CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 31
Alma preaches to the Zoramites--The Zoramites were a wicked and perverse people who built synagogues
and perverted the ways of the Lord--When Alma prayed and clapped his hands, he and his brethren were filled
with the Holy Spirit, being swallowed up with the joy of Christ (74 BCE)
Previous chapter |
Next chapter
1 Now it came to pass that after the end of Korihor, Alma having received tidings that
the Zoramites were
perverting the ways of the Lord, and that Zoram, who was their leader, was leading the hearts of the people to bow down
to dumb idols, his heart again began to sicken because of the iniquity of the people.
2 For it was the cause of great sorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people; therefore his heart
was exceedingly sorrowful because of the separation of the Zoramites from the Nephites.
3 Now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land which they called Antionum, which was east
of the land of Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon the seashore, which was south of the land of Jershon, which a
lso bordered upon the wilderness south, which wilderness was full of the Lamanites.
After the death of Korihor, Alma heard that the Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord.
And that Zoram was leading the people to bow down to dumb idols.
4 Now the Nephites greatly feared that the Zoramites would enter into a correspondence with the
Lamanites, and that it would be the means of great loss on the part of the Nephites.
5 And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was
just -- yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had
happened unto them -- therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
Alma worried that they might unite with the Lamanites and attack his people.
6 Therefore he took Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner; and Himni he did leave in the church in Zarahemla;
but the former three he took with him, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, who were at Melek; and he also took two of his sons.
7 Now the eldest of his sons he took not with him, and his name was Helaman; but the names of those
whom he took with him were Shiblon and Corianton; and these are the names of those who went with him among the Zoramites, to preach
unto them the word.
So he, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni, Shiblon, and Corianton went to preach to them.
8 Now the Zoramites were dissenters from the Nephites; therefore they had had the word of God preached
unto them.
The Zoramites were believers, but they perverted the ways of the Lord in many ways.
9 But they had fallen into great errors, for they would not observe to keep the
commandments of God, and his statutes, according to the law of Moses.
10 Neither would they observe the performances of the church, to continue in prayer and supplication
to God daily, that they might not enter into temptation.
11 Yea, in fine, they did pervert the ways
of the Lord in very many instances; therefore, for this
cause, Alma and his brethren went into the land to preach the word unto them.
They refused to follow the commandments of God, according to the law of Moses. [1]
12 Now, when they had come into the land, behold, to their astonishment they found that the
Zoramites had built synagogues, and that they did gather themselves together on one day of the week, which
day they did call the day of the Lord; and they did worship after a manner which Alma and his brethren had
never beheld;
13 For they had a place built up in the center of their synagogue, a place for standing, which was
high above the head, and the top thereof would only admit one person.
For example they built synagogues that were almost like pyramids, where only one person could pray at once.
14 Therefore, whosoever desired to worship must go forth and stand upon the top thereof, and stretch
forth his hands towards heaven, and cry with a loud voice, saying:
He would climb to the top of the synagogue, stretch his hands toward the sky, and recite this prayer in a loud voice:
15 Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast
a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever.
Oh God, we believe you are a spirit and will be a spirit forever.
16Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and
we do not believe in the
tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that
thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no
Christ.
But we don't believe in the childish traditions of our fathers.
And we thank you for telling us that there will be no Christ.
17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be
saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness,
O God, we
thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish
traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to
wander far from thee, our God.
18 And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen.
We know that we will be saved, while everyone else will go to hell.
Thanks for preventing us from believing in Christ, which would lead us away from you.
19 Now it came to pass that after Alma and his brethren and his sons had heard these prayers, they
were astonished beyond all measure.
When Alma and his companions heard these prayers they were astonished beyond all measure.
20 For behold,
every man did go forth and offer up these same prayers.
Every Zoramite man climbed to the top of the synagogue's tower and said the same prayer.
21 Now the place was called by them Rameumptom,
which, being interpreted, is the holy stand.
The place where this prayer was said is called Rameumptom, which means, after being interpreted, "the holy stand."
[2]
22 Now, from this stand they did offer up, every man, the selfsame prayer unto God, thanking their
God that they were chosen of him, and that he did not lead them away after the tradition of their brethren, and
that their hearts were not stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about.
23 Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they returned to their homes,
never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer
up thanks after their manner.
After each Zoramite man said the prayer, everyone went home, never mentioning God again until next week when every man
repeated the same prayer again at the holy stand.
24 Now when Alma saw this his heart was grieved; for
he saw that they were a wicked and a perverse
people; yea, he saw that their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of
fine goods.
25 Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride.
While observing them, Alma also happened to notice that the Zoramites were wicked, greedy, perverse people who bragged all the time.
26 And he lifted up his voice to heaven, and cried, saying: O, how long, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that
thy servants shall dwell here below in the flesh, to behold such gross wickedness among the children of men?
27 Behold, O God, they cry unto thee, and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride. Behold,
O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of
the world.
28 Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets,
and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts
are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say -- We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto
thee, while others shall perish.
29 Yea, and they say that thou hast made it known unto them that there shall be no Christ.
30 O Lord God, how long wilt thou suffer that such wickedness and infidelity shall be among this
people? O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that I may bear with mine infirmities. For I am infirm, and such
wickedness among this people doth pain my soul.
31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in
Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these
afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.
32 O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are
with me -- yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also Amulek and Zeezrom and also my two sons -- yea, even all these
wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.
33 Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may bear their afflictions which
shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people.
34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in
Christ.
35 behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give
unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.
Then he made a little prayer.
36 Now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them
who were with him. And Behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with
the Holy Spirit.
When Alma finished his prayer, he clapped his hands and everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit.
37 And after that they did separate themselves one from another, taking no
thought for themselves
what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on.
Then they left on their mission, not thinking about what to wear, drink, or eat.
38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and
he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it
were swallowed up in the joy
of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.
And there was no reason to worry, since God made it so they didn't need to drink water or eat food during their mission.
They were all swallowed up in the joy of Christ.
