pgs. 198 and 199...yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. And ye shall also forgive one another.

25 And it shall come to pass that when the ^asecond trump shall sound then shall they that never ^bknew me come forth and shall stand before me.

26 And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed.

27 And then I will confess unto them that I never ^aknew them; and they shall ^bdepart into ^ceverlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

28 Therefore I say unto you, that he that will not ^ahear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for him I will not receive at the last day.

29 Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye ^ajudge ^baccording to the sins which he has committed; and if he ^cconfess his sins before thee and me, and ^drepenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye ^eforgive, and I will forgive him also.

30 Yea, and ^aas often as my people ^brepent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.

31 And ye shall also ^aforgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveth not his ^bneighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation.

32 Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will ^anot repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward.

33 And it came to pass when Alma had heard these words he ^awrote them down that he might have them, and that he might judge the people of that church according to the commandments of God.

34 And it came to pass that Alma went and judged those that had been taken in iniquity, according to the ^aword of the Lord.

35 And whosoever repented of their sins and did ^aconfess them, them he did number among the people of the church;

36 And those that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were ^ablotted out.

37 And it came to pass that Alma did regulate all the affairs of the church; and they began again to have peace and to prosper exceedingly in the affairs of the church, walking circumspectly before God, receiving many, and baptizing many.

38 And now all these things did Alma and his ^afellow laborers do who were over the church, ^bwalking in all diligence, teaching the word of God in all things, suffering all manner of afflictions, being persecuted by all those who did not belong to the church of God.

39 And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also ^aadmonished, every one by the word of God, according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed, being commanded of God to ^bpray without ceasing, and to give ^cthanks in all things.

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

CHAPTER 27

Mosiah forbids persecution and enjoins equality—Alma the younger and the four sons of Mosiah seek to destroy the Church—An angel appears and commands them to cease their evil course—Alma is struck dumb—All mankind must be born again to gain salvation—Alma and the sons of Mosiah declare glad tidings. Probably between 100 and 92 B.C.

1 And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah ^aconsulted with his priests.

2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah sent a proclamation throughout the land round about that there should not any unbeliever ^apersecute any of those who belonged to the church of God.

3 And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no ^apersecutions among them, that there should be an ^bequality among all men;

4 That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their ^apeace; that every man should ^besteem his ^cneighbor as himself, ^dlaboring with their own hands for their support.

5 Yea, and all their priests and teachers ^ashould ^blabor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the ^cgrace of God.

6 And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth, yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.

7 And the Lord did ^avisit them and ^bprosper them, and they became a large and wealthy people.

8 Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the ^aunbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an ^bidolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much ^cflattery to the people; therefore he ^dled many of the people to do after the manner of his ^einiquities.

9 And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; ^astealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his ^bpower over them.

10 And now it came to pass that while he was going about to ^adestroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king—

The promise that the Lord will forgive us as often as we repent is so powerful. It is humbling and uplifting to know that He cares for all of us in that way. It helps us to realize our worth and importance to Him. We are so blessed to have the knowledge of this truth!

pgs. 196 and 197...blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.

18 Therefore, Alma did go forth into the water and did ^abaptize them; yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did his brethren in the ^bwaters of Mormon; yea, and as many as he did baptize did belong to the church of God; and this because of their belief on the words of Alma.

19 And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish ^achurches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ^bordain ^cpriests and ^dteachers over every church.

20 Now this was done because there were so many people that they could not all be governed by one teacher; neither could they all hear the word of God in one assembly;

21 Therefore they did ^aassemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma.

22 And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one ^achurch, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God.

23 And now there were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla. And it came to pass that whosoever were desirous to take upon them the ^aname of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God;

24 And they were called the ^apeople of God. And the Lord did pour out his ^bSpirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

CHAPTER 26

Many members of the Church are led into sin by unbelievers—Alma is promised eternal life—Those who repent and are baptized gain forgiveness—Church members in sin who repent and confess to Alma and to the Lord shall be forgiven; otherwise they shall be excommunicated. Probably between 120 and 100 B.C.

1 Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the ^awords of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did ^bnot believe the tradition of their fathers.

2 They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.

3 And now because of their ^aunbelief they could not ^bunderstand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.

4 And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the ^achurch. And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their ^bcarnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God.

5 And now in the reign of Mosiah they were not half so numerous as the people of God; but because of the ^adissensions among the brethren they became more numerous.

6 For it came to pass that they did ^adeceive many with their ^bflattering words, who were in the church, and did cause them to commit many sins; therefore it became expedient that those who committed sin, that were in the church, should be ^cadmonished by the church.

7 And it came to pass that they were brought before the priests, and delivered up unto the ^apriests by the teachers; and the priests brought them before Alma, who was the ^bhigh priest.

8 Now king Mosiah had given Alma the ^aauthority over the ^bchurch.

9 And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them; but there were many ^awitnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance.

10 Now there had not any such thing happened before in the church; therefore Alma was troubled in his spirit, and he caused that they should be brought before the king.

11 And he said unto the king: Behold, here are many whom we have brought before thee, who are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities. And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them according to their crimes.

12 But king Mosiah said unto Alma: Behold, I judge them not; therefore I ^adeliver them into thy hands to be judged.

13 And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.

14 And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the ^avoice of the Lord came to him, saying:

15 Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the ^awaters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding ^bfaith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi.

16 And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou hast spoken unto them.

17 And blessed art thou because thou hast established a ^achurch among this people; and they shall be established, and they shall be my people.

18 Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my ^aname; for in my ^bname shall they be called; and they are mine.

19 And because thou hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed.

20 Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have ^aeternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep.

21 And he that will hear my voice shall be my ^asheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive.

22 For behold, ^athis is my ^bchurch; whosoever is ^cbaptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall ^dbelieve in my name; and him will I freely ^eforgive.

23 For it is I that taketh upon me the ^asins of the world; for it is I that hath ^bcreated them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand.


Here is a great summary of this section in the Book of Mormon Institute Manual that sums up this reading much more effectively than I could:

There is a distinction between what is a sin and what is a crime. A sin is a violation of a law of God, while a crime is a violation of a public law. An act can be both, but many times it is not.

Alma sought King Mosiah’s help in dealing with sinful beliefs and practices being spread among the people. Mosiah, however, could not involve the government in Church matters. Even though the beliefs of some people were evil, Nephite law allowed them to believe as they chose (see Alma 30:7–11). In this sense, the people had committed no crime.

As the head of the Church it was Alma’s responsibility to judge such people, so he turned to the Lord for instructions. Mosiah 26:15–32 contains the revelation of the Lord to Alma. The Lord explained the need to forgive the repentant and to excommunicate the rebellious in maintaining the good name of the Church. This stance was reaffirmed in our dispensation when the Lord revealed that the Church could not punish a member beyond excommunication for any sin or crime committed (see D&C 134:10).

Also, HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!!! This day is so wonderful in its symbolism and power. I am so thankful to our Savior Jesus Christ for his Atonement. Here is a great YouTube clip that brought the spirit of this day to my heart.

pgs. 194 and 195...and they gave thanks to God, yea, all...that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.

14 And I will also ease the ^aburdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as ^bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their ^cafflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did ^astrengthen them that they could bear up their ^bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with ^cpatience to all the will of the Lord.

16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go ^awith thee and deliver this people out of ^bbondage.

18 Now it came to pass that Alma and his people in the night-time gathered their flocks together, and also of their grain; yea, even all the night-time were they gathering their flocks together.

19 And in the morning the Lord caused a ^adeep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, yea, and all their task-masters were in a profound sleep.

20 And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness.

21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their ^athanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their ^bburdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.

22 And they gave ^athanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.

23 And now the Lord said unto Alma: Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awakened and do pursue thee; therefore get thee out of this land, and I will stop the Lamanites in this valley that they come no further in pursuit of this people.

24 And it came to pass that they departed out of the valley, and took their journey into the wilderness.

25 And after they had been in the wilderness ^atwelve days *they arrived in the land of Zarahemla; and king Mosiah did also ^breceive them with joy.

* VERSE 25 (ABOUT 120 B.C.).

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

CHAPTER 25

The people (the Mulekites) of Zarahemla become Nephites—They learn of the people of Alma and of Zeniff—Alma baptizes Limhi and all his people—Mosiah authorizes Alma to organize the Church of God. About 120 B.C.

1 And now king Mosiah caused that all the people should be gathered together.

2 Now there were not so many of the children of Nephi, or so many of those who were descendants of Nephi, as there were of the ^apeople of Zarahemla, who was a descendant of ^bMulek, and those who came with him into the wilderness.

3 And there were not so many of the people of Nephi and of the people of Zarahemla as there were of the Lamanites; yea, they were not half so numerous.

4 And now all the people of Nephi were assembled together, and also all the people of Zarahemla, and they were gathered together in two bodies.

5 And it came to pass that Mosiah did read, and caused to be read, the records of Zeniff to his people; yea, he read the records of the people of Zeniff, from the time they ^aleft the land of Zarahemla until they ^breturned again.

6 And he also read the account of Alma and his brethren, and all their afflictions, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time they returned again.

7 And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his people who tarried in the land were struck with wonder and amazement.

8 For they knew not what to think; for when they beheld those that had been delivered ^aout of bondage they were filled with exceedingly great joy.

9 And again, when they thought of their brethren who had been ^aslain by the Lamanites they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.

10 And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of ^abondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.

11 And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and ^apolluted state, they were filled with ^bpain and anguish for the ^cwelfare of their souls.

12 And it came to pass that those who ^awere the children of Amulon and his brethren, who had taken to wife the ^bdaughters of the Lamanites, were displeased with the conduct of their fathers, and they would no longer be called by the names of their fathers, therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be called the children of Nephi and be numbered among those who were ^ccalled Nephites.

13 And now all the people of Zarahemla were ^anumbered with the Nephites, and this because the kingdom had been conferred upon none but those who were descendants of Nephi.

14 And now it came to pass that when Mosiah had made an end of speaking and reading to the people, he desired that Alma should also speak to the people.

15 And Alma did speak unto them, when they were assembled together in large bodies, and he went from one body to another, preaching unto the people repentance and faith on the Lord.

16 And he did exhort the people of Limhi and his brethren, all those that had been delivered out of bondage, that they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them.

17 And it came to pass that after Alma had taught the people many things, and had made an end of speaking to them, that king Limhi was desirous that he might be baptized; and all his people were desirous that they might be baptized also.

In chapter 24 the people of Alma are told by the Lord how to escape their captivity. The gratitude they show as described in verse 22 is inspiring. Unfortunately it is human nature to forget to thank our Father in Heaven as often as we ask for blessings. This is a great reminder to be thankful!

Chapter 25 tells of the reuniting of the people of Limhi who were in the wilderness as well as the people of Alma (who were just delivered out of captivity) with the people of Zarahemla. At this point King Mosiah II is ruling righteously in Zarahemla. He is the son of King Benjamin and the grandson of King Mosiah I so this brings us back to their story.

pgs. 192 and 193...none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his ^atrust in him the same shall be ^blifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into ^abondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.

24 And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.

25 For behold, it came to pass that while they were in the land of Helam, yea, in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about, behold an army of the Lamanites was in the borders of the land.

26 Now it came to pass that the brethren of Alma fled from their fields, and gathered themselves together in the city of Helam; and they were much frightened because of the appearance of the Lamanites.

27 But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them.

28 Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they would spare them, and their wives, and their children.

29 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the hearts of the Lamanites. And Alma and his brethren went forth and delivered themselves up into their hands; and the Lamanites took possession of the land of Helam.

30 Now the ^aarmies of the Lamanites, which had followed after the people of king Limhi, had been lost in the wilderness for many days.

31 And behold, they had found those priests of king Noah, in a place which they called ^aAmulon; and they had begun to possess the land of Amulon and had begun to till the ground.

32 Now the name of the leader of those priests was ^aAmulon.

33 And it came to pass that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, who were the ^adaughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.

34 And the Lamanites had ^acompassion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.

35 And ^aAmulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they were traveling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi when they discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his brethren.

36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the ^away which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.

37 But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set ^aguards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.

38 And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi; and a part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the wives and the children of the guards who had been left in the land.

39 And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam; nevertheless he should have no power to do anything contrary to the will of the king of the Lamanites.

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

CHAPTER 24

Amulon persecutes Alma and his people—They are to be put to death if they pray—The Lord makes their burdens seem light—He delivers them from bondage, and they return to Zarahemla. Between 145 and 120 B.C.

1 And it came to pass that Amulon did gain favor in the eyes of the king of the Lamanites; therefore, the king of the Lamanites granted unto him and his brethren that they should be appointed teachers over his people, yea, even over the people who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the land of Shilom, and in the ^aland of Amulon.

2 For the Lamanites had taken possession of all these lands; therefore, the king of the Lamanites had appointed kings over all these lands.

3 And now the name of the king of the Lamanites was ^aLaman, being called after the name of his father; and therefore he was called king Laman. And he was king over a numerous people.

4 And he appointed ^ateachers of the ^bbrethren of Amulon in every land which was possessed by his people; and thus the ^clanguage of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.

5 And they were a people friendly one with another; nevertheless they knew not God; neither did the brethren of Amulon teach them anything concerning the Lord their God, neither the law of Moses; nor did they teach them the words of Abinadi;

6 But they taught them that they should keep their record, and that they might write one to another.

7 And thus the Lamanites began to increase in riches, and began to ^atrade one with another and wax great, and began to be a cunning and a wise people, as to the wisdom of the world, yea, a very cunning people, delighting in all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren.

8 And now it came to pass that ^aAmulon began to exercise ^bauthority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children.

9 For Amulon knew Alma, that he had been ^aone of the king’s priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi and was driven out before the king, and therefore he was wroth with him; for he was subject to king Laman, yet he exercised authority over them, and put ^btasks upon them, and put ^ctask-masters over them.

10 And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.

11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he ^aput guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their ^ahearts to him; and he did know the ^bthoughts of their hearts.

13 And it ^acame to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

The way prayer is represented in verse 12 is so beautiful. The people could not pray with their lips but they prayed with their hearts. This is what is such a miracle about prayer. Somehow we are connected with the Spirit through our thoughts and hearts. I could go on and on about prayer but instead here is one of my favorite prayer poems:

I know not by what method rare, but this I know, God answers prayer.
I know that He has given His word that tells me prayer is always heard
and will be answered, soon or late, and so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought will come just in the way I thought
but leave my prayers with Him alone, whose ways are wiser than my own -
assured that He will grant my quest
or send some answer far more blessed.
Eliza M. Hickock

pgs. 190 and 191...ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another.

7 And I will go according to thy command and pay the last ^atribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be ^bdrunken; and we will pass through the secret pass on the left of their camp when they are drunken and asleep.

8 Thus we will depart with our women and our children, our flocks, and our herds into the wilderness; and we will travel around the land of ^aShilom.

9 And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon.

10 And king Limhi caused that his people should gather their flocks together; and he sent the tribute of wine to the Lamanites; and he also sent more wine, as a present unto them; and they did drink freely of the wine which king Limhi did send unto them.

11 And it came to pass that the people of king Limhi did ^adepart by night into the wilderness with their flocks and their herds, and they went round about the land of ^bShilom in the wilderness, and bent their course towards the land of Zarahemla, being led by Ammon and his brethren.

12 And they had taken all their gold, and silver, and their precious things, which they could carry, and also their provisions with them, into the wilderness; and they pursued their journey.

13 And after being many days in the wilderness they ^aarrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined Mosiah’s people, and became his subjects.

14 And it came to pass that Mosiah ^areceived them with joy; and he also received their ^brecords, and also the ^crecords which had been found by the people of Limhi.

15 And now it came to pass when the Lamanites had found that the people of Limhi had departed out of the land by night, that they sent an ^aarmy into the wilderness to pursue them;

16 And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

An account of Alma and the people of the Lord, who were driven into the wilderness by the people of King Noah. Comprising chapters 23 and 24.

CHAPTER 23

Alma refuses to be king—He serves as high priest—The Lord chastens his people, and the Lamanites conquer the land of Helam—Amulon, leader of King Noah’s wicked priests, rules subject to the Lamanite monarch. Between 145 and 121 B.C.

1 Now Alma, having been ^awarned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and ^bdeparted into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah.

2 And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to destroy them.

3 And they fled ^aeight days’ journey into the wilderness.

4 And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water.

5 And they pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea, they were ^aindustrious, and did labor exceedingly.

6 And the people were desirous that Alma should be their ^aking, for he was beloved by his people.

7 But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall ^anot esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.

8 Nevertheless, if it ^awere possible that ye could always have just men to be your ^bkings it would be well for you to have a king.

9 But remember the ^ainiquity of king Noah and his ^bpriests; and I myself was ^ccaught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore ^drepentance;

10 Nevertheless, ^aafter much ^btribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an ^cinstrument in his hands in bringing ^dso many of you to a knowledge of his truth.

11 Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself.

12 And now I say unto you, ye have been ^aoppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been ^bbrought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the ^cbands of iniquity.

13 And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the ^ahands of king Noah and his people, and also from the ^bbonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should ^cstand fast in this ^dliberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust ^eno man to be a king over you.

14 And also trust no one to be your ^ateacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.

15 Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should ^alove his ^bneighbor ^cas himself, that there should be no ^dcontention among them.

16 And now, Alma was their ^ahigh priest, he being the founder of their church.

17 And it came to pass that none received ^aauthority to preach or to teach except it were by him from God. Therefore he ^bconsecrated all their priests and all their teachers; and none were consecrated except they were just men.

18 Therefore they did watch over their people, and did ^anourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.

19 And it came to pass that they began to prosper exceedingly in the land; and they called the land ^aHelam.

20 And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam.

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to ^achasten his people; yea, he trieth their ^bpatience and their faith.

In this reading the people of King Limhi escape their bondage to the Lamanites by getting the guards drunk and sneaking away in the night. Eventually they will reunite with Alma and the group that escaped King Noah's army at the Waters of Helaman. Chapter 23 takes us back to the story of Alma's group and they are settling in a beautiful place they call Helam.

I like the lesson Alma teaches his people when they ask him to be their king in this new place. He declines saying, "it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord; Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another." He also goes on to explain that King Noah was a wicked leader and led himself and many others into sin.

Much of our world today is captive to an evil king, dictator, or terrorist group. These "leaders" consider themselves better than the people that they "lead." Even though our political system here in the United States is not perfect it is such a blessing. I am so thankful for the freedom and agency we are all able to enjoy because of the inspired foresight of the founders of this nation.

pgs. 188 and 189...they were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts.

16 And it came to pass that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger.

17 Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should ^aimpart to the support of the ^bwidows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain.

18 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as it was possible, and secured their grain and their flocks;

19 And the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites.

20 And he caused that his people should watch the land round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled into the wilderness, who had stolen the ^adaughters of the Lamanites, and that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them.

21 For they were desirous to take them that they might ^apunish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious things; therefore they laid wait for them.

22 And it came to pass that there was no more disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, *even until the time that ^aAmmon and his brethren came into the land.

23 And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard, ^adiscovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing them to be priests of Noah therefore he caused that they should be taken, and bound, and cast into ^bprison. And had they been the priests of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death.

24 But when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the ^aland of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceedingly great joy.

25 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a ^asmall number of men to ^bsearch for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness.

26 Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry ^abones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the ^bcoming of Ammon.

27 And they brought a ^arecord with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore.

28 And now Limhi was again filled with joy on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah had a ^agift from God, whereby he could ^binterpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon also did rejoice.

29 Yet Ammon and his brethren were filled with sorrow because so many of their brethren had been ^aslain;

30 And also that king Noah and his priests had caused the people to commit so many sins and iniquities against God; and they also did mourn for the ^adeath of Abinadi; and also for the ^bdeparture of Alma and the people that went with him, who had formed a church of God through the strength and power of God, and faith on the words which had been spoken by Abinadi.

31 Yea, they did mourn for their departure, for they knew not whither they had fled. Now they would have gladly joined with them, for they themselves had entered into a ^acovenant with God to serve him and keep his commandments.

32 And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments.

33 And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had ^aauthority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant.

34 Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a ^achurch, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord. Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, who had fled into the wilderness.

35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be ^agiven hereafter.

36 And now all the study of Ammon and ^ahis people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites and from ^bbondage.

* VERSE 22 (ABOUT 121 B.C.).

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

CHAPTER 22

Plans are made for the people to escape from Lamanite bondage—The Lamanites are made drunk—The people escape, return to Zarahemla, and become subject to King Mosiah. About 121 B.C.

1 And now it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should ^adeliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together; and this they did that they might have the voice of the people concerning the matter.

2 And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.

3 Now it came to pass that ^aGideon went forth and stood before the king, and said unto him: Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many times when we have been contending with our brethren, the Lamanites.

4 And now O king, if thou hast not found me to be an unprofitable servant, or if thou hast hitherto listened to my words in any degree, and they have been of service to thee, even so I desire that thou wouldst listen to my words at this time, and I will be thy servant and deliver this people out of bondage.

5 And the king granted unto him that he might speak. And Gideon said unto him:

6 Behold the back pass, through the back wall, on the back side of the city. The Lamanites, or the ^aguards of the Lamanites, by night are ^bdrunken; therefore let us send a proclamation among all this people that they gather together their flocks and herds, that they may drive them into the wilderness by night.

The way the people of King Limhi came to view baptism as described in verse 35 is so touching. Our 2nd daughter is going to be baptized in August and I have been talking with her about what it means for her. We discussed the well known verses from Mosiah chapter 18 that were in our reading a few days ago. I also want to read her this verse because it is so simple and straight forward. These people just wanted to be baptized as a witness that they would serve God with all their hearts.


When I was growing up my father was a mission president in Eastern Canada. We had all sorts of missionary activity in our home all the time! There were zone conferences, visiting General Authorites, missionaries spending the night on their way in from the MTC or on their way home, and much more! One of my favorite things we had were "cottage meetings." They were every Wednesday night in the mission home basement and people who were learning about the church would come with the missionaries who were teaching them. Most of the time we had a prayer, sang a hymn, watched a church movie (How Rare a Posession ring a bell, anyone?) and then people could ask questions while dessert was served. A lot of people came through our home in those three years! I was always on kitchen duty and I remember wondering why my parents were making our family do so much work.

Now I know. Mom and Dad were just happy to share the gospel with anyone who would listen. They did all of this because they knew the importance of baptism. They were honoring their baptismal promises and providing a way for any who were seeking to make the same promise and commitment to our God.