his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and
safety of his people.
Alma 48:13
13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ,
and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights,
and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
Alma 48:14
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against
their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were
necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an
offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against
an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
Alma 48:15
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper
them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in
keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the
land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to
their danger;
Alma 48:16
16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they
should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so
doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of
Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of
blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in
keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
Alma 48:17
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and
were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very
powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil
would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
Alma 48:18
18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea,
and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his
sons, for they were all men of God.
Alma 48:19
19 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable
unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of
God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would
hearken unto their words.
Alma 48:20
20 And thus they went forth, and the people did humble
themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were highly
favored of the Lord, and thus they were free from wars and
contentions among themselves, yea, even for the space of four
years.
Alma 48:21
21 But, as I have said, in the latter end of the nineteenth
year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they
were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the
Lamanites.
Alma 48:22
22 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of
many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much
reluctance.
Alma 48:23
23 Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites,
because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and
this was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so
many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world,
unprepared to meet their God.
Alma 48:24
24 Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives,
that their wives and their children should be massacred by the
barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and
had dissented from their church, and had left them and had gone
to destroy them by joining the Lamanites.
Alma 48:25
25 Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice
over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who
should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord
was, if they should keep his commandments they should prosper in
the land.
Alma 49 Chapter 49
Alma 49:1
1 And now it came to pass in the eleventh month of the
nineteenth year, on the tenth day of the month, the armies of the
Lamanites were seen approaching towards the land of Ammonihah.
Alma 49:2
2 And behold, the city had been rebuilt, and Moroni had
stationed an army by the borders of the city, and they had cast
up dirt around about to shield them from the arrows and the
stones of the Lamanites; for behold, they fought with stones and
with arrows.
Alma 49:3
3 Behold, I said that the city of Ammonihah had been rebuilt. I
say unto you, yea, that it was in part rebuilt; and because the
Lamanites had destroyed it once because of the iniquity of the
people, they supposed that it would again become an easy prey for
them.
Alma 49:4
4 But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold,
the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which
was so high that the Lamanites could not cast their stones and
their arrows at them that they might take effect, neither could
they come upon them save it was by their place of entrance.
Alma 49:5
5 Now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were
astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in
preparing their places of security.
Alma 49:6
6 Now the leaders of the Lamanites had supposed, because of the
greatness of their numbers, yea, they supposed that they should
be privileged to come upon them as they had hitherto done; yea,
and they had also prepared themselves with shields, and with
breastplates; and they had also prepared themselves with garments
of skins, yea, very thick garments to cover their nakedness.
Alma 49:7
7 And being thus prepared they supposed that they should easily
overpower and subject their brethren