CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
Amlici persuades many Nephites to follow him--His followers make him king--There is a war between the
followers of Almici and the other Nephites--God helps the Nephites kill Almicites--With God's help, Alma kills Almici--The
surviving Almicites are driven into the wilderness where they are devoured by wild beasts. (87 BCE)
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Amlici loses the election (but becomes king anyway)
2:1-11
1 And it came to pass in the commencement of the fifth year of their reign there began
to be a contention among the people; for a certain man, being called Amlici, he being a very cunning man, yea, a wise
man as to the wisdom of the world, he being after the order of the man that slew Gideon by the sword, who was executed
according to the law --
2 Now this Amlici had, by his cunning, drawn away much people after him; even so much that they began to
be very powerful; and they began to endeavor to establish Amlici to be king over the people.
There was a man named Amlici, who by his charm and cunning had become popular with the people,
who were trying to make him king.
3 Now this was alarming to the people of the church, and also to all those who had not been drawn away
after the persuasions of Amlici; for they knew that according to their law that such things must be established by the
voice of the people.
4 Therefore, if it were possible that Amlici should gain the voice of the people, he, being a wicked man,
would deprive them of their rights and privileges of the church; for it was his intent to destroy the church of God.
This alarmed the church, because if Amlici got too popular, he might destroy the church.
5 And it came to pass that the people assembled themselves together throughout all
the land, every man according to his mind, whether it were for or against Amlici, in separate bodies, having much dispute
and wonderful contentions one with another.
6 And thus they did assemble themselves together to cast in their voices concerning the matter; and they
were laid before the judges.
7 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came against Amlici,
that he was not made king over the people.
The people held an election and Amlici lost. [1]
8 Now this did cause much joy in the hearts of those who were against him;
but Amlici did stir up those
who were in his favor to anger against those who were not in his favor.
9And it came to pass that they gathered themselves together, and did consecrate
Amlici to be their king.
But his followers made him king anyway.
10 Now when Amlici was made king over them he commanded them that they should take up arms against their
brethren; and this he did that he might subject them to him.
11 Now the people of Amlici were distinguished by the name of Amlici, being called Amlicites; and the
remainder were called Nephites, or the people of God.
Amlici then told his followers to force all of the Nephites to obey him as their new king.
God helps the Nephites slaughter the Amlicites
12 Therefore the people of the Nephites were aware of the intent of the Amlicites, and therefore they did
prepare to meet them; yea, they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows,
and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war, of every kind.
The Nephites armed themselves with swords, scimitars, bows and arrows, slings, and every other type of weapon.
[2]
13 And thus they were prepared to meet the Amlicites at the time of their coming. And there were appointed
captains, and higher captains, and chief captains, according to their numbers.
14 And it came to pass that Amlici did arm his men with all manner of weapons of
war of every kind; and he also appointed rulers and leaders over his people, to lead them to war against their
brethren.
15 And it came to pass that the Amlicites came upon the hill Amnihu, which was
east of the river Sidon, which ran by the land of Zarahemla, and there they began to make war with the Nephites.
They appointed captains, and higher captains, and chief captains.
16 Now Alma, being the chief judge and the governor of the people of Nephi, therefore he went up with his
people, yea, with his captains, and chief captains, yea, at the head of his armies, against the Amlicites to battle.
Alma himself led the Nephites into battle.
17 And they began to slay the Amlicites upon the hill east of Sidon. And the Amlicites did contend with
the Nephites with great strength, insomuch that many of the Nephites did fall before the Amlicites.
It was a bloody battle, with many deaths on both sides.
18 Nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites, that
they slew the Amlicites with great slaughter, that they began to flee before them.
The Nephites fared much better, though, because God strengthened their hand.
19 And it came to pass that the Nephites did pursue the Amlicites all that day, and
did slay them with much slaughter, insomuch that there were slain of the Amlicites twelve thousand five hundred thirty
and two souls; and there were slain of the Nephites six thousand five hundred sixty and two souls.
12,532 Amlicites died, while the Nephites lost only 6562.
Alma kills Amlici (with God's help)
2:20-38
20 And it came to pass that
when Alma could pursue the Amlicites no longer he caused
that his people should pitch their tents in the valley of Gideon, the valley being called after that Gideon who was
slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword; and in this valley the Nephites did pitch their tents for the night.
The Nephites chased the Amlicites until they couldn't chase them any farther.
21 And Alma sent spies to follow the remnant of the Amlicites, that he might know of their plans and their
plots, whereby he might guard himself against them, that he might preserve his people from being destroyed.
22 Now those whom he had sent out to watch the camp of the Amlicites were called Zeram, and Amnor, and
Manti, and Limher; these were they who went out with their men to watch the camp of the Amlicites.
Then Alma sent spies to keep an eye on them.
23 And it came to pass that on the morrow they returned into the camp of the
Nephites in great haste, being greatly astonished, and struck with much fear, saying:
24 Behold, we followed the camp of the Amlicites, and to our great astonishment, in the land of Minon,
above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi, we saw a numerous host of the Lamanites; and
behold, the Amlicites have joined them;
25 And they are upon our brethren in that land; and they are fleeing before them with their flocks, and
their wives, and their children, towards our city; and except we make haste they obtain possession of our city, and our
fathers, and our wives, and our children be slain.
26 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi took their tents, and departed out
of the valley of Gideon towards their city, which was the city of Zarahemla.
When the spies returned, they told Alma that the Lamanites had joined with the Almicites.
27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as numerous
almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them.
The Lamanites/Amilicites attacked with an army that was as numerous as the sands of the sea. (Well, almost anyway.)
28 Nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord,
having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did
strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them.
Still, the Nephites defeated them easily, because the Lord strengthened their hand again.
29 And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face;
and they did contend mightily, one with another.
During the battle, Alma and Amlici had a sword fight.
30 And it came to pass that
Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much
faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve
this people.
Alma cried out to God, saying, "God, don't let me die."
31 Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici;
and he was strengthened, insomuch
that he slew Amlici with the sword.
And God strengthened him so that he killed Amlici with his sword.
32 And he also contended with the king of the Lamanites; but the king of the Lamanites fled back from before
Alma and sent his guards to contend with Alma.
Alma also fought with the king of the Lamanites, but his guards helped him get away.
33 But Alma, with his guards, contended with the guards of the king of the Lamanites until he
slew and drove them back.
But Alma was able to kill the king's guards.
34 And thus he cleared the ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west of the river Sidon,
throwing the bodies of the Lamanites who had been slain into the waters of Sidon, that thereby his people might have
room to cross and contend with the Lamanites and the Amlicites on the west side of the river Sidon.
Then he threw the dead Lamanites into the river, so his army could cross.
35 And it came to pass that when they had all crossed the river Sidon that
the
Lamanites and the Amlicites began to flee before them, notwithstanding they
were so numerous that they could not be
numbered.
The rest of the Lamanites and Amlicites fled into the wilderness, but they were still too numerous to count.
36 And they fled before the Nephites towards the wilderness which was west and north, away beyond the
borders of the land; and the Nephites did pursue them with their might,
and did slay them.
Despite outnumbering the Nephites, the Lamanite/Amlicite army started retreating, and the Nephites chased them and killed
as many of them as they could.
37 Yea, they were met on every hand, and slain and driven, until they were scattered on the west, and on
the north, until they had reached the wilderness, which was called Hermounts; and it was that part of the wilderness
which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts.
They drove them into a land called Hermounts, which was infested with "wild and ravenous beasts".
38 And it came to pass that many died in the wilderness of their wounds, and were
devoured by those beasts and also the vultures of the air; and their bones have been found, and have been heaped up on
the earth.
Many died in the wilderness and their bodies were devoured by beasts, but their bones have been found. [3]
