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CHAPTER 16The Lamanites destroy the people of Ammonihah—Zoram leads the Nephites to victory over the Lamanites—Alma and Amulek and many others preach the word—They teach that after his resurrection Christ will appear to the Nehites. [About 81—78 B.C.] |
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~ 2nd Month, 5th Day, 80 B.C. ~ |
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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 Zarahemlaa,
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
landa.
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 aAmmonihaha, 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 adestroyed the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, and also some around the borders of Noah, and taken others captive into the wilderness.
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1a there having been much peach in the
land of Zarahemla ... there was a cry of war heard throughout the
land Not all conceptualize that there were three distinctions
of land. There was the immediate land about a given city. There was greater
lands which included a number of villages and cities but which had one
central 'capital', these where provinces of the land. And then there was the
greater land of all, the national land. And that national land in which all
of the Nephites did reside was called by the name of the nation of
Zarahemla. But there was also a regional provincial land of Zarahemla and
even a more immediate land of Zarahemla just about the city of Zarahemla
itself. Here is is seen that verse 1 is speak about the entire nation of
the Nephites which they call Zarahemla and it included all of the lands
and provinces of the Nephites. That is for example Ammonihah was indeed a
part of the 'Nation of Zarahemla' and is here so implied when it
speaks of 'throughout the land of Zarahemla' meaning the entire nation of the
Nephites and then that 'a cry of war head throughout the land' specifically
first applying to Ammonihah where it began but it was effectually heard
throughout the land, that is the nation of Zarahemla. When the twin towers of
New York City had airplanes crashing into them, that cry was heard throughout
the land, the greater land of the entire nation. And this is whereof verse
1 does speak. It speaks concerning the entire nation of Zarahemla and thus
we see that Zarahemla had multiple meanings from just the city of Zarahemla
and its immediate land to a larger meaning of the entire nation of the
Nephites. We have similar relationships. New York City is in the state of
New York. Kansas City is in the state of Kansas. Salt Lake City is in the
County of Salt Lake. The Nephites had a city of Zarahemla whose immediate
land was in the greater 'county or province' of Zarahemla, which province of
Zarahemla was one of many provinces which made up the Nation of Zarahemla.
2a the Lamanites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the borders of the land, even into the city of Ammonihah Now the Lamanites must need have passed by the land and people of Melek. And we must understand that it was by the course of that wilderness which was west of both the provincial lands of Melek and the provincial lands of Ammonihah. Now it is a curious matter to consider the thought process of the Lamanites. And to do so it must be understood that the river valley of the city of Zarahemla and the river valley of the city of Ammonihah were parallel valleys. And it was the mistake of the 43 men of Limhi which had cause them to take the valley and river couse of the west valley here now know as that of Melek and Ammoniah and pass into the land north of the narrow neck of land. Now this is considered to be the same mistake which these Lamanites did make. And also this is the reason for them passing by the land of Melek. When the Lamanites had come before they did march through the land of Minon which was south of Zarahemla and thus they were so slowed and did not take Zarahemla by surprise. This time the Lamanites had supposed that they were in the Sidon valley and the did by-pass that land they considered to be south of Zarahemla that they might take Zarahemla by surprise. Thus Melek was by-passed because the Lamanites did consider it to be the land of Minon, having mistaken the west valley for the Sidon valley as had the explorers of Limhi. And when these Lamanites took that great city of Ammonihah by surprise and completely destory it, they did so consider that they had destoryed Zarahemla. And thus they did not fear to take their time in returning back into the land of the Lamanites. And thus it was that Zoram and his sons who led the Nephite army, were able to intercept them above Manti before they did depart out of the land back to the land of the Lamanites. And Zoram and his army did take the slowing retreating Lamanites by surprise, the Lamanites considering they had destoryed the central captital of the land of the Nephites, which they had not. |
1*
[81 B.C.] 2a Alma15:1 (1, 15-16); Alma 49:3 (1-15) 3a Alma 9:18
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4 Now it came to pass that the Nephites were desirous to obtain
those who had been carried away captive into the wilderness.
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. 6 And it came to pass that Alma ainquired 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 bManti. 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.
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6a
2 Kings 6:8-12;
Alma 43:23-24; Alma 48:16; 3 Ne. 3:20 (18-21) b Alma 17:1; Alma 22:27; Alma 56:14
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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 Sidona.
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.
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7a away beyond the borders of Manti into the soutn wilderness, which was on the east side of the river Sidon Now there is a good reason why the Lamanites would have traveled all the way from the lands of Ammonihah and Noah on the west and north of the greater land of Zarahemla all the way back to the south and east of Sidon above, in the southern wilderness, Manti. The reason is that they were returning to whence the came. Their home was in the east in that southern wilderness. This is confirmed by later references as to were the Lamanites are located which join with the Zoramites. The Zoramites are located in the southeast borders of the land of Zarahemla and just to their south are the Lamaites and that city Siron in which was the harlot Isabel with whom Coriantum, son of Alma had his fling (Alma 39:3). Now the Lamanites were from the west coast to the east coast, but this particular group who came up to destroy Ammonihah came from that eastern land, thus why they were returning thus to go home. And it would be this particular group who would join with the Zoramites to attack the Nephites and Captain Moroni in the east and back again at Manti at the beginning of the Lamanite wars of Moroni's era. | |
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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
adestroyed; yea, bevery living soul of
the Ammonihahites was cdestroyed, and also their
dgreat city, which they said God could not destroy, because
of its greatness.
10 But behold, in aone day it was left desolate; and the bcarcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness. 11 Nevertheless, after many days their adead 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 bNehors; for they were of the profession of Nehor, who were slain; and their lands remained desolate.
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9a
Alma 8:16;
Alma 9:24 (18-24); Morm. 6:15-22) b Alma 14:11 c Alma 25:2 d Alma 49:3 10a Alma 9:4 b Jer. 19:7 11a Alma 28:11 b Alma 1:15; Alma 2:1, 20; Alma 24:28-30
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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 atemplesa, and in their bsanctuaries, and also in their csynagogues, 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 arespect of persons, continually.
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13a in their temples Now here is the proof simple and true. There were many 'temples' in each of the various communities of the Nephites. It was their common arrangement since each of the provincial lands were usually separated from one another by spanses of wilderness, then each major city of the church would have their own temple. And though these 'temples' were like unto Solomon's, being temples of the Law of Moses; unlike the Holy Land where there was but one temple and that at Jerusalem, the manner of the Nephites was to have many temples throughout their land. So this should put an end to thinking that the temple in Lehi-Nephi had to be the same which as that build by Nephi, for the custom among the Nephites was to build multiple temples, just as it is in the church today. |
12*
[About 78 B.C.] 13a 2 Ne. 5:16; Hel. 3:14 (9, 14) b Alma 15:17; Alma 21:6 c Alma 21:20 (4-6, 20) 14a Deut. 10:17; Alma 1:30
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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 ano 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 bhearts 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 abranch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the brest of the Lord their God.
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16a
Mosiah 18:27 (19-29);
4 Ne. 1:3 b Acts 16:14; TG Teachable 17a Jacob 5:24; TG Vineyard of the Lord b Alma 12:37; Alma 13:6-29
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18 Now those apriests who did go forth among the
people did preach against all blyings, and
cdeceivings, and denvyings, and
estrifes, 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 acoming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead.
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18a
Alma 15:13;
Alma 30:20-23, 31 b 3 Ne. 30:2 c TG Deceit d TG Envy e Alma 4:9 (8-9); TG Strife 19a TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies about
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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
aappear unto them bafter 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 avictory 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.
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20a
2 Ne. 26:9;
3 Ne. 11:8 (7-14) b 1 Ne. 12:6 (4-8); Alma 7:8 21a Alma 15:17
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| * Verse 1 [81 B.C.]; Verse 12 [About 78 B.C.]. | ||
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