their own will and pleasure.
Alma 4:9
9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges,
there began to be great contentions among the people of the
church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and
persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who
did not belong to the church of God.
Alma 4:10
10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges;
and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to
those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began
to fail in its progress.
Alma 4:11
11 And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year,
Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the
example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on
from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the
destruction of the people.
Alma 4:12
12 Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting
themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their
backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and
those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.
Alma 4:13
13 Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people,
while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood
in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the
poor and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner
of afflictions, for Christ's sake, who should come according to
the spirit of prophecy;
Alma 4:14
14 Looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of
their sins; being filled with great joy because of the
resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and
deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.
Alma 4:15
15 And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the
afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions
which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and
seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful;
nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.
Alma 4:16
16 And he selected a wise man who was among the elders of the
church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people,
that he might have power to enact laws according to the laws
which had been given, and to put them in force according to the
wickedness and the crimes of the people.
Alma 4:17
17 Now this man's name was Nephihah, and he was appointed chief
judge; and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the
people.
Alma 4:18
18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high
priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest
unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.
Alma 4:19
19 And this he did that he himself might go forth among his
people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the
word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their
duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the
pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his
people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in
bearing down in pure testimony against them.
Alma 4:20
20 And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign
of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the
judgment-seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the
high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the
word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.
Alma 5 Chapter 5
Alma 5:1
1 Now it came to pass that Alma began to deliver the word of God
unto the people, first in the land of Zarahemla, and from thence
throughout all the land.
Alma 5:2
2 And these are the words which he spake to the people in the
church which was established in the city of Zarahemla, according
to his own record, saying:
Alma 5:3
3 I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a
high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority
from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began
to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of
Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea,
and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon.
Alma 5:4
4 And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the
hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God.
Alma 5:5
5 And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the
hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you,
they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out
of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into
this land, and here we began to establish the church of God
throughout this land also.
Alma 5:6
6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong
to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the
captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently
retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards
them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance
that he has delivered their souls from hell?
Alma 5:7
7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of
a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the
midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by
the light of the everlasting word; yea, they