Alma 16

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 6/20 Green 4/21 orange 7/22  Brown 8/23)     

Chapter 16

The 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 Nephites. About 81–77 B.C.

  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 Zarahemla, 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 land.
  2 For behold, the armies of the Lamanites had come in up  on the wilderness side, into the borders of the land, even into the city of ^aAmmonihah, and began to slay the people and destroy the city. Seems like an unprovoked attack...no grievances mentioned. Kind of scary to never know when they'll appear and just start killing people. 
  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. Remember they were attacking "the land" in and around Zarahemla...starting with Ammonihah..the city prophesied to be destroyed; the ones who burned people alive for their belief. God promised the Lamanites would be his arm of judgment and so they are!
  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, The last couple references to this make it sound like another way of saying he could see the future or discern people's thoughts/plans 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. 
When is it okay to ask someone to get revelation for you? And Alma returned and said unto them: How wonderful to be at a point where you pray for a specific answer and get it immediately.  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. Alma asked and the Lord was very specific in His answer.
  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 Sidon.
  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. Amazing deliverance! I wonder what was going on in the minds of those taken captive. Did they have faith they would be delivered? Were they praying mightily for that? And they were brought by their brethren to possess their own lands. 
  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. Wow! EVERY living soul? God had the last word with them...
  10 But behold, in ^aone day it was left desolate; and the ^bcarcasses were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness. Satan does not support his followers. He has no power to save them against the power of God. Judgement can be swift. No time to repent in the day of their destruction.
 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. The covenant of God to Abraham was lands and people. The curse here is clear. Desolation of lands and people!
 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 ^atemples, and in their ^bsanctuaries, and also in their ^csynagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews. Is there a difference between a sanctuary and a synagogue? Did every city have a temple?
 14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any ^arespect of persons, continually. This is the only message of "diversity and inclusion" we need to know. No identifying of individual groups or classes.
 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. No other way to establish the church other than talking to people about it.
 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— No inequality is a fruit of people being born of the Spirit. 
 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. Born Again language here. Is it a different kind of "his coming"... Can this please happen again? Can God pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds and hearts of all people to receive the word "at the time of His coming". What "coming" is this? It's 81 years before Christ's birth; another 33 years before his ministry and visit to the America's. No one alive would be present when Christ would come to them. Was this to prepare them to prepare their posterity?
 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. Maybe they didn't know his coming was 75 years away and they were being taught to be ready always in case it was their day. Just like today...
 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. I think we sometimes forget that they had been taught that He would appear to them after His resurrection. Did they also know about the great destruction that would precede it?
 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. We need this "victory over the devil" in our day and the "word of God preached in its purity in all the land and the Lord pouring out his blessing upon the people"!!! If this is a "type" for some time in our day...when will this happen? Has it happened already?