CHAPTER 15
Alma and Amulek find the people of Ammonihah--Zeezron is faith-healed, gets baptized, and begins to preach. (81 BCE)
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15:1-19
1 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek were commanded to depart out
of that city; and they departed, and came out even into the land of Sidom; and behold, there
they found all the people
who had departed out of the land of Ammonihah, who had been cast out and stoned, because they believed in the words of
Alma.
Alma and Amulek were commanded (by God?) to go to the city of Sidon.
When they arrived, they found their followers who had left the land of Ammonihah.
2 And they related unto them all that had happened unto their
wives and children, and also
concerning themselves, and of their power of deliverance.
They told them what happened to their wives and children. [1]
They also told them about their miraculous escape from prison. [2]
3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great
tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he
supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up
his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to
be scorched with a burning heat.
Zeezrom was in Sidon, too. He was sick with a fever that was caused by guilt.
He thought that Alma and Amulek were dead, and he blamed himself for their death.
4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take
courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him.
When he heard that they'd come into town, he sent a message calling for them to come see him.
5 And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the
message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and
they found him upon his bed, sick,
being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his
iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him.
When they arrived, he asked them to heal him.
6 And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the
hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?
Alma said to him, "Do you believe that Christ can save people?"
7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught.
8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.
9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.
Zeezrom said, "I believe everything you say."
10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and
heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.
11 And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk;
and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all
the land of Sidom.
And Zeezrom leaped upon his feet and began to walk.
12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach
unto the people.
Alma baptized him, and he began to preach to the people.
13 And Alma established a church in the land of Sidom, and consecrated priests and teachers
in the land, to baptize unto the Lord whosoever were desirous to be baptized.
14 And it came to pass that they were many; for they did flock in from
all the region round about Sidom, and were baptized.
Alma established a church in Sidon and baptized everyone there who wanted to be baptized.
15 But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted
and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the
devil; for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins.
16 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken
all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being
rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;
17 Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great check, yea,
seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to humble themselves before God, and
began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying
continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction --
But no one in Ammonihah wanted to be baptized, because they were all wicked followers of Nehor. [3]
18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over
to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and
strengthened him in the Lord.
19 And thus ended the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
And Alma and Amulek left Sidon and returned to Zarahemla.