Book of Mormon Commentary - Alma 2

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]

Commentary & Explanation

Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

CHAPTER 2

Amlici seeks to be king and is rejected by the voice of the people—His followers make him king—The Amlicites make war on the Nephites andare defeated—The Lamanites and Amlicites join forces and are defeated—Alma slays Amlici. [87 B.C.]

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 ^aman, being called Amlici, he being a very cunning man, yea, a wise man as to the wisdom of the world^a, he being after the order of the man that slew ^bGideon^b by the sword, who was executed according to the law—
2 Now this Amlici had, by his cunning, ^adrawn 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.
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 ^avoice of the people.

1^a a wise man as to the wisdom of the world To be learned is good is that learning and wisdom is direct by the Spirit of God and NOT exercised as to a law of logic and contrivance unto itself. Many men consider themselves high and better and to know more and be more intelligent than other men because of their 'high learning'. This is NOT the case. Intelligence is not a mere matter of I.Q. The truly intelligent man is he who follows the directions of the Spirit of God even when it IS NOT according to his own wisdom and logic. Truth does not always take the path of what is most reasonable and logical according to the understanding of men. Men have contrived of themselves many a plan and direction which they of themselves felt that was the obtainable by them, placing themselves above others and not listening to and adhereing to the directions of God. In such cases where their own personal level of learning becomes their 'God' above that of the 'revealed intelligence of God', men have and will always fail in relying upon the strength of their own deduction and reasoning and contrivance to do as they would of themselves do. Only in following the direction of the Spirit of God will man suceed in the Lord. And that pride which raises oneself up in their own eyes above another, thinking themselves better than, above and over another, even to be above the law, will be unto their own destruction. For so thought Lucifer of himself, that he would raise himself above the law of God, opposing the plan of God, and establishing himself to be over all, making and taking unto himself the glory of God above all other men and God.
1^b after the order of the man that slew Gideon This order was the order of Nehors. It was first practiced by the wicked priests of King Noah in the lands of Lehi-Nephi and Shilom which were in the land of Nephi. When the people of Limhi came into the land, it appears that some of them still sought after the ways of the wicked priests and did seek to establish 'priestcraft' which had not before been practiced in the land of Zarahemla. And now this man which was of the order of Nehor did also seek to establish a king in the land, a wicked king after the order of Nehors like unto King Noah.

1^* [87 B.C.]
^a Alma 1:15; Alma 16:11; Alma 24:28-30
^b Alma 1:8;
2^a 2 Sam. 15:6 (1-10)
3^a Mosiah 29:25-27; Alma 4:16-17

4 Therefore, if it were possible that Amlici should gain the voice of the people, he, being a wicked man, would ^adeprive them of their rights and privileges of the church; for it was his intent to destroy the church of God.
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 ^acontentions one with another.
6 And thus they did assemble themselves together to cast in their ^avoices concerning the matter; and they were laid before the judges.

4^a Mosiah 29:27; Alma 10:19; Hel. 5:2
5^a Alma 11:29
6^a TG Common Consent

7 And it came to pass that the ^avoice of the people came against Amlici^a, that he was not made king over the people.
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.
9 And it came to pass that they gathered themselves together, and did ^aconsecrate Amlici to be their king.

7^a the voice of the people came against Amlici Now this was the first test of the new democracy established in the nation of Zarahemla. And though we do not know the exact process, we were told that when the judges where called that various representatives of the people did go forth and take a count of the people and their voice as to whom they would have to be their judges. Thus we must suppose that a 'legal proposition' was drafted and thus sent forth unto all the people in the same manner and that the voice of the whole people of the whole nation were so polled and taken concerning this matter of whether the people should have a king or not.

7^a Mosiah 29:25-27
9^a TG Unrighteous Dominion

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 ^aAmlicites; and the remainder were ^bcalled Nephites, or the people of God.
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 ^aweapons of war, of every kind.

11^a Alma 3:4
^b Jacob 1:14 (13-14); Mosiah 25:12;
Alma 3:11, 17
12^a Alma 10:8; Hel. 1:14

13 And thus they were prepared to meet the Amlicites at the time of their coming. And there were appointed ^acaptains, 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 ^a:ariver Sidon^a, which ran by the ^bland of Zarahemla^a, and there they began to make war with the Nephites.

15^a river Sidon Pointed out by such as George Reynolds and confirmed in Orson Pratts' footnotes, the River Sidon is considered to be the same as the Magdalena River in Colombia (1906 Liverpool edition footnote).
15^b land of Zarahemla Care needs be taken when dealing with the term and phrase of 'land of Zarahemla'. Zarahemla was a city, the land of Zarhamela was a locally surrounding province or county round about the city of Zarahemla, and also 'the land of Zarahemla' could have reference to the entire nation of the Nephites called Zarahemla and/or the land of Zarahemla depending upon the context of the text. Like New York, New York, New York; where New York was a city, a bourough/county (Manhatten),and a state: so also Zarahemla, Zarahemla, Zarahemla; could be referring to the limited city by that name, the provinice or county by the name or even the entire Nephite Nation by that same name, Zarahemla.

13^a Alma 16:5
15^a Alma 3:3
^aSupposed to be Magdalena (1906 Ed.)
^b Omni 1:13; Mosiah 1:1

SIDON = MAGDALENA In my grandfather's missionary triple combination printed in 1906, there is a footnoted reference to the 'river Sidon' in verse 15 of Alma chapter 2. It is added to the footnote references above in green as it no longer is found in today's Book of Momon. Among others, I suppose that the Book of Mormon scholar and member of the presidents of the Seventy of the LDS Church, George Reynolds, may be one to look to who did 'suppose' the Magdalena river in Colombia to be that river which is the Sidon river of the Book of Mormon. There are many other reason to accept this relationship besides the 1906 Book of Mormon reference to the fact. In the model which has Lehi landing a little south of the Isthmus of Darien, as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith (TPJS p. 267), this relationship fits very well to have the Magdalena river be the same as the Sidon river of the Book of Mormon. Such mappings that are suggested in this commentary have beem provided with this relationship being in tact.

16 Now Alma, being the ^achief judge and the ^bgovernor 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.

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.
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.

16^a Mosiah 29:42
^b Mosiah 1:10

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 ^aslain 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.

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 ^avalley of Gideon^a, the valley being called after that Gideon who was slain by the hand of ^bNehor with the sword; and in this valley the Nephites did pitch their tents for the night.
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.

20^a the valley of Gideon The Sidon river valley ran north and south with Manti in the head waters, a wilderness, then Minon just above Zarahemla and then the provincial land of Zarahemla in the heart and center of the land. Within one days travel from Zarahemla south and on the east of the river was a tributary river from the east and of coures its own valley land. This valley, which coorelates well with that river, the Meta River of Colombia, and its valley which turns up to Bogata from off the Magdalena River in Colombia, was founded by Gideon as a part, the more righteous part, of the people of Limhi did settle that land with Gideon when they returned from the land of Nephi. It was at the mouth or beginning of that valley upon that side river that Alma encamped for the night.

19^a Alma 3:1-2,26; Alma 4:2
20^a Alma 6:7; Alma 8:1
^b Alma 1:12 (7-15); Alma 14:16

22 Now those whom he had sent out to watch the camp of the Amlicites were called Zeram, and Amnor, and Manti^a, and Limher; these were they who went out with their men to watch the camp of the Amlicites.

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 ^acamp of the ^bAmlicites, and to our great astonishment, in the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of ^cNephi, 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.

22^a Manti Whether this name given here is coinsidence or not, it is suggestive. Above, to the south of the city of Zarahemla was the land of Minon. And continuing south up the valley into the upper mountain in the course of going to the land of Nephi would be where the city and land of Manti would be located. It begs the question if this Manti was he who establishes the city and land of Manti as a part of a further south 'outpost' city of defense and early warning. But the Book of Mormon being only less than a 1% record of the people, such fuller details just are not elaborated upon in the highly abridged Book of Mormon.

24^a Alma 3:20
^b Alma 3:4, 13-18
^c 2 Ne. 5:8; Alma 20:1

26 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi took their tents, and departed out of the valley of Gideon towards their ^acity, which was the city of ^aZarahemla.

27 And behold, as they were crossing the river Sidon, the Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as ^anumerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them.
28 Nevertheless, the Nephites being ^astrengthened 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.

26^a Alma 6:4
^b Omni 1:14, 18
27^a Jarom 1:6
28^a Deut. 31:6

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.
30 And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much ^afaith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and ^bspare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.
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.

30^a TG Faith
^b Alma 3:22

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.
33 But Alma, with his guards, contended with the guards of the king of the Lamanites until he slew and drove them back.
34 And thus he cleared the ground, or rather the bank, which was on the west of the river Sidon, ^athrowing 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.

34^a Alma 3:3; Alma 44:22

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.
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.

37 Yea, they were met on every hand, and slain and driven, until they were scattered on the west, and on the north^a, until they had reached the wilderness, which was called ^bHermounts; and it was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts^b.
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.

37^b the wilderness, which was called Hermounts; and it was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts In one sense of this statement it seems to be given in a spirit of familiarity, that one ought to already know to what wilderness is being referred to here. 'It was that part of the wilderness which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts.' Now you ought to know which wilderness it is that Mormon is referring. According to Joseph Smith, 'Lehi landed a little south of the Isthmus of Darien. This would have been upon the northwestern shore of Colombia. When Lehi's party proceeded to take their journey into the wildernes after that first season of planting and harvesting that bounteous crop which fostered the naming of this first land of the promises land after that bounteous land from which they departed, Bountiful; they did find in the forested wilderness animals of every kind both domesitic and also wild beast of every kind. This is that same wilderness, that rain forested 'jungle' land which the Nephites called Hermounts. And it is with the 'familiar reference' that Mormon speaks of 'that wilderness infested with wild and ravenous beasts', as the easy kill of the domestic animals has by now elapsed.
Note: The name 'Her-mounts' is considered to be a human anatomy analysis of the topology, which is commonly used by various people who, not have a lowness of mind, do not consider it offensive or crude to so typify the lay of the land by such reference. Here it is considered that 'her-mounts' would be either that of twin mountain peaks or more likely since both west and north directions apply, the larger existences of the two closely lying parallel mountain ranges such as the Occidental Cordillera and the Central Cordillera mountain ranges and their wilderness areas.

Wilderness of Her Mountains To emphasize more of the reality of the 'space' dimision of the map of the national lands of Zarahemla, the the Nation was mostly a tropical wilderness of jungle rain forests and mountains merely DOTTED by the civilization centers of the Nephites with vast wilderness regions remain between them at this juncture in time, the city and their local lands are indicated by small capital letters which are actual more correctly representative of the civilization sizes and their relationship to the vast wilderness regions of the land which continued to surround them.
   Notice the three parallel mountain ranges of the western, centeral and eastern cordilleras or mountains, the two major river valleys thus created, the wastern seaboard consumed in a 300 plus inches per year mangrove swamp natural barrier, he eastern plains, and the most northern upper regions including the narrow neck which would consist of the land known as Bountiful.
   Bountiful: City on the east coast, land runs from west sea to east sea and up into the narrow neck bordering upon the land of Desolation.
   Mulek: Possibly a sea port fishing villege either in the land of Bountiful of the greater land of Jershon at this time.
   Jershon: Vast northeastern plains lands of the eastern seaboard given to the people of Ammon, being similar to the dryer lands of the western coast of the land of Nephi.
   Antionum: Land of the Zormanites which disscents over to the Lamanites (Alma 43:4-5).
   Unnamed ?: 'Capital' lands in lower Sidon Valley (Helaman 1:23-27).
   Zarahemla: City and local lands of Zarahemla. Not to be confused with the greater nation of Zarahemla which included all lands.
   Minon: Land immediately south of Zarahemla in central Sidon Valley.
   Gideon: Land in eastern cutting valley which cuts across the eastern cordilleras to the plains lands.
   Aaron: City and land on the fringe of the eastern plains coming out of the Gideon passage.
   Manti: Early warning city and land located in the head waters of the upper Sidon valley.
   Sidom, Noah and Ammonihah: Cities and lands of lower parallel valley.
   Melek: Land in upper parallel valley.
   Rest of Land: Vast expanses of mountainous and rain forest jungle lands and mangrove swamps which dominate the national lands which are merely DOTTED with cities and lands which have began to spread forth over the land.
   Wilderness of Her - Mounts: The land being presumed of feminine gender (her) and thus the wilderness of 'her mountains' filled practically the whole of the mountain lands, north, south, east and west. Only the wilderness of the mountains to the north and west is where the Lamanites and Amlicites were driven (verse 37).

37^a scattered on the west, and on the north Now an understanding as to the nature of the national lands of Zarahemla is needful. It is true that the people of the Nephites had began to spread over the face of the land. But even in their so settling new lands and establishing new cities, there was vast wildernesses between each of the lands and their associated cities. And there would be in and as a cause of these wildernesses such physical land features which would not be suited for civilization. One such type of natural feature is or are mountainous regions of the land. The national land of Zarahemla had three parallel mountian ranges. Not exactly like but comparable to the four parallel mountain ranges of Utah's northern regions. Utah has the Wasatch Mountain Range, then the Oqquirh Mountain Range, then the Standbury Mountain Range. and finally the Cedar Range. While all these sub-ranges are technically a part of the great Wasatch Mountains, they provide three parallel valleys within the four ranges. These valleys are Skull Valley, Tooele Valley and the Salt Lake Valley. Now the three parallel mountain ranges of the land of Zarahemla are best named the Eastern Mountains or Cordillera, the Central Mountains of Cordillera, and the Western Mountains or Cordillera. Between the Eastern Cordillera and the Central Cordillera lies the Sidon River valley which contains from the head waters in the south Manti, Minon, Zarahemla and other unnamed cities and lands. And between the Centeral Cordillera and the Western Cordillera lies a parallel river which contains such lands and cities as Melek, Ammonihah, Noah and Sidom. The Lands of Melek and Ammonihah in the parallel valley to the Sidon valley are separated by a three day wilderness journey perhaps by river which places the distance up from 75 to 200 miles apart. The Central Cordillera Mountain range is a wilderness unto itself. And when the Book of Mormon states the the wilderness to the west of Zarahemla and north of Zarahemla, these Central Cordillera Mountains come into play as does also the lands of Melek and Ammonihah. The Lamanites and Amlicites were driven into the Central Cordilleras where wild beast of every kind did dwell. The Southern regions of Bountiful would consist of the northern regions of the wilderness of Hermounts. To the east of Melek and Ammonihah and the vast three day wilderness journey inbetween lies the western slopes of the Central Cordilleras. 'IF' the Lamanites and Amilites were able to transverse the Centeral Cordilleras to the west the would still most likely further find themselves in this three day wilderness between Melek and Ammonihah which was still a part of the wilderness of Hermounts. The fact that various Nephite settlements began to 'DOT' the various valley regions of the Hermounts wilderness, did none the less consist of mostly jungle rain forest type wilderness and high mountains wilderness regions. The name 'HER - MOUNTS' may also be a descriptive name rather than an actual Nephite name. Since the Wilderness of 'HER-MOUNTS' most likely consisted of the wilderness areas of the Central and Western Mountains and considering the land and its mountian ranges to be 'feminine' in gender, the Wilderness of 'her-mountains' seems a likely possibile disection of this descriptive wilderness name.

North, South, East, West It is interesting that in depicting the lands and the journeys of Lehi in the wilderness in the lands of the Red Sea, the south-southeast (1 Nephi 16:13) and the eastern (1 Nephi 17:1) compass direction referenced by the Book of Mormon are precisely accurate to today's compass points. But when the Mesoamerican theorists bring the compass directions over to the Americas, suddenly for their contrived intent North is West, East is North, South is East and West is South in order to achieve a correct fit to the 'Mesoamerican' geographic model. And they have to adapt only for the Americas some explanation given as to ancient Hebrew compass directions. Why did not such apply to Lehi's travels of the Red Sea? Conclusion: the Joseph Smith's translation DID NOT mix ancient Hebrew directions into the most correct English translation.

37^a 1 Ne. 18:25 (23-25); Alma 22:31 (29-33)

HERMOUNTS & BOUNTIFUL The relationship between the land of Bountiful and that of the wilderness of Hermounts is that the northern portion of the wilderness of Hermounts runs up and into the land of Bountiful. And as the foregoing scripture references details, they were both part of the wilderness which held animals of every kind. When Lehi's party landed, there were still domestice animals living in that wilderness having come to the land for the want of food as the land of Desolation had not food for them to eat during the ending period of the Jaredites wars. Alma 22 reports that fact and the logic stands out that that is why the animals were there ready for the two parties of Lehi and Mulek to obtain domestic animals from that source. And it is was further ties the map and various land locations in together, Hermounts, Bountiful, Zarahemla, Lehi's landing and the landing of Mulek first just to the north and then as his party came south to settle in the middle of the land of Zarahemla upon the west bank of the middle of the Sidon river.

Defusing the Limited Model There is 'much to do' about a limited Book of Mormon map model in Central America. It suggests that it is varified by the Book of Mormon, but the Book of Mormon is but less than a 1% rendering of the details of the Nephite people and has not been properly reconstituded from it highly condensed highly abridged format. Further the isthmus of Centeral America just does not fit the details of the Book of Mormon properly and has to be tweak by 'assumptions' and 'innovations' galore just to have it to be considered. Basically it fails on a number of accounts. The heavily supported theory of the 'Limited Model' of the Book of Mormon lands which places it in Central American has the seas upon the north and south of the Isthmus and land rather than east and west and the land running east and west rather than north and south as the Book of Mormon does read. Note: Sorenson's little book turns the 'isthmus' image nearly a full 90 degrees from that which the actual Central American Isthmus does lay in order to have 'his map' fit the Book of Mormon's discription correctly.

NOTE: The above map is not a precise mapping of the greater national land of Zarahemla and all of its cities and villages at this particular time. It is but a relational representation regarding the provincial lands of 'Z' Zarahemla, 'M' Minon, 'G' Gideon, 'B' Bountiful, the hill 'A' Amnihu and the wilderness of 'H' Hermounts; and the 'X' Landing site and course of Lehi's journeying in the wilderness.
NOTE: At the time 'Hermounts' is first presented in the Book of Mormon (Alma 2:37), it is considered to have been the land of the twin parallel mountain ranges of the Occidental (western) and Central (middle) Cordilleras; that being as the principal settlements of the time were in the central Sidon river Valley.

Hermounts Geography
(Alma 2:37) As depicted, the Wilderness of Hermounts spread to the north and west of Zarahemla. And for this and other reasons, it is considered that the course of the major river and valley of Sidon 'DID NOT' cut its way left through that great 'north and west' continuous wilderness; but rather went to the right or northeast in its course to the sea. Actually all was at one time wilderness, but the various settlements of the people of Zarahemla and the Nephites began to spot the land and this is what gives it definition. Lehi had landed on the west coast a 'little south of the Isthmus of Darien' according to Joseph Smith. From there they 'journeyed in the wilderness' to their land of first inheritance south along the western river valley, the same valley which Limhi's 43 explorers had mistakened for the river valley of Zarahemla. It was into this wilderness of wild animals of every kind (1 Nephi 18:25; Alma 2:37; Alma 22:31) that the Nephites drove the armies of the Lamanites and Alicites into. Of course that wilderness speads on up into the land of Bountiful as set forth in Alma 22:31. The Nephites found the domestic animals of the Jaredites as well as the wild animals from the north who had wandered into the land southward for the want of food during the scortched earth policy effected by Shiz in his war with Coriantumr. And that is were Lehi's party found them (1 Nephi 18:25).

* Verse 1 [87 B.C.].