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.]

 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.

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

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

 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.

 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.

 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.

 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.

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

 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.

 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.

 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.

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

 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.

 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:

 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.

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

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

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

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

 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.

 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.

 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.

 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.

 For behold, in my name are they called; and if they ^aknow^• me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.

 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.

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

 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.

 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.

 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.

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

 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.

 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.

 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.

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

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

 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.

 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.

 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.

 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.