whereof he hath testified
are true; for behold I say unto you, that as the Lord liveth,
even so has he sent his angel to make these things manifest unto
me; and this he has done while this Alma hath dwelt at my house.

Alma 10:11
For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed me,
and my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk;
yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the
Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake.

Alma 10:12
And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began
to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who
testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of
the things which were to come, according to the spirit of
prophecy which was in them.

Alma 10:13
Nevertheless, there were some among them who thought to
question them, that by their cunning devices they might catch
them in their words, that they might find witness against them,
that they might deliver them to their judges that they might be
judged according to the law, and that they might be slain or cast
into prison, according to the crime which they could make appear
or witness against them.

Alma 10:14
Now it was those men who sought to destroy them, who were
lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer
the law at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes
of the people before the judges.

Alma 10:15
Now these lawyers were learned in all the arts and cunning of
the people; and this was to enable them that they might be
skilful in their profession.

Alma 10:16
And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek, that
thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the
words which he should speak.

Alma 10:17
Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs.
But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived
their thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse
generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the
foundation of the devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to
catch the holy ones of God.

Alma 10:18
Ye are laying plans to pervert the ways of the righteous, and
to bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter
destruction of this people.

Alma 10:19
Yea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last king, when he was
about to deliver up the kingdom, having no one to confer it upon,
causing that this people should be governed by their own
voices—yea, well did he say that if the time should come that
the voice of this people should choose iniquity, that is, if the
time should come that this people should fall into transgression,
they would be ripe for destruction.

Alma 10:20
And now I say unto you that well doth the Lord judge of your
iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of
his angels: Repent ye, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.

Alma 10:21
Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels that: I
will come down among my people, with equity and justice in my
hands.

Alma 10:22
Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers
of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now
be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood,
as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by
famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.

Alma 10:23
But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared;
now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you
then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he
will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine,
and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand
except ye repent.

Alma 10:24
And now it came to pass that the people were more angry with
Amulek, and they cried out, saying: This man doth revile against
our laws which are just, and our wise lawyers whom we have
selected.

Alma 10:25
But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier
unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath
Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield
yourselves unto him that he may have power over you, to blind
your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are
spoken, according to their truth?

Alma 10:26
For behold, have I testified against your law? Ye do not
understand; ye say that I have spoken against your law; but I
have not, but I have spoken in favor of your law, to your
condemnation.

Alma 10:27
And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the
destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the
unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges.

Alma 10:28
And now it came to pass that when Amulek had spoken these
words the people cried out against him, saying: Now we know that
this man is a child of the devil, for he hath lied unto us; for
he hath spoken against our law. And now he says that he has not
spoken against it.

Alma 10:29
And again, he has reviled against our lawyers, and our
judges.

Alma 10:30
And it came to pass that the lawyers put it into their hearts
that they should remember these things against him.

Alma 10:31
And there was one among them whose name was Zeezrom. Now he
was the foremost to accuse Amulek and Alma, he being one of the
most expert among them, having much business to do among the
people.

Alma 10:32
Now the object of these lawyers was to get gain; and they got
gain according to their employ.