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CHAPTER 27The Lord commands Ammon to lead the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety—Upon meeting Alma, Ammon's joy exhausts his strength—The Nephites give them the land of Jershon—They are called the people of Ammon. [Between 90 and 77 B.C.] |
[Between 78 and 77 B.C.] | |
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1 NOW it came to pass that when those
Lamanites who had gone to war against the Nephites had found, after their
amany struggles to destroy them, that it was in vain to
seek their destruction, they returned again to the land of Nephi.
2 And it came to pass that the Amalekites, because of their loss, were exceedingly angry. And when they saw that they could not seek revenge from the Nephites, they began to astir up the people in anger against their bbrethren, the people of cAnti-Nephi-Lehi; therefore they began again to destroy them. 3 Now this people aagain refused to take their arms, and they suffered themselves to be slain according to the desires of their enemies.
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1a
Alma 25:3 2a Alma 13:50 b Alma 43:11 c Alma 25:1 3a Alma 24:21 (21-26)
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4 Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among
those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved
them—for they were treated as though they were angels sent from God to
save them from everlasting destruction—therefore, when Ammon and his
brethren saw this great work of destruction, they were moved with compassion,
and they asaid unto the king:
5 Let us gather together this people of the Lord, and let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed. 6 But the king said unto them: Behold, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them.
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4a
Alma 24:5 (3-5)
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7 And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he
say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?
8 And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren, and we will be their slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them. 9 But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any aslaves among them; therefore let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren.
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9a
Mosiah 29:32, 38, 40
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10 But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he
saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the
land.
11 And it came to pass that Ammon went and inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said unto him: 12 Get this people aout of this land, that they perish nota; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will bpreserve them.
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12a Get this people our of this land, that they perish not Now Ammon had already concluded upon the course of action necessary, but Lamoni required that the Lord give the answer. But the Lord could and would not confirm the descision which the Nephites would make concerning accepting the Lamanites in their land. Notice that the Lord does not say that the Nephites will accept them. Of course the Lord knows how the Nephites will resond, but he is careful not to state the fact before the Nephites have exercised their full free agency in making their own descission on the matter. The Lord merely says, 'Geth this people out of this land'. It is useless to consider what the Lord would have done if the Nephites had not accepted the converted Lamanites into their land, for they did accept them, as the Lord and even Ammon knew they would. But that choice was still theirs to make without direct commandment of the Lord to do so. |
12a
TG
Separation b TG Protection, Divine
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13 And now it came to pass that Ammon went and told the king all
the words which the Lord had said unto him.
14 And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land. 15 And it came to pass that Ammon said unto them: Behold, I and my brethren will go forth into the land of Zarahemla, and ye shall remain here until we return; and we will atry the hearts of our brethrena, whether they will that ye shall come into their land. |
15a we will try the hearts of our brethren Now here is the 'trial', which the Lord knew the Nephites would pass, yet still it was the exercise of angency to decide which was left entirely open, to be yet made by the Nephites of Zarahemla. |
15a
Judg. 7:4
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16 And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land,
that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the aplace of
which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting.
17 Now the ajoy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the bexhausting of his strength; and he fell cagain to the earth. 18 Now was not this aexceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of bhappinessa.
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18a this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness Now does this mean that one has to collapse from such joy for it to be this type of joy which was received like unto Ammon? Nay, Alma and Ammon's brethren also experience this same joy, it is just that Ammon's joy did exceed his strength and thus he was over come. |
16a
Alma 17:1-4 17a TG Joy b Dan. 10:8-12; 1 Ne. 1:7 c Alma 19:14, 17 18a Alma 28:8 b TG Happiness; TG Objectives
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19 Now the joy of Alma in meeting his abrethren was
truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; but behold their
joy was not that to exceed their strength.
20 And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his aown house. And they went and told the bchief judge all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites. 21 And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people concerning the admitting their brethren, who were the people of aAnti-Nephi-Lehi.
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19a
TG
Friendship 20a Alma 15:18 b Alma 4:17 (16-18) 21a Alma 25:13 (1, 13); Alma 43:11
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22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people
camea, saying: Behold, we will give
up the aland of bJershon, which is
on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south
of the land Bountifulb; and this
land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an
inheritance.
23 And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may aprotect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness. 24 And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a aportion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies.
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22a the voice of the people
came Here now is the exercise of that agency, liberty and freedom
to choose. And the Nephites chose right. But it was thier right to chose and
the Lord ensured that it was left to them to so choose, according to their
own minds and will concerning the matter at hand.
22b the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful Now the land Bountiful did reach up into the narrow neck of land and did extent from the sea west to the sea east. And since Jershon was only on the east by the sea, it must be understood that Jershon did only join or border the land Bountiful on the east and not all the way across unto the sea west. Further it must be understood that these lands which are being spoken of are provincial sized lands. For the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi were a great many thousands of people, coming out of seven cities and lands of the Lamanites. Thus it should not be surprising that the land of Jershon was a great land which did extend from the land of Bountiful along the eastern seashore south even until it did come and border upon that next provincial land of the Nephites which was the land of Antionum of the Zoramites. |
22a
Alma 43:12 b Alma 28:1, 8 23a Alma 43:12 24a Alma 43:13
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25 Now, it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he returned
to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him, into the
wilderness, where they had pitched their tents, and made known unto them all
these things. And Alma also related unto them his
aconversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren.
26 And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the Nephites the apeople of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after. 27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their azeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly bhonest and upright in all things; and they were cfirm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.
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25a
Mosiah 27:24 (10-25) 26a Alma 30:1 27a TG Zeal b Prov. 19:1; D&C 124:20 (15, 20); TG Honesty c Alma 23:6; Hel. 15:8 (6-10)
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28 And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren
with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed
upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did
look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and
views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was
swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.
29 Therefore, they would suffer adeath in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them. 30 And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord.
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29a
Alma 24:23 (20-23)
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