Alma 23
People in this chapter
In Alma 22 the king over all the Lamanites knelt and prayed, I will give away all my sins to know thee (Alma 22:18). Now he acts on that prayer. He sends a decree through his whole kingdom: no one may bind, imprison, spit on, strike, scourge, or stone the Nephite missionaries, and they are to have free access to homes, temples and sanctuaries (vv. 1-2). The sons of Mosiah had suffered most of those things (Alma 26:29). Now the doors are open.
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Alma 23:1-5That the Word of God Might Have No Obstruction
1Behold, now it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites sent a proclamation among all his people, that they should not lay their hands on Ammon, or Aaron, or Omner, or Himni, nor either of their brethren who should go forth preaching the word of God, in whatsoever place they should be, in any part of their land. 2Yea, he sent a decree among them, that they should not lay their hands on them to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should they spit upon them, nor smite them, nor cast them out of their synagogues, nor scourge them; neither should they cast stones at them, but that they should have free access to their houses, and also their temples, and their sanctuaries.
The converted king protects the missionaries by law. No one may hurt them, jail them, or drive them out, and every door is open to them.
3And thus they might go forth and preach the word according to their desires, for the king had been converted unto the Lord, and all his household; therefore he sent his proclamation throughout the land unto his people, that the word of God might have no obstruction, but that it might go forth throughout all the land, that his people might be convinced concerning the wicked traditions of their fathers, and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness.
The king did this because he and his household had been converted. He wanted his people to learn that the Nephites were their brothers and to stop murdering, robbing and doing evil.
4And now it came to pass that when the king had sent forth this proclamation, that Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, and from one house of worship to another, establishing churches, and consecrating priests and teachers throughout the land among the Lamanites, to preach and to teach the word of God among them; and thus they began to have great success. 5And thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe in the traditions of the Nephites; and they were taught the records and prophecies which were handed down even to the present time.
Aaron and his brothers organize the Church as they go. They set up congregations and ordain local priests and teachers, and thousands come to know the Lord.
Alma 23:6-7They Never Did Fall Away
6And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.
Mormon swears an oath: as sure as the Lord liveth, every Lamanite truly converted through this preaching stayed faithful. The power behind it was revelation and God's miracles.
7For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.
Why did they never fall away? They did lay down the weapons of their rebellion. They stopped fighting God and stopped fighting their brothers.
Alma 23:8-15These Are They Who Were Converted unto the Lord
8Now, these are they who were converted unto the Lord: 9The people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Ishmael; 10And also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Middoni; 11And also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the city of Nephi; 12And also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Shilom, and who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the city of Lemuel, and in the city of Shimnilom. 13And these are the names of the cities of the Lamanites which were converted unto the Lord; and these are they that laid down the weapons of their rebellion, yea, all their weapons of war; and they were all Lamanites.
Mormon lists the places where people were converted, one by one. He wants each one remembered.
14And the Amalekites were not converted, save only one; neither were any of the Amulonites; but they did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt, yea, and all their villages and all their cities. 15Therefore, we have named all the cities of the Lamanites in which they did repent and come to the knowledge of the truth, and were converted.
Two groups would not be converted: the Amalekites (except one) and the Amulonites. They hardened their own hearts and the hearts of the Lamanites near them.
Alma 23:16-18A Name, That They Might Be Distinguished
16And now it came to pass that the king and those who were converted were desirous that they might have a name, that thereby they might be distinguished from their brethren; therefore the king consulted with Aaron and many of their priests, concerning the name that they should take upon them, that they might be distinguished. 17And it came to pass that they called their names Anti-Nephi-Lehies; and they were called by this name and were no more called Lamanites.
The converts want a new name to show they have changed. After counseling with Aaron and the priests, they become the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and are no longer called Lamanites.
18And they began to be a very industrious people; yea, and they were friendly with the Nephites; therefore, they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them.
Their changed lives show. They work hard, they become friends with the Nephites, and the curse that came from rebellion against God no longer follows them.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Anti-Nephi-LehiesScripture references tracing this people from their conversion and their new name (vv. 16-17) to the burial of their weapons and their later history.
- Conversion, ConvertWhat it means to be converted unto the Lord, the phrase at the center of verses 6-8.
- Mosiah, Sons ofThe four brothers named in verse 1, from their own conversion to their mission among the Lamanites.
- NehorThe false teacher whose order many of the Amalekites and Amulonites followed (Alma 21:4), background for verse 14.
Where this echoes in Scripture
That the Word of God Might Have No Obstruction
- Alma 22:18I will give away all my sins to know thee.The king's prayer, the chapter before.
- Alma 26:29We have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks.What the decree in verse 2 put an end to.
- Mosiah 18:18Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests.The same pattern of organizing new converts.
- Acts 14:23And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord.Paul and Barnabas did the same among new converts.
They Never Did Fall Away
- Ephesians 2:14-16For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.Christ reconciles enemies to God and to each other.
- Alma 24:17-18They took their swords... and they did bury them up deep in the earth.The weapons of rebellion buried, literally.
- Luke 22:32When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.The Savior to Peter: conversion is more than belief.
- Mosiah 5:2We have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.Another people whose hearts were changed.
These Are They Who Were Converted unto the Lord
- Alma 21:4Many of the Amalekites and the Amulonites were after the order of the Nehors.Who the Amalekites and Amulonites were.
- Mosiah 23:31-35Amulon and his brethren... did join the Lamanites.Where the Amulonites came from.
- Alma 24:30They become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.Mormon's later comment on why some resisted.
- Alma 19:31[He] began to rebuke them, and to teach them the words which he had heard from the mouth of Ammon.Lamoni begins teaching his own people in the land of Ishmael.
A Name, That They Might Be Distinguished
- Mosiah 5:8I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God.Another people takes a new name after conversion.
- Acts 11:26The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
- Genesis 32:28Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel.A new name marks a changed life.
- Alma 27:26They were called by the Nephites the people of Ammon.The name these people will later carry.
- 2 Nephi 5:20They were cut off from his presence.What the curse meant at its root.