Alma 25
People in this chapter
Alma 24 ended with more than a thousand Lamanites laying down their weapons. Those who did not repent were angrier than ever, and they swore vengeance on the Nephites (v. 1). This chapter follows that anger. It explains why the Lamanites destroyed Ammonihah, an event Mormon had already recorded in Alma 16, and it traces what happened to the descendants of Amulon and the other priests of King Noah.
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Alma 25:1-4They Swore Vengeance upon the Nephites
1And behold, now it came to pass that those Lamanites were more angry because they had slain their brethren; therefore they swore vengeance upon the Nephites; and they did no more attempt to slay the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi at that time. 2But they took their armies and went over into the borders of the land of Zarahemla, and fell upon the people who were in the land of Ammonihah and destroyed them.
Some of the attackers repented. The rest grew angrier, blamed the Nephites, and stopped attacking the converts for a time.
The Lamanite army destroys Ammonihah, the city that had rejected Alma and Amulek. Mormon had already told this in Alma 16. Here he explains why the army came.
3And after that, they had many battles with the Nephites, in the which they were driven and slain. 4And among the Lamanites who were slain were almost all the seed of Amulon and his brethren, who were the priests of Noah, and they were slain by the hands of the Nephites;
In the battles that follow, most of the descendants of Amulon and the other priests of Noah are killed.
Alma 25:5-12A Type of Things to Come
5And the remainder, having fled into the east wilderness, and having usurped the power and authority over the Lamanites, caused that many of the Lamanites should perish by fire because of their belief— 6For many of them, after having suffered much loss and so many afflictions, began to be stirred up in remembrance of the words which Aaron and his brethren had preached to them in their land; therefore they began to disbelieve the traditions of their fathers, and to believe in the Lord, and that he gave great power unto the Nephites; and thus there were many of them converted in the wilderness. 7And it came to pass that those rulers who were the remnant of the children of Amulon caused that they should be put to death, yea, all those that believed in these things. 8Now this martyrdom caused that many of their brethren should be stirred up to anger; and there began to be contention in the wilderness; and the Lamanites began to hunt the seed of Amulon and his brethren and began to slay them; and they fled into the east wilderness.
After all their losses, many Lamanites remember what Aaron and his brothers had taught them. They stop believing their fathers' false traditions and start believing in the Lord.
The descendants of Amulon, now ruling over these Lamanites, put the new believers to death by fire. Mormon calls it martyrdom. It turns the Lamanites against the Amulonites.
9And behold they are hunted at this day by the Lamanites. Thus the words of Abinadi were brought to pass, which he said concerning the seed of the priests who caused that he should suffer death by fire. 10For he said unto them: What ye shall do unto me shall be a type of things to come. 11And now Abinadi was the first that suffered death by fire because of his belief in God; now this is what he meant, that many should suffer death by fire, according as he had suffered. 12And he said unto the priests of Noah that their seed should cause many to be put to death, in the like manner as he was, and that they should be scattered abroad and slain, even as a sheep having no shepherd is driven and slain by wild beasts; and now behold, these words were verified, for they were driven by the Lamanites, and they were hunted, and they were smitten.
Mormon stops to show that Abinadi's prophecy came true. The priests' descendants caused others to die as Abinadi did, and then they were scattered and hunted.
Alma 25:13-16Their Faith in Christ
13And it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw that they could not overpower the Nephites they returned again to their own land; and many of them came over to dwell in the land of Ishmael and the land of Nephi, and did join themselves to the people of God, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. 14And they did also bury their weapons of war, according as their brethren had, and they began to be a righteous people; and they did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe to keep his commandments and his statutes.
Many Lamanites who had fought the Nephites come home, join the converts, and bury their own weapons too.
15Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them. 16Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come.
The converts keep the law of Moses, because it has not yet been fulfilled. They keep it as people who know it points to Christ.
Their faith in Christ gave them hope of eternal salvation, and that hope came through the spirit of prophecy.
Alma 25:17Verified in Every Particular
17And now behold, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni, and their brethren did rejoice exceedingly, for the success which they had had among the Lamanites, seeing that the Lord had granted unto them according to their prayers, and that he had also verified his word unto them in every particular.
The sons of Mosiah rejoice. The Lord answered their prayers and kept every promise He had made to 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.
- AbinadiThe prophet whose words Mormon shows fulfilled in verses 9-12.
- Law of MosesThe purpose of the law as a preparatory gospel pointing to Christ, the subject of verses 15-16.
- HopeThe hope through faith unto eternal salvation that the converts retained (v. 16).
- Martyr, MartyrdomScriptures on those who gave their lives for their testimony, including Abinadi and the believers of verses 5-7.
Where this echoes in Scripture
They Swore Vengeance upon the Nephites
- Alma 16:9Every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not destroy.The same event, told earlier.
- Alma 9:18If ye persist in your wickedness... the Lamanites shall be sent upon you.Alma's warning to Ammonihah.
- Mosiah 23:35Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites.
- Galatians 6:7Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
A Type of Things to Come
- Mosiah 13:10What you do with me, after this, shall be as a type and a shadow of things which are to come.The words Mormon quotes in verse 10.
- Mosiah 17:15-18Thy seed shall cause that many shall suffer the pains that I do suffer... And in that day ye shall be hunted.Abinadi's prophecy, fulfilled here.
- Mosiah 17:2But there was one among them whose name was Alma.The one convert Abinadi lived to make.
- Ecclesiastes 11:1Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.Aaron's words, remembered years later (v. 6).
- Matthew 9:36Scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Their Faith in Christ
- Galatians 3:24The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
- Mosiah 13:30-31A law of performances and of ordinances... all these things were types of things to come.Abinadi's teaching, now lived by Lamanite converts.
- 2 Nephi 25:24-25We keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
- Alma 34:14This is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice.
- 3 Nephi 9:17In me is the law of Moses fulfilled.The risen Lord announces the fulfillment.
Verified in Every Particular
- Mosiah 28:7Many shall believe on their words... and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.The promise to Mosiah, now fulfilled.
- Alma 17:11I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.The promise at the start of their mission.
- Joshua 21:45There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
- D&C 1:38What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken... my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled.