CHAPTER 16
The was peace in the Zarahelma for a certain number of years--The cry of war breaks out across
the land--The Lamanites atack and kill many Nephites and take the rest captive--Zoram asks Alma to
ask God what to do--God provided a battle plan that worked perfectly--No Nephites were killed and all the
captives were returned unharmed--Every living soul of the
Ammonihahites was destroyed--The land was covered with dead bodies and stunk so bad that it wasn't
occupid for several years--The Nephites built may Jewish temples and synagogues--The church propered under
Alma's leadership. (81-78 BCE)
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Ammonihah is destroyed by the Lamanites
16:1-21
1 And it came to pass
in the eleventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi,
on the fifth day of the second month, there having been much peace in the land
of Zarahemla, there having been no wars nor contentions for a certain number of years, even until
the fifth day of the second month in
the eleventh year, there was a cry of war heard throughout the land.
It was peaceful for a few years in the land of Zarahemla -- until the fifth day of the
second month of the eleventh year of the judges, when the cry of war was heard throughout the land. [1]
2 For behold,
the
armies of the Lamanites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the borders of the land,
even into the city of Ammonihah, and began to slay the people and destroy the city.
3 And now it came to pass, before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to drive them
out of the land, they had destroyed the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, and also some around the borders of
Noah, and taken others captive into the wilderness.
4 Now it came to pass that the Nephites were desirous to obtain those who had been carried
away captive into the wilderness.
The Lamanites attacked before the Nephites could gather an army together, they destroyed the city of Ammonihah,
killing most of its people and taking the rest captive.
5 Therefore, he that had been appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites, (and
his name was Zoram, and he had two sons, Lehi and Aha) -- now Zoram and his two sons, knowing that Alma was high priest
over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and
desired of him to
know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken
captive by the Lamanites.
The Nephites wanted to rescue the prisoners, and to kill the Lamanites, but their leader
(Zoram) decided to first ask Alma to ask God what to do.
6 And it came to pass that
Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the
matter. And Alma returned and said unto them: Behold, the Lamanites will cross the river Sidon in the south wilderness,
away up beyond the borders of the land of Manti. And behold there shall ye meet them, on the east of the river Sidon,
and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites.
7 And it came to pass that Zoram and his sons crossed over the river
Sidon, with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders of Manti into the south wilderness, which was on the
east side of the river Sidon.
8 And they came upon the armies of the Lamanites, and the Lamanites were scattered and driven
into the wilderness; and they took their brethren who had been taken captive by the Lamanites, and there was not one
soul of them had been lost that were taken captive. And they were brought by their brethren to possess their own
lands.
Alma asked God, and God laid out the battle plan for Zoram's army. God's plan worked perfectly.
They killed the Lamanites and retrieved all of the Nephite prisoners without losing a single soul.
9 And thus ended the eleventh year of the judges, the Lamanites having been driven out of the
land, and the people of Ammonihah were destroyed; yea, every living soul of the
Ammonihahites was destroyed, and also
their great city, which they said God could not destroy, because of its greatness.
But every Ammonihahite was killed, and the city was destroyed.
They said the city was so great that even God couldn't destroy it, but they were wrong about that.
10 But behold, in one day it was left desolate; and the carcasses were mangled by dogs and
wild beasts of the wilderness.
11 Nevertheless, after many days their dead bodies were heaped up
upon the face of the earth, and they were covered with a shallow covering. And now so
great was the scent thereof that the people did not go in
to possess the land of Ammonihah for many years. And it was called Desolation of Nehors; for they were of the
profession of Nehor, who were slain; and their lands remained desolate.
The dead bodies in the city stunk so bad that the land wasn't occupied for many years.
12 And the Lamanites did not come again to war against the Nephites until the fourteenth
year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And thus for three years did the people of Nephi have
continual peace in all the land.
13 And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the people in
their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the
manner of the Jews.
14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God,
without any respect of persons, continually.
15 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more who had been chosen for the
work, to preach the word throughout all the land. And the establishment of the church became general throughout the
land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites.
16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face
of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should
be taught among them at the time of his coming --
17 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and
go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine,
that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.
18 Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and
deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering,
committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be --
19 Holding forth things which must shortly come; yea, holding forth the coming of the Son
of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead.
20 And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come;
and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy
and gladness.
21 And now after the church had been established throughout all the land -- having got the
victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in its purity in all the land, and
the Lord pouring out his
blessings upon the people -- thus ended the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the
people of Nephi.
The land was peaceful, again, for a few years. Alma and Amulek preached repentance in all of the temples, sanctuaries and synagogues,
which were built "after the manner of the Jews."